Sermon
Four weeks on this model.
One week each on these 3 avenues
One week of wrap-up
This
is one of those short series that you ought to try to get listen to the whole
thing.
Go to the Web or request a copy.
Remember: The main purpose of the
Church is to Glorify God.
There are lots of things that the
Church does.
There are all sorts of benefits of
being associated with the Church.
But the purpose of the Church is
to Glorify God… everything else beneath this banner.
This would be another whole
sermon… but I think it is worth while to note that this purpose (and these
three avenues) that we are using to describe the Church, the Body of Christ,
could just as easily be applied to Christ Jesus himself.
·
The stated purpose of Jesus is to
Glorify God; He did so by
·
Worship
·
Edification, and
·
Outreach
A
few of you asked for a copy of this diagram we’re using, so I included a copy
today on the liturgy.
This is the one picture that summarizes how we’re thinking about the church…
along the lines of these three avenues: W, E, O.
Last
week, of course, Christian introduced the diagram, and focused on this first
purpose: Worship.
I suppose that the whole idea of
church is most easily identified with what we gather to do here together on
Sunday mornings. It was appropriate that we started there.
There are, of course, all sorts of
models and ways to look at the Church.
Some
of you may recall this model that we’ve used a few times before that aptly
describes the Church.
We’ve pulled this model out of
Philippians 2, Matthew 7, John 17
These “directions” line-up with
the three avenues in our current model.
And it is along this horizontal
line that we focus today: Edification.
This
is the purpose of the Church that is most aligned with the constituents of the
Church.
Christian made the point last
week, well, that all of these are purposes that we accomplish together in
community. We certainly can apply each of these to our individual
responsibilities as Christians, but our point here is that the Church,
together, is called to this work. There is strength
in numbers.
The OT passage spoke to this.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
11 Also,
if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. [1]
I like what Wiersbe wrote… he
pulls four Ws out of these four verses:
On the highway (Ecc. 4:9–12)
Solomon’s experience with the independent man caused him to consider the importance of friendship and the value of people doing things together. He may have recalled the Jewish proverb, “A friendless man is like a left hand bereft of the right.” Perhaps he watched some pilgrims on the highway and drew the conclusion, “Two are better than one.”
Two are certainly better than one when it comes to working (v. 9) because two workers can get more done. Even when they divide the profits, they still get a better return for their efforts than if they had worked alone. Also, it’s much easier to do difficult jobs together because one can be an encouragement to the other.
Two are
better when it comes to walking (v. 10). Roads and paths in
Two are better than one when it comes to warmth (v. 11). Two travelers camping out, or even staying in the courtyard of a public inn, would feel the cold of the Palestinian night and need one another’s warmth for comfort. The only way to be “warm alone” is to carry extra blankets and add to your load.
Finally, two are better than one when it comes to their watchcare, especially at night (v. 12). “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (v. 12, NIV). It was dangerous for anyone to travel alone, day or night; most people traveled in groups for fellowship and for safety. Even David was grateful for a friend who stepped in and saved the king’s life (2 Sam. 21:15–17).[2]
This is all true… but edification
is more than just partnership, togetherness, or even the benefits of
incorporation. What Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes could be easily applied to
any setting (even animals)… edification has a more full, rich meaning.
The NT passage helps us grasp this
richer meaning.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to hisb faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. [3]
Edification is best understood in
the context of this idea that the Church is a body.
·
Many members
·
Different functions
·
Each belonging to all the others
The
Church is a body… Edification is the body building.
Sort of the heavy-lifting, if you
will, of the Church.
Individual believers are
sanctified.
The Church is edified.
Edification is the building-up of
the Church…
it is the growing-up together.
Edification
– the building-up of believers –
Discipleship
- Mutual assistance and service to each other:
the
example of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (Jn 13:12-17)
- Building each other up
to spiritual maturity
(Eph 4:11-13)
- there is a community process involved in spiritual maturing
- Gifts to the Church in the persons of each other
- can’t be done alone
- Mutuality
- this is inter-relation in each other’s lives so that we can “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Ro 12:15-16)
i. we are to share the burdens of those facing difficulties (Gal 6:1-2)
ii. we are to encourage and admonish each other (Heb 10:24-25)
iii.
we are to nurture those who are new and weak in the
faith (Ro 14:1, 19)
- accountability
i. this is not blind obedience, but rather inter-relation and interdependence of community
ii. sin affects the entire community, esp. in terms of our testimony of the Gospel (cf. 1Pt 2:12)
iii.
we all benefit spiritually and can learn from one
another (Eph 1:18)
- intercession and the priestly function
i. we are priests purchased by Christ (Rev 5:10). Each of us functions as a priest – one who stands before God for the sake of the people
ii. part of this is the right to intercede for each other, not just by a special class in the church (Jas 5:16)
iii.
we do not pray for a life of ease, but that people
would be built up in the faith (Jn 17:15-17)
- the community
of memory and hope
- remembering our common story – God’s actions in the
past and in the lives of others strengthens us (Heb 11) –
i.
Remember, Remember, Remember.
- the example of Christ’s resurrection stands as our promise and greatly reassures us (1Co 15:58)
What
should we take away from this today?
So what?
I think there are a couple of
worthwhile considerations.
I’ve tried to hold-off on speaking
specifically to our situation here at The Chapel – I’m trying to leave
evaluation to week-after-next.
But I hope that you’re drawing the
same kinds of conclusions that I am…
there are a number of ways this church really excels at edification.
·
Fellowship – Picnic
·
Service – Bakers
·
Generosity – Orphanage,
Benevolence, Beds
·
Intercession – This is a Church
that prays
We
can see, all the way around the circle, various ways where we do the good work
of edification.
Let’s face it… some are easier
than others.
Cookies and coffee è
No problem
Accountability è Different
deal
A couple of bucks in the plate è No biggie
Investing in the spiritual growth
of a friend è
Work
My encouragement to you is to look
for opportunities for the deeper work… both being the recipient of the deeper
work (being open) and doing the deeper work.
The other so what has to do with
the interrelationship of edification with the other two: worship &
outreach.
I’ll
bring back our Olympic weightlifter to make this point.
I suppose that it would be futile
to elevate one of these purposes of the Church over the other… outreach isn’t
more important than worship, etc.
But I think it is plain for us to
see that the impacts of our worship, and the strength of our outreach, rely on
the strength of the church.
Outreach, for example, flows best
from a strong, thriving Church.
The most satisfying worship rises
from a healthy body of believers.
It
is my hope that you will find this expression of the body of Christ, this
Church, to be thriving and strong. The sort of place where we grow together. A
place of strength from which worship and outreach naturally flow.