The Gathering of the Church WATC

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God is to be worshiped the way God said we are to worship him.

Over the last ten weeks of this We Are the Church, we have looked at many different areas of the church.

•  Meaningful Membership:  
• Intentional Relationships:  
• Ministries of the Church:  
• Celebrating with the Church:  
• Prayer & the Church:  
• The Bible & the Church:  
• Preaching & the Church:  
• Leadership & the Church:  
• Discipline & the Church:  

The week's study, the Gathering of the Church, is probably the most thought about, misunderstood, and underestimated part of the church.

• Most thought about - When people think about the church, they usually think about the Sunday morning gathering of the church - the people of God meeting at a specific location at a specific time. 
• Misunderstood -  As we have been learning, the church is much more than this.  The gathering of the church is a critical part of the church family. 
• Underestimated - People, even many church people, underestimate the importance of believers regularly gathering together with the purpose of worshipping

In this Gathering of the Church study, we will examine why this gathering time is essential.  That reason is one word - worship.

We gather together NOT for entertainment and NOT merely to learn.  We gather together to worship God.  

We glorify him through meaningful membership, intentional relationships, and all church ministries.

We do this as we celebrate, pray, and learn God's Word through preaching and many other ways.

We do this as we work together as a congregation.  The elders serve the congregation by leading, and the deacons serve the congregation by serving (H.B. Charles Jr).

We seek to grow together as Christ-followers through discipleship and discipline.

Let's begin by looking at what worship is not, with a look at the Pharisees.

Why did Jesus reject the worship of the Pharisees?

"Jesus rejects the worship of the Pharisees, saying their worship was futile because they were teaching their doctrines rather than God’s doctrines. They were worshiping according to their will rather than according to His will."  (The Regulative Principle of Word by Banner of Truth)

Read Matthew 23 for reasons why Jesus rejected the Pharisees.

In what ways do people “worship” incorrectly?

Selfishness is the primary way people "worship" incorrectly.  While the idea of entertainment-focused, attractional, seeker churches might come to mind, we must carefully evaluate our motives.  If the church gathering time must be the way I like it, we are moving towards or steeped in selfishness.   

Another path to incorrect worship is focusing on minor things instead of major ones. 

How are we to worship God?

Trinity's website says, "We believe that God’s pleasure, not our own, is our greatest goal.  We invite you to worship with us.  As we study the Bible God’s Word, we are both challenged and encouraged in our relationship with Him and with each other."

 

Committing to other believers - Meaningful Membership. 

Looking to the Bible as our guide - the Regulative Principle - The Bible & the Church.  “The acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and limited by his own revealed will” (Westminster Confession of Faith 21.1).

Preaching and living out the preaching of God's Word - Preaching & the Church.  Preaching in which the text's meaning is the sermon's point. 

Singing the Bible - Standards for Edification through Music.  Questions to ask about the songs we sing: 

1.     Is the song biblically true?  

2.     Is the song God/Christ-focused?

3.     Is the song clear?

4.     Does the song reflect the breadth of Biblical expression?

5.     Is the song singable by the congregation?

6.     Does it bring unity to the church?  Remember, unity does not mean conformity.

Praying the Bible—Praying & the Church - Prayer is not one of many ministries.  Pray, a dependence on God, should be part of EVERYTHING the church does.  While we should pray for physical needs, the church's prayers should focus on spiritual growth and salvation.

Seeing the Bible in the two sacraments of the church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38–39; 1 Cor. 11:23–26; Col. 2:11–12)

An Additional Resource:  

Book:  God Made Me for Worship. is an excellent resource to help parents talk to their children about the gathering of the church for worship.

Website:  10 Reasons Why the Church Gathers 

As Christians, we should all desire to gather with one another as often as possible. As motivation, here are ten reasons why gathering regularly with the church is important:

1. To obey God’s command (Heb. 10:23-25).
2. To be equipped for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-14).
3. To have our minds renewed through the preaching of the Word (Rom. 12:1-2).
4. To employ our spiritual gifts to benefit the church (1 Cor. 12).
5. To evangelize the watching world through our love for one another (John 13:35).
6. To be held accountable by other mature brothers and sisters in the Lord (Acts 18:24-26).
7. To be discipled by older, godly men and women (Titus 2:2-6).
8. To ease the mind of your shepherd so he is not worrying about your soul (Heb. 13:17).
9. To grow in our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as we are taught His Word (1 Pet. 2:2).
10. To be encouraged to persevere in the faith by other believers (Heb. 3:12-14)

Discipline & the Church WATC

This title could seem scary if you have an incorrect view of discipline.

That is discipline = punishment. 

Biblical church discipline is not focused on punishment.

It is meant for spiritual growth and restoration.  

It involves building relationships with your church family, overlooking what can be overlooked, calling out sin, calling people to repentance, and glorifying our Holy God.

There should be discipleship and relationship before what is often thought of as church discipline.

Suppose you think about some of the lessons we have covered. In that case, they are connected to this truth:  meaningful membership, intentional relationship, prayer for one another, thinking Biblically, and the importance of leadership (congregational and elders).

The misconception of church discipline is that the goal is to kick people out, and it begins by calling out sin before the entire church body.ck people out

The reality of church discipline is a desire for holy, sanctified living, godly relationships, and restoration.  Matthew 18 discipline needs to be done with care, caution, wisdom, love and a DESIRE TO GLORIFY GOD.

We need the whole church to be brought into the discipline process because the entire church brought the individual into the membership. 

Remember the keywords we have used in the previous lessons: submission, unity, and harmony.

Is church discipline biblical?  HERE is a list of passages that share the reason for and importance of church discipline.

• 2 Corinthians 2:6
• Galatians 6:1
• Ephesians 5:11
• 1 Thessalonians 5:14
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6 – 15
• 1 Timothy 5:19 – 20
•  2 Timothy 3:2 – 5
• Titus 3:10
• Hebrews 12:11
• Matthew 18:15 -17
• 1 Corinthians 5

 What is the difference between discipline in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5

Here are some thoughts from Is It Loving to Practice Church Discipline? by Jonathan Leeman

Question:  What does removing a person from membership mean?

Answer:  A church is no longer willing to affirm that a person is a Christian.

“Removal is not an absolute ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in response to someone’s profession of faith. It is a removal of the ‘yes.”

 Question:  What sin leads to public discipline?

 Answer:  Outward, Significant, and Unrepentant

 A resource to check out is www.9marks.org/article/church-discipline-primer

The last class is next week (11/19), the Gathering of the Church.

For every We Are the Church lesson, click HERE.

Leadership & the Church WATC

Who leads the church?

 

There are two different, yet complementary, answers to this question.

 

The first answer is the SIMPLE and ULTIMATE ANSWER.

 

It is simple and ultimate. At the same time, it may seem like a Sunday School answer.

Jesus leads the church.

 

In Matthew 28:18 – 20, Jesus tells the disciples what they and those after them must do. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations.”

 

Jesus tells the disciples in John 13:34-35 that if they love one another as he loved them, people will know they are His disciples. Their love will show that they follow Jesus.

Through the inspired writing of Paul, the Lord gives the requirements of a church leader in First Timothy 2:12 and 3:2.

 

In Second Timothy 4:1 – 2, Paul exhorts Timothy and others to preach the Word. He says this preaching must correct, rebuke, and exhort.

 

In each of these verses, there is either an authoritative claim of Jesus or direction from God on how the church should work.

 

Ultimately, the church is under Jesus Christ’s authority. 

 

Now, the COMPLICATED ANSWER.

 

God has given specific people roles in the church. The specific roles are the congregation, elders & deacons.

 

At Trinity Baptist Church, we believe in meaningful membership. Because of this, the congregation has a responsibility for the spiritual health of the whole church.

 

This responsibility makes itself known in several ways.  

As discussed in last week’s preaching and the Church lesson, there is a mutual ministry of the Word each of us, not just the preacher, needs to be involved in. We disciple others and seek to be discipled by others. If we are a gathered body of Gospel believers and Jesus followers, we must live out and guard the Gospel.

 

As we will discuss in next week’s Discipline and the Church lesson, we want to encourage each other to live godly lives. When there is serious, unrepentant, the loving, restorative, God-glorifying process of church discipline needs to happen (Matthew 18). As a congregation, we bring in church members through a vote, and this vote is so much more than an election. It is a commitment to one another.

 

 As a congregation, we are also responsible for the physical care of one another through the benevolent fund, the election of deacons, and the personal looking out for one another.  

 

At Trinity Baptist Church, we also believe in the two Biblical church offices of elders and deacons.

 

Elders are godly men “commissioned by God and appointed by the congregation.” The deacons and the elders have very similar qualifications in the Bible. However, one difference is teaching the Bible (1 Timothy 3:2). This teaching can but does not always present itself as preaching to the whole body. It includes teaching smaller groups, children, and individual mentoring relationships. As the whole church is responsible for guarding the Gospel, the elders have a special gift and responsibility to do the same. This shows itself in the way elders care for the spiritual well-being of God’s sheep and model obedience before the congregation. (1 Timothy 3)

First Peter 5:1-3 provides clear directions for the elders.

Therefore, I urge elders among you, as your fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who is also a fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness; nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock.

 

Deacons

 

In Acts 6, we see the use of the Word deacon as the disciples appoint seven men to serve tables so they can focus on the Word and prayer. The deacons will serve the church and the elders while the elders lead the church through prayer and the Word.

 

The Deacon Ministry Handbook by Alan Witham lists several ways deacons serve the church (remember, the church is people, not a building or meeting time).

• Deacons serve by helping the church navigate conflict in healthy ways – Acts 6:1 (Deacon Ministry Handbook).
• Deacons serve by engaging in shared ministry with the pastor – Acts 6:2, 4 (DMC).
• Deacons serve by meeting physical needs within the church and community – Acts 6:3 (DMC).
• Deacons serve by helping the church maintain a healthy balance between in-reach and outreach – Acts .6:7 (DMC)

Three key words that describe deacons and deacon assistants are mercy, servicing, and mobilizers.

 

H.B. Charles Jr. provides a basic explanation of the difference between elders and deacons.

 “If elders serve by leading, deacons lead by serving.” H.B. Charles Jr.

11/12      Discipline & the Church
11/19      The Gathering of the Church 

For every We Are the Church, click HERE

Preaching & the Church WATC

Explanation of expository preaching

What isn’t expository preaching? 

Expository preaching is not theme-oriented.  The ideas of the preachier or the pressure of contempoary ideas is not the driving force of the message.  The message is not focused on the now. 

While the expository preaching focuses on the Bible, it is not merely informational, such as a verse-by-verse commentatry.  Also, it is not merely inspirational - encouraging people to do good for the sake of good or humanity.

What is expository preaching?

One of the most basic explanations of expository preaching is the meaning of the text is the point of the sermon.  Here are a couple of defintions from differe.  In Preach by Mark Dever and Greg Gilbert write “Expositional preaching is preaching in which the main point of the Biblical text being considered becomes the main point of the sermon being preached. 

In expository preaching the Bible provides direction.  If the message is one stand alone message or a series of messages through the specific book.  A verse by verse study through a book, like Pastor Brett's current series, provides a Bible based frame work for a preaching schedule.  The preacher does not decide what the topic is from week to week.  The text does.

Why expository preaching?

In ACE class, Pastor Brett shared several reasons for expository preaching

• Clarity. God’s word is clearer and better than the ideas of man.
• Protects the truth, God’s authority against the preacher, crowd, and our own comfort.
• Demands a choice, spiritual growth, or rebellion.
• Promotes biblical literacy 

Here are Bible examples of expositional preaching (https://www.9marks.org/answer/do-we-see-examples-expositional-preaching-bible/)

1. Levitical priests taught the law. (Deut. 33:10).
2. Ezra and the Levites gave the sense. (Neh. 8:8).
3. Prophets were to speak God’s Word, not their own thoughts. (Jer. 14:14).
4. Jesus interpreted the law and prophets, and more is needed 24:27, 44).
5. On Pentecost, Peter expounded the Psalms. Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, and Psalm 110:1
6. Hebrews is an expositional sermon. Hebrews 3:7-4:13 is an extended exposition on portions of Psalm 95.

Expository Listening - Mutual Ministry of the Word

In class, we talked about what listeners of expository preaching need to do. Here is the list.

• Be here
• Be honest. Remember, expository exposes the word. It also reveals the human heart.
• Pray for the pastor.
• Remember the Bible. Before the sermon, read the passage. On the day of the sermon, bring a Bible.
• Prepare your heart, mind, and body.
• Live out the sermon.

If the expectation is the pastor preach an expository sermon (and at Trinity Baptist Church, that is the case), then the congregation has specific responsibilities and expectations. All Christians have the privilege and responsibility to prayerfully speak the word of God to each other and non-Christians as to how God gives this growth.

 There is a chapter in “The Trellis and the Vine” entitled “Why Sunday Morning Sermons are Necessary but not Sufficient.” The basic idea of the chapter is summarized in this statement: “It is the word of the gospel that is sufficient, rather than any one particular form of its delivery.” Each of us has a responsibility to encourage one another with God’s word to one another because it is the Spirit of God that changes and grows people. Not one specific delivery method of God’s word.

The church and the sermon are so much more than an information download.
The church and the sermon are not for our entertainment.

“The church is a community of saved people who listen to, obey, and speak the truth of God’s Word into the lives of others for the glory of God. The sermon is one method used to educate and excite the community to live for the good of others and the glory of God.” (unknown)

Some practical listening helps from Listen Up! A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons

Basic Reminders:

1. Expect God to speak.
2. Admit God knows better than you.
3. Check that the preacher says what the passage says.
4. Hear the sermon in church.
5. Be there week by week.
6. Do what the Bible says.
7. Do what the Bible says today – and rejoice!

How to listen to Bad Sermons

Ash explains different types of bad sermons and gives some help for listening to each type:

Dull sermons “leave a lot to be desired in its style or presentation.”

But above all, we must search our own hearts and come to the sermon praying for God's help to listen as attentively as our bodies will let us...  My advice is not to worry that quite a bit of the sermon may go over our heards or bypass our consciousness, but to ask God that some part of it may stick and be turned in us to repentance and faith.

Trying taking some note or at least having paper and pen with you, with the aim of jotting down a verse or truth that you can take home and respond to.  Trying going with a friend and agreeing together not to spend lunch lamenting the preacher's inadequacies, but rather, sharing positive Bible truths that you have learned or been reminded of, and praying together for God's help in putting them into practice.

Biblically inadequate sermons “import all sorts of things not in the passage, or to screen out important things in the passage that do not feature in the preacher’s understanding of biblical truth.” When responding to these sermons, Ash offers dangers to avoid.

1. “Avoid developing a critical spirit.”  
2. “Avoid being gullible and credulous, believing whatever any preacher says, so long as they say it plausibly and well.”

Heretical sermons contain “an error in something central to Christian faith and not something peripheral” (not a difference in church government but a denial of Jesus as Messiah), are not merely a mistake or weakness that is put right when corrected or is actively taught to the church.

Here is Ash’s counsel for heretical sermons.

The way to listen to these sorts of sermons is to stop listening to them!  That is to say, we ought to move away from that kind of church and find a church where they believe and teach the Bible faithfully.  We will not look for an exciting church, where the preaching entertains; we will look for a faithful, Bible teaching church (p. 28).

SCHEDULE

11/05      Leadership & the Church
11/12      Discipline & the Church

11/19      The Gathering of the Church 

RESOURCES

Pastor Brett on Preaching and Leadership

 

For every We Are the Church, click HERE

 

The Bible & the Church WATC

God’s word provides what we need for spiritual growth and salvation

Why do we use the Bible?

The very simple answer is - God spoke.
And if we want to know him more we should study what he said about himself, us and this world.  It is the Word of God, and we are the People of God

We need to remember that what we believe is grounded in the Bible, not the traditions of men, the ever-changing ideas of men.

Some of the central, very necessary BIG ideas found throughout scripture are:

• God is the Sovereign Creator – Examples:  Romans 8:28; Isaiah 45:7-9; Job 42:2; Ephesians 1:11.  Link: www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-gods-sovereignty/
• Man is so very sinful – Examples:  Genesis 3:6; Colossians 3:5-6; Romans 3:23, 5:12-15.  Link:  www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-sin/ 
• We need a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior – Examples:  Romans 1:16, 6:23; John 1:12-13; Titus 2:11-14.  Link:  www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-salvation/ 

In his book Sound Doctrine Bobby Jamieson says "The Bible is a story that preaches a message.  From beginning to end, the Bible tells a single story of salvation."

He goes on to say that the goal of reading and teaching Scripture is to love God and our neighbors better.  We don't do these things for mere knowledge but for growth in godliness.

What do we use the Bible for?

Clear, True Evangelism.  The truth of the Gospel was written down in the Bible.  The truth of the Gospel in the Bible must be shared with those who need salvation by those who have been saved.

Personal, Spiritual Growth.  The Bible helps us individually examine our lives with God as the one who is the most important.  We do personal Bible reading and study because it will shape our head, heart, and hand.

Corporate, Spiritual Growth.  As we grow individually, we should be growing together as a church.  As the body of believers, we should want to do what the Bible commands,  and not do what the Bible forbids.  In everything else (discernible issues), we want to be marked by grace and governed by the truth of the Bible. 

The importance of scripture is shown in Scripture (Ephesians 4:14; 1 Timothy 1:3; and Titus 2:1).  Most of Paul’s epistles and other epistles were written to clarify or correct doctrine and inform people how to live out the Christian life.

The importance of scripture is also seen in Church History.  Real life examples can be seen throughout church history, which is a reason we offer an Adult Christian Education class on Church History.   Think about these two specific things about the Bible from Church History as shared in the “Men Who Rocked the World” podcast by Steven Lawson, specifically, the episode entitled The Puritan Commitment to Sola Scriptura.

• One of Martin Luther’s 3 marks of a Biblical church is Preaching the Bible
• A major aspect of the Reformation was the clarity of the Scriptures, teaching in German not Latin. Quotes like this one from Martin Luther the importance of scripture in the Reformers' lives.  "Evidenced in this quote “A simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it.” 

If the church is a community of believers encouraging and helping one another, how should that impact our Bible reading?  We should make the private reading of and meditating on the Bible a priority.  We should look for more and more ways to encourage one another with God's Word.  We need to be sharing the truth of the Gospel with those who desperately need to be saved.

Resources

• Verse of the Day Images - wiki.logos.com/Biblia_Verse_of_the_Day_images
• Scripture Type - scripturetype.com/

Schedule

10/29      Preaching & the Church

11/05      Leadership & the Church
11/12      Discipline & the Church
11/19      The Gathering of the Church 

For every We Are the Church post, click HERE