What Constitutes Church That Is Pleasing To GOD?

1
What Constitutes Church That Is Pleasing To GOD?

• Let Us Consider the following
• Ephesians 523 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 118 He is also head of the body, the
  church and He is the beginning, the first-born
  from the dead so that He Himself might come to
  have first place in everything.

2
What Is The Standard For The LORDS Church!

• What Standard did Jesus use?
• Matthew 423 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.

3
Jesus Demonstrated He Was From The Son Of GOD

• John 2030-31 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.

4
Apostles and early Christian understood the
urgency

• Acts 1420 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 42 preach the word be ready in season
  and out of season reprove, rebuke, exhort, with
  great patience and instruction.

5
What Does Man Look For In A Church?

• Large membership.
• Acts 241 So then, those who had received his
  word were baptized and there were added that day
  about three thousand souls.
• 44 But many of those who had heard the message
  believed and the number of the men came to be
  about five thousand.

6
Is God Pleased With Just Quantity?

• Matthew 713-14 "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.

7
An Ornate Building

• 1 John 216 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.

8
An Ornate Building

• Acts 746-50 "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?'

9
God Command Is To Assemble

• Hebrews 1025 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 54 In the name of our Lord Jesus,
  when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit,
  with the power of our Lord Jesus,

10
Where To Assemble

• 1 Corinthians 1619 The churches of Asia greet
  you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the
  Lord, with the church that is in their house.

11
Where To Assemble

• Acts 199 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.

12
What Should An Honest Heart Be Looking For In
Worshiping God?

• Matthew 633 "But seek first His kingdom and His
  righteousness and all these things shall be
  added to you.

13
Local Congregation Must Be Established In The
Gospel Of Christ!

• 1 John 25 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 24 who desires all men to be saved and
  to come to the knowledge of the truth.

14
Lack Of Knowledge Will Destroy A Man.

• Hosea 46 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 29 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

15

• John 832 and you shall know the truth, and the
  truth shall make you free."

16
How Does A Babe In Christ Grow?

• 2 Timothy 215 Be diligent to present yourself
  approved to God as a workman who does not need to
  be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

17
Apostles Responsibility.

• Acts 1625 But about midnight Paul and Silas were
  praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and
  the prisoners were listening to them
• Acts 207 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.

18
Elders Responsibility.

• Acts 2028 "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 52 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

19
Individual Responsibility.
Hebrews 1317 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.
20
Individual Responsibility.

• 2 Timothy 43 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

21
Christians Must Have Zeal.

• 2 Corinthians 92 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 - NT2205- 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)

22
Zeal Without Knowledge Is Dangerous

• Romans 101-2 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.

23
Saul Is A Good Example Of Zeal Without Proper
Knowledge, its Dangerous

• Philippians 36 as to zeal, a persecutor of the
  church as to the righteousness which is in the
  Law, found blameless.
• Galatians 114 and I was advancing in Judaism
  beyond many of my contemporaries among my
  countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my
  ancestral traditions.

24
Jesus Warns Us NOT To Follow Mans Traditions!

• Matthew 159 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
  TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'
• Romans 116 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.

25
God Wants Us To Be Passionate About His Word!

• 2 Corinthians 77 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 214 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.

26
How Do We Serve God?

• Gained a deeper appreciation for God, Christ,
  Holy Spirit, Gods 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?

27
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?

28
How Do We Serve GOD

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

29

• James 125 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 1248 "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 1411 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS
  THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY
  TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."