The Church's One Foundation

The song that we sang there after the announcements, the Church is One Foundation, is basically what I will be addressing here today, principles concerning the Church of God and the One Foundation of the Church of God. I hope that we're all here for the right reason. I got an e-mail this morning that essentially said, well, if you had left, all of the South Church would have gone with you, and we wouldn't have to be divided. We'd have 100% of them there and of course another 100% of the North here. And apparently, people don't understand the greater principles that are behind the Church of God worldwide.

The Church of God is not just Houston, Texas. The Church of God is around the world. It is God's Church. It is not man's Church. And it is not man's responsibility to tear the Church apart. What is the foundation of the Church of God? And how did you come to sit here today? We're going to be reviewing the Church Foundation, some of the principles of that, and various implications thereof. If you would, please turn to Matthew 16, verse 13. It is no accident that each one of us sit here today. God had a direct hand in it. It is a shame that we are divided here today.

To a large degree, it has to do with people wanting their own way. In Matthew 16, verse 13, when Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, some say you are John the Baptist, some Elijah, others, Jeremiah, one of the prophets. He said unto them, but whom say you that I am? They say that, but who do you, my apostles, the ones that I have chosen, who do you say that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you. So it was a revelation. See, there are three or four principal ways whereby man can gain knowledge. One is what we call empiricism, that is, knowledge through the five senses. Another way is what we call experiential, knowledge through experience.

And another is what's called cognitive knowledge, that is, the ability that humans have to think, to reason, and to come to various conclusions and maybe knowledge. Though Solomon said there's nothing new under the sun. Christ says that flesh and blood has not revealed it. And the other way of gaining knowledge is revelation. And Christ said, Peter, you didn't come to this conclusion on your own.

It's been revealed to you. But my Father, He says, my Father in heaven has revealed it to you. Then our important verse here, and I say unto you that you are Petros, the Little Rock, and upon this rock, Petra, Big Rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell, the gates of Hades, the gates of death, shall not prevail against it.

God has preserved His church for 2,000 years or so through the ages, a little less than 2,000 years if you subtract 31 from 2010. Brother, this is not the first time that I have been through what we're going through here. One of the first times that I went through it, I remember very vividly the meeting we had in the gold rooms in the field house at Ambassador College in 1973, conducted by Garner Ted Armstrong. At that time, we had the district superintendents from around the nation who had banded together, and they had brought various charges in saying that the Armstrong were no longer fit to lead the Church of God, and they formed a new association.

And about 10,000 people or so left the Church of God. And ironically, five years later, there were others sitting there. At this time, it was Garner Ted Armstrong himself who was leaving, and he set up headquarters in Tyler, Texas, and I was pastoring in Big Sandy. And I could go on and recount other schisms and so on through the years that Wanda and I have lived through.

So we have seen this sad day many times. The Church of God is God's Church. It is not my Church. It is not any man's Church. It is God's Church. Let's notice further in 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 7. In 1 Corinthians 3 and 7, the Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians, the overall theme of 1 Corinthians is to send a grant while it's addressed, and the principal thesis of it is established in 1 Corinthians 1.13, where Paul asks the rhetorical question, is Christ divided?

And then he talks about how the Corinthians were divided on so many issues, even some of them saying that there was no resurrection from the dead, some saying that they were of Cephas and others, and some saying they are of Christ. Brethren, we all need to be of Christ. I hope that none of you are here because of me.

I hope you're here because you understand the greater, deeper principles involved of what is the foundation of the Church of God and what it's all about. And hopefully this afternoon we'll come to a better and clearer understanding of that. In 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 7, So neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but God that gives the increase. Paul had talked about that Apollos, that he had planted and Apollos had watered in the preceding verses.

Verse 8, Now he that plants and he that waters are one, and every man shall receive his own reward according his own labor. For we are labors together with God, you are God's husbandry, you are God's building. According the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds there upon, but let every man take heed how he builds there upon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So the church's one foundation, of course, is Jesus Christ. Now there's something else connected with this as well. If you go now to 1 Corinthians, I'm sorry, if you go now to Ephesians 2 and verse 17. Ephesians 2 verse 17. There are various names given along the way with regard to what Paul's epistles basically deal with. I would call 1 Corinthians as a book, as an epistle, the whole of it, and also the whole of Ephesians as the church epistles.

Because you'll find probably more about the church, its structure, its function, and so on, and those two epistles than any other places in the Bible. In Ephesians 2, beginning in verse 17. And came and preached peace to you, which were afar off. Those were the Gentiles, and to them that were near. That's the Jews. Paul is talking about here how a Jew and Gentile have been joined together in one body, that is the church of God.

Who joined them together and what makes it possible for them to be joined together? Well, God and Christ joined them together. And it is through God's Spirit. If you are in Christ, as Paul writes in Galatians, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Paul continues verse 18, For through him, that is through Christ, we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners, talking to the Gentiles, but fellow citizens with the saints in the household of God. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. So they are a part of the foundation, but Jesus Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone. Now in a physical building, when you refer to a cornerstone, you generally think about something on the corner on the foundation.

But when Paul is talking about this, it has to do with, he is the head of the corner. And the church is in a pyramidal shape. What Jesus Christ, as we shall see, is the head of the church. Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, or capstone at the top of the pyramid, is a capstone. And that capstone is Jesus Christ. And of course, Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 11, the hierarchy of government in the spiritual structure, where he says that the Father is ahead of Christ, Christ is ahead of man, man is ahead of woman, and of course, Father and mother, the parents, are responsible for the children.

That is God's structure from the Bible. He continues here, built upon the foundation of the apostles, prophets, Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are also builded together for inhabitation of God through the Spirit. In other words, God lives in you.

He lives in this building. That is the church. It is a spiritual organism. God does not dwell in buildings made by hands, as it says in the Scripture, but in His church. What was the price that was paid for you and I to sit here today and to say that we are members of the body of Christ?

Let's note 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Corinthians 6, and verse 19. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. What know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? See, God lives in that body, in your body. If you have God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, to see the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, John 15, 26, and it is shed on us through Christ. Titus 3, verses 4, 5, 6.

Shed on us through Christ. Christ plays a role in it. And you are not your own. Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have of God, you are not your own, for you are bought with a price.

Therefore glorify God in your body and in your Spirit, which are God's. So God, through Christ, bought and paid for us. Notice now in Ephesians 5, beginning in verse 21, Ephesians 5, in verse 21. One of the things that God wants us to do in all of His institutions, that He has instituted.

You know, if you look at institutions on the face of the earth, what would you say is the most important institution on the face of the earth? I would say it's the Church of God. And very closely akin to the next greatest institution that God instituted, is marriage and family. Husband and wife coming together in a union.

And God very clearly outlines the structure for both church and family. And that you would be willing to give up your life for the brethren. And of course, we'll read Scriptures more about that later. But in Ephesians 5, now verse 21, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Have we lost the fear of God, or are we guided by human reasoning? Are we sucked into an emotional euphoria? Or do we understand that we should be guided by the mind of Christ and the Spirit of God? If I just go on emotion, I wouldn't be here today. But having a deeper understanding of the church of God and what it is, I am here. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is ahead of the wife, even as Christ is ahead of the church, and is the Savior of our body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be unto their husbands and everything. Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself forth. So the price that was paid for us to be here is the very life of the Son of God. From time immemorial, men have asked some of the great questions of life. I'm going to briefly now cover what I believe are the seven greatest questions of all time. I believe the greatest question that has ever been asked, does God exist? Does God exist? If you turn to Hebrews 11, verse 6, you will see that the first article of faith is to believe that God exists. Without that belief that God exists, you can do nothing spiritually.

Psalm 14.1 says, The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. There are many irrefutable proofs if you want to look at it from the point of science and what we might call scientific investigation or whatever with regard to the intricacies of the universe, the human body, and on and on you could go of, could this happen by chance? And then there's even been a movement in recent years of intelligent design, not necessarily directly connected to Christianity, as we know Christianity, but the realization that this cannot be just a result of blind chance and evolution.

Hebrews 11.6, But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. So this question, does God exist? Yes, God exists. And if you want to do anything in the spiritual sense, the first article of faith is to believe that God exists. The next question is, what is God?

John 4.24, I'm not going to turn to each one of these. You can write the Scripture down if you wish. What is God? John 4.24 says that God is Spirit. Who is God? God is our great Creator. He is our Father. What is God's purpose? God's purpose is to bring sons and daughters to glory in his family. And of course, you could turn to each one of these.

You could turn to Scriptures. And then, corollary to those questions deals with man. What is man? Man is made from the dust of the ground. Made from the dust of the ground, given a temporary, physio-chemical existence, subject to sin and death. Who is man? Well, man was created in the image of God with faculties of mind akin to God.

He can think. He can reason. And he's the nearest thing to God of that which was created. Now, there are created sons of God. Adam and Eve were created. But God's overall purpose is for us to be born into his family. So what is man's purpose is to become spirit beings born of God.

It began with Adam and Eve being created. But then, through receiving God's spirit and at the resurrection, we shall be born sons of God. Now, Revelation 1.5 talks about Jesus Christ being the protatokos, the firstborn among many brethren, thus equating resurrection with birth. Those seven questions. Does God exist? What is God? God is spirit. Who is God? Our Creator, Father. His purpose brings sons and daughters to glory. Man. What is man made of the dust of the ground, subject to sin and death? Who is man made in the image of God?

What is man's purpose? To be born into the family of God. The answers to those questions were not fully answered until Jesus came on the scene preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God. I think sometimes we don't really understand that. I'm not going into the depth of that, but I'd like for you to turn to Mark 1 and verse 15. Mark 1 and verse 15. In Mark 1 and verse 15, let's read 14 as well. Now, after the John was put in prison, Jesus came in a Galilee preaching the gospel.

That word gospel, the Greek word is something like evangelion or something like that. It literally means good news. And it's from this word that we get the publication that we have called The Good News. We have the worldwide Church of God. We have The Good News magazine today at United Church of God. Preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God and saying, The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.

The good news of the Kingdom. Jesus holds the keys to the Kingdom. You notice in Revelation 3, verse 7, each one of the messages to the churches begins with characteristics of Jesus Christ. You would turn to Revelation 3, verse 7. Each one of the messages to the churches begins with characteristics of Jesus Christ. In this message to the church at Philadelphia, here's what the angel dictated to John. Revelation 3, verse 7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things.

He that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David. Now the key of David, David was a king. Jesus Christ came into Galilee preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ holds the keys to the Kingdom. Of course, we could go to Isaiah, which I'm not going to do, and read from there as well.

I'm taking a shortcut here, but the background is in Isaiah about the keys, the key of David as well. The key of David, he that opens and no man shuts and he that shuts and no man opens.

Jesus Christ opened the door to salvation, and it is through Jesus Christ, the church is one foundation, that we can have salvation. Now we go back to Matthew 16. Remember, we left off at verse 18 that says that upon this rock, Petra, I will build my church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it.

In Matthew 16 and verse 19. And I will give unto you... Remember, he's just talking to the disciples, asking them who he was. Peter said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Christ told him that he would build his church. And I will give unto you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

So Jesus Christ gave us the keys to the Kingdom, and Christ commissioned the Church of God to take the keys of the Kingdom to the world. Let's notice this in Matthew 28. We call this the Great Commission, Matthew 28. In Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20. Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20. Go ye therefore and teach all nations. Perhaps a more accurate translation would be, go ye therefore and disciple all nations. Teach them, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the age.

So Jesus Christ promised that he would never leave nor forsake the Church of God. Perhaps a most succinct summary of how one can enter the Kingdom is given in Acts 2.38 on that day of Pentecost, where after Peter had preached, they said, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said, Repet, be baptized everyone in the name of Jesus Christ for your mission of sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Christ organized the Church to fulfill the Great Commission. As we've already read, Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. We read it from Ephesians chapter 5. It's also in Ephesians chapter 1. But now let's notice that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church likens Himself to a shepherd. Shepherdship is so very important in the Church because the shepherd is supposed to keep the sheep from jumping off the cliff. And it's almost known that if the shepherd jumps off the cliff, that virtually all the sheep will follow.

In John chapter 10, verse 7, Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. By Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.

The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and destroy. I am come that they might have life. They might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep? You know Paul writes in Romans chapter 9. I'm not turning there Romans chapter 9 verses 1 and 2. This is parenthetical in a way, where he says, I could wish myself a curse from Christ that my brethren, according to the flesh, might be saved. How many of us would be willing to give our lives to preserve the body of Christ, the whole of Christ, where He has placed His Spirit to give up Himself, to lay down His life? Not insist that I get my justice today, that I get what's coming to me, but that I give my life for the sheep. He continues, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep, but he that is in the hireling, and not the shepherd who's owned the sheep or not, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees because he is in the hireling, and cares not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, probably speaking of the time in which the Gentiles would be grafted in, as Paul explains in Romans. They also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. The Church consists of human beings in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Who called you and placed you in the Church of God? Did you call yourself?

Let's notice back a few pages John 644. I assume that everyone in here could quote in John 644, but let's read it John 644. No man can come to me except the Father who has sent me, draw him. So the Father had a hand in drawing you. You were very precious to Him. You were very precious, and for some reason, He had mercy on you and was willing to extend His grace to you, His love and His mercy at this present time. No man can come to me except the Father, draw Him. And Christ continues, and I will raise Him up at the last day. Now, further light shed on this as we go to John 15 and verse 16. John 15 and verse 16. John 15-16. You have not chosen me. In the past, I've heard ministers talk about you have been drafted into... You want to use the military term, the army of God. We sing the song, Onward Christian Soldiers. You have not chosen me. This is John 15-16. You've not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. That whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you. And now let's go to 1 Corinthians 12. Remember 1 Corinthians and Ephesians.

What I've called the church of Ephesians in a sense. In 1 Corinthians 12, this is very important. God calls you. Brings you to Christ. And it is through Christ that your sins can be remitted. It is the Father then who, the source of the Holy Spirit, begets you with the Spirit and the Word of truth. No man can put you in the church of God. Man can baptize you in water. When I'm counseling people for baptism, I make it clear that this is water baptism. That you can fake it. Because one of the things that you'll be asked before you put on the water, state your name and the question will be asked, have you repented of your sins? And that's the time you want to be honest. And you baptize them. But then it is the Father who gives the Holy Spirit, shed on us through Christ. 1 Corinthians 12, 12. For as the body is one and have many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. The great rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 1, 13. Is Christ divided? Well, in this epistle, Christ shows through the Holy Spirit to Paul that from your calling to the resurrection, Christ is not divided. For by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. Verse 18, But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it has pleased him. So who called you and placed you in the body, and who gave you his Spirit? God the Father through Christ. So who are you and who am I? To say that we don't want to be there. Who are we to fight against God? Who of His own will, apart from you, chose you, opened your eyes to His marvelous truth, begat you with a word of truth, and with His Spirit? Notice now James 1, verse 17. James 1, verse 17.

James 1, verse 17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no veribleness, neither shadow of turning, of His own will. Of His own will, begat He you, or begat He us with a word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creation. So who are we to fight against God? Only God can put you in the church, but only you can take you out of the church. That might be debatable in a way. You see, we can quench the Spirit, commit the unpardonable sin, and break the lifeline. Of course, Satan and his agents are working day and night to take you out of the body of Christ. But Christ has given us the power to overcome all forces. Turn back now to Romans 8, and be assured of that. As long as we are faithful, and if we do the things that are pleasing and right in the sight of God, we live in an evil kind of generation. We can be easily caught up in the Spirit of the times, what the Germans call the Geitzachs, the Spirit of the times. We might read about that if we have time later from Proverbs 30. In Romans 8 and verse 31, and I try to internalize the Scripture in my own life sometimes when the going is really tough, I think you can get the notion or the idea, well, maybe the whole world is against me. And I was reflecting in recent times virtually everything that I have set my hand to do in the Church of God through the years has at one point or another come crumbling down. And it was either passed on to someone else or ceased to be altogether. And you would think, well, you might as well quit. Can't you get the message? See, we started Sabbath school in Big Sandy in January of 1976. And we started with it went from 18 months old through the 12th grade. Of course, we had all the faculty there to draw from. Wonderful program. People were excited as never before. Really turned on. And then that began to spread out to other congregations around the world. I made some church visits to other congregations, advising them, showing them how it could be done, sharing curriculum and those kind of things. And not all went on a couple of years or so. And someone in Pasadena decided they wanted to be in control of that and should be under them. And they did, and it lost a lot of momentum. But thankfully, Sabbath school continues in a way to this day. That's how it started. You know, I saw the campus close there in Big Sandy in 1977. We were on the brink of accreditation, even then at least, being a candidate for accreditation. Now, some people think that accreditation was a great evil thing. In fact, the accrediting people encourage you to maintain your identity. Mr. Suckling is sitting here today. He's been there and has seen that. And Mrs. Suckling come to fruition at the Big Sandy campus in 1994. See, there are Catholic schools, there are Mormon schools, and you could go on. Seventh-day Adventist schools that are accredited, and believe you me, they didn't give up their teachings. And neither did we.

The false teaching came in from headquarters from those there. It didn't come in because of anything having to do with a requirement for accreditation.

Then, of course, we saw what happened in the 90s, and things came crashing down.

And we've seen things since then.

But this promise is true. Romans 8, 31.

What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

So we fight on. We go on.

He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes, rather that is risen again.

Who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, for your sake, we are killed all the day long.

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

To come to the understanding, really, of what Paul is getting here, of the total kind of humility in the mind of Christ, in which Christ gave up his glory, came to this earth, humbled himself to the ignominious death on the stake, to the point where you realize that apart from God and Christ, I am going to die, and anything I get above death is a gift.

Counted all day as sheep for the slaughter.

But knowing that through God, you will be inheritors of God and join heirs with Jesus Christ.

Knowing all these things were more than conquerors through him that loved us, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things that come nor the height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Church of God is going to go on, and so are we.

The Church is a spiritual organism well organized to fulfill the commands of its head, Jesus Christ. The most important thing that Christ committed to us is His Spirit and His truth, His Word. Let's notice 1 John 5. 1 John 5.

1 John 5. 10. 1 John 5. 10.

Once again, a very sobering set of verses here. 1 John 5. 10.

He that believes on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.

He that believes not God has made him a liar because he believes not the record that God gave his Son of his Son. And this is a record that God had given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.

So it is through Jesus Christ we have life. And the wonderment of all of this, if you turned out of 2 Timothy 2.19, the very divine essence of God, the very divine essence of God, now abides in us, which Paul figuratively calls here now earthen vessels in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 19.

2 Timothy 2.19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure having this seal.

The church is one foundation. The Lord knows them that are his.

And let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity, lawlessness.

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 2 Timothy 2.19. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and fitting for the Master's use and prepared for every good work.

Brethren, we want to make sure that we do everything that we can to be a vessel of honor. Christ knows those who are his. Christ also knew that the apostles would not live forever, so he instructed the Apostle Paul to instruct the church on the organizational structure of the church.

Once again, the book of Ephesians explains the unity of the body of Christ.

Let's notice now in Ephesians 4 and verse 11, how that Christ structured things so that this unity might be attained.

We should use two words there, attained and maintained.

In Ephesians chapter 4, I don't know what I said, but it's Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11.

Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11.

Back this year on the day of Pentecost, I stood right here at this lectern and gave the sermon, it's titled, Keeping the Unity of the Faith and the Bond of Peace.

I remember Mark Sappington coming up after that sermon, and we talked about it.

Keeping the unity of the faith and the bond of peace.

And apparently, this goes over the head. Once people get obsessed with something and emotionally driven, it's like you can't listen to anything else.

And even when the Word of God is preached, it is viewed in terms of, is He for or against what I believe? Brethren, we need to be tuned in to what God believes in Christ that teaches us.

In Ephesians 4, verse 10.

He that descends in the same also as He that descended far above all heavens, that He might fulfill all things.

And He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying that is the building up of the body of Christ.

So have we built up, edified, fostered unity, willing to give our lives for the sheep?

Or have we done something else?

Till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect man, under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and cared about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to deceive. But speaking the truth and love may grow up unto Him and to all things which is ahead, even Christ.

Of course, we've even admonished in Matthew, become ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect, were the words of Jesus, from whom the whole body fitly joined together, compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body and of the edifying of itself in love.

And of course, charity edifies, builds up.

Knowledge can puff up, and especially if we dwell on knowledge that is not of God.

So we see here the structure that Christ gave, that He inspired, the living Word inspired to be to the Apostle Paul that's recorded here for us here today, how it was set up and how it is to be.

Christ set these offices for a purpose, principally to ensure the unity of the body of Christ, the Church of God.

And of course, there must needs be the exercise of authority to preserve that truth, and from time to time it is necessary to exercise that authority.

And of course, you can read accounts of Paul doing that from time to time. Of course, Christ did too.

Christ gave His apostles and ministry authority to preserve the truth and the well-being of the temple of God both individually and collectively. Paul instructed Timothy to commit this truth to others. Notice 2 Timothy 2. Now, 2 Timothy 2, verse 1.

Timothy is one of the prison epistles when Paul wrote 2 Timothy.

He was in prison, exhorting Timothy to be bold, not to be ashamed of Paul, the prisoner of Christ.

Timothy was beginning to become, apparently, a bit doubtful and drawing back.

Paul was exhorting him not to take that course, but to be bold in the faith, stir up the Spirit.

In 2 Timothy 2 and verse 1, Paul exhorts Timothy concerning the future and how the Church was to continue to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.

So this gospel has been committed to us. Paul prophesied that the Church would fall on hard times in the last days. You notice now back in 1 Timothy 4. 1 Timothy 4 verse 1, Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

And then, if you go forward now again to 2 Timothy chapter 3, somewhat a summation of our present age. In 2 Timothy 3 and verse 1, This know that in the last days perilous time shall come.

Now remember, Paul is writing this to Timothy, a young evangelist in the Church, and giving him instructions. And he describes all those various behaviors that will be extant at the end of the age. Verse 5, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away. What is the power of God? The power of God is through His Holy Spirit, that we can become new creations in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

We don't have to go the way of the world, as he notes here in verse 7, ever learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. We can know the truth, and it's the truth that sets us free.

He continues verse 16, All scriptures given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine, that is, teaching for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Now there's a chapter break here. There should not be. It's the same topic. In view of this, I charge you therefore, in view of what we've just said, before our Lord Jesus Christ, who should judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom, preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering, and teaching, doctrine, for the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching.

Has that time come now?

But after their own lust shall they heap to themselves, teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be given over to fables.

Of course, love of the truth is one of the ways to avoid being deceived, as Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians.

God called you, and He called me, for a great purpose and a great mission.

We've already read about that great commission of taking the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Jesus Christ walks among the seven golden candlesticks, described in Revelation 1.

Jesus Christ is alive, and He's walking among the seven golden candlesticks. Do you think that God and Jesus Christ are not aware of everything that we're doing?

The hairs on our head are numbered, and not even a sparrow falls to the ground, unless Christ is aware of it.

So is there grief? Is there sorrow?

What about God and Christ? How do they view our situation?

Are we pleasing them first and foremost?

We said at baptism, you know, Jesus Christ said, if any man comes to me wanting to be my disciple, and is not willing, in essence, to forsake everything, even his own life, he's not fitting, he's not worthy to be called my disciple.

In Revelation 1.10, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, should be translated the day of the Lord, when the climatic end-time events began to unfold, and heard a voice behind me, a great voice as a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, and that which you write in a book.

Now, it would be profitable and instructive for us to note the chain of Revelation in the book of Revelation.

Now, a lot of people say, well, it's the revelation of Christ, or some say something else, but we just read the first two verses, and then be clear.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him.

Where did the revelation start? It started with God. God gave it to Christ.

The revelation of Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His service things which must shortly come to pass, and He sent and signified it by His Angelos, His angel.

Angelos, can be translated messenger, can refer to a divine being or a person, human being, signified it by His Angelos unto His servant John.

So, John receives this dictation, as it were, from this angel.

That revelation began with God to Christ, to the angel, to John, who wrote it down, and now we still have it.

Continuing here, to write this down, this message of the seven churches, sent it to the seven churches listed there, verse 12.

And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me, and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in mist of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the Son of Man, clothes of the garment down to the foot, gird about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and His hairs were as white as wool, white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were as a flame of fire.

His feet were like unafined brass, as if they'd burned in a furnace, and His voice is the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth, when a sharp two-edged sword, of course, we know that the sharp two-edged sword is identified as the Word of God, a sharp two-edged sword in His confidence was as the sun shines in His strength.

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead, and He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last.

I am He that lives and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.

And have the keys of the grave and death. We've already talked about that, and He gave those keys of the kingdom.

The key of David to the Church of God, Matthew 16, verse 19.

Write the things which you have seen, and all the things which are, and the things which will be hereafter.

Past, present, future. All three dimensions of time.

The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks of seven stars are these angels of the seven, the messengers, the angelos.

Of the churches.

And the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches. So Christ is walking among the seven churches.

Do you think that Christ has stopped walking among the church, in the church, that He has given up? He has abdicated His responsibility, His office, as head of the church?

No, He hasn't.

But has He left it to be administered to a large degree by men?

Obviously, yes, He has.

Because He works through each one of us.

These messages given to the seven churches here describe the seven churches from Christ, from the day of Christ to the present time.

Describe the various conditions that will be extend in the church through the ages. Now, we can talk about church eras and say in this particular era, these characteristics were more predominant. If you wish to talk about eras. But at the same time, after each message to the church, it says, He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the plural churches.

Let Him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So all of the messages to the churches are applicable to us today.

So I would submit to you that we would all be wise in light of these seven messages to the churches to really study that this coming week.

Christ gave the apostles and the church the responsibility of establishing and maintaining the fundamentals of doctrine of church government.

He even talked about civil government.

You know what he talked about in 1 Corinthians 6?

Darry any of you who have a matter against his brother to go to the courts of the land?

He says, don't you know that you shall judge angels in the world to come?

So can't you just set the least esteem in the church to judge the matter?

And if necessary, suffer yourself to be defrauded rather than to have enmity between you and your brother.

How many of us have been willing to be defrauded?

Well, in today's world, there are very few.

No, we want our way.

We want to do our thing.

And of course, God will let you do. He has given us what is called free moral agency.

And sometimes, you know, there's a scripture in Ecclesiastes that says, because sentence is not executed speedily against an evil work, therefore the hearts of men are continually set upon evil to think because X happens today that you are going to receive the consequences of it tonight.

Oh, it may be 10 years.

Be known this one thing as Paul writes in Galatians. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever man sows, that shall he also reap.

You know, as I look at my life unfold and I see the things that I have preached and tried to stand for through the ages that I have been and am being tried what I think is to the very edge of the cliff, as it were, on every one of those things.

Oh, you say you ought to stand in the gap. Oh, you say you ought to be a 3C person. Oh, you say this. You say that.

And God says, I'm going to test you and see if you really are what you say you are.

Are you really what you preach?

Are you something else?

You know, 1 Corinthians 11, 1, 11, 1, and 2, let's go there once again.

Corinthians and Ephesians, the church epistles.

1 Corinthians 11, I've already referred to this structure that Paul gives here, the hierarchical structure of the church.

I remember back in the early days, I don't remember if United had started or not, or it already started, and I used this term hierarchical in a sermon. And of course, I got a little bit of hate mail, one or two maybe.

I just read the Bible.

The Bible is the Word of God. 1 Corinthians 11, 1, So what did Paul mean by saying, follow me as I follow Christ? Was Paul saying that if he stopped following Christ, that you should leave the body of Christ into which you were called.

Remember how you were called and how you received the Spirit. We've gone through that fundamental.

You ought to leave the body of Christ and go find something else. For example, if one of the apostles cease to be faithful, should you leave the body, the flock, your mother, your womb, see Judas, one of the apostles, betray Jesus Christ.

Do the actions of one man or a dozen men stop the body from being the church of God? Well, the church consists of those who are faithful of God in Christ who have His Spirit.

So if Paul stops following Christ, does it destroy the church and its structure?

Why not?

It doesn't destroy one Word that is written in this book.

Now we do have the testimony of Paul. Let's go back to 2 Timothy 4.

Paul died. Did the church die?

All of us are probably going to die.

Of course, you may get upset at this.

There are some young people here, but let's just word it this way.

I have no doubt that many of us will be dead before Jesus Christ returns to this earth. I mean, if events, as we understand prophecy, were to unfold tomorrow as we talk about it, it would take a few years.

Notice what Paul says at the end of his life. I hope that I can say this. I hope that each one of us can say this.

2 Timothy 4 or 5. But watch you in all things and do our afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make foolproof of your ministry, for I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.

Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, who gave me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all of them that love has appeared.

Brother, that includes you and I. If we remain faithful, do your diligence to come shortly unto me, writing to Timothy.

Now, notice this.

You know, on the day of Pentecost, after Christ had ascended, back up a little after Christ had ascended, read about this in Acts 1.

40 days here on the earth, they still had 10 days until Pentecost.

Those who were assembled there and saw him ascend back into the heavens, he instructed them to go to Jerusalem and wait there until they were sent power from on high.

And assembled there, according to Acts, was 120 people.

120 people, the very Son of God, Jesus Christ.

120 people showed up and were there. That doesn't mean that was all. I'm not saying that, but it sounds like that was most of them.

Now, notice Paul at the end of his life and all the things that Paul had done, all the churches he had raised up, all the people that he had worked with, and he's in prison. And what has his life come down to?

For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, departed unto Thessalonica, crescents to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Only Luke is with me.

Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus, and so on.

Notice this.

Verse 14, Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works, of whom be you where also, for he hath greatly withstood our words.

At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

That's sort of the way the apostle Paul winds up his life. I assume that Mark came along with the other one, Timothy, to minister to him at that time.

The Church of God, the very foundational structure.

God loves his body, that is the Church, and note what the penalty is for defiling the temple of God. Let's go to 1 Corinthians again.

1 Corinthians 3 and verse 16.

But in this case, 17 is really the one that should make of all of us here in fear in the right way.

In 1 Corinthians 3 verse 16.

Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you.

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.

For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. Let no man deceive you. If any man among you seems to be wise in the world, let him become a fool that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, he takes the wise in their own craftiness, and again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.

Therefore, let no man glory in men for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come, all are yours, and you are Christ, and Christ is God's.

Remember, the Church of God is where the Holy Spirit is working in each individual, and we are the temple of God, as we just read.

So, what if the administration of church government makes a mistake? What should you do? Should you leave the Church?

Are you responsible for an administrative decision with regard to another member made by one of God's ministers?

The following admonition is one of the strongest commands that you will find in the Bible. Once again, we go to Ephesians.

Ephesians 5.

You know, through the ages of my history in the church over 40 years, there have been many things that I did not agree with.

Many things that many of us have gone through.

Brethren, if you understand the greater picture, and there are many things in which I could have said, well, I'm going to pack it in. I'm out of here.

But if you understand, it always came back to me that this life is not the real life.

When I was called first, a young man in my 20s, I had a very successful career going and teaching and coaching.

I loved dearly.

And I didn't want to give it up.

But I came to understand that the glory, the honor, what I was seeking, and life, eternal immortality, cannot be achieved through anything that you might accomplish in this world.

And so you're willing to forsake all to follow God.

And notice this admonition, Ephesians 5, verse 1. Many of you have gone through many sacrifices, many trials.

Don't let anything take your eye off the great goal.

And don't let anybody deceive you with regards to the body of Christ, the church of God, and what it means to God in Christ.

The church is the apple of God's eye, Zion.

Ephesians 5, verse 1. But be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and have given himself for us and offering in a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.

The point I'm emphasizing here, be ye followers of God. Now to 1 Samuel, chapter 8.

1 Samuel, chapter 8 deals with ungodly behavior in the priestly order, that is, Samuel's sons.

Boy, Samuel had to deal with a lot of things in his time.

I'm sure that Samuel had groomed his sons to take his place. Remember, Samuel was one of those people who was a judge and a prince. A judge and a priest.

1 Samuel 8.

It came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judge over Israel.

Now the name of the firstborn was Joel, the name of the second Abiah. They were judges in Beersheba.

His sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, money, took bribes, perverted judgment. 2 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, your sons walk not in your ways.

Now make us a king to judge, to judge us like all the nations.

But the thing displeased Samuel. I'm sure he was absolutely forward discouraged to the depth of his being.

When they said, Give us a king to judge us, and Samuel prayed unto the Lord, the Lord said unto Samuel, Listen to them, listen to the voice of the people, in all that they say unto you, for they have not rejected you, for they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Brother and God and Christ are always to be our king, our master, our ruler, no matter what human beings do.

You know, judgment is now on the house of God.

Some people respond as if they can just do any old way, choose any old path according to human reasoning.

Have we lost the fear of God?

But one thing we need to remember is the next to the last verse in, well, the last verse in Ecclesiastes talks about, remember that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment.

So, brethren, here we are in this critical, crucial time in human history.

The world is in turmoil. We have seen more events in which every day I say, you know, I won't be surprised at anything else. This is like tops the chart.

Then the next day something else happens. Well, you won't believe what happened today.

And it keeps on going and it keeps on going. And this world is on the brink of suicide in so many different ways.

There are so many commands in the Bible. There are the you shall not commands.

And then there are the commands of you shall.

Sins of omission, sins of commission.

We have more focus in the church on sins of commission. Thou shall not. And there are so many commands having to do with you shall.

For example, the two great commandments. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. The second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets. The whole ball of wax.

Christ tells us to exercise judgment, mercy and faith.

The weightier matters of the law. I believe these are the first works.

To walk in a reconciled position with God and Christ.

To judge ourselves to repent of our sins.

God says I'm faithful and just to forgive you of all unrighteousness. Go and sin no more.

Go walk in faith.

He tells us if we have something with our brother, to go to our brother and be reconciled.

Humble yourself. Be willing to do that.

And you cannot say that you love God and hate your brother.

John makes this very clear in 1 John 4.

So, brethren, here we are.

At this critical, crucial time, who knows whether you have been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this?

Do you really get it? Do you really understand that the Church is one foundation? How you came to be here?

That God called you? He begets you of His own will with His truth? He placed His Spirit in you?

We are here because of great prices being paid?

God sent you here?

He's the only one that can put you here?

But you're the only one that can take you out.

So, brethren, I'm hoping that we will remain faithful.

That we will do all things according to the will of God and that we seek His will.

The whole fast that which we have. Don't let it slip.

Don't let anyone take your crown.

We'll close now with Ephesians 3 verses 14 through 21.

Ephesians 3.

This great prayer that Paul prayed.

Brethren, if you haven't mastered the book of Ephesians, it is quite the interesting study, especially chapters 2 and 3.

Paul talks about in chapter 3 this mystery that he revealed concerning the Church of how that the Jew and the Gentile were joined together in one body, which he says which mystery was hidden through the ages.

In Ephesians 3.14, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. And to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages.

World without end. Amen.