Hebrews 10:24
A Christ-like Church
The Bible tells Christians that the church is important.
1. It is the place to provoke one another to do the right things.
2. We are not to forsake it, especially as the last days come
upon us.
But the Bible also teaches us that not all church are strong
churches.
\\#Rev 2:4\\ The church of Ephesus had left its first love.
\\#Rev 2:14\\ The church of Pergamos was filled with false doctrine.
\\#Rev 3:2\\ The church of Sardis was ready to die.
\\#Rev 3:15\\ The church of Laodicea was lukewarm.
What makes a strong church, a Christ like church? The Bible does not
give us a list. While lists might have been helpful in some ways,
they are also harmful in others.
However, the Bible does give us some pictures and I think we can
learn some things via those pictures.
I. The strong church functions like a body.
1Cor 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and
members in particular.
A. The church as Christ’s body is a common picture of the
Scripture and there are many analogies we can draw from it.
1. Every member is unique.
2. All members are part of the same body.
3. Every member is important.
4. All must work together (unity) for the body to operate.
5. We are all connected—not directly, but through the one
Head.
B. We can easily see the independence of the body members working
in unity.
1. I have a fingernail which I know is important because I
have banged my finger nails more than once.
a. They provide protection to the softer skin beneath.
b. They give me scratching power.
c. Fingernails allow me to pick the small thinks up.
2. Then on another extremity, I have a big toe.
a. It locates furniture for me in the dark.
b. Provides balance, allowing me to run, walk, and stand.
3. There is no direct connection between the two but in all
of my 59 years, by finger nail has never left without my
big toe and my big toe has never gone anywhere without
my finger nail.
4. It is not because they are directly tied together.
5. It is because they are both tied to the same head.
6. The body’s head establishes a oneness, unity.
C. The ability of the body to do opposite tasks at the same time.
1. Our bodies are fighting disease right now.
2. Our bodies are strengthening themselves right now too.
II. A strong church loves like a family.
1Tim 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as
a father; and the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as
sisters, with all purity.
A. I may be wrong, but I think this is one area that this church
does pretty good at.
1. Someone falls and people move into action.
a. Someone gets medical help.
b. Someone notifies the preacher.
c. Someone gets a wheelchair.
d. Someone readies a car.
e. Someone spends the night.
f. Someone starts praying.
2. Our church celebrates birthdays and anniversaries. Why?
Because that is what family does.
B. That doesn’t mean our church does not have some areas to
improve upon.
1. Forgive more freely.
2. Speak more kindly.
3. Reach out more frequently.
4. Serve more thoughtfully.
5. Pray more fervently.
C. We need to remember the lubricant of kindness.
III. The strong church praises like a temple.
1Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple
of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him
shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy,
which temple ye are.
A. Peter calls us the lively stones of God’s temple of worship
today.
B. And we have a purpose. It is to praise the Lord.
1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light:
1. We can praise the Lord with our voices.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the
sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is,
the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
2. We can praise the Lord with uplifted hands.
3. These are good.
4. However, we can also praise the Lord through our deeds and
actions and I think these might be even better.
Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate
forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well
pleased.
a. Our obedience praises the Lord.
b. Our transformed lives praise the Lord.
c. Our witness praises the Lord.
IV. The strong church submits like a kingdom.
1Cor 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
A. The church is part of God’s kingdom and to have a kingdom,
there must be a king.
1. Our King is Jesus Christ.
2. That is not just a ceremonial title. It is an earned
rank.
B. "Lord" is used 670x in the New Testament.
1. It means master.
2. The only way to be saved is to establish a servant’s
relationship to Jesus Christ.
3. That is what repentance does.
4. We are not talking about becoming perfect, but we are
talking about a changed direction.
5. A strong, Christ-like church is one with Jesus as their
Lord, King, and Master.
C. That relationship will dictate our lives.
1. There will be certain things we will not do.
2. There will be certain places we will not go.
3. There will be certain word we will not say.
4. There will be certain responses we will not give.
5. There will be certain compromises we will not make.
a. A strong church will not compromise on the need for
all people to be saved.
b. A strong church will not compromise on the blood of
Jesus Christ.
c. A strong church will not compromise on the conditions
of salvation.
d. A strong church will not compromise on the Bible being
the inerrant, preserved, inspired Word of God.
e. A strong church will not compromise on the deity, the
virgin birth, the sinless life, and the
substitutionary death of Jesus.
f. A strong church will not compromise on the burial and
bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
g. A strong church will never compromise on the ascension
and soon coming return of Jesus Christ.
6. In addition to those cardinal doctrines…
a. I don’t think a strong church would ever compromise on
the sanctity of human life.
b. I don’t think a strong church would ever compromise on
marriage being a sacred bond between a male husband
and his one and only female wife.
V. The strong church is pure like the bride.
Re 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely.
Re 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
A. The garments of the bride are supposed to be white and without
stain or blemish to represent her purity.
B. I know that is not always possible, but it is Christ’s desire
for earthly couples and for the church He died to save.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself
for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish.
C. To be without spot or blemish would mean since the time of our
salvation, to have continued in a righteous and faithful
manner.
1. To have done our utmost not to have gone back into sin,
to keep our doctrine pure, and to demonstrate the life
of Jesus Christ,
2. Where we have failed, it would mean to have repented as
quickly as our sinful selves could and to have put those
sins under the blood.
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