Church: Its expression in local church families

We're going to be reading from Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

So if you'd like to turn there from verse 19 onwards.

In him, you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles, assuming that

you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the

mystery was made known to me by revelation as I have written briefly.

You have heard, you have read this.

You can perceive my insights into the mystery of Christ, which is not made known to the

sons of men in other generations, as has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets

by the Spirit.

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers

of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Of this gospel, I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given

to me by the working of his power.

To him, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach

to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what

is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through

the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities

in the heavenly places.

This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus, our Lord,

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth

is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened

with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend

with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the

love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and that you may be filled with all the fullness

of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the

power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout

all generations, forever and ever.

Amen.

Amen.

Everyone, and especially to those on Zoom, who can't be with us but may well like to be

with us.

Okay, I don't think anybody here would have any trouble, you know, just warming to and

identifying with that beautiful picture of the heavenly church that we saw last week in

Hebrews 12, which Martin started with this morning from Revelation.

It just draws us in, doesn't it?

It's beautiful.

We long for it.

But the question this morning sort of bounces against that.

How important is the local church?

And that's perhaps an abstract question, so let me try and break it down a little bit into

two smaller questions and give you a couple of scenarios.

So here's a very common scenario today.

We'll see what you think about it.

Is it acceptable for a Christian to say yes to a relationship with Jesus, but no to commitment

to a local church like ours?

Now, I would suggest around Newcastle and Australia, there's perhaps thousands of people who would

call themselves Christians who say exactly that.

I've said yes to Jesus, but no to the church.

Not interested.

They reject any serious involvement in or commitment to a local church family.

Now, having asked that question, then we have to ask a further question that sort of is prompted

by that first question, and that is this.

Is it actually possible for a Christian to grow into spiritual maturity?

And by spiritual maturity, I mean grow in obedience and delight in God.

Is it possible to grow into spiritual maturity without being seriously committed to the community of Christ's people in a local church?

Well, again, lots of people would say absolutely.

So I turn the question a little bit.

Is there an alternative pathway to honoring God as my father, and for me as a believer, growing in his love as an adopted child,

growing into his likeness?

Is there an alternative pathway to doing all that other than community of his people, the local church?

As I say, many believers, I know some of them, many believers say, well, yes.

And then their answer goes something like this.

You see, I'm very much aware of being part of what they call the universal church.

That is, I'm loosely connected to all believers everywhere in this world,

but I don't feel any need to be particularly connected to any group of believers in the local church, such as this.

And often that comes with a whole practice then.

So they may well interact selectively with other believers of their choice.

So in other words, they just hang out with other Christians that they like, get on easily with.

And that's their fellowship.

And oftentimes then, in today's society, they'll download sermons, the best speakers in the world, podcasts.

They'll download music from YouTube, and they'll sing along with the best produced songs imaginable.

And all of that, they say, well, that's part of me being committed to the universal church.

Last week, I began the series by suggesting that many Christians appear very confused in their thinking about church.

And I said last week that in part that confusion comes from thinking individualistically,

as our culture has taught us well.

So we think about God's salvation primarily in terms of personal benefit.

You know, I've been saved.

I've been renewed.

I've got a place in heaven.

Even though the New Testament predominantly speaks in plural, plural nouns, collective,

and focuses on community.

More confusion then comes from our own experience.

And I spoke about that a little bit last week as well.

Our understanding of God's heavenly church, as I've already said,

that picture of being gathered in heaven and consisting of all God's saved people throughout eternity,

gathered around Jesus, pictured in perfect unity and praise.

It's just a warm, lovely picture, isn't it?

But it's so very much at odds oftentimes with how we experience the local church,

which is, in contrast, so often ugly, hurtful,

and perhaps some would say, not everybody, totally unappealing.

And I think that's caused many Christians to be rather scathing of the local church in general

and devote with their feet by withdrawing from meaningful involvement in and commitment to the local church family.

Now, as somebody pointed out last week, of course,

not everybody has a negative experience of church.

As some of you here might have always just been happily involved in a church somewhere.

You might well say,

well, I recognize there's no perfect church this side of heaven,

and my experience of churching has been wonderful.

I quite enjoy going to church.

I get quite involved.

And that might well be true for some.

But you can do all that and still not actually know, according to God's word,

the importance of the local church in God's scheme of things.

So church then becomes, perhaps, it's a nice, pleasant thing,

but it becomes a little bit like a club.

So a club's where you go because you get similar interests,

and you go with other like-minded people,

and you enjoy the time.

You might be involved and committed to do certain things.

But, you know,

don't understand the importance of the local church in God's purposes.

And more than that, perhaps you don't even think about what,

therefore, a local church family ought to look like,

and ought to do,

and how it ought to shape itself.

So this morning I want to jump into the word

and see the link between God's heavenly church,

or salvation community,

and local churches,

local salvation communities.

And I'm going to do that as spelled out in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

Now,

it should be noted just as we jump into this,

because I'm going to walk through a lot of passages

without doing any of them in detail.

It's an easy way for a pastor to do that,

because you avoid all the difficult stuff.

But I just want to get a scan for what Paul's saying,

because the thing to note here,

that when Paul speaks mostly,

or when he writes,

mostly he's writing in the plural.

So he's talking about you plural,

or to use the vernacular,

use.

Use or this,

use or that.

Yeah.

And it's a very good word when it comes to,

I don't like it normally,

but it's a very good word

when it comes to describing church.

Paul's always thinking plural.

Use.

Use.

So what does Paul say?

Well,

in Ephesians 1,

Paul's point is,

the local church is the means by which God's purpose

is achieved in his world.

If you look at verses 22 and 23 of Ephesians 1,

it talks about God's purpose is to bring everything

under the headship of Christ.

He put all things under his feet,

that's under Christ's feet,

and gave him as head over all things to the church,

which is his body.

The fullness of him who fills all.

That's quite an extravagant statement

about the relationship of Christ in the church.

In other words,

everything God has done

or will do in his world

has been for the benefit

of his church.

Resulting, if you look at verse 12,

resulting in God securing

the glory,

honor,

and praise

that he deserves.

More precisely,

even,

everything God has done

in this world

has been part of his single purpose

to secure the salvation

of his people

in and through Jesus.

Jesus,

therefore,

as it says,

is the head of God's new salvation community,

in which his saved people,

Ephesians 1,

Ephesians 1:3

verse 3,

and following,

enjoys every spiritual blessing

imaginable.

That's what God has been doing

in history.

And that's what it's expressed

in the local church.

Every spiritual blessing,

new hope,

new inheritance together in Christ

as a salvation community.

And together,

responding

in a way that ascribes

glory and praise

to God

for his grace and mercy.

Ephesians 2 continues.

Ephesians 2 says

that being a local church

or salvation community

actually defines us

as Christians.

It's not too much to say,

and Paul uses the language

in Ephesians chapter 4,

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

it's not too much to say

that being the church

is our calling.

It defines us.

Look at Ephesians 2,

Ephesians 2:4–10

verses 4 to 10.

Again,

I'm not going to have time

to read it all,

but probably a familiar passage

for most of you anyway.

Talks there about

God being rich in mercy

because of the great love

which he loved us.

Even when we were dead

in our trespasses,

made us alive together with him.

And verse 6,

raised us up with him,

seated us with him,

all of this is together,

together made alive,

together seated

in the heavenly realms,

together saved from our sin.

And this is not your own doing,

it is the gift of God.

We're joined to Jesus

in every way,

having to be saved by him.

And what that means is

that coincidentally,

we are,

no, not coincidentally,

that's the wrong word,

simultaneously,

we are joined

with all other died-for people.

That's the together language.

We are saved as individuals,

as I said last week,

but we're always saved

into community.

It's a new community,

and it's defined

by our spiritual inheritance

in Christ.

Together,

we have received

God's grace and mercy.

Together,

we have been made alive

in Christ.

Together,

we are guaranteed heaven.

And if you look at

verses 11 through to 21

in Ephesians,

continuing on

through that chapter,

together,

we have a new identity

in Christ.

It talks there about

how Jesus breaks down

the old dividing wall

of hostility

and calls it

a radical new humanity.

The church is actually

a new humanity.

Old,

sin-driven divisions

have been replaced

with radically new family

or community.

Pictured,

verse 19 through to 21,

as a building,

a temple,

a beautiful temple

being built together

in Jesus

and by Jesus

and for Jesus.

A temple that's shaped

by God's Holy Spirit.

And again,

there is the commonality,

the togetherness.

Each of us saved by Christ,

each of us has the Holy Spirit

within us,

renewing us.

And that gives us

a common bond,

a common inheritance,

a common salvation

and a common identity

in community.

And in verses 21 and 22,

it says,

in him the whole structure

being joined together

grows,

present tense,

into a holy temple

in the Lord.

In him,

you also are being

built together,

perfect passive

into a dwelling place

for God

by the Spirit.

In some senses,

as we read through Ephesians,

the church,

that building

is already completed

because of what Christ

has done.

He has,

he's died for people

gathered in heaven.

But in another sense,

it's still ongoing,

it's being built,

which has got to be

a reference

to this local church

that Paul's writing to

at Ephesus.

And all of this points

to our calling

in chapter 3,

verse 10.

So what is our calling?

So that through the church,

the manifold wisdom of God

might now be made known

to the rulers

and authorities

in the heavenly places.

This was according

to the eternal purpose

that he realized

in Christ Jesus,

our Lord.

What's our calling

as the church

together?

Well,

it's to bear testimony

to God's goodness,

God's wisdom,

God's power

in salvation.

How do we bear

testimony to that?

In and through

this died for

salvation community.

As people are changed

from the inside out

by the power

of the gospel

and demonstrate

that change

both to one another

and to the wider community,

we see God's power,

God's wisdom.

Who would have thought

to do it like that?

Again,

it must refer

to the local church

at Ephesus

that Paul's writing to

because the world

can't yet see

the heavenly church.

So this is

meant to be

seen

through a local church

like us.

That's a big calling,

isn't it?

And that's consistent

with the rest

of Paul's letter

which records

his prayer

and practical

encouragement

for the believers

in Ephesus.

So what's his prayer

directed towards?

He's really saying

that he wants

the Lord

to help them

be the people

they need to be

as believers

that will actually

bring people

to see the glory

of God

and the wisdom

of God

and the power

of God.

He wants them

to be

this renewed

gospel community

that they actually

are.

So the watching

world might sit

up and take notice

and think,

wow,

there's something

different about

that bunch

of people.

Ephesians 4

through to 6

local churches

are the context

in which Christians

are nurtured

to maturity.

If you look at

verse 1

of chapter 4

Paul says,

I therefore

a prisoner

for the Lord

urge you

to walk

in a manner

worthy

of the calling

to which

you've been called.

What's that calling?

Well I take it

that refers back

to the church

which he's been

saying right through

chapters 1,

2,

and 3.

It refers back

to your identity

in Christ.

Walk worthy

of who you are

in Christ.

And that's a

together picture.

We're to reflect

as the following

verses then show

and I don't have

time to read them

or get into them

but you can read

them for yourself

sometime.

As the following

verses spell out

we're to reflect

the character

and attitudes

of Jesus

to one another

in community.

verses 15 and 16

of chapter 4

it's something

we need to nurture.

It's something

we need to work

towards.

It doesn't just

happen automatically.

It says

verse 15

rather

speaking the truth

in love

so we're not

to be tossed

about

we're not

to be hither

and just all

over the place

we've got a pathway

to follow

and that pathway

is speaking

the truth

in love

we are to

grow up

in every way

into him

who is the head

into Christ

and the metaphor

changes

from a temple

now to a body

from whom

the whole body

joined

there we go

the togetherness

held together

by every joint

with which it is

equipped

when every part

is working

properly

makes the body

grow

so that it

builds itself

up in love

we're to be

the body

of Christ

we're to be

a functioning

body

of Christ

not a dysfunctional

body of Christ

and that

functioning

body of Christ

will be marked

as we're held

together

by speaking

the truth

in love

and being

controlled

by the input

from our head

the Lord Jesus

Christ

through his word

and through his spirit

again it's a very

strong picture

it's in community

that we show

the old

divisions

the old sin

driven divisions

are now gone

and we operate

to a different

drum beat

not division

but unity

is our first

reference point

in Christ

now

let me just sum up

to this point

given the

importance

that God

has given

the local church

in his salvation

purpose

then I think

it's safe

to say this

and I say this

to you this

morning

and I'll take

full responsibility

so talk to me

afterwards

if you think

I'm overstating it

it must be said

I think

that believers

who refuse

to join

other believers

in local churches

are actually

disobeying God

they're actually

rejecting

his calling

and they're

robbing him

of the glory

he desires

through his church

and robbing

themselves

of the

opportunity

to grow

into spiritual

maturity

now

am I saying

that a Christian

outside a local

church

can't function

can't read

can't learn

things in the

bible

absolutely not

patently

that would be

stupid to say

that

because we can

all point to

people who do

say that

but I'm talking

about what God

would have us

be doing

and what is

actually possible

and necessary

to do in the

local church

community

which we

can't do

individually

and in

isolation

and that's

I think

behind the

appeal of

another well

known verse

in Hebrews

Hebrews 10:24

chapter 10

verse 24

and 25

where the

writer to

Hebrews

says to

the Christians

there

look

do not

neglect

to meet

together

is it just

because well

come on guys

I'm all into

habits here

this is what

we normally

do on Sunday

morning

I won't

know what

to do

to fill

in that

hour

if we

don't

meet

together

no

that's

not what

he's

about

at all

he's

saying

do not

neglect

to meet

together

why

so we

might

stir

one another

up

to love

there it

is again

and good

deeds

showing

the changing

power of the

gospel

the wisdom

of God

the glory

of God

okay

let's take

another step

forward

then

how does

the heavenly

church

which is

beautiful

and extreme

and its

expression

in local

churches

then

fit together

practically

so at

one point

as Martin

already said

so I

thought

I might

not even

have to

preach this

morning

Martin

was doing

it really

well

at one

point

they

completely

overlap

that is

a local

church

properly

formed

around

Christ

and his

word

is a

microcosm

of the

heavenly

church

of the

heavenly

church

as Martin

said

it is a

foretaste

of heaven

as our

sermon series

is called

it is

properly

described as

the church

of God

we are

properly

described here

this morning

one local

church expression

among

countless

thousands

around the

world

but we are

properly

described here

this morning

as the

church of

God

the church

of Christ

not just

part of the

church of

Christ

although that's

also true

but we are

the church

of Christ

church of

God

gathered here

in this

building

at Glendale

interestingly

when Paul

addresses

the

rights to

the

Corinthian

church

that's

how he

starts

off

now remember

the Corinthian

church

it was

about as

full of

division

and bitterness

and dysfunction

as is

imaginable

but Paul's

opening words

are he

addresses them

as saints

the church

in Corinth

for all

their

imperfections

for all

their sin

they are

the church

in Corinth

and indeed

when you read

through

Corinthians

you'll find

that the

reason Paul

starts with

that is

because

that is

his basis

of appeal

for renewed

behaviour

renewed

thinking

in that

community

because they

are the

church

you've got

to start

acting like

it

and stop

acting like

unbelievers

is Paul's

argument

through

Corinthians

so at

one point

they

completely

overlap

but another

point

then

there's

significant

differences

between

the

heavenly

church

and the

local

church

and you

probably

don't need

me

to

point

them

out

although

I was

particularly

hoping

that

the little

one who

said

that

they

come

to

listen

to

God

on

Sunday

might

have

been

referring

to

me

but

just

leave me

in my

little

bubble

of

hope

alright

please

don't

blow

me

down

on

that

one

yeah

there's

significant

differences

the

heavenly

church

is

gathered

by

God

and

is

perfect

and

complete

in

every

way

sinless

totally

secure

but

on the

other

hand

and I

struggle

to

work

out

which

words

use

here

so

I'm

going

with

this

on

the

other

hand

local

churches

are

human

communities

Martin

Luther

wrote

that

the

face

of

the

local

church

is

the

face

of

the

sinner

and

what

he

was

saying

there

is

that

our

local

church

will

always

be

a

mixed

bag

it

will

be

a

mixed

bag

of

saved

and

unsaved

people

even

though

that

won't

always

be

obvious

and

those

who

are

saved

and

unsaved

won't

always

be

the

ones

we

think

are

the

unsaved

and

the

saved

ones

Christ

tells us

that

in

different

points

so

it's

always

a

mixed

bag

of

saved

and

unsaved

but

it's

also

always

going

to be

a

mixed

bag

of

good

and

bad

motivations

in

whatever

we

do

together

good

and

bad

attitudes

and

behaviours

you

don't

need

me

to

tell

you

that

that's

as plain

as the nose

on my

face

and that's

plain

the local

church

therefore is like

God's

building site

and like

all

building

sites

it can

be

ugly

and

messy

to

observe

and

chaotic

but

here's

where so

many

Christians

get it

wrong

they

harshly

criticise

the

local

church

as a

building

site

because

of

present

imperfections

but

forget

that it

is a

building

site

and

that

one

day

out

of

the

ugliness

and

the

messiness

and

the

chaos

will

arise

a

beautiful

building

Richard

Baxter

one of

the

Puritans

described

the

local

church

as

being

like

a

field

hospital

and

he

said

Christians

are

patients

and

they're

in

the

hospital

because

they

need

what

the

hospital

can

offer

them

they

need

the

ongoing

treatment

that

God's

word

and

God's

spirit

and

God's

people

offer

as

they're

being

renewed

from the

inside

out

and

Baxter

goes on

to say

then

well

how sad

is it

that when

one patient

who's in

hospital for

this particular

illness

then criticizes

all the other

patients who

happen to be in

the hospital

for the same

illness

and

they

said

well I'm

not going

to stay

in this

hospital

with all

you other

sick

people

it's a bit

ironic

isn't it

when we

should all

be

supplying

the

balm

of the

gospel

the balm

of God's

word

the

medication

that Jesus

has

freely

made

available

and which

we so

desperately

need

and

desperately

need

one

another

to

apply

it

so

the

little

community

is formed

by the

gospel

and for

the

gospel

and that

must be

the

starting

point

for

working

out

what

a

true

local

church

family

will

look

like

since

it's

to be

a

colony

of

heaven

and

earth

I'll

be

saying

more

about

this

next

week

when

we

look

at

the

agenda

for

the

local

church

but

just

some

summary

points

here

now

so

the

local

church

formed

by

the

gospel

and

for

the

gospel

therefore

must

be

an

integrated

functioning

body

that's

the

building

integrated

is the

building

the

interdependency

functioning

body

with

Christ

demonstrably

as

head

of that

body

the

dominant

picture

of the

local

church

throughout

the

new

testament

is

that

of

a

body

many

parts

forming

an

organic

whole

and

Christ

as the

head

of that

body

and that's

what we

saw in

chapter

these

Ephesians

verses

and we

see it

again in

chapter 4

verses 12

to 16

that I

referred to

before

and what

that means

is this

if we're

going to be

the local

church

in a

proper

expression

then we

always need

to be

word

centered

we

always need

to be

Christ

centered

because

Christ

is the

head

and it's

through

his

word

that he

brings

renewal

and that

means we

therefore have

to be

spirit

dependent

because the

spirit

enlivens

us

through

the word

and it's the

spirit that

enables us to

participate

meaningfully

in this

local body

of Christ

and it

means that

we need

to strive

to maintain

a sense

of being

one family

an integrated

whole

that's what

a body

is

and that

needs to

happen not

just when we

meet together

on Sunday

morning as

we're doing

now

but it also

needs to be

front and

center in our

mind as we

meet together

in a whole

range of

subunits

during the

week

whether it's

small group

or kids

club

or play

group

or

peer based

groups

or age

specific

learning

groups

interest

groups

and so

on and

so forth

we get

so many

subunits

each one

of those

subunits

needs to

be viewed

as part

of the

integrated

whole

it must

always be

seen as

being

beneficial

in so

much

as

they

help

us

become

part

of

the

integrated

whole

not

that

they

become

little

churches

in their

own

right

and we

must always

show

unity

and

interdependence

in the

context

of

diversity

now

this is a

really

challenging

one for

us as

Christians

I think

because we

always start

or tendency

rather is to

start

from the

point of

view of

difference

and then

wonder how

we can

manage or

conjure up

unity

but if I'm

understanding

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1–6

chapter 4

verses 1

to 6

right

then our

starting point

is wrong

we need to be

starting from a

point of view

of unity

in Christ

by the

spirit

and then

work out

given that

unity

what is the

freedom to

express

diversity

it's an

entirely

different

picture

and it

will give

an entirely

different

feel to

a group

like ours

so we

can express

diversity

in age

that's a

lovely

diversity

to be

expressed

in an

interdependent

way

young

need the

life experience

of us

old

geezers

and us

old

geezers

need the

energy

and the

kick up

well

the

encouragement

shall I

say

of

the

younger

people

I'm going

to recover

that for a

minute

not sure

where that

came from

I've lost

my place

in my notes

as well

just move

on

we see

that

difference

in

approach

when

Christians

then just

up and

leave

I don't

like that

person

in how

they're

expressing

their

diversity

so I'm

out of

here

we so

easily

express

our

differences

through

criticism

but we

so easily

forget

to express

our

unity

through

selfless

participation

in a

church

family

like this

for the

good of

all

it's not

gospel

shaped

at all

I could

take you

to lots

of churches

where the

community is

built around

similar likes

and dislikes

or similar

needs

similar

demographics

similar stage

in life

so you

have

congregations

where they're

just

teenagers

you've got

congregations

where you

have young

families

and you've

got

congregations

where they're

old people

and it's

just based

around

lovely

enjoyable

community

but it's

not gospel

shaped

in that

sense

or it may

not be

gospel

shaped

well I

want to

say to you

this morning

that God

is not

happy

just to

have

entertaining

engaging

meetings

and music

which are

well attended

and well

enjoyed

he wants

us as a

local

salvation

community

to show

the life

changing

power

of the

gospel

in diversity

in our

life and

relationships

within and

beyond the

church

family

so wrapping

up

going back

to the

questions I

started with

I suggested

this morning

that the

answer to

the questions

I posed

at the very

start has

to be a

very loud

and definite

no

a believer

a believer

cannot

as I

understand

the

scripture

be in

Christ

and speak

of God

as my

father

and consider

myself

to be an

adopted

child

into his

family

and at the

same time

reject

God's

family

or sit

loose

to it

and remember

that family

was assembled

at great

cost

it's a

died

for

family

and again

I would say

a believer

cannot expect

to become

spiritually

mature

in isolation

even when

listening to

the best

sermons

and the

best songs

from around

the world

because

there's an

aspect of

that that

comes only

by rubbing

shoulders

with other

sinful people

which is

our

opportunity

to learn

to act

towards others

in grace

to know

ourselves

and to be

gracious

and loving

and what

else does

that say

except

the glory

of the

Lord

changing

us from

the inside

out

the context

in which

we struggle

and it is