What Constitutes Church That Is Pleasing To GOD

What Constitutes Church That Is Pleasing To GOD? Let Us Consider the following: • Ephesians 5: 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. • Colossians 1: 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.

What Is The Standard For The LORD’S Church! • What Standard did Jesus use? • Matthew 4: 23 And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

Jesus Demonstrated He Was From The Son Of GOD • John 20: 30 -31 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Apostles and early Christian understood the urgency • Acts 14: 20 But while the disciples stood around him, he arose and entered the city. And the next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. • 2 Timothy 4: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

What Does Man Look For In A Church? • Large membership. • Acts 2: 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls. • 4: 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Is God Pleased With Just Quantity? • Matthew 7: 13 -14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. 14 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

An Ornate Building • 1 John 2: 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

An Ornate Building Acts 7: 46 -50 "And David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 "But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 "However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 49 'HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME? ' says the Lord; 'OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? 50 'WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS? '

God Command Is To Assemble • Hebrews 10: 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. • 1 Corinthians 5: 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

Where To Assemble • 1 Corinthians 16: 19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Where To Assemble • Acts 19: 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

What Should An Honest Heart Be Looking For In Worshiping God? • Matthew 6: 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.

Local Congregation Must Be Established In The Gospel Of Christ! • 1 John 2: 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: • 1 Timothy 2: 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Lack Of Knowledge Will Destroy A Man. • Hosea 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children • 1 Peter 2: 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

John 8: 32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. "

How Does A Babe In Christ Grow? • 2 Timothy 2: 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

Apostles Responsibility. • Acts 16: 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; • Acts 20: 7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

Elders Responsibility. • Acts 20: 28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. • 1 Peter 5: 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

Individual Responsibility. Hebrews 13: 17 Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Individual Responsibility. • 2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;

Christians Must Have Zeal. • 2 Corinthians 9: 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, namely, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. • Zeal - NT: 2205 - It denotes the active enthusiasm with which the Corinthians have made the collection, and it is hoped that this will stir others, i. e. , kindle a similar zeal in them. (from Theological Dictionary of the New Testament)

Zeal Without Knowledge Is Dangerous • Romans 10: 1 -2 Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.

Saul Is A Good Example Of Zeal Without Proper Knowledge, it’s Dangerous • Philippians 3: 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. • Galatians 1: 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.

Jesus Warns Us NOT To Follow Man’s Traditions! • Matthew 15: 9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN. '“ • Romans 1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

God Wants Us To Be Passionate About His Word! • 2 Corinthians 7: 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. • Titus 2: 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

How Do We Serve God? • Gained a deeper appreciation for God, Christ, Holy Spirit, God’s Word? • Am I an encouragement to my brethren? • Do I have the proper love for God? • Do I practice the fervent love for my brethren? • Do I live each day for the Lord?

How Do We Serve God? • Am I loyal to the work and worship of this congregation? • Am I contributing to the unity here? • Do I pray more than I did last year? • Do I grumble or am I a positive influence here? • Have I lost the zeal that GOD requires? • As a congregation are we drifting? • How many are here for all the services?

How Do We Serve GOD • First And Foremost We Are Here Because We AGAPE GOD, and Christ!

• James 1: 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. • John 12: 48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. • Romans 14: 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD. "