A Blueprint for Christianity and the Church

Welcome to this week's message from the Church at Chelsea Westover.

Our core values are vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune in to today's message and see what God has in store for you.

I want you to turn with me in your Bibles this morning to 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians.

If you are here and you do not have a worship guide, would you raise your hand, please?

So that we can make sure.

Oh, we're out again.

You know it's amazing.

Anyone need one?

Anyone need one?

We got uh Darren's got one, or we'll be glad.

Uh anybody?

All right.

Everybody's got one.

Great.

That's what we love.

I love for you to take the word, take it home, study it, uh, review what uh you're taught on Sunday morning here at CCW.

We have a saying about the Word of God.

One, what?

We love it.

Two, we learn it.

Three, we live it.

And uh we, a lot of people, somebody asked me the other day, he said, uh, what kind of construction are y'all doing to the stage back there?

I said, well, that these are props.

These are props.

Because what we've been doing in this new series that started a few weeks ago, we're looking at how we can really be a blueprint to our community, how we can influence and be a lighthouse to our community, how we can bring change to our community.

So we started out with uh Christianity and the blueprint of Christianity and our life, and then we said the blueprint of Christianity and our faith.

And today we're gonna be looking at the Christianity and our church.

Uh, and boy, what a powerful message.

Now, most people would go to Matthew 16, 18, where Jesus made the profound statement, and he said, Upon this rock, I'll build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

So we know that Jesus Christ is the architect to the church.

Can I get an amen?

Jesus Christ is the builder of the church, and thank God that you and I have the privilege really of being a part of getting in co-laborers with him building his church.

And there's the universal church that's worldwide, and then there's the local church, like the church here at Westover and Chelsea, right here, CCW.

But they're all built by God.

He's the foundation.

The Bible says he's the chief cornerstone.

And then the Bible says in 1 Peter that we are those lively.

And I like the isn't it amazing what Peter said about that?

He said that we as Christians are to be the lively stones that are built and placed upon the cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

I'm glad he didn't say that we're to be the dead stones.

Amen?

But that's what's wrong in most churches.

They're dead.

And God help us, God help us.

But one of the greatest examples of the church, one of the few churches in Asia Minor, the seven churches of Asia Minor, that not one, are you ready for this?

Not one.

This is powerful.

Not one, uh, should I say, remark in a negative way given by Paul.

Whereas Paul, you know, in the Church of Corinth spent, oh, when he would try to write, when he would write them a letter or write them, write them when he wrote 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, or when he was talking about the Church of Corinth, he would have to spend at least almost a half a chapter, sometimes as much as a chapter, defending who he was and the gospel of Jesus Christ before he could then share the truths that they needed to learn.

But in Thessalonia, Paul just got so excited, and guess what?

The church at Thessalonia, Paul only spent three weeks.

Three weeks.

Acts chapter 17 says he came into town, and each and every time he'd come into town, where was the first place he'd go?

Acts 17 · chapter mention

He'd go to the Sanhedrin.

He would go to where the Jews met, where the religious heads of their community would meet and discuss the scripture.

And the reason he did that, even though we know God had sent Paul to the Gentiles, the reason he went to the Sanhedrin and he went to the synagogues first so that he could talk to the Jews, knowing that God, through his power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, would win some of the Jews over first.

And he did in every place.

And even in Thessalonica, there were some very important women there.

And in Acts 17, verses 1 through 5, we see when Paul came into the town, he went to the synagogue.

Acts 17:1–5

Now watch this.

It's amazing.

He only spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue, and the church was birthed.

Three, only three.

And boom, it took off.

It took off.

It kind of reminds me a little bit of our church.

You know, we started with four, and then it wasn't long.

We were 30, then we were a 90, then we were 100, then we're 200.

We've been over 300 several times.

We've been averaging about 240 this summer.

Let's give God a hand.

Amen.

Unbelievable.

That's a hundred more than what we did last summer.

Wow.

To God be the glory.

Great things he's doing.

But there's a reason for this.

There's a reason why this church took off.

And another reason he went to the Jews, because he knew if he went to the Gentiles first, the Jews would not have anything.

Hey, they would not have anything to do with him.

They wouldn't listen to a word he said.

So he always went to the Jews first.

By the way, those were his beloved people too.

So, with that said, we have the birth of the church.

And in three weeks, man, it's taken off.

And so today I want us to look at how dynamic this church really, really was.

Unbelievable.

All the basic ingredients that our Lord wants in a church is found right here in the church in Thessalonia.

Now, watch this.

It doesn't tell us about their goals and their objectives.

It doesn't say a word about that.

It doesn't say one word about the numbers.

In other words, it doesn't say how many was a member of the church.

By the way, we're excited about our new covenants class.

Many of you have asked me, how can I join the church?

Well, not this coming Saturday.

Saturday is our anniversary fun day, but the following Saturday, uh, we're having our covenants class.

We've been doing them twice a year.

We're going to probably start now as we're growing, doing them uh every quarter.

But from 8 30 to 1230, right there in our fellowship hall, we'll go through our four key core values.

We call it the covenants class.

And at the end of that class, we'll give you the constitution of our church.

You'll get the covenant of our church.

You'll get a little booklet, you'll go through it with us, and then you'll get that at the end of that booklet, it says that you sign on the dotted line to be a covenant member.

You can bring it back the next Sunday or the following Sunday.

Or guess what?

You don't have to bring it back at all.

If you go through the covenants class and you decide, well, that may be a little too much uh responsibility, accountability is the correct word.

I I don't know if I want to do that.

And that's okay.

We will not twist your arm, we will not force you.

And the question is, well, what can I do if I'm not a covenant member?

You can do everything in this church except two things.

One, you can't vote on major things that the church votes on.

And number two, you cannot be in a leadership position if you're not a covenant member.

And I hope you would understand that.

And when I get through, you're gonna see why we do the covenants class in this message.

So we want you to be there.

Right now we have 49 signed up, and uh that's unreal.

So we would love for you to sign up after uh see Tabitha or put on in the tear sheet.

You uh hey, we've got it on there.

You can check on there, put it in the offering plate at the end of the service, and like I said, just come, go through it.

You may not even say, well, I'm not ready to join and join the church yet.

That's okay.

At least come through the covenants class so you can see all about who we are, how it works, how it was founded.

You will love, you'll love those four hours.

Susan, my wife, myself, and David Wilson teach it.

It's not boring, I promise.

We will have a good time.

And you'll hear stuff that you probably wouldn't normally hear about your pastor and uh and and my wife.

We share our hearts, we share, we're very transparent about what God did.

And David, just to hear how this church uh was birthed through David's heart is worth coming.

I mean, this church was conceived about three to four years ago in his heart and his mind, sitting on the second row at Brook Hills when David Platt was preaching about starting churches.

So don't miss it.

Don't miss it.

We need you.

And it's just gonna, I'm telling you, it's gonna be glorious.

Glorious next two to three weeks around here.

So please do that.

But now notice something else.

They didn't talk about the music.

Most churches now, yeah, there's been more splits in the last 10 years over music than any other thing.

God help us.

Amen.

God help us.

God help us, okay?

Uh didn't say anything about music.

Guess what?

Didn't say anything as important as they are about small groups, Sunday school classes, children's ministry, didn't say anything about that.

So what did it say?

Well, you ready?

This is awesome.

What should a church be?

In other words, what should be the blueprint of our church in Westover and Chelsea right here so that we can affect this whole community?

Number one, it's got to be, and by the way, it must be a saved church.

Well, somebody said, well, that's pretty common.

Oh, it is?

Well, yeah.

But what is the priority of the church if it's a saved church?

And by the way, how does a church become saved?

Well, he answers that.

Watch this.

Look in verses 1 through 4.

This is powerful.

The church at Thessalonica was a saved church.

And that is significant because many churches today don't know the meaning of salvation.

They really don't.

Now, watch what the Thessalonians church was.

It was an assembly of born-again Christians.

The fact is verified right here.

In these four first, I mean these first four verses.

Look what Paul said.

Paul, Silas, and Timothy, unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is, now, if you got your Bible, I'd underline it, which is in God, the Father, underline, in the Lord Jesus Christ, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God always for you, all making, by the way, that's why Paul was a southerner.

You all.

Y'all.

I mean, he was constantly saying y'all, y'all, you all.

Just a thought.

But he said, we give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing.

Now, watch, your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our uh there it is again, in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father, knowing brethren beloved, your election of God.

And then also in verse 5, notice what he says, and what a tremendous statement that is as well.

For our gospel came unto you in word only, uh unto you in word only, but also in power and now watch this, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

So, what is the priority of a saved church?

Being in Christ.

In Christ.

Now, that doesn't mean that you know about Christ.

That doesn't mean that your name's on the row, that doesn't even mean that you've been baptized.

What that does mean that Christ has taken up residence in your heart.

1 Corinthians 12, 13, for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.

The Holy Spirit comes in and he places us in to the body of Christ.

So it's in Christ.

And it's amazing.

Paul could thank God for the Thessalonians because they were all in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now therein lies the beginning, really, of an effective church.

The reason so many churches are ineffective is because a lot of times they have the they're mixed with the wheat and tares.

And uh we see that in Matthew throughout there.

That guess what?

Every time the church in the New Testament was started, God's church, after it got going, Satan would try to infiltrate the church with false teachers.

Can I get an Amen?

Every one of them.

Every one of them.

And that's no different than here or any other church that's established by God and on him being the chief cornerstone.

So it's very important.

And that's one of the things the covenant class deals with.

First chapter, we deal with, hey, salvation.

Are you sure you're saved?

Examine yourself whether you be in the faith.

1 Corinthians 13, 5.

Know that you know, that you know.

By the way, salvation is not a hope-so, think-so, but it's a no-so because God said so.

Amen.

These things have a written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that ye have eternal life.

1 John 5, 13.

So it's not, well, I feel so, I think so.

No, it's a no-so.

It's a no-so, it's an assurance, and you're gonna see that.

So we see right here that having unregenerated people in places especially of responsibility does not work.

It will cause confusion every time.

So it's important that we understand that.

In fact, I love the examples that we see.

When Paul entered the city, in fact, we see that after he started the church, in Acts 17 is the description of him starting the church.

What got so exciting was that the Bible says in verse 5 in Acts 17 that they literally turned their city upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Upside down.

I meant unbelievable.

When Paul entered, he spread it, he talked about it, he he shared the gospel, he shared the good news.

In fact, in in uh Acts 17, verses 2 through 4, we he said to the Jewish people, and by the way, he was preaching to the Jewish people about the Messiah, Jesus.

Acts 17:2–4

You know why the Jewish people had a hard time believing that Jesus was the Messiah?

Because he died.

Even though we know he rose from the third day.

And but they had a hard time believing that he was the Messiah because he was crucified and he was killed.

They thought he was coming to set up an earthly kingdom.

They didn't think he was coming to die.

They didn't understand that.

So that was their their, I meant they rejected it constantly because they said, no, if the Messiah has not come, they still believe today he still hasn't come.

Because that he would not have been crucified.

You know, he's not coming to be, hey, to be a lowly, poor uh servant.

He's coming to be the king.

Well, let me tell you, that's true.

He's coming back to be the king of kings and the lord of lords, but he came as a servant.

He was wounded for our transgressions.

He came and he, hey, thought himself not robbery to be with God, but also thought himself, hey, not too good to be a servant.

And that's how he expressed the love of God.

And boy, it's so beautiful.

So they didn't understand that.

So, notice what he says.

In God the Father, in the Lord Jesus Christ, he says, He that is joined and listen to what he says.

Man, this is good.

1 Corinthians 6, 17.

This is our this is our key verse for our leadership in this church when our council meets.

I always quote this verse.

I always say two things when our council meets.

Number one, every decision that is made today in this meeting will either hinder or enhance us reaching our city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Can I get an amen?

That's how important sitting on that council is.

That's how important it really is.

And secondly, I said 1 Corinthians 6.17, he that is joined on the Lord is one spirit.

If we are walking in the Spirit of God, there ought to be a oneness.

Can I get an amen?

And that's, by the way, is one of the key ingredients and key examples of seeing a church that's walking with God.

They're in one accord.

When there's backbiting, there's fussing, there's divisions, there's division, there's dividing.

That's not of God.

He that hey, that's why he says in Ephesians 4.3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

It's so important.

And by the way, you'll see why that is so important.

Paul said in Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.

And I, hey, hey, I now live in the flesh.

I live now by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

So it's so important that we understand that.

And what does he say in 2 Corinthians 5.17?

You know this.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ Jesus, he's a what?

A new creation.

Old things have passed away.

Behold, all things have become new.

Now look what Paul said.

Go over one chapter to chapter two and look at verse 13.

Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians because, why?

Look what they did.

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God, which ye heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth.

The word of God, which, now watch, here's the key.

Effectively worketh also in you that believe.

Let me say, folks, it's one thing to believe the word of God, but it's, hey, it's a drastic difference to receive it.

What does that mean?

Receive, you say, well, you've got to believe it before you receive it.

Well, receiving, yes, you believe it, but receiving it means not only do you believe it, but you allow it to come into your life and hey, literally take up residence and work through your heart so that it controls your thought process.

It, hey, controls your attitude, it controls your actions.

Can I get an amen?

In other words, here's what it means.

You become doers of the word of God, not hearers only.

Can I get an amen?

And that's it's so evident when people get saved.

That's why we see such an explosion here in the church at Thessalonica.

As newborn babes, 1 Peter 2.2 says, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.

It's unbelievable.

There was such a hunger here.

It was effectively working in and through them unbelievably.

In Christ, do you know what in Christ means?

We become like Christ.

We take on his, 2 Peter, I think it is, let me make sure because yeah, uh 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 4 says that we are partakers of his divine nature.

2 Peter 1:4

Wow.

I know that that's hard to understand, isn't it?

You missed it.

Let's start try that again.

Come on, church.

Hey, we are partakers of his, look at it, of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In other words, we're that new creation.

We are now, we are taking on the personality and the person of Jesus Christ through the person of the Holy Spirit.

Woo! Wow! Church, come on.

You said, what does that mean?

That means you're different.

That means that you are radiant.

That means that when people see you, they see Christ.

Wow.

Uh-oh, oh me.

Can I get an o me?

I'm not getting a lot of amens.

Can I get an o-me?

We're like Christ.

We should be here.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's go.

All right.

Now notice the evidence.

How do you know that you're in Christ?

He gives the evidence.

Look what he says.

He began 1 Thessalonians verse 1.

He says, There's grace be unto you and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Woohoo! No one can receive the grace and peace of God unless they're a child of God.

Can I get an amen?

One of the blessings that you and I have from being in Christ is the grace of God.

Amen.

It's by grace that I'm saved.

It's by grace that I'm in the sanctification process.

Hey, it's not of Danny Lovett, it's of the Holy Spirit of God.

Amen.

If I live my life according to me and I do a good bit, you know what?

I mess it up every time.

Hello.

I mess it up every time.

But when I allow the Holy Spirit and take the Word of God, I receive, hey, I believe the Word of God, but I receive the Word of God and I take it into my heart and I'm obedient.

If you love me, keep my commandments, and I ask God to take the Holy Spirit and teach me and guide me.

Me through his word, and as I'm obedient to the word of God, I'm blessed by God because I received the grace of God.

You can't have the grace of God if you're not, hey, allowing the word of God to work through you.

Amen.

That's it.

You said, Well, man, everything you say is about the word.

Duh.

Hello?

So, notice what else?

No one receives the grace and the peace of God.

But now notice the other evidence.

Look at verse 3.

The evidence of their salvation is also indicated in verse 3 when he says, We remember without ceasing your work of faith.

Listen, when you are in Christ, you are walking by faith.

He says, without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Hebrews 11, 6.

Amen?

He says, wait, you're walking by faith.

You're believing God, but you're allowing God to lead you as you trust Him and receive the Word of God.

But look what else.

But not only are you walking by faith, not by sight, but there's a hope.

Oh, the work of faith.

And then he says, there's the labor of love.

Whoa, man.

You know what?

Loving God and loving people.

Listen, it is evident when somebody loves God.

Here it is.

Bottom line.

They want to help people.

That's it.

That's it.

They want to help people.

My little children, let us love, not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3.18.

Hey, let your actions speak louder than your words.

In fact, we got a lot of people.

I have a lot of people say, I love you.

Okay.

Okay.

Do you really love me?

Well, next time I'm in trouble, will you be there for me?

It all determines what kind of trouble.

Hello?

That's not the definition of trouble.

What kind?

Trouble's trouble.

Whether it's good or bad.

Hey, let me tell you a true Christian.

Hey, when you, hey, hey, when your supposed friends walk out, a true Christian will walk in.

Hello.

You say, but you don't know what they did.

Doesn't matter what they did.

If I love you, it doesn't matter what you do.

Because if it matters what you do, it's a conditional love.

And I got news for you, church.

You better thank God his love wasn't conditional.

Amen.

It was totally unconditional.

He loved me when I was a rotten, no good sinner.

I didn't come to him.

He came to me.

You've not chosen him, he's chosen you.

You listening to me?

So love's not conditional.

This was not a conditional love.

It was unconditional.

Wow.

And then, hey, not only was it a love that was active.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, 14, his love compels me.

Hey, Christ's love is what compels you and me.

And then, not only that, it was hope.

Titus 1.2, a blessed hope.

A hope in the eternal, hey, in hey, in the eternal presence of an awesome God one day that we'll spend for the rest of eternity.

Wow.

What a hope.

So that's really the priority of the church in Christ.

Notice secondly the purity of the church.

The purity of the church.

It's got to be pure.

I didn't say perfect.

Aren't you glad they didn't say perfect?

David, it just said pure, not perfect.

There's not a perfect one in here.

Amen.

There's not one perfect.

If you're perfect, we're in trouble.

Amen.

There's not one of us in here perfect.

We all have our flaws.

We're all our feet are made of clay.

Can I get an amen?

But what I do see is the purity of the church.

They were trying to be more like Christ, hey, today than they were yesterday.

They were not falling back.

I meant this church was on fire three weeks, three weeks.

It says that they turned, in Acts 5.29, they turned the world upside down.

Their city upside down.

And let me tell you what's so significant about this.

50 miles was the Greek, the really the hub of the Greek gods in Olympus.

50 miles.

And in three short weeks a church takes off, and within six months, hey, they are filling their city and their towns and their regions with the gospel.

Wow.

That means that they were unashamed of the gospel.

Well, that let me help you.

That means they were not politically correct.

Amen.

I was watching the debate.

Any of y'all watched the Republican debate the other night?

That's the only time I like to watch it because you really get to know who that is.

That was a pretty tough question, too.

And guess what?

I'm kind of excited.

We got about three or four guys on there, and I'm not saying I'm a Republican, but we've got three or four guys on there that said, hey, I believe in Jesus Christ.

I believe that abortion's murder.

I hadn't heard that in a long time.

Amen.

Now don't you go out here and say, Preacher Danny's talking about being a Republican.

No, I'm talking about being righteous.

Amen.

I'm talking about being righteous.

Hey, I'll vote for the dog catcher if he's righteous.

Amen.

Hey?

Hello?

So we see.

Hey, now let me tell you something.

God takes this purity thing pretty serious, folks.

Hello.

See, I'm fixed to do some preaching you hadn't heard.

It is so important for a church to have righteous leadership.

Now let me tell you what.

You remember, you remember Ananias and Sapphira?

Anyone remember that?

Acts chapter 5, verses 1 through 5 and verse 10.

Acts 5:1–5

You remember what happened?

The church was in need, and everybody was giving Barnabas.

They were selling all they had and giving to the church to help all these people.

There were so many people.

The church had exploded.

People were from different home regions and needed places to stay.

They were hungry.

I mean, revival just broke out.

So they were all, whatever the church needed, people were meeting.

They were meeting the needs of the people.

Amen.

Well, it you undoubtedly it was kind of noticeable that some of the people that were selling land in giving, you know, they're probably getting some accolades or some praises, and that's why you've got to be careful about the praise of men.

Amen.

Because that, by the way, that's Satan uses the praise of men to get us all.

It's called pride.

Hello, pride.

Pride.

Okay?

Everyone that's, hey, he said, the proud are abomination unto God, too.

Proverbs 12.

So anyway, what's this?

So they decided they're going to sell their land and they're going to give their money.

And they did.

They sold the land, except they told the church what they were going to give.

Now, listen to me.

Listen to me.

Hey, if you tell God you got to do something, do it.

But you know, hey, they didn't have to give God, they didn't have to get up after they sold the land and tell the people and tell God they were going to give all their money.

Well, they it must have been a pretty large sum because after they said they were going to give it all, they decided to keep some.

Hello?

No, you've never done that.

Oh God.

If you'll get me out of this situation, I'm about to lose everything I got.

I promise you, I'll start tithing.

Hello.

Oh Lord, if you'll get me out of this situation, I won't drink anymore.

I won't do drugs.

Oh Lord.

Hello.

Then after he gets you out and you sit there and you say, Well, maybe, Lord, I can start next week.

Or next month.

We've all been there, haven't we?

Hello.

You okay out there?

Preach.

So they said they're gonna get.

Hey, they didn't have to give it all.

They didn't have to.

In fact, they shouldn't have said anything.

They should have just given it.

Hey, do not let your left hand know what your right hand's doing.

Can I get an amen?

Hello! Hello.

We had a guy one day give a check at Open Door Baptist Church.

If I call the name Christy and those with me, and Carrie probably knowing.

Man, the deacons ran up to me and said, Pastor Danny, you've got to go see so-and-so.

He gave us a large check, and I'm not gonna say even the mount.

But he said, Oh, that's unreal.

I said, That's not unreal.

I said, that's not unreal.

He ain't given a dime all year.

Hello.

Maybe God's convicting him.

He's catching up.

Why do I want to praise somebody that's been disobedient?

Hello.

So, but now watch.

So guess what?

They come in, you know what happens?

They don't, hey, they lied to God.

You know what happened?

Hey, the husband comes in, bam, God kills him on the spot.

It's in there, read it.

And then you know what happened next?

He brings his wife in and tells her the same thing.

He said, You know what, Joe?

And I'm sure he said, Y'all didn't have to lie.

Y'all didn't even have to say how much you were gonna give.

Why didn't you just give?

But because you lied, bam.

Now you know what happened?

Everybody in the church got scared to death.

Woo! Can't you imagine the repentance going on after that?

Oh, I'm sorry I lied, Lord.

I'm sorry I lied.

I'm at the altar right now.

Lord, forgive me, forgive me.

Bam, bam, dead, dead.

Read it says they were gotten frightened to death.

Hey, if you just saw two of your church members come up and the preacher saying, Why'd you lie?

Bam, they kill them, what'd you do?

You'd be saying, I think I'm moving my membership.

I don't think I want to be a part of this church.

Man, they'll kill they kill people.

Hey, it'd be hey, it they the hey, the gospel would get no sooner.

Oh, you don't want to go to CCW, man, they just kill people at the altar.

Hello.

You okay?

And then there was another example about the purity of the church.

In Revelation chapter 2, 14.

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

Tremendous, tremendous.

Uh Christ's warning against having a congregation filled with unbelievers to the church at Pergama.

And here's what he said.

I have a few things against thee, because thou hast, hey, thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam.

In other words, he was referring to the compromise with the world system.

That's where the majority of the church is today.

Balaam was instrumental in causing Israel to interact sinfully with pagan gods and all kind of immorality.

And here's what he said in Revelation 2, verse 16.

Revelation 2:16

Jesus says, Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth.

Whoa.

Whoa.

Mm-mm-mm.

Wow.

But now notice the effects.

Boy, this is good.

When you have a pure church.

You know what happens?

Acts chapter 2, verse 41.

Acts 2:41

Here's what happens.

They continue steadfastly.

You know what I love about you?

Because Pastor Danny can make a survey of this church when you come in.

And I know where most of you, where most of you are either here or not.

You know how I know that?

Because you're habit creatures.

You sit in the same place.

So when I look over here, see Carolyn.

I don't know.

I saw Carolyn.

She's here.

There she is back there.

But see, right, Carolyn's not here.

I mean, I can just go right down the line and tell you who's Granny's not here.

She's moved back here.

I mean, I can just go right down the line.

About know when you're here, when you're not.

But you know what?

What I make so excited about this church that really, and I've been affiliated with a lot of church starts, but not ever starting them, but helping them, is the steadfastness of the 200 people that are almost here every Sunday show up.

They give her their time, they give her their talents, they give her their treasures, and they are here because they are eagerly, I mean effectively, wanting to serve God and do something great in their community and do something that's biblical through a New Testament church doing something that God wants and not man.

Amen.

Man, that's exciting.

That's why it's so exciting here.

This is not about us.

It's not about your preacher, it's not about you, it's not about the council.

It's about him.

Amen.

It's about him.

Oh, that's good.

Somebody say that's good.

Where is Iville?

I will's watching.

He said that's good.

That's good.

They fill Jerusalem with their doctrine.

Acts 5.28.

They fill Jerusalem with their doctrine.

Well, look at the second thing.

It was a surrendered church.

Look at verse 6.

You became followers of us as of the Lord.

Now, the genuine character of their salvation is very real and apparent in this statement.

The Greek word for followers, powerful word.

Mimetes.

Mimetes.

It literally means, hey, mimic.

That's what it means.

It means to be a mimic.

Long ago, well, many years ago, there was a commercial.

Basketball commercial.

Y'all remember it?

I want to be like Mike.

Want to be like I mean, it was unbelievable.

Want to be like Mike.

Well, I got news for you.

Everybody wanted to mimic Michael Jordan.

They wanted his sneakers.

I mean, they just knew if they bought the sneakers that said these were Michael Jordan's sneakers, that they were going to be better ball players.

They want to be like Mike.

Well, I got news for you.

We don't want to be like Mike.

We want to be like Christ.

We want to be like Jesus.

We want to mimic who Jesus is.

We want to be imitators of Jesus Christ.

That's what he was saying.

The Thessalonian Christians were not just talkers.

They were imitators.

They didn't merely talk about their Christian experience.

They lived it, they modeled it every day.

Wow.

That's exciting.

Hey, you know what's going to build this church?

And it's what is building this church?

You going out, by the way, this is the Pep rally right here.

Amen.

This is the Pep rally.

You know why you come to church on Sunday?

Because Satan's beat up on you all the week.

Hello.

And you want to come to be encouraged.

You want to come to hear the truth so you can put on the armor of God, so you can go back out there and fight again.

Amen.

Hey, it's a battle.

It's a fight.

Listen, hey, I'm telling you, no sooner than you leave the parking lot, Satan's going to come at you.

And the only way Christ can use you and me to build this church is us to imitate who He is.

Echo.

You're going to see this in me.

Echo who He is.

When they see you, hey, when they see you standing consistently and strong for the glory of God when in good times, bad times, medium times, the good and the bad and the ugly.

But they see the same person, the same faith, the same love, the same joy, the same hope, the same Christ-likeness, then they're going to say, that's real.

Hello?

Amen.

They were a surrendered church.

Paul said, Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ.

He said in Ephesians 5, 1, be ye therefore followers of God.

He wasn't talking about following Him, he was talking about following the Christ-likeness in Him.

And praise God.

My goal is to be an example to you.

I'm not a perfect example.

I don't have the perfect marriage.

I have a great marriage.

But my wife and I, hey, she doesn't say yes to everything I want.

Oh, poor baby.

Melvin's looking like, where are you going with that, preacher?

I'm not going any further.

Amen.

I know when to shut up and say no.

So we see.

But now notice the third thing.

Not only is it a surrendered church, it's surrendered to the Lordship of Christ.

It's Romans 12, 1 and 2.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

You are, hey, it's not, it's not our will, it's his will.

Can I get an amen?

Now that's the question you, and you know that.

I don't even have to stop there very long.

You know whether or not you're doing what God's told you to do.

Yes, you do.

Now, if you're sitting there and say, Well, I would do it if I knew it, well, the reason you don't know it, you're not in the Word.

You got to get in the book.

When I know, hey, hey, when I'm not in the book, it shows real quick.

Because when I'm in the book, the Holy Spirit's controlling me.

When I'm not in the book, the flesh is controlling me.

And you don't want to see the flesh very long with me.

Y'all get an amen, honey?

No.

You don't know what, the no comment.

Amen?

But guess what?

I don't want to be around you very long if you're in the flesh.

And here's why.

Because Christ is not exalted.

We have no, whoo! Man, this is good.

We have no commonality if we're in the flesh.

When we're in the spirit, we have a commonality.

Can I get an amen?

Is that not right?

You give me a hundred pianas up here and you try to tune them to each other, and what do you get?

Chaos.

You give me a hundred pianas up here and you tune them to a tuning fork, what do you get?

You get unity.

And by the way, when you, hey, hey, you listen, that's why we want to live in Christ.

It's not for you to try to adjust to me and you get in this church and me to adjust to you.

That's the wrong adjustment.

What we want to do is be like Christ.

We want to be in Christ.

And then everything else takes care of itself.

We come together as one.

You say, well, hey, hey, all those little things that cause problems don't cause problems anymore.

Who cares what color the carpet is?

Well, I do! Well, bless God.

You gonna pay for it?

You pay for it.

We might let you pick the color.

No, but I mean, all these little things, all these little things that what matters is us loving God and loving people, helping people.

Come on, church.

That's what matters.

Serving others.

Then number three, not only is it surrender church, it's a suffering church.

Look at verse 6.

You became followers of us, mimics of the Lord, having received the word in much what?

What's that word?

In much what?

Suffering.

Affliction, suffering, with joy of the Holy Spirit.

But now notice how he wrote that.

That is so powerful.

You become mimics, models, pictures of Christians and of the Lord, mimicking him, but you receive the word, the word's working in you, you're being obedient to the word, but now what happens?

Much affliction.

Why is it I have people a lot of times say, Pastor Danny, I got saved and started serving the Lord and all hell broke loose?

Well, let me ask something.

Let me ask something.

You ready for this?

Why would Satan want to mess with you when you lost?

Hello?

Just a thought.

Why would he want to mess with you?

Huh?

He's got you.

You get saved.

Hey, you get out of his grip, out of his grasp, then he's, you know what he's gonna do next?

He's gonna try to destroy your testimony.

That's the second thing he's gonna do.

In fact, that's really the only thing he can do to a Christian.

He can't take you to hell.

So he tries to destroy your influence.

Why?

He tries to destroy your mimicking.

Somebody say that's good, preacher.

That is good.

That is good.

That's what he tries to do.

And he does a pretty good job.

But now notice with joy.

Hey, but hey, what he's saying is if you're walking for the joy of the Lord, it's my strength.

Nehemiah 8:10.

Nehemiah 8:10

The joy.

Hey, you can have joy in affliction.

Say that with me, church.

I can have joy in affliction.

Why?

Because it's not you, it's him.

It's not you in you, it's you, it's Christ in you.

Big difference.

Big, big difference.

It's a suffering church.

First Thessalonians, look at chapter 2, right there, verses 14 and 16.

The persecution that the church had experienced right after they got came out of the gate, firing, preaching.

Ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus.

For you also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, and they please not God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved.

To fill up their sins always.

Hey, to fill up their sins always, for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

In other words, folks, can I say something?

You gonna, we're gonna get persecuted by our friends.

We're gonna get persecuted by other churches.

Amen.

Amen.

I mean, it happens.

I mean, it started coming immediately.

In fact, when you go back when the church was birthed in Acts 17, I believe it's verse 6 or 5, or maybe two or three right in there.

Those those first five verses, you've got to read that in Acts 17.

I mean, time they started the church, they started getting persecution.

And you know what it said?

Out of envy and jealousy.

Hey, envy and jealousy.

Churches are, you know what?

It's bad when a church can't unite with another church and just have a, hey, for the cause of reaching our communities.

I mean that.

I really, I'm I'm a firm believer of that.

You know what it is?

Jealousy.

You can see you can call it all, you can call anything you want to.

I'm gonna tell you what it is.

It's jealousy.

Bottom line.

Just jealousy.

That's what it is.

Now, so what is he telling us?

Hey, look at what he says.

If they persecuted me in John 15, 18, 20, hey, Jesus said if they persecuted me, they're gonna persecute you.

Hello.

Amen.

So, just stand.

When you've done all you can do, just stand.

The church is to be the conscience of the world in your notes.

We're to be the conscience.

The church, listen to what Jesus said in John 17, 15 through 18.

Powerful statement.

Powerful, powerful, powerful.

When the world needs a clear picture of Christ, we want to be able to present that picture and listen to what Jesus said.

I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but thou should keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them through thy word.

Thy word is true.

In other words, we are to be that picture, that model, that mimic of who Christ is.

And when the persecution comes, that's when we should mimic Christ in our fullest.

Amen.

In our fullest.

By the way, let me remind you: eleven out of the 12 apostles were martyred.

Eleven.

Hello.

Yeah, that didn't get you excited, did it?

It didn't get me excited either.

Number four, it's a soul-winning church.

Soul-winning church.

Look at it.

The Thessalonian church had a marvelous twofold testimony.

First, look at it.

Verse 7, they spread the gospel by living exemplary lives.

Paul said to them, You were our example.

You were our example to all that believed in Macedonia and Achaia.

Other people could look at the Thessalonians' church and be attracted to Christ by what they saw.

Amazingly, it took the Thessalonians only two weeks to establish their lifestyle.

I'm telling you, this church is just phenomenal.

Three weeks after Paul preached that third Sabbath, bam, it started happening.

Christians started living it and telling it.

And that was the second example.

The first example, first they spread the gospel by living it, secondly, by preaching it.

Amen.

Listen to what he says.

What a powerful, powerful statement in verse 8.

And he said, From you sounded out the word of the Lord in every place.

Now notice I love that.

In every place.

Now the Greek word translated there is ex-ahel.

Exahel.

You know what it means?

It means to resound.

It means ring out.

Ring out.

Remember, we studied, remember the Revolutionary War?

For some of us, yeah, only three of us remember the study in the Revolutionary War.

I know in the history today, they're trying to, you know, kill our history.

But remember Paul Revere?

What was he noted for?

Riding his horse at night?

Saying the what?

Come on, folks.

Did y'all y'all know that answer?

That's an easy one.

The British are coming.

They're coming.

Well, that's the exact definition of this word.

It is to resound, to echo the word of God.

Jesus is coming.

It's not the British, it's Jesus.

Jesus is coming.

Three of you believe that.

Are y'all okay today?

Say it with me.

Jesus is coming! Come on, church! Jesus is coming!

Yes! And we're gonna resound it everywhere we go! Yes, deacon, yes! Sounding amount.

Jesus is coming.

Man.

And why do we say that?

Guess what?

Number five.

Because we are a second coming church.

We believe he's coming again.

We really believe that.

Look at verse 10.

Oh, and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come.

Jesus promised he would come back and gather the faithful to be with him forever.

John 14, 1.

Let not your let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Listen, he says, why?

Because in my father's house are many matches, and I go and prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, ye may be also.

Woo! He's coming.

Jesus is coming.

And I believe it soon.

Amen.

I believe very soon.

And why do we say that?

Why should we eagerly?

Revelation 22, 12.

Listen to what he says.

Here's why we do it.

Oh, no, go back to 2 Peter.

I'm glad I saw that.

Oh, by the way, not everybody believes Jesus is coming.

And though covetous shall they with fain words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation.

In other words, they say, you've been saying that for a long time, Jesus is not coming.

We don't believe that.

Now this was religious folk.

Not everyone believes Jesus is coming.

Let me tell you why.

If you believe Jesus is coming, you'd get so excited, you'd start ringing it out.

Why?

Because now, Revelation 22 says, Behold, Jesus said, look at what he said.

And behold, I come quickly, and my rewards is with me to give every man according to his work shall be.

Ladies and gentlemen, he's coming, and he's coming with a reward system.

Amen.

Amen.

And those that are eagerly awaiting and proclaiming the truth, if any man speak, let him speak as the oracle of God read, sounding it out.

And then not only that, not only the rewards, the responsibility.

And you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in all Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the othermost parts of the world.

We've got a responsibility.

Amen.

To preach the gospel to every creature.

Amen.

We've got a responsibility.

That's why we believe in such missions.

A church that doesn't believe in the return of Jesus Christ has no sense of rewards or no urgency.

Hey, no urgency to deliver those that are lost.

You know why I want to tell people about Jesus every day, and I try every day to give my little cards out.

I believe there's a heaven and I believe there's a hell.

And I believe that people did not come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are going to die and go to hell.

And folks, I don't want them to go to hell.

Wow.

And then number six, it's a steadfast church.

Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 8.

1 Thessalonians 3:8

For now we live if you stand fast in the Lord.

Standing fast in the Lord means two things: not wavering doctrinally, sound doctrine, and steadfast love.

A person can stand fast doctrinally but be dried up spiritually.

Do you know that?

Now let me tell you what I've seen in the last 10 years that's really concerned my heart about the church.

I've been involved in the local church for 33 years.

For a long period of that time, almost 20 years, I was in a different church every week.

Jesus said to the church in Revelation, the Ephesians, the church at Ephesus.

He reproved them by saying, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left their first love.

Ephesians were correct doctrinally, but they failed to have both ingredients of a healthy church, sound doctrine and love.

They had the right doctrine, but they didn't have love.

Can I tell you something?

You can have all the greatest giftedness, you can have all the greatest technology, all the greatest music, you can have all the great programs, you can have everything, but if you don't have love, hey, you don't have the life of Jesus in you.

We don't have the love of Jesus in us.

You know what I look?

I look out and I see red, yellow, black, and white, they're all precious in his eyes.

A church for every race, a church for every social class, a church for everybody.

There's no discrimination here.

You pull in that parking lot, you're one of us.

I look out and I see a church like heaven.

I really do.

Amen.

That was my let me tell you one thing I promise.

I'm gonna just say it.

I told David and Christy, I said, I don't want to be a deep south church that they're moving out of the downtown area because they want to be a whity, flighty church.

Hello?

Now don't look at me like you don't know what that means.

I said, first thing I'm gonna do is pray God has send me a black preacher.

I had to run him down, it took me two months, but I finally called him.

And I told him, I said, Sylvester, God's called you to help me build a church that God will be pleased with.

We want to build a church that has everybody, every color, every social status, every education.

We want everybody.

And if you're here and you say, I don't want that, you're in the wrong place.

Let me help you.

You won't be comfortable here.

You're in the wrong place.

Hello.

Hello that's good preaching, preacher.

That's the truth.

And if you know the truth, it'll what?

Set you free.

Woo! I love it, I love it, I love it.

I can't wait to get to heaven.

God's gonna be so pleased with us.

Okay, let me let me let me finish it.

There's one more.

Am I right?

I I don't know where I am, but am I right?

Okay.

Did we get all the blanks filled in?

I wanna make sure of all my teachers.

Last thing.

A submissive church.

Last thing is a submissive church.

Chapter 1, verse 6, look.

He says, You become followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy.

Then in the next chapter, chapter 2, verse 13, you receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God.

And then in chapter 4, and and I love this, in verse 1, he says, More than we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God.

The Thessalonians unconditionally submitted to the Word of God.

Wow.

Wow.

Aren't you glad to know this morning that this church is built on clear biblical truth?

Amen.

Clear biblical truth.

That's our first key corvette.

You walk in here, and I think that's why we're seeing people come every week and they're coming back.

Because they're getting verse by verse teaching of the Word of God.

Amen.

It's not what Pastor Danny says, it's what God's Word says.

Amen.

Now, every once in a while I have my opinion, but I tell you it's my opinion.

Amen.

We all have opinions, right?

And it's okay to have an opinion.

As long as that opinion stacks up to the word of God.

If you want the right opinion.

Amen.

Let me ask you this morning.

Do we want to be a Thessalonian church?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Nava, can you come and play standing on holy ground?

I wanted Susan to sing I'm not ashamed of the gospel, but I want to go in every direction.

And Nava, you can sing it or you can just play it.

Because the key.

Here's the invitation.

What's this?

The key to us being a Thessalonian church is one word.

Don't you miss it.

One word.

One word.

Purity.

Purity.

One word.

Purity.

Amen.

Be holy in all manner of conversation, for it is written, be holy, for I am holy.

1 Peter 1, 15 and 16.

Are you being obedient to the Word of God this morning?

Oh, God's calling you.

He's calling you to present your body as a living sacrifice.

I want you to just take a few moments and just say, Lord, I want to be a part of a pure, clear biblical church.

I want to be a part of a New Testament church.

I want to be a, I want CCW to be that New Testament church.

Folks, that is our only desire here.

Listen, if we wanted to attend another church, we didn't start a church because we didn't think there was enough churches around.

We started this church because we wanted to do exactly what that says.

Loving God, loving people, clear biblical truth.

Hey, vibrant worship, intimate fellowship.

That's why we eat together every day.

And using your gifts, fulfilling service at home and abroad.

That's what the New Testament Acts 2 did.

That's what they did.

And because of that, that's what Thessalonians did.

It exploded.

I think in these last days, there's going to be churches just like CCW that God's planning and God's starting, that God's going to use to bring in that last harvest.

Now that's my opinion.

Amen.

But I do read the signs.

You may not know the hour, but you can know the signs.

Are you ready?

Are you ready?

Do you know him?

No, listen to me.

Do you know him?

Do you really know him?

If you're to die right now, you know that you're going to heaven.

And secondly, if you know him, are you really living for him?

Are you giving him everything you got?

Are you about halfway?

Half the time you surrender to him, half the time you're running your life, but you really want to give him your life.

Romans 12, 1 and 2, Galatians 2 20, crucified with Christ, not I but him.

Not I but Christ.

Say it with me.

Not I but Christ.

Not I but Christ.

Where are you?

Every head bow, every eye closed.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

If you would like to find out more about us, visit us on our webpage at thechurch at cw.com.

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Need prayer or more information?

Send us an email at office at the church at CW dot com.

We hope you have a wonderful day and again, God bless you.