Looking For the Church That Jesus Built

Let's go into the sermon. I have a question for you. Perhaps you, like others in the past, are you looking for the church that Jesus built? Are you looking at me and saying, well, why am I here? Have we found it? Haven't you found the church that Jesus built? People have looked far and wide to answer that question. Many of you here say yes, but do you know? Not do you think, but do you know that you are following a church that Jesus built?

Jesus started a church. People followed that church for the last 2,000 years. But is it the right one? Are you here in the right one? Are you looking for the right one? For me, heaven didn't just open up and say, this is it. I know people wish it did, but there's a little more involved in it than that. There are many shapes and sizes, temples, mosques, synagogues, scattered across this earth. So people will continue to look. Perhaps you are looking now, or you have looked in the past, and you are helping other people.

Find that church that Jesus built. My own experiences as I was growing up, my parents took me as we looked far and wide. My father decided that he didn't want these two little rugrats that my sister and myself were to grow up undisciplined and not going to church. He didn't want us to be little pagans.

So he drug us from this church to this church to this church, and from the Methodist to the Baptist to the Church of Christ to the Christian Church to, I can't even remember, I think we went to four or five different churches that really didn't have much of a name, just a group of people at one time. And we looked, and we looked, and he never really found what he said was in the Bible. And I think many people are that way. They do look. They keep searching. They even get it down to a magnifying glass where they can, wait a minute, am I looking in the right places? Reminds me of a story of a guy who wanted to attend a church, but he wanted to go to a church where he could talk to God.

He wanted to have communication with God. He was in California. So he went to a great big church there, and he saw the pastor. Said, I want to talk to God. The pastor said, okay, there's a phone over there, gold phone. So he goes over there, he picks up the phone, but he looks and he says, $10,000 a minute. That's not for me. So he went across the United States, he went up to Canada. From Kansas to Chicago to New York, and everywhere he went to church, there was a golden phone for $10,000 a minute.

So he finally goes to the South, Florida. And he goes to the first church, and he asks if he could talk to God. They said, there's a phone over here. So he goes over there, and it says, $0.25 a minute. And he says, how could this be?

He said, well, son, here, it's a local call. That's why they call it the Bible Belt. Well, as we know, there's one place we need to look. There's not a golden phone, but there's a book called the Bible. And it is a foundation of all the knowledge you need to have in this life. Everything you need to know, as David talked about earlier, it's in here. But how? How do we know? How do we know what the church that Jesus built looks like? What is it and what is it not? I'd like to talk about what it's not first. What it is not is a place looking for your money.

If you find that place, you haven't found it. Because there are churches that want your money, just like so many today. It's disenfranchised when they find it's all about the money. Well, it's not. Second, it's not about a building. It's not about a building. You don't have to have a fancy building. You don't have to have crystal chandeliers. You don't have to have nice pews.

It's not about the building. Why do I say that? Because in the New Testament, when it talks about the church, the church, they use a word in Greek. It's called ekklesia or ekklesia. It depends on who's speaking it. And this word is translated into church in the Greek. And all it means is called out once. It doesn't mean a building. It means called out once. But called out of what? Called out of this world. Yes, you have a calling. As a matter of fact, doesn't Scripture say that many are called, but few are chosen? Why? How is that? Why would a person be called? Last time I checked, Elon Musk wasn't here. Richest man in the world.

Are you asked anyway? Bill Gates. He's an atheist. He doesn't even believe in God, according to all the papers written about him and when he's been interviewed. So what does God look for when he's calling someone out? Called out once? Well, it's this. We've all got one. And it's why this incredible word in 2 Chronicles 16 verse 9 says, It's a matter of the heart. His eyes go to and fro. He's looking for some heart people.

That is what he starts with. He doesn't need the most intellectual among we humans.

He doesn't need the richest. He needs people of heart.

People who, frankly, appreciate even the small things in life.

But they admire the great. The great things when you look around this earth and can appreciate the creation and the creator and see him in this and are excited about their God and even excited about life itself. Because then he can work in people's lives.

He had a young man who started in when he was 14, 15, 16 years old at the oldest.

A young man who grew up in a family with quite a few older brothers who were a lot bigger and by far more impressive than him. And God said, I'm choosing a king. Go to that family.

Didn't want any of the others. He wanted the rut of the family. He wanted the youngest boy.

And he wanted them because why? He was going to make him the greatest king in history of Israel.

And his name was David. And he said, I am choosing a man after my own heart.

We find the man was flawed. But we also find a man who was a bigger repenter than he was a sinner.

And he could lay out some sins, which means he had to lay out some repentance.

Of enormous size.

I want to talk about people getting excited.

Because God's looking for those. Because all you have to do is read David's writings. He sees like one of these. Except he gets excited about God. He gets excited about God twice, even though he messes up just like we do. We will continue to do.

But he loves. He loves his God.

I'm going to be watching a ballgame tonight after sunset. Tennessee Titans, which you guys in the back, pulled for the Tennessee Titans football team. They're playing Cincinnati Bengals, whom my assistant Jeff Lockhart is all for.

But he's still learning. But you'll see tonight at the ballgame, if you're watching any of it, people get excited.

They're adrenaline gets up. They are just like pumped for a sport. And God is looking for people who will get pumped about his word, about his way, and about his love.

So I want to give you the time I have left. I want to give you four clues. Four clues. For those of you who are looking, and for those of you who are here, to know why you're here and why you do what you do. It's because you need to be in the church that Jesus built. The very first one, number one.

What's a clue? Christ is the head of the church. Christ is the head of the church.

Now, isn't it amazing? You'll see a go-to churches, and that church will talk more. About some human leader, some human pastor, some human preacher, some this or that, more than Jesus Christ. You will hear another name mentioned more than the Savior of mankind.

That should be a sign. Christ didn't build a church.

It's important that we know that Christ is the head of the church. If you will, turn with me to Colossians. Colossians 1.

Colossians 1, verse 16 through 18. We're from New King James Version. Paul couldn't make it any longer, but what's what?

By Hisgrow, because of what He believed in all things, Paul could make it any clearer. He is the beginning, the firstborn of the dead, and in all things that he may have, preeminence, crystal clear. Jesus Christ is the head of this church.

Jesus Christ is the head of his church.

Like turn over to Ephesians. Ephesians 1. Paul says it again except to a different church.

Ephesians 1 verse 22.

And he, God, put all things under his feet and gave him to be the what? Head over all things to the church. I give you two witnesses. Two witnesses that that's a clue. That it needs to be crystal clear Jesus Christ is the head of the church. I'm not the head of this church. I'm a shepherd. You're his sheep. I'm just supposed to help you. Feed you. Take care of you. Look after you.

And if necessary, give my life for you. That's what it's ask. Not a hireling. I'm a shepherd. God's sheep. It's his church. You're his. It's the way it has to be.

So I gave you two witnesses, but Scripture says by the mouth of two or three. Let's have another one. Let's go to Ephesians 5. Let's go to Ephesians 5 over a couple pages. Ephesians 5 and verse 25. This is how it says. He says, That's why he works with us. He's trying to help us. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes just as the Lord does the church. He's all about his church. All about it.

So how do we know? Christ is the head of the church. The second clue. The church will keep Christ's word. They will keep his word. They're going to follow what he says. If he says to do it, we're going to do it. If he even says don't do it, we don't do it. Why is that so hard?

I've heard many a preacher say, well, I don't think that's what Christ meant. Yeah, that's what he meant. That's what he says. And usually he says it two or three times to make sure we got it. Well, I didn't know you just said it once. No, I did and I said it two or three times.

And that's big. Go with me to John 8. John 8, verse 51. This is about Christ's word. John 8 and verse 51 says, What is he saying? You keep my word, I'll give you eternal life, just like me. Wow, that's a pretty big statement.

I'll never see death. I can live forever. Well, I just turned 63 yesterday. Yesterday. I know I look 43, don't I?

I feel 83, though. No, think about it. Forever. I'll never see death forever and ever and ever and ever. We can't even go there. Your mind will be racked. He said, if you just do this, if anyone keeps my word, you'll live forever. That's a pretty good promise. That's a pretty good deal. Do this. Just keep my word. Eternal life. What does that also mean? You don't do this. I'm not giving you eternal life.

So, I kind of like the deal. What's that? Oh, Shoah's Beyond, let's make a deal. I'll take that deal. Bob Barker or whatever the guy's name was. Yeah, give me that door. Give me whatever it is. Because I want this. How can I keep the word?

Go back to Colossians with me. Let's look at this. Let's look at this word. Colossians 3. Colossians 3. Verse 16. Colossians 3.

Have this go around in your mind for a little while. Because it's a pretty strong statement. Verse 16. Let the Word of Christ, what did it say? Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

Teaching, admonishing one another in songs? We sang some. Okay. In hymns and spiritual songs? Those are His words. He inspired them.

Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Do we? Are we just like, okay, I'm singing this song.

No. Do you feel it? Do you feel it? Do you feel those words? Can we make that happen? This is what He's trying to teach us. Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Christ said, my words are spirit.

How do we feed our spirit as David's talking about being Spirit B, receiving the Holy Spirit as we had last Sunday? Matthew received God's Holy Spirit. How do you feed that Spirit? His word.

He said, my words are spirit. How do you help that spirit to grow? You live by every word that proceeds from His mouth. That's how you grow. Which also tells us how not to grow the Spirit. Don't read His word.

Put the Bible away and go, okay, the pastor's going to read something there Saturday, so I'm good.

No, this is what He wants us to do.

He said, my words are spirit. And then He says something else.

My words are life. They're life.

It's what we live by. They're life. We know when something is alive or dead, you see flowers. You don't have a problem seeing dead flowers. You see live flowers.

You also, if you've ever been around somebody who's died, died while you were there. There's no breath coming out.

The body turns cold. You look for a pulse. There's none. There's no breath. That's death.

What was the old saying?

Most people die at 25. They just don't know it for 50 years. Because they don't live life as Christ said. I came that you may have life and live it more abundantly.

He wants to show us how do we do that? We have to read His Word. We have to live by it.

That's why the second clue is the church will keep Christ's words. We will teach His Word. We will share His words. We will live those words. That's all He asks. The third clue for the church Jesus built is that church will teach you to live like Christ. Not just study His Word, but teach you to live like Christ. He used to be this phrase about basketball and Michael Jordan. Be like Mike. He won the genetic lottery. Okay, 6-7. I can jump out of this building. I didn't get the genetic lottery. I feel like because of the calling of God, I won the spiritual lottery. Because there was a calling that I answered. There's a calling you answered. There's a calling that people must answer. It's just like you don't accept the status quo. You don't accept life as everyone else lives it. Because you know something is missing. There's an emptiness. There's a hole in each one of us. And the only thing that can fill that hole is God. We can have a good time. I'll be sitting there tonight as my Titans are just beating the daylights out of Jeff's Bengals, and I'll be having a good time. Okay? I may have some humble pie next week. I hope I don't. But, you know, I can get excited. You can get excited out of doing things and having relationships and sharing things in life from a physical standpoint. But there's that hole that needs to be filled. Too many people try to fill it with sex, alcohol, drugs, relationships. Cars. Cars. Boats. And the only thing they find is I had the opportunity to work for some very rich people at one time. They need more of it. It's just a drug they need another fix for. They want more and more. And that is why we have people, we teach people, live like Christ. He came from a humble background, and he died the most horrible death as a criminal in the eyes of the government at the time. But he gave us an example of how we should live and can live if we rely on him to do that. Not ourselves. How many of us? I know there's many in here. I really thought at one time, I got a hold of this thing. I got a hold of life. And I'm going to ride this thing out. Next thing you know, it turns into a 5,000-pound steer that we just realized we have no control over and wham! There we go. And God says, I can help you with that. I can help you with that. So I'm going to give you a physical example so that you can kind of look at how he lived and pattern your life, pattern yourself after what he says, how he says it, and who he says it to.

Go to I John. I John 2. I John 2. I John 2. 6. He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.

There's a reason when you have a little baby, you just crawl the rest of your life. Just crawl. Oh no, you're 12. Don't get up. Just crawl. Right? I mean, no. We see that.

Well, compared to Christ, we are babes. So we look. How we going to know how he lived? We read. We study.

So we can, I think, ought a pretty light word. With me, I must. Because if I don't walk like him, I end up going down a path I really don't want to go down.

And I can tell you, I've been there.

Paul talked about, because that was John, Paul talked about in what? First Colossians. No, 1 Corinthians 11.

He said, imitate me as I imitate Christ. Do we? Some days I do. Sad to say some hours I do. I can do better. And I realize it. I have to work at it. Right?

Live like Christ.

So, John knew about it, and Paul knew about it, but John also experienced it.

Because in the 14th chapter of John, verse 15, says, if you love me, keep my commandments. Keep my commandments.

What did Yahshua, Jesus, Joshua, Savior, Messiah, what did he do? During his 33 years of life, he kept the commandments perfectly.

Now, I might have had three days in my life I did a pretty good job, but not 33 years.

But, it's the ultimate goal for us to work towards perfection. What happens to people that don't have goals?

They die inside, because then it becomes, what do I do now?

God, God in his wisdom gives us things to work on, gives us challenges. I heard a man speak one time that wrote a very famous book. It was way back.

He was invited to a dinner with famous people. He, being a writer and a philosopher, went to this dinner and they sat him right beside Gene Tunney. Don't know if any of you know who Gene Tunney was. He was a championship boxer.

He looked at him compared to him and he was still a champ at the time and he had muscles.

Just one solid individual. He just kept looking at him and he said, I felt kind of like, I don't want to be staring too long, but look at this. He's a physical specimen.

And so he says, Sir, Mr. Tunney, can I ask you a question? How did you get like this? And he said resistance. No matter what you do in life, you're going to have resistance. You can run from it or you can work at it.

What about us? Our spiritual lives. We have problems. God gives us problems which are resistance to see if we can be stronger.

J.W. Marriott said, the stronger the breeze, the stronger the trees. Go out and look at the trees by the ocean who have survived all this wind during that time.

They're strong. We live like Christ. We will be strong. Not run away from it. And boy, don't we want to feel like, oh man, I've got all these problems that come up to me and it's like, ugh!

And some days, I don't want to hear it. I tell Mary sometimes, I don't want to hear the phone. I don't want to pick up the phone. Why did we invent cell phones?

But then I realize, man, Christ dealt with it every single day. And He gave it to us, in His words, so that we can realize we'll be stronger and stronger and stronger.

So that we're prepared, just like Gene Tunney, to take on the entire world spiritually. Number four, last clue. Love is dominant. Love is in abundance. That's the fourth clue. Are there only four clues to the church Jesus built? No! I don't have that much time. You could dig another four out in a matter of moments. I'm just giving you four. Four.

But one of the things that is so important is love in the church of God. In the church of Jesus built will be dominant. It'll be in abundance. Because this book tells us that God is love. It must motivate us. It must be the reason we do what we do. It's the reason we live like we live. And it's the reason we will die like we die. Is we know Him. That love is in us. It should be. It must be. What about John 13 verse 35? Remember that one? By this, this was the last night as a physical being on it. By this shall all men know that you are what? My disciple. If you have love, agape, one to another, do we? That's your job. If you're sitting here, this is a mandate we have from the head of the church. I have issues and things that come up in church. I have issues that come up with things in the Caribbean with various people and so forth. But I just want to handle it. But I have to go back to this. I have to do it out of love. No matter how bad it is, no matter how I want to get my hands around it, okay, let me stop. No. It has to be done with love. Because that's how they're going to know.

Is love abundant in your house? Is love abundant in your life? Is love abundant in here? That heart. Because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And I've had times in my life that this thing got out of control. And I said things.

And some of them I never could take back. I didn't have the time. So it's easier to do it up front.

John 15 verse 12. I don't know if I even had that. John 15. I don't know if I even gave you that, Jeff. John 15. Turn over there. John 15 verse 12. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Another commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. And he was willing to give his life.

I got a ways to go. But I've been given more time. I just got another year. As I turned 63, I got another year. So now I have to look back. What did I do during that last year?

We all get a chance in a few months to look and see what we did during the last year. How great is that?

Last scripture. Last scripture I'd like you to turn to Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5 verse 1. Therefore be, what? Imitators of God. As dear children. So where is children? And we're dear to him. We need to have the love of God. Be imitators. Be imitators. Ephesians 5. I mean, there's so much he covered here. In verse 2 he says, what? How do we be imitators? And walk in love. As Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Pretty powerful. Pretty powerful.

Well, brethren, the Beatles had a song almost 50 years ago.

Now listen to that song this week. The title is A Long and Winding Road. A long and winding road. The next line is, that leads me to your door. And I thought about God. He's given us a long and winding road.

He's given us kind of a road map. And he's given us a presence, hasn't he?

He's leading us to his door. And it's sometimes going to be uphill, sometimes going to be downhill. We love it when it's downhill. We build more muscle, spiritual muscle when it's uphill. And we've got some curves. Because Christ said, I am the way. I am the way, the truth and the life.

So when you are out this week, remember, look up. Look up.

The half-brother of Christ said, all good things come from above. You need some good things?

Look up. And so it starts in here.

I was at a car dealer this week. And I remember a movie with a car dealer one time just trying to sell cars. And he was like, and the owner said, just get them in the car! The car will sell itself. Just get them in the car.

You can't get them in the car. You're in trouble. You get them in the car.

And this guy just couldn't get people in the car. So he finally had to grab them by the wrist, open the door, put them in the car!

I thought about this because that's kind of us and how God has to work with us because he didn't want us in a car. He wants us in here.

Because if we get in here, we will know the church that Jesus built.

So have a great next six days. And don't forget, it's a great road.

So let's enjoy the journey together.