Scripture: Matthew 4:12 – 17
Title: “The Unchanged Church”
Introduction: This is a MESSAGE for the CHURCH of TODAY! When Jesus began His earthly ministry there was a well-oiled religious machine in place called, “Phariseeism.” This religious system was well known all across the known world at that time. But the message Jesus began preaching was the same message that His predecessor, John the Baptist had been preaching six months prior to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, “Repentance.”
John the Baptist began his ministry by preaching, “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 3:2)
Jesus began His preaching ministry by preaching, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:17)
The messages of both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself were a message of, “A Need for a Change!”
I believe the CHURCH (in general) is in DESPERATE need of a CHANGE just as it did in the days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus!
How can we EVALUATE the Church without being JUDGMENTAL?
By simply getting a Biblical Picture of the CHURCH.
Before we get into the message let me list FOUR purposes of the local church:
1. Exaltation of Jesus Christ.
2. Evangelism of the lost.
3. Edification of believers.
4. Expression of service.
Let’s take a look at some Scriptures that will enhance our ability to make a Biblical Evaluation of the Church!
I. WHAT IS THE GREATEST EVIDENCE OF WHETHER OR NOT A CHURCH NEEDS TO CHANGE.
a. Let me set the stage for the answer to this statement with a QUESTION.
b. What was the main reason for God sending His Son Jesus into this world?
(Luke 19:10) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
(John 3:16 – 17) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
c. Mankind was lost in the very beginning of time in the Garden of Eden.
d. God’s CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT was lost out of a “Perfect Relationship” in the midst of the Garden of Eden.
e. Mankind needed a SAVIOR to bring him back to God.
f. God’s PLAN is to use His Church as an OUTREACH to Evangelize the UNSAVED.
g. Just before Jesus ascended back to Heaven He left this commission for the Church, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Mt. 28:19 – 20)
h. The ABSENCE of SOULS being SAVED is the EVIDENCE that a Church needs to CHANGE.
i. Look at the number of people getting saved and you will see what I’m talking about!
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“Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” (1 Cor. 10:7)
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II. THE PRESENT – DAY ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH WORLD.
a. A large portion of the Church World doesn’t feel it needs a Change!
b. Most people in the Church of today would disagree with you if you accused them of having a problem with Idol Worship.
c. Anything that a person places between them and their relationship with God is an IDOL! (My idol used to be cars)
d. Week after week people file into a church and listen to the singing, music and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and then get up and go out of the church without much of a noticeable change.
e. Our value system has caused us to move the importance of soul winning down the list until it is out of sight.
f. This world is full of people who, for one reason or another, are unwilling to be blessed. They may be fearful or suspicious. They may just be disinterested. They may be satisfied where they are.
g. There’s no room – there’s no time – “I don’t want to think about trying to get someone saved.”
h. The very best efforts of most of the church world when it comes to getting someone saved is inviting them to church and letting the music and the preaching cause them to come to the Lord and get saved.
i. I want to use one more Scripture to illustrate the attitude of the Church of today, “And sitting down they watched him there;” (Mt. 27:36)
Too many are just SITTING and watching!
III. THE CHURCH WORLD AND ITS GAMES.
a. In Ex. 32 while Moses was up on the mountain receiving the 10 Commandments from the hand of God the people made themselves a Golden Calf to worship. In verse 6 it says, “they sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to PLAY.”
b. The “Church World” of today is playing a game of “Chance.”
Some people in the church are taking a CHANCE that they can live the way they want to and still be alright in the sight of God.
c. Children are known for PLAYING GAMES simply because they don’t know how to do much of anything else.
d. Children don’t stay with any one game too long because of their ATTENTION span; they bore easily and move on to another GAME.
e. Have you ever heard of the “Shell Game?”
The Church World has its version of the “Shell Game – “I’m in my shell and I won’t come out until I’m ready!”
f. Then there’s the game of “Hide & Seek” – “I’ll hide and you see if you can find me.”
g. The apostle Paul made the statement in 1 Cor. 13:11 “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
IV. THE AGENTS OF CHANGE FOR THE CHURCH.
a. The SOLUTION for the NEEDED CHANGE for the CHURCH is very SIMPLE.
b. Again, I want to take a verse of Scripture to illustrate my point, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2 Cor. 7:10)
c. We get a very VIVID picture of the Church the way it OUGHT to be in Acts 2:
1. The Church was in COMPLETE OBEDIENCE to Christ.
2. The Church was WHERE it was SUPPOSED to be. * They were in Jerusalem where Jesus told them to go.
3. The Church was DOING what it was SUPPOSED to be doing. * They were WAITING and PRAYING until the PROMISE came.
4. The Church EXPERIENCED RESULTS when they were ENABLED with the POWER of the Holy Spirit. * 3,000 people got SAVED! * People CONTINUED getting saved on a DAILY basis.
d. The CHURCH must have the POWER of the Holy Spirit to get people SAVED!
e. There is ANOTHER agent of CHANGE that WORKS to bring about CHANGE in the Church. – JUDGMENT.
f. People can become SORROWFUL for their SINS because of the Holy Spirit’s WORK in their HEARTS or people can become SORROWFUL because God applied the PRINCIPLE of PUNISHMENT for sin.
g. When people start dying, starving, suffering, thirsting because God withholds His BLESSINGS people will start CHANGING. (They always do!)
CONCLUSION: You see, the CHOICE is really up to us.
If we examined the way people are brought to Christ we would see:
The SINGLE most influence in leading people to Christ by far is done by the PARENTS.
Behind the parents comes FRIENDS.
Then comes the PASTORS, YOUTH PASTORS, SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS, and the ADULTS of the Church.
Of the people who die each year only 5% of them are won to the Lord.
There is a story told a story about a goose who was wounded and who landed in a barnyard with some chickens.
He played with the chickens and ate with the chickens. After a while that goose thought he was a chicken.
One day a flight of geese came over, migrating to their home. They gave a honk up there in the sky, and he heard it. Something stirred within the breast of this goose. Something called him to the skies. He began to flap the wings he hadn’t used, and he rose a few feet into the air. Then he stopped, and he settled back again into the mud of the barnyard.
He heard the cry, but he settled for less.
Some things in the church doesn’t need to change – Some things do!
“If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land……….” (2 Chron. 7:14)
jhcarver1@excite.com
