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“THE ESSENTIAL GREATNESS OF THE CHURCH” MATTHEW 16:15-18 Introduction: What makes the church great? How great can the church be? What is the church? When the Bible talks about the church, it is referring to “a called-out body of believers gathered for worship.” What is the mission of the church? The mission of the Church is to go forth with this Great Message [that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God] to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment for God’s Glory.” Matthew 28:18-20,
In the Bible – you’ll only find reference to the words church or churches in the New Testament. There, in the N T the church or churches is mentioned 113 times.
Now, we know that the church had its beginning, essentially in the book of Acts where the church is referred to 22 times – the most anywhere in the N T. The book of Revelation mentions the church 19 times.
The church’s purpose is to glorify God the Father: Ephesians 3:14-21
When God has answered each request that begins with the word that (in each of our individual lives); we, as the church, will bring glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1. WE ARE ONLY AS GREAT AS OUR LOVE. FOR THE SAVIOUR Matthew 22:37, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
For the Scriptures Psalm 119:47, “And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” Psalm 119:97, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”
For the Saints John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Ephesians 4:1-2, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” Philippians 2:2, “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” For the Sinners
Psalm 126:5-6, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
2. WE ARE ONLY AS GREAT AS OUR LABOUR.
I Corinthians 3:8-9, “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” I Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Philippians 2:16, “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neitherlaboured in vain.”
3. WE ARE ONLY AS GREAT AS OUR LIGHT.
Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” |