Message: The Enduring and Conquering Church
Time: Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, is credited with this book, despite the fact that he did not sign it. Dating it's writing is difficult, but most agree it to be AD 60-65 since it does not mention the destruction of the temple in AD 70. A Jew, he includes 50 direct citations and many other indirect citations from the Old Testament.
What the Lord is Saying:
As I write the summaries of the last 2 lessons, I notice that they are saying the same thing. I've had two lessons with basically the same idea - coming together and sharing in Christ's sufferings, exercising our spiritual gifts, for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ, and this is done by the way of Love. It is Love that we must be about.
As I start this passage I see that church is something Jesus began. Had a comment from a person I correspond with recently who said Jesus never said to join a church, but he began church here in this verse is my thought.
Tabletalk mentions that throughout history there have been various threats toward the church. Arianism - Alexandrian priest Arius (AD 256-336). Rather than Jesus being the same being as God the Father, assert that he was begotten or created for a specific time by God. Thus, not co-eternal with God. The closest belief system to this today is Jehovah's Witnesses though they don't pray to Jesus and they believe Jesus can fully know the Father. Other threats are communism and Islamic empires that have sought to kill Christians and their buildings. Secularization is transferring society from religious views to non-religious views with the belief that as society progresses and modernizes it becomes less religious.
Yet these threats have not won. The church remains as do the people of God and the gospel continues to penetrate lives around the world.
Today's passage citing Jesus' words on the church support this. The church will not simply endure but it will conquer (the gates of Hades shall not overpower it). Gates in ancient times were a defensive fortification for a city. As such the gates of Hades or Hell well not prevail against the church. Jesus promises this.
Summary: It is true we are discouraged at times by what is happening in society, but the church continues and Christ's promise guarantees that it will conquer to the end.
Promise: The church will never be finally defeated.
Prayer: Lord, Jesus, thank you for stating that the church will prevail. It has and it will continue and I thank you for that statement that we can rest in. That the outcome for the church is sure. Thank you for this victory.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May, Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture; January, the doctrine of God.
Christ's Body
The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see.
Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed
Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. God's Holy People - By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints. True Catholocity - God's people includes men and women from every tribe and every tongue that hold to the biblical gospel. The Apostilic Church - we are fellow citizens with all people from all tribes and tongues throughout history, united by being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets teaching, thus apostolic, with Christ Jesus being our cornerstone.
What the Church Does and Believes
Preaching Christ and His Commandments - A church needs to be committed to faithfully preaching the Word of God. Administering Sacraments - Sacraments (The Lord's Supper and Baptism especially) need to be part of a church existing, but they also need to be rightly administered. The Discipline of the Church - We need to be a people that encourage repentance to keep the church pure and set apart.
Church Leadership Offices
Prophets and Apostles - There is a foundation of how the church begins and that foundation is the apostles and prophets. Evangelists, Shepherds, and Teachers - Only mention of pastors in the New Testament.
Purpose of the Church
Our Arena for Growth - It is being at church, present, that we are to be equipped, build one another up, in order to grow in maturity. Communion in Gifts and Graces - As believers joining in Christ’s sufferings we have community, exercising our spiritual gifts, in order to grow up the Body of Christ. Receiving and Giving God's Love - We come together because of His sufferings, but once we are together, we are to be about exercising our gifts to build up and grow one another, and it is done with love.
No comments:
Post a Comment