There are two C’s in Church
Theme: Jesus uses two essential building blocks to build His church.
Text: Matthew 16:15-18, Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 2:42-47
Here’s a thought: Quaker theologian Parker Palmer explains, “The community we have yearned for is among us, in exactly the measure that we are able to discern God’s presence in our midst.”
Anne Ortlund writes:
When I was little we used to play church. We’d get the chairs into rows, fight over who’d be preacher, vigorously lead the hymn singing, and generally have a great carnal time. The aggressive kids naturally wanted to be up front, directing or preaching.
The quieter ones were content to sit and be entertained by the up-fronters. Occasionally we’d get mesmerized by a true sensationalistic crowd-swayer - like the girl who said, “Boo! I’m the Holy Ghost!” But in general, if the up-fronters were pretty good they could hold their audience quite a while. If they weren’t so good, eventually the kids would drift off to play something else - like jump rope or jacks.
Now that generation has grown up, but most of them haven’t changed too much. Every Sunday they still play church. They line up in rows for the entertainment. If it’s pretty good, their church may grow. If it’s not too hot, eventually they’ll drift off to play something else - like yachting or wife swapping.
We are here today to celebrate God’s goodness in our lives - individually and corporately. We are not here to “play church” or to come together to be entertained. New Beginnings Church is to be a place of excitement and celebration. It is also to note seriousness, purpose and intentionality in what we do and why we are here. Jesus Christ is the head, centre and builder of the church. He is why we are here!
We get to listen in on a dialogue between Jesus and Peter in Matthew 16:15-18:
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus
replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. NIV
The city gate was a heavy-traffic area 2,000 years ago, so it became a convenient place for the administration of justice. Courts were held, and disputes were settled here. Since princes and judges sat at the gate discharging their official duties, the word “gate” became a synonym for power or authority. “Gates of hell” means “powers of hell” in Matthew 16.
We have somehow come to interpret Jesus’ statement here that the church will resist any effort by the powers of darkness to penetrate our ranks and we will stand firm in the face of opposition. The terms He uses here, however, are not defensive. He portrays the church as being on the offensive as we move forward and crush the enemy!
The church starts when the Father reveals, and believers confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus builds His church on this foundation of faith with building blocks that include:
Cause (Matthew 28:16-20)
Jesus poured about three years of His life into 12 men and others. They went through a lot together, culminating in Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Luke tells us in Acts 1:3 that Jesus showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Jesus demonstrated through His words and works that His focus was not on the church but on the kingdom. As the kingdom expanded in the hearts of those who received Him, He would build His church. His church is not property or programs but people who follow Him.
Sometime during these forty days, when He spoke about the kingdom of God, Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples, as recorded in Matthew 28:16-20:
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” NIV
Jesus declares His divinity here by partnering with the Father and Holy Spirit and promising He would always be with His disciples. Rabbis would make disciples (learners and followers), but Jesus told His disciples to teach others not to follow them but to follow Him. Each one of these men gave their lives to this cause.
The Scottish minister, David Livingstone, was one of the most popular national heroes of 19th century Britain. He was known as an explorer. Scientific investigator. Anti-slavery crusader. And Protestant missionary martyr.
The story is told that Livingstone once received a letter from the London Missionary Society inquiring about his work in Africa. They asked the explorer, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.”
Livingstone wrote back (from https://thepreachersword.com/2015/07/16/the-challenge-of-commitment), “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
This little fellow had the opposite attitude …
We are on a mission to make disciples! Like dedicated soldiers in a spiritual battle, our task is to rescue those the enemy has captured in his schemes and plans. We are called upon to storm the gates of hell and bring back men, women, boys and girls to a face-to-face encounter with the King of kings.
Will you commit to reaching out to people who don’t know Jesus and using what you have to love and serve them?
The church, however, is more than an army. It is a …
Community (Acts 2:42-47)
Luke describes the closeness of the local church as it began in Acts 2:42-47:
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. NIV
The primary metaphor in this dimension of church life is “family.” The value of love is the cement that holds the family together. This cement sees the family through challenging and enjoyable times.
On Lynn’s first day back from her vacation, a fellow employee asked, “How was your trip?”
“Well,” she sighed, “Have you ever spent three weeks in a van with those you thought you loved best?”
In the family, the key person is the weak or sick person. This one gets the most attention.
You get into a family by being born or adopted into it. A person does not work their way into the family to be recognized by others as a legitimate member. Even when someone is removed geographically from their nuclear and extended family, they carry their family’s identity and influence.
The leading quality offered by the family is security and completeness. Suffering comes to all of us, and no one can suffer for us. Even so, we can be supported in those difficult times by the prayers and understanding of loved ones and friends. We are in the greatest danger when we are too proud or fearful to admit our need to others.
The Sequoia trees of California tower as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely, these giants have unusually shallow root systems that reach all directions to capture surface moisture. Seldom will you see a redwood standing alone because high winds would quickly uproot it. That’s why they grow in clusters. Their intertwining roots provide support for one another against the storms.
Most churches in North America do not grow beyond 80 because we try to maintain the sense of family or community that we all need so much. The church of the future will not concentrate on getting bigger but on getting smaller. Groups of about ten people will be the setting where the community is nurtured. As these groups relate to each other in healthy, engaging ways, the size of the church will be unlimited.
Followers of Jesus have the unique privilege and opportunity for fellowship like no one else on earth. Quaker theologian Parker Palmer explains, “The community we have yearned for is among us, in exactly the measure that we are able to discern God’s presence in our midst.”
Will you commit with me to community life in the context of a group that gathers regularly to pray, worship and learn God’s Word?
I don’t know the size the Lord wants New Beginnings Church to be. I have given up trying to measure success by size or numbers. However, let our relationships always have room for more if He calls more to grow with us. It would be wrong to push people away or freeze them out by our complacency or cliquishness. Our job is to plant, water, and trust the Lord for increase.
Paul describes it this way in 1 Corinthians 3:5-8:
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour. NIV
Each of us has a different role in bringing in the harvest and seeing people come to Jesus Christ. There is no better context to do this than the local church, where we relate to each other in a community of friends. This might mean that some plant and others water, but we are unified in our purpose. We are different
in our gifts and ministries but the same in our cause.
You could summarize our purpose as a church by the Great Commandments – to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and love your neighbour as yourself – and the Great Commission – to make disciples of all nations.
Live churches are constantly changing.
Dead churches don’t have to.
Live churches have lots of noisy kids.
Dead churches are fairly quiet.
Live church’s expenses can sometimes exceed their current income.
Dead churches take in more than they ever dreamed of spending.
Live churches are constantly improving for the future.
Dead churches worship their past.
Live churches move out in faith.
Dead churches operate totally by human sight.
Live churches focus on people.
Dead churches focus on programs.
Live churches are filled with tithers.
Dead churches are filled with tippers.
Live churches dream great dreams of God.
Dead churches relive nightmares.
Live churches do not have “can’t” in their dictionary.
Dead churches have nothing but.
Live churches evangelize.
Dead churches fossilize.
There are two Cs in church:
Cause (Matthew 16:15-18)
Community (Acts 2:42-47)
Jesus uses two essential building blocks to build His church.
