Anatomy of the Church
Key points about the skeleton or framework of the church
You can hardly make it from Sunday to Sunday without falling out, in terms of your own spiritual walk, and so the Lord’s raised up resources - in the local Church. We ought to be buried in the things it offers.
There has to be framework for the body, the skeleton. There has to be internal systems, which I call the flowing through of certain attitudes. And then there has to be muscle, which is the kinds of function that we do, and then it fleshes out in the form of our ministry. But the form is not enough. You can’t just reproduce the form without the rest. It won’t live. It won’t stand up. It won’t work.
trying to get your arms around the thing, keep people from getting complacent, indifferent, taking everything for granted, and not understanding what
For the body to function and the body to work, it has to have skeleton. It has to have structure, has to have form. It’s the skeleton that gives the basic structure form to the body.
Now, I believe that there are certain skeletal truths that we have to be committed to. These are nonnegotiable. These are unalterable. These are invariable. These are things that we will not compromise in any way, shape, or form, and these are the skeleton things.
1. First: a high view of God
When you have a right relationship with God, and you take God seriously, and you get rightly connected with God, then all other things fall out in their proper place.
The answer to everything in your life is to know God, true? The fear of the Lord’s the beginning of all wisdom.
everything begins with a high view of God.
God is gracious is no reason for you and I to be complacent and indifferent.
2. second nonnegotiable, and it flows right out of the first, and that is the absolute authority of Scripture; the absolute authority of Scripture. We - we will not compromise on this.
Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
3. Third - and this again flows out of the second sound doctrine - you start with a high view of God, and if you make a commitment to God, then you’re going to have to stick with His revelation, His Word.
If you make a commitment to His Word, you’re going to be stuck with what it teaches, and that’s sound doctrine.
Pastors study long and hard all week to present Scripture truthfully and accurately so believers can know & grow.
Whatever the truth about God, truth about life, death, heaven, hell, truth about man, sin, Christ, angels, the Holy Spirit, the position of the believer, the flesh, the world, & etc. The pastor presents it and hits you with truth in 10 diff ways you had no idea about, because he has done the deep dive. From this passage, and that comparative passage, and this passage, and the other passage, and so forth, he drivs home in your mind a truth, a solid truth.
He focuses on 1 and 2 Timothy, keeping in mind Paul said “Teach sound doctrine. Teach sound doctrine. Teach sound doctrine. Nourish up on your own heart, and communicating it to your people: sound doctrine.”
People need answers, solid answers out of the Word of God. Pastors and teachers in the church provide that doctrinal clarity and those solid helps. And other times believers need individual guidance which comes in the form of counseling from mature believers or teachers in the church, or even in meeting with the pastor, and what they say comes from Scripture; the Word of God. As they grow in the faith, they mature in their knowledge of the Word and can self counsel themselves sometimes.
They end up gaining a solid understanding of the doctrine of the position of the believer in Jesus Christ and gives a foundation to their entire life.
4. A fourth nonnegotiable is personal holiness; personal holiness. We have all bern victimized by an absolutely unholy society.
The filth, and trash, and garbage, that is pumped out unendingly, not only philosophically, that - that corrupts the mind away from God, but immoral stuff; just a sea of it, like drippings of a broken sewer. It just - in fact, the sewer isn’t just broken; it’s completely shattered, and it’s flooding the place.
We got to start drawing some lines when it comes to personal holiness and being careful where we expose ourselves, and our children, and the people around us to.
We’re called to a holy purity of life. 2 Corinthians 7:1 says “Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
This is why church discipline is part of the equasion. That’s why, if somebody sins, we have to go to them. You have to go to them. I have to go to them. We have to. They resolve that matter and the result is restoration and personal growth.
5. Spiritual authority.
Believers must understand that there is authority over the brethren in that church, and that authority is Christ, who is the head, who mediates His rule through godly Pastors & elders. That’s what the Bible says. These elders have rule over you in the Lord. They shepherd lead and guide you and have authority in certain areas.
The authority of the Word of God in the hands of a godly man requires them to speak and apply the Word of God in the Church.
God has given to the church godly men, who have the authority to represent Jesus Christ by example and precept in that church. And the church must lovingly come under their leadership, and while it will not be flawless ir perfect, we pray constantly that it may be as close as it can be.
There has been given in the church those who are to be our leaders. And in 1 Thessalonians 5, it says to honor those people, to esteem them highly in love’s sake for their work. And in Hebrews 13, it says submit to them, for they watch for your souls. Follow their example.
So there are variations in gifts, but in the totality, there is an equality of spiritual authority and leadership given to those that the Bible calls elders or pastors, overseers. We have to understand that. And this church will always come under the care of those people; always. So, what have we said? If the church is going to be the body of Christ, it has to have the right framework.
This is the foundation. And thats just the skeleton. We haven’t even talked about the internal systems, and the - and the muscles, and the flesh. I want you to know that I only have one life to live, and I sense the Spirit of God saying that I’m to live it and give it right here, [in the local church] and couldn’t be more happy.
We need to be committed to the real foundational things.
We live in and for God. His Word is important, and what it teaches is important; and holiness is important, because that is what he desires. Spiritual authority is important, because He desire to rule in his own church, in his own kingdom, and we love, follow, obey, and are to serve our King.
We belong in the local church among the brethren, and doing what God wants us to be doing.
Anatomy of the Church (series)
*Skip 1st msg since this is a summary of it.
The foundational framework of life in the local Church (series) covers: the worship of God, the exaltation of Christ, the pursuit of holiness, the proclamation of truth, and the submission of spiritual authority.
Footnotes:
Excerpts, points and clarity from The Skeleton gty message.
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