Speaker 1: 0:05

Last week we focused in our Forward in Faith campaign on the greatness of God, rightfully so the greatness of His being and the greatness as he is toward us in His goodness and in His love, and that's most clearly seen in the cross of Christ, where he died for our sins right, and he rose from the dead and he ascended into heaven and he's there right now as our advocate and our king and our brother and our friend. And so it's a glorious thing. God is great, but as we move forward in faith, first of all I wanted to talk about the greatness of God, because my thought was if God isn't great, then what are we doing here? Right, everything that we do is rooted into the greatness of God. But then I began to think you know, I think, what we need to understand as we, once we grasp how great God's being is and how good he's been in his grace and love to us, we need to realize where the heart of God is and we need to understand what in the world is most dear to God, and it's the church. The church is that in the world that is most dear to God's heart. I say this and I'm addressing it because we live in a day and time when the church, there's a low view of God's church amongst many people, and to grow as Christians, to grow individually as a Christian in our personal faith, walk with God and as to grow as a church, as a local church, it's very, very important that we grow in our understanding to see God's church as he sees her, as God's church as he sees her. Now there are many good causes in the world, so you could use your time and your talents and your treasure in lots of different ways, right? But why is it worth investing your time, treasure and talent in West Town Church or, if you're a guest here and you're a member, perhaps, of another church, in your local church?

Speaker 1: 2:18

Well, I want to talk about that today and if you would, if you're able, I'd like to invite you to stand, because I'd like to read two brief verses to you. The first one comes from the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 25. This is the infallible and errant holy word of the living God. Let's receive it with faith. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. And then I want to go back to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, verse 18, where Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of the Lord endures forever. God's people said Amen. Thank you, you may be seated. Father, we're grateful for your word, we're grateful that you love us everlastingly. So and so, as your people, now we come and we ask that you would help us to see the bride of Christ as he sees her. It's in his name we pray Amen. Amen, caesar, it's in his name, we pray Amen.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Well, there's many ways that God describes his church in the New Testament, and one of those ways, for example, is he calls the church the family of God. You see, he talks about us being his beloved children. Jesus calls us who believe in him his brothers and sisters. In Ephesians, chapter two, it says that our Lord is not ashamed to call us brothers, in other words, family. Isn't that a beautiful thing? Jesus is not ashamed of us. What a beautiful, beautiful thought. And what this means is, as a family of God, we're to grab hold of God's love for us and then show that love to one another. It also calls the church the body of Christ. The body of Christ.

Speaker 1: 4:12

In Ephesians 4, god says Westtown Church, you're part of the body of Christ, and each Christian is a part of the body of Christ, christ being the head, we being the members of that body, spiritually united to Him. And so what does that mean for us to think about the church as the body of Christ? Well, it's to be encouraged for one thing that those of us who have repented of our sins and put our faith and trust in Christ, the Savior, who is the head of the church, that we're now spiritually united to Him. By how? By the Holy Spirit, who unites us to Christ, by the sovereign grace of God, in an everlasting, eternal bond of love. That's where our security and peace comes from. He is the head, we are the members, and we're now bonded to him forever. And, of course, an application for that is understanding that we're all members with different functions in the body of Christ. We're to serve one another so that the local church, for example, can function as she is intended to function, just like our bodies do need to function all the parts in that regard. And so you can think about the family of God, the body of Christ.

Speaker 1: 5:21

And then the church is called the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians, 3 and other passages. As individual Christians we're referred to as living stones and, of course, little temples, so to speak. But it also speaks of the church universal as the temple of God. But it also speaks of local churches. We're a temple of God here at Westtown Church. Why? Because the grace of God, by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit has made his home not only in our hearts but in our midst. And what makes this sanctuary holy is not the fact that the building itself exists, although it's a wonderful building. What makes this a sacred place is that God's holy people who have the Holy Spirit within them meet here. And on top of that, christ says where more than two or three or two or three are gathered in my name, I will be with you, meaning I will be with you in my special presence and power and favor. And so that's why this is a sacred place. It's because of who gathers here.

Speaker 1: 6:26

But really I want to spend my time this morning on the metaphor of the church as the bride of Christ. God's telling us something very important in this. Ephesians 5.25 gives us that very high standard for husbands when it comes to loving our wives. Husbands. Love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Now, of course, every Christian wants to glorify and enjoy God more and more. That's our goal, right, and so give me an amen, right? Yes, we want to glorify God more. That's our goal, right. And so give me an amen, right? Yes, we want to glorify God more, we want to enjoy him more, of course. And then what does that mean? It means that we, more and more, throughout the Christian life, love like he loves, and we grow to love what he loves and to hate what Christ hates. And so, in other words, our heart grows more and more like Christ, and that shows in our life and in our living.

Speaker 1: 7:32

But for our purposes, today, I want to do a little twist On 525 of Ephesians. Listen, I want to apply it to our subject. Christian love your local church, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Now, how did Christ love the church? He gave himself up for her. He suffered the very dregs of hell in our place for the sins of his people, and he suffered even to death on a cross for her, under the just wrath of God, not for his sins, but for those of his bride. What a great Savior we have. He was all in for us, in spite of our sins and flaws and weaknesses, and we can even say, in spite of our spiritual leprosy, he loved us. So Now, what does that mean for us? Well, let's ponder it.

Speaker 1: 8:40

Westtown Church is part of the holy and beautiful bride of Christ. Westtown Church is part of the holy and beautiful bride of Christ. It's a wonderful thing. The bride of Christ is God's true church throughout the whole world and even throughout the ages. And why did Christ die for his bride? Listen to what it says Ephesians 5. That he might sanctify her, that is, make her holy, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish, in other words, that we might be like God, that we might be like Christ. Christ died for his bride so that on that great wedding day we would be full of splendor. It's a glorious thing to think about the day that's coming, what God has promised us who believe in him, I think one of the biggest problems in the church today and this, I think is not unique, perhaps, to Westtown Church.

Speaker 1: 9:58

I think this is true in our culture we tend to only see the church as she is, and of course, christ sees us plainly. He knows us inside and out. He sees us better than anyone. He knows the realities in play. But the beautiful thing about Christ is being God, truly God. He sees all things and so he sees us also, as we will be, in all of our splendor and glory.

Speaker 1: 10:33

And I think we need to remember that in the church, to truly move forward in faith, we have to move forward not only in personal faith in Christ right, knowing that, as we trust in Him, he has forgiven us of our sins and we're secured in His everlasting love. Yes, knowing that, even though we're secure in His love, he's not done with us, practically Amen. Aren't you glad for that. But it also means this that we must move forward in faith in Christ, knowing that he loves his church, westtown Church, and he isn't done with Westtown Church either. And so I wonder if you and I can see Westtown Church today as God sees her, and see Westtown Church today as God sees her, as Christ is able to see her on that great wedding day. I say this because it's a great sin to become the church's judge and critic. Now, I don't mean God expects us to stick our head in the sand. Of course not. Sometimes we have to face us to stick our head in the sand, of course not. Sometimes we have to face the sin and the weakness and the failures of God's church, including Westtown Church, and we have to face them head on. And, of course, when we do that, though, we have to face those failures in love and gentleness, with a gracious and humble spirit within ourselves, promoting peace as much as it depends upon us. That's not always easy.

Speaker 1: 12:17

Some of you are studying some of you, ladies, are studying this semester the Old Testament book Hosea and Israel. At the time of Hosea, hosea lived around the time of prophet Isaiah, and he was preaching mainly to the northern 10 tribes, and they had become, according to the Bible, spiritual prostitutes. They were committing spiritual adultery with God. God was the husband of Israel and he viewed Israel as his bride, so to speak, and they were committing spiritual adultery by worshiping false gods and the Baals and so forth. And so God takes the prophet Hosea and he commands him to take to himself a wife of Hortum. Now, that's.

Speaker 1: 12:59

For a prophet to take such a woman is a scandalous thing. In fact, god would not normally allow such a thing. But the scandal was the whole point. God was preaching in this unique act to his people, do you see? Do you see yourself?

Speaker 1: 13:20

And so Gomer is who Hosea takes as a prostitute. She eventually sinks so low. They have some children together, but then she's off running around and she sinks so low that she eventually gets sold into slavery from debt, just like Israel had become a spiritual prostitute. Well, there's Gomer on the auction block, the slavery auction block, and just like in the ancient world, they'd strip the men naked and they'd strip the women naked. It didn't matter. There she was everyone gawking and as she's standing there in all of her nakedness and no doubt feeling shame, god commands Hosea to take Gomer out of slavery. So Hosea gives a great price, so high that everyone else quit bidding, and he takes Gomer and he clothes her and he brings her home.

Speaker 1: 14:20

That's what the love of God is like Toward His people. He buys us at a great price, the cost of His Son, and he clothes us by grace in the righteousness of Christ and he brings us home. There is nothing like the love of God, he is holy. His love is nothing like the love of the world. Christ gave himself up for his bride. He died for her. He put himself up for his bride, he died for her. And I wonder this morning if you can see Westtown Church and God's church at large and God's church throughout the ages, for all of her faults and flaws and sins and failures. Can you see her this morning in all of her splendor when Christ returns to make all things new?

Speaker 1: 15:35

It's been said I think it was Jonathan Edwards, but don't hold me to that Somewhere along the line I know I read that one theologian said that the primary purpose for which God created the world is that God, the Father, could acquire a bride for his son. And you see, that's what the story of the world is all about. Christ the noble hero, saving the one who didn't deserve it out of the mess that she had made for herself. Deserve it Out of the mess that she had made for herself, buying her at great cost, suffering and dying for her, covering her and bringing her home. It's awesome. I know why. I used to make fun of it, but I know now why people watch those Hallmark movies Because, as cheesy as they are, we want it to work out, don't we? And that's the story of the world. God wins. That's the story of the world.

Speaker 1: 16:45

And so CS Lewis said one time in his famous sermon, the Weight of Glory, there are no ordinary people. And he went on to say the people that we sit next to, the people that we work with and live with, they're not mere mortals, so to speak. Keeping in mind heaven and hell, he said, the people we are next to are going to be immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. And that's why we take people seriously, that's why we take one another seriously, because we were made for eternity and God is going to cover his church, his people, in everlasting splendor. And you see, so, in that sense, it's not just that there's no ordinary people, there's no ordinary churches. We have to be able to see the things that God sees that we cannot yet see. Right in front of us, there's a splendor and a beauty about Westtown Church and about every church across the world where the love of Christ is found and faith in Christ is found, and there's going to be a wedding feast of the Lamb, and on that day, I wonder if you can see, we will be presented without spot or wrinkle.

Speaker 1: 18:10

I love my wife Dawn very much, and because I love her, therefore, I want you to love her too. To love my wife is to love me. Why? Because we're one flesh. Christ loves his church, his bride, immeasurably so, and therefore he wants you to love her too. He wants you to love her too. He wants you to love her too.

Speaker 1: 18:49

You know one of the passages that's always stood out to me about this. Do you remember before the apostle Paul was converted and he was named Saul? And then they started calling him Paul, but he had the blood of Christians on his hand and he was persecuting Christians who were dying and being thrown in prison and being persecuted. And when the risen Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saul, you remember what he says Saul Saul? He didn't say Saul Saul. Why are you persecuting the church? You remember what he says Saul Saul. Why are you persecuting the church? You remember what he says Saul Saul. Why are you persecuting me?

Speaker 1: 19:33

The way that we treat God's church is the way that we treat Christ, and I can give you the positive side of it. We hear it in 1 John 4. John speaks a lot of it in his letter of 1 John, but listen to chapter 4, verse 20. Listen he says If anyone says I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, you see, we're in the family of God together. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. Now here's the question when is it that we see the brother whom we have seen? Where do we see our brother? I mean, what does he mean here, the brother whom we have seen? We see our brother in the local church. We're the brothers and sisters of Christ. And John is saying if we don't have a love for the brethren, we cannot claim to have love for God.

Speaker 1: 20:49

Marshall Siegel talks about something interesting. He says you know, long before you believed in Jesus, before you were ever born, and then he goes through about 12 events from the Old Testament which I won't say this morning. But even before the first star was hung, back before the foundation of the world, the Son of God loved his church. Ephesians 1, 4 and 5 makes this clear. In love, god predestined us to be adopted as sons through Christ, through faith in him.

Speaker 1: 21:25

Sometimes I'll hear as a pastor. People will say you know, I don't go to church because there's hypocrites there. Have you heard this? Have you said this? Well, it's certainly true that even the best of saints is a sinner. And I think we can look in the Bible and God's pretty honest about what Israel and his church have going on. You can look throughout church history and you'll see, yes, there are hypocrites there. That's not all that's there and through our own experience, it makes it perfectly clear yes, there's a falling short in God's church. The reality is sometimes people get hurt very deeply in the church, in their local church.

Speaker 1: 22:15

But I thank God this morning that he came to save hypocrites and sinners and even saints who sin, and even very godly saints. They sometimes sin big. You know, the apostle Paul was a murderer before he became the key apostle. Think about King David, after he was God's own chosen king, committing murder and adultery. I'm not saying that's the norm, but what I am saying is even some very godly saints can be overwhelmed by temptation from within and from the devil the apostle Peter denying Christ, the head apostle denying Jesus three times in Christ's darkest hour. But thank God, jesus. Christ loves us, he loves his church in spite of all of our sins and flaws and weaknesses and failures, even our big failures. Aren't you glad for that? This is our God. His grace is great and perhaps without realizing it I think this needs to be said that those who write off the church join the devil, because it is the devil who's the great accuser of the brethren, the great accuser of the church, and the church is the precious bride of Christ. To write off God's church as the precious bride of Christ, to write off God's church, you are dangerously close to writing off Christ.

Speaker 1: 23:57

There are people who leave the church, sometimes for unbiblical and self-centered and sinful reasons. Yes, but we have to say there are certainly rare times where someone needs to leave a particular church. It can be necessary, rare it should be, but it happens. There are unique cases, but it takes a lot of great wisdom and we shouldn't do it easily. I will tell you if you've been hurt by the church here or anywhere, I would be happy to talk to you about that. I will tell you if you've been hurt by the church here or anywhere, I would be happy to talk to you about that.

Speaker 1: 24:28

Do you know that if being hurt by the church was the reason to leave it. I would have not only left the church, I would have gotten out of ministry a long time ago. You know from your own families who you love and who loves you, that where there's the intimacy of family you have the intimacy of sinners who are sometimes just flat out going to let you down and hurt you. But isn't family worth it? Isn't family worth working through that and overcoming that and seeking the forgiveness of God at the foot of the cross together and glorifying God in that way? Like all families, the church will sometimes hurt you, may even hurt you badly.

Speaker 1: 25:23

I can speak from my own experience here. The church has been a great blessing to me. I love the church. I loved it long before I became a pastor, by the grace of God. But you know there was a time in my life I went through a dark period. I'll try not to be tearful and embarrass you, but I was hurt so bad by what people had done to me and what people were doing to one another. And of course I have my own share of failing people at times. But I went through a period in my pastoral life where I got so focused on the people and what they had done to me or one another. I had lost focus of the greatness of God. You see, what did God tell Joseph about his brothers who sold him into slavery? They meant it for evil, but I meant it for good.

Speaker 1: 26:27

We serve a great God and if you get hurt in the local church, you need to remember do not just focus on the people that have hurt you. In fact, don't focus on them. Say God, what do you want me to learn here? How do you want me to grow? Isn't it true that the Bible makes clear and experience shows that we grow the most through suffering, even if that suffering is unjust. The Bible, the psalmist, says when I was afflicted I'm going to paraphrase Psalm 119, when I was afflicted, then I came to understand your word in a whole new way. Then I came to understand when we get hurt, we can't just say that was wrong, I'm out of here. When we get hurt, we got to say God, that was wrong. But now what are you doing? That's ultimately going to be good, even through this mess. That's what meekness is Receiving from God the things he appoints in our life, even the things that hurt us.

Speaker 1: 27:36

I love what Siegel says, how we think and feel about and, I would add, and act toward. How we think and feel about and act toward the church and when I say the church, I mean both the people as well as the institution by which she is organized. How we think and feel and act toward the church reveals how much we really know the heart of Christ. An act toward the church reveals how much we really know the heart of Christ. Christ suffered for His church. He bore the wrath of God for the church. Are we willing to suffer for the good of God's church? Christ suffered for our sins when our brother and sister sins against us. Are we willing to absorb that? Sometimes we've got to work those things out. That's another sermon.

Speaker 1: 28:34

I don't have time for that one this morning, but you understand what I'm saying Now. You ever have a family chat. You gather everybody around the living room or kitchen table. I want to have a family chat. Give me an amen, all right. Give me some help, all right.

Speaker 1: 28:55

I want to talk about three things ways you can love God's church here at Westtown or in your own church. If you're a guest Weekly worship, if you're exploring Christianity and you come here once in a while, I want you to know we're glad you're here, keep coming. But I'm speaking to you who have made a public profession of faith and vowed vows to God's church. If you drop in once or twice a month, perhaps even less, that is not loving God's church. Christ does not want you to do that. He loves Westtown and I want Westtown to be everything she can be. Don't you? If you do, say amen, we want Westtown to be everything she can be and to do that number one weekly worship without fail.

Speaker 1: 30:07

When your feet hit the ground out of your bed on Sunday morning, the question should never come into your mind am I going to church today? The question should never come into your mind Am I going to church today? No, when your feet hit the ground. Here's what I want you to say. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it, and I'm going to go praise God, whether I'm at my low or my high or somewhere in between, with God's people, and he's going to be honored and I'm going to be blessed. Amen, that's what we want. I'm not here to beat anybody up.

Speaker 1: 30:46

I want you to have the joy that only comes through obedience to God. Our love is secure in Christ. We're not saved by our record. When you have faith in Christ, even if it's weak faith, thank God that even the faith of a mustard seed, salvation is freely granted to you and you're secure in Christ because we're not saved by the greatness of our faith or the greatness of the record of our Christian life. We're saved by the greatness of God in his son. We're saved by the greatness of God in his son. We're saved by the greatness of our savior. But it's also true that our joy is linked in the Bible to obedience, and so when we grow in obedience, god continues to give us joy in that obedience.

Speaker 1: 31:35

And I want this to be the most joyful place. I want people to come in here and be like what is going on in here? It's dreary out there, isn't it? People cussing at each other, giving finger signs on the highways and byways and political discourse that's coarse and caustic. And when they come in the house of God they ought to say God was surely in this place, because what's different? They see a peace and a joy in the people of God, and that can only come through faith that works in love and that means obedience.

Speaker 1: 32:19

And so weekly worship Amen, number two you may be unwilling to serve your local church, whether it's here at Westtown or perhaps, like I said, you're a guest of another church. But if you're a member of a church, you've made a commitment to God and His church and you're not using your talents or spiritual gifts to serve your church, to serve the people of the church and the organization of your church. And I understand there's different seasons Ecclesiastes 3,. I get all that, but at the end of the day that's just disobedience. I get all that, but at the end of the day that's just disobedience. Isn't the whole Christian life growing that by the grace of God, we'd get ourself off the throne and out of the way and Christ has the center of our focus, and that we would then love God and other people?

Speaker 1: 33:18

If you're not serving your church, practically what that means is that you're too focused on yourself. You know that little engine light that comes on in your car. That's boop, that's the little red light. What is that? What's going on? Spiritually? It could mean you're too focused on your self-interest. And listen, there will be seasons. You can serve the church more and less. I get all that, but you got to make time for those you love Right, and I want to encourage you in that and I say this particularly to conservative Christians your family can even become an idol.

Speaker 1: 34:08

Yes, we need to focus on our family in our day Amen. The family needs to be strengthened in our country, but there's a way that you can focus on your family so much to the detriment of the church, and God has never designed it that way. And so I just want you to pray about that, and I'm telling you not to beat you up. I want us to be full of joy. I want this place to explode with joy, and that only comes through obedience. It only comes through loving and serving one another and being committed to Christ as well as his church, and so you got Lord's Day worship and using your spiritual gifts.

Speaker 1: 34:46

Now there's a third area. I'm going to address this in the greatest sincerity and pastoral love. This in the greatest sincerity and pastoral love. I want the best for this church. If you want the best for Westtown Church, say amen, I want the best for this church.

Speaker 1: 35:10

And so sometimes a pastor has to talk about. The officers know this, the staff knows it. We need to know it and understand it. Hear me with the best motives in play. If you're not supporting your local church, whoever she may be, with your tithes and offerings, that's a great sin, great sin. That's a great sin. Why do I say that? Because we put our money towards those things, what that we find most important in life, those things we most value. That's where we put our money, and that'll look a little different for everybody, of course, but we love our family, so we rightfully invest in our family. We should. The Bible demands that we spend things that we enjoy. We should. 1 Timothy 4 says God gave us things to enjoy and it pleases him when we enjoy it, just like when someone enjoys a gift, we give them. We do need to enjoy various things in life. We give to causes that are important. Amen. There are lots of good causes, but I need to say this Last year, I don't look at who gives anything.

Speaker 1: 36:28

When you look me in the eye, you can know I have no idea what you give at all. I don't look at it. I don't want to know. We have very few people that look at that. I don't want to know. We have very few people that look at that. I know the charts, though One third of our people gave little to nothing last year. One third gave maybe about a hundred bucks or less a month last year and another third gave what we would call substantially. Now I realize you can have somebody put two copper coins in there who gave out of her poverty, and Christ is very pleased with that. I also understand someone can give substantially, but yet they're sinning because what they should be giving is much more, because God has poured out great blessing upon them. We take all that into account. But why do I tell you those facts?

Speaker 1: 37:26

Listen to God, malachi 3. From the days of your fathers you've turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Isn't that awesome. God doesn't say, oh, now you can go back and make up for everything. He doesn't. No, he just grace. Return means repent, turn away from that. Come back to me and I'll return to you. Isn't our God gracious? He makes it so easy for us to get things right, get your heart right. Come back to me, I'll return to you. That's the first thing he says. But he said, but he goes when he said that they got defensive. But you say how shall we return. Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me, but again they got defensive. But you, how have we robbed you?

Speaker 1: 38:19

And God says in your tithes and contributions you can go to Amos 4, nehemiah 10 and 13, 2 Chronicles 31 and the days of Hezekiah. He is preaching to the exiles who came back and Jerusalem was a mess. They had plenty of reason to be overwhelmed by life, and yet here is God calling his people to be faithful in their giving. They had three tithes in the Old Testament. One for 10% of their crops went to the Levites and priests, another 10% went to the work of the temple and then every third year they gave one to the poor and the needy. When you flesh it all out, it's about 25%.

Speaker 1: 39:05

Now what does Jesus say? For where your treasure is, there your heart will be. Also, I want this church to be everything she can be. And the gospel is free, but the plumbing isn't. And when I say plumbing, I'm talking about church planning, supporting missionaries, whatever. I think our best days are ahead of us and God is using you.

Speaker 1: 39:45

Westtown, good things are happening here, but I want us to be everything Westtown can be, don't you? I really believe that you do. I see there's a certain buzz here at the moment, and I'm excited about that, but I want us to be all in, because I believe and I mean this I think our budget could be two to three times what it is now. The most important thing, young, though, is get your relationship right with God, and as you do that, just remember that it's important, according to the Word of God, to take into consideration what's my relationship with the church, because that tells you some spiritual things. Thank God, we're saved by His grace alone, but he rewards our obedience with joy, and I want God to fill us to the brim with the joy of Christ.