The Church: Its Meaning - The Pillar of the Truth of God, Part 1

Today as we started last week, I want to talk to you once again about the church I want to talk to the church about the church I want to talk to the church or the assembly of the redeemed about what is God's plan for the church? How does it relate to us? And so we're looking at the church its meaning its mission and its ministry And maybe we'll even go into its message. I don't know We're gonna spend some time here looking at what the Bible says concerning the Church of Jesus Christ We are the called-out ones We've been called out of the kingdom of darkness that we might live in the kingdom of righteousness the kingdom of the light We've been called out of enslavement to Satan that we might be the bond servants of Christ The Bible says that we are aliens and strangers in a foreign land.

We truly are an alien nation. We are a strange Nation, I'm not so sure that the church understands that today. We are completely different than the world We're not better than the world. We're just different than the world because we're aliens and strangers in a foreign land And so that's because Christ has called us out of the dark kingdom of Satan Into his glorious light. In fact, the Bible says to the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome in Romans 1 verse number 6 You are the called of Jesus Christ And then he says in Romans 8 verse number 28 He says that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose the called know that all things work together for good because the called are the ones who love God and That they are called according to his purpose Paul tells those in in Corinth in 1st Corinthians 124 He says to those who are the called and they says in verse 26 for consider your calling Ephesians 4 verse number 1 says that we are to walk worthy of our calling and 2nd Peter 1 10 says make certain of his Calling and choosing of you We are the called out ones.

That's what the church is In fact, we we are called out By the truth of the Word of God Listen to what Paul says in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse number 13 He says but we should always give thanks to God for you brethren beloved by the Lord because God has chosen You from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth It was for this he called you through our Gospel How does God call someone he calls them through the gospel? That's why we preach the truth because it's the Word of God that calls people into the kingdom of God You're born again by the living and abiding Word of God Peter tells us in 1st Peter chapter 1 James tells us That's the Word of Truth that's brought us forth So we know everything that God uses to call us is central in the Word of the Living God And so we're looking at God's Design for the church looking at the meaning of the church And so we told you last week that the church is the plan of the Son of God It's the plan of the Son of God and the verse was Matthew chapter 16 verses 13 to 20 where the Lord God said to Peter that upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail Against it.

He speaks to the certainty of the church. He speaks to the invincibility of the church Why because Peter had made a confession thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God and Christ responds by saying That's a bedrock confession and upon that confession based on the identity of who I am and the ministry of all that I'll do I'm gonna build my church And nothing in hell will prevail against it Because God speaks of the invincibility of the church that was last week So the church is the plan of the Son of God.

It's also number two it is the possession of the Living God It's the possession of the Living God Christ says I will build my church We are the household of God The Bible says in 1st Peter 2 that we are a chosen generation.

We are royal peace priesthood. We are a people of his own Possession we've been bought with the price. The price was the blood of the Lamb We've been purchased by the blood of the Lamb Christ owns us. We are his we are his sheep We are his bride and therefore we are his property So the church is the plan of the Son of God It's the possession of the Living God and number three.

We introduced this last week. It's the pillar of the truth of God the text there is first Timothy chapter 3 verse number 15 where Paul says that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth So the church is the pillar of the truth of God William Barclay this commentary on 1st Timothy says this about the pillar of truth This would have special significance to those in Ephesus in whose city stood the extravagant temple to the goddess Diana The temple was one of the seven wonders of the world.

One of its features was its pillars. It contained 127 pillars Every one of them the gift of a king All were made of marble and some were studded with jewels and overlaid with gold the people of Ephesus Knew well how beautiful a thing a pillar could be yet The pillars were more than just mere objects of beauty It may well be that the idea of the word pillar here is not so much a support as it is a Display the idea here is that the church's duty is to hold up the truth in such a way that all men may see it The buttress of the support of the building it keeps it standing intact in a world Which does not wish to face the truth The church holds it up for all to see in the world which would often gladly eliminate Unwelcome truth the church supports it against all who seek to destroy it the church the body of Christ the assembly of the redeemed Are the pillar and foundation of the truth?

That means that every one of us in here were believers who have been called out by God to represent his kingdom our Pillars of the truth of the Living God Do you understand the implications of that? We would expect the assembly of the redeemed to gather together and to support that truth But unfortunately, there are many churches that do not do that. I read this past week that there are 5,000 congregations or churches That have left the second biggest denomination in the world That's United Methodist Church 5,000 and you want to know what they left over?

they left over a disagreement about human sexuality Now if your church is the pillar and foundation of the truth and You submit to the authority of that truth There is no disagreement on him human sexuality none whatsoever so evidently in those congregations There is not a commitment to the pillar and support of the truth as to why they would break off from that denomination Because they would have some different view of human sexuality than other churches in that denomination do The church is the foundation of the truth If the Lord is going to build the church He says he is he grows the church Everything is based on the confession of Christ and who he is Well, everything centers around the truth of Jesus Christ our Lord and the church is to support that Is to display that The beauty of the church is not seen in its facility It's not seen in its music It's not seen in any other way other than the truth It displays That's where the beauty of the church lies in The truth that it puts on display every single moment of every single day That's what's the most important thing about the church.

It is central to its existence and its mission Because we tell the truth about the God of truth through the Spirit of truth and the Word of truth That's what we do but even even Andy Stanley, who is the son of the late? Charles Stanley Passes the church in Georgia And he came out by saying to his congregation these words He says the LGBTQ individuals who go to church have more faith Than a lot of you This is what he tells his church That the LGBTQ plus people who come to church have more faith Than a lot of you do Now remember faith is believing in what God has already said So either you believe what God says or you don't believe what God says And then he goes on and says this he says That these people these LGBTQ people love Jesus and want to worship with us The question comes do they love Jesus?

Because if you love Jesus You hate evil Psalm 97 verse number 10 If you love Jesus you don't stay in your sin You come out of your sin. That's what the call that ones are That's why Paul in first Corinthians 6 talks about how those who will not inherit the kingdom The homosexuals the effeminate the murderers the adulterers the fornicators Shall not inherit the kingdom of God and then he says but such were Some of you in other words you were that way, but you've been washed you've been sanctified you've been Justified in other words, you've been called out of a pattern of sin whether it's homosexuality Whether it's fornication whether it's adultery whether it's murder whether it's lying and slander You've been called out of that into God's glorious kingdom so that no that no longer becomes a practice of your life Simply because now you're practicing Holiness and you want to serve the true and living God you see churches all across our country Have compromised on the truth We expect the world to do that We understand that the world doesn't understand truth or Better yet.

We understand that they know truth, but they suppress that truth in unrighteousness We understand that from the world's perspective We have a woman who sits on the highest court in the land That when asked in her confirmation hearings if she could define what a woman is and she said she could not and she was a woman and Then she said I'm not a biologist. I Have 17 grandchildren And I would guarantee Even the ones who could not speak yet Could tell you What a woman is? But yet we have a woman who sits on the highest court of the land who cannot define a Woman or worse Won't define a woman because of the fear of what might She might face if she does which really is worse because that means she sits on the highest court in the land and Figures on pleasing people more than upholding the law of the land You see we have to understand that this is all around us The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

We have to stand on the truth Many of you have watched Matt Walsh's commentary on what is a woman and And there he interviews a gender studies professor at one of the major institutes of our country and As he interviews this professor. He just tells them I want to get to the truth about womanhood I Want to know the truth And this professor responds with these words. I'm really uncomfortable with that language It sounds deeply transphobic to me and Matt Walsh pushes him even further to know the truth and he wants to end the interview and says you keep invoking the word truth, which is condescending and rude Now it is true That the truth is harmful it is true that the Truth is hurtful Why?

Because the truth condemns Sin The truth condemns that which is opposed to God And so you must understand that But we have these these people all around us that are suppressing the truth according to Romans chapter 1 We are actually living out Romans 1 even as we speak today and people constantly suppress the truth So where are those who speak the truth? Where are those who stand on the truth? Where are those who show the truth? That's the church That's the church And as a father you should be more than willing to be able to lead your family in truth teach them the truth this book called the new Reformation Catechism on human sexuality as A father you must own this book.

I Will give it to you for free next week. Okay But it's a great book to understand human sexuality as the Bible explains it So you can explain it to your children So they understand how to stand strong at school at work wherever they may go Another good book about that. It's called male and female. He created them You can purchase this on Amazon if you wanted I didn't buy that one for you But It's a book to help you understand how to take your children through this Because this is engulfed our world, but we should not be surprised at all which calls for the church to stand the louder and stronger on the truth of the Living God Why is that?

Because the truth is that which is liberating It really sets you free that's what Christ said If you know the truth John 8 it will set you Free, what's it set you free from? It sets you free from the enslavement of sin It sets you free from the bondage of Satan It sets you free from condemnation It sets you free from From from Satan It frees you up to serve the living and true God And Christ says in Luke 1910 I came to seek and to save that which is lost And he explains the fact very early on in his ministry in his own hometown that he was the liberator of man In Luke's gospel the fourth chapter as Christ is in Nazareth any Is called upon to read the text and explain the text and of course the text is in Isaiah chapter 61 And he says these words He opened the book and found the place where it was written The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to set free those who are oppressed to proclaim the favorable year of our Lord Our Lord came to set the prisoners free who are the prisoners Those who are enslaved to Satan's desires and Satan's plans Those who are not born again And so as a church the pillar of truth We are to be the proclaimers of that truth because we really want to set people free from the enslavement of sin they find themselves every single day and they do and That's simply because they do not believe in the absolute objective truth of the Word of God But we are the proclaimers of that truth.

We are the pillar of The truth of the Living God. We are the ones who stand firm on that truth Without ever compromising that truth. That's the way it should be and Therefore we are the hope to the world. We are the ambassadors of Christ, right? We are the ones who represent Christ to the world So we must live the truth and teach the truth and obey the truth and preach that truth So important if that term would be in your Bible to John chapter 8 for a moment John chapter 8 In John chapter 8 you're about six months away from the cross The hostility toward Jesus has grown to a high pitch and People are coming against him.

There's increased opposition and the plot to murder Jesus is coming quickly So Jesus is concerned that people understand one thing. What's that? the truth That's it Everything in the church is about the truth and so he's concerned that people know that truth because he's the God of truth and he preaches the truth of the gospel and That truth is what sets prisoners free And yet says the verse number 30 of John 8 as he spoke these things many came to believe in him Many came to believe in him Now the problem with that is that's not saving Faith you said wait a minute.

I thought they believed in Jesus There are many people who believe in Jesus, but we're not saved That he goes on to say so Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him Who's that in John's gospel the Jews always refers to the religious elite? So he says that there are some Jews who believed him There are some who believed in his miracles They believed And yet they did not come to saving faith How do we know that? Well remember back in John chapter 2 It says now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast many believed in his name Wow, they must be saved Observing his signs which he was doing how they believed them because the miraculous signs he was doing But Jesus on his part was not in trusting himself to them For he knew all men and because he did not need anyone to testify concerning man for he himself knew What was in man?

He knew what was in man He knew their belief was superficial He knew their belief was as long as he was doing things for them. They would believe in him But he knew what was in the heart of man So he did not commit himself to them in John 6 remember he fed the the 25,000 and upon Feeding the 25,000 they wanted to make him their king I mean after all if he can feed us with just a few loaves and few fishes He can be our king. We'll never starve. Let's make Jesus the king But Christ went away from them his time had not yet come But they only believed him because it was miracles And later it says many of the disciples withdrew from him and walked with him No more No more For they truly weren't true Disciples because they turned and walked away from him.

In fact, it says in John 12 verse 42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in him. Does that mean the rulers in Israel were saved? But because the Pharisees they were not confessing him For fear that they would be put out of the synagogue for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God in other words Christ said if you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father was in heaven But if you don't confess me before men, neither will I confess you before my father who is in heaven So they believed in him up to a point But they weren't willing to commit their lives into his life They weren't willing to take up the cross and follow him They weren't willing to embrace all that Jesus is and all that Jesus says and all that Jesus does They were not true Disciples true believers genuine believers in Christ So it says here that there are many in John 6 who believed in him But how do we know that these Jews who believed him weren't saved?

easily verse 34 They're still enslaved to their sin So if you're still enslaved to your sin You're not a believer in the Lord Also, it says in verse number 38. I speak the things which I have seen with my father Therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father So they have a different father than Jesus did Verse 41 you are doing the deeds of your father who was their father if God were your father You would love me verse 44 You are of your father the devil and you want to do the desires of your father He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him verse 45 But because I speak the truth you do not believe me verse 48 The Jews answered and said to him do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon So these Jews who believed him Were still enslaved to the sin Had a different father than me.

He did and that father was the devil And they said that he was of a demon and a Samaritan They can't be true believers and So he says these words If you continue in my word verse 31, then you are truly disciples of mine very important statement If you continue in my word if you remain in my word if you abide in my word now, you are truly my disciples in other words Abiding in Christ is not a condition for salvation It is characteristic of those who are already saved See that because those who are saved they continue in they abide in Christ they remain in Christ They don't jump on the Jesus bandwagon like like in Luke 8 where you had the the parable of the sower in the soil And there are some who jump on the Jesus bandwagon But yet because of it says they believed in him Or they received him with joy But when persecution came when affliction came when tribulation came with the seafullness of riches and sinful behavior came It drove that person away Why because there was no root?

In that person who didn't really truly believe in the Messiah There's a lot of superficial people out there Christ knows by the end of his ministry people have to know the truth Because there are Pharisees who believe but did not continue in his word There are many people who believe in him because it was miracles, but didn't continue with him Why because they didn't like the cost of following Christ the cost was too high The price was too great and they realized that Jesus wasn't doing for them what they thought he would do for them You see a lot of people jump on the Jesus bandwagon because they want a better marriage They jump on the Jesus bandwagon because they want to get more money They jump on the Jesus bandwagon because they want to be healed right And all of a sudden their marriage is worse than it ever was before And they don't understand why And they're not healed and they're not rich They say well that Jesus isn't all they cracked up to be They fall by the wayside No true repentance No true mourning over their sin No true desire to follow Christ no matter what the cost That's very important to understand that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth we must uphold the truth clearly So people will know and people will follow So Christ says listen if you continue in my word you are truly my disciples What did Jesus say in John 14 verse number 15 if you love me?

You will keep my commandments If you love me, you will keep my commandments in John 15 verse number 10 Christ said these words If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love Just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love verse 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you over in first John Chapter 2 verse number 4 the one who says I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and The truth is not in him But whoever keeps his word in him the love of God has truly been perfected by this We know that we are in him the one who says he abides in him Ought himself to walk in the same manner in which he himself walked You see it's it's the old adage the perseverance of the Saints They Keep on keeping on why because they believe in Christ the Spirit of God enables them to do so They don't want to turn their back on the Christ.

They want to follow the Christ even though things are hard and difficult and That's Christ moves to the end of his ministry he says you need to know the truth because the truth is the only thing that's going to set you free, but The only way you know, you know the truth Is if you continue in me if you abide in me You will know that truth and that truth Will set you free the answer to him said We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone How is it that you say you will become free?

Wait a minute We're we're the children of Abraham see they thought they went to heaven because of their national heritage and We because we're descendants of Abraham. You can't tell us what we're in sleep. We've never been enslaved. Well, they were enslaved in Egypt They were enslaved in Syria and Babylon They were enslaved many times over in their lives from a national political standpoint But in there so interesting they didn't see themselves enslaved to the sin So Christ says truly truly I say to you everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin In other words anybody who continues to keep on sinning without repentance is the slave of sin And the slave does not remain in the house forever The Sun does remain forever So the Sun makes you free You will be free indeed Free from what?

the enslavement of your sin the sin that's so so easily besets us the sin that that drives us and Controls us and keeps us from experiencing the beauty of a walk with the Lord because we're so enslaved I see Christ wants to set you free from all that Set you free from the entrapment of your sin Because he knows He knows the retribution that's going to come He understands the judgments going to come And he wants to set you free from all of that So as a church We are the pillar and foundation of that truth Because we hold the key to people's freedom We hold the key to people's joy The key is the truth and we are the pillar and foundation of that truth To not adhere to the truth of God's Word is so dangerous It's what Paul says in Romans chapter 2 He says but because of the stubbornness of or excuse me, but because your stubbornness and Unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Who are rendered to each person according to his deeds?

To those who by perseverance and doing good seek for glory honor and immortality eternal life But to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth But obey unrighteousness wrath and indignation There will be tribulation and distress for every soul a man who does evil of the Jew first and also to the Greek But glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good to the Jew first and also to the Greek for there is no partiality with God, you know It's the it's the Lord who made it very clear in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 That those who are believers are the ones who have received The love of the truth In other words, they love the truth of The living God.

I wonder this morning if you love the truth. I Wonder if you've been set free from your sin next week. I'm going to talk to you about What a church looks like That truly is the pillar and foundation of the truth But you need to understand and let me address the father's just for a moment because it's Father's Day You need to be a pillar of truth in your family.

You need to be strong for your family's sake We can we rephrase that strong for God's sake and for your family's sake You need to be the kind of pillar that desires nothing, but the truth As a father what do you desire more than anything else? Do you desire the truth of the living God? Peter says as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the Word If you want to be a strong pillar for your wife and for your sons and for your daughters If your grandfather for your grandsons and granddaughters Maybe your great-grandsons and your great-granddaughters if you live long enough You need to desire Nothing but the truth Because soon as you desire something else, it's gonna preoccupy your attention.

It's gonna preoccupy your time So you must desire the truth After you desire the truth you must depend upon the truth Do you depend upon the truth every single day as A church is a pillar and foundation of the truth We must desire as a whole the truth of God's Word or will cease to be that pillar At the same time we must depend completely and solely on that truth for everything as a father in your home You must depend upon the truth of the Living God. Remember what what Moses said to those in Israel as They were getting ready to embark on the promised land.

He said So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes to fear the Lord our God For our good always and for our survival as it is today In other words, you're going to a promised land. You will not survive if you don't live according to the commandments of God You will fall flat on your face You must stand strong on the principles of God's Word He says earlier in chapter 5 verse number 33 You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with You and that you may prolong your days in the land which you possess Moses spells it out for them.

Listen, you want to live a great life. You want to live a good life You want to live a quality life? You will live a long life obey the commands of God follow what God's Word says all the ways of God you obey as Fathers, we need to be pillars of strength for our children And we are that when we desire nothing, but the truth when we depend on nothing else But the truth we tend to depend upon our paychecks. We pay we depend upon our wives We depend upon all kinds of depend upon the truth of the Living God And if you depend upon it, listen, if you desire it, you'll depend upon it if you depend upon that truth.

Guess what? You're going to defend that truth at all costs You'll defend that truth. You know, I wonder if you know what's going on in your kids Curriculum at school. I wonder if you know what your kids are being taught If you put your kids in a public school system, you better know what they're being taught and you know We're not talking about hovering over your children trying to figure out what's going on like a helicopter. We're talking about fighter jets We're talking about Demolition jets. We're talking about people who will figure out what's happening What you're doing on your cell phone on your on your computer What's being taught at home because you want to be able to defend the truth and you want to help your children to defend that truth and stand strong in That truth and fathers that's our responsibility And I wonder if a father today You desire the truth of the Living God If you depend upon that truth If you're willing to defend that truth And part of defending that truth is to to declare That truth You preach the word you teach the word you expose the word you display the word So people will know what the truth of God is when we defend the truth we defend it ferociously Ferociously Contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the Saints Jude 3 And when you defend the faith you defend it ferociously you defend it fervently you defend it faithfully You you defend it Fearlessly that is you fear not what man may say to you you fear not what man may do to you Because you defend it fearlessly And it's the same way you declare it You declare it without compromise And then you demonstrate the truth You live it out every day None of us are perfect fathers None of us will ever live a perfect life.

That was only Jesus who did that We can't do that But you know what? We can demonstrate to our children What a truth walk looks like and when you when you blow it when you sin know you do You ask for forgiveness? Why because then asking for forgiveness? You demonstrate the truth of a God who forgives you You demonstrate the truth of a God who's merciful and kind and loving So you go to your children if you blow it or to your wife and ask for forgiveness Because you want to demonstrate the truth of the Living God The church is a pillar and foundation of the truth I could spend a Year just on this point.

It is so important to us We need to understand this. We need to to wrestle with this We need to come to grips with the fact that as the assembly of the redeemed we stand strong on truth And when we do and we declare that truth, we declare that truth to people who are enslaved to their sin And say you know what? We have the keys to your freedom We want to help you be set free from the bondage that you're in Allow us to do that with you allow us to share with you the freedom of the truth That you might be set free to live for the glory and honor of the Christ Because there's pillars of the truth every one of us stands erect every one of us stands upholding that truth the question comes How strong do you stand and my prayer for you and for me is that we would never compromise That we buy truth never sell it proverbs 23 23 we do all we can to obtain it Never compromise it why?

I'll say it to you again. The only thing that matters this side of eternity is truth That's it truth without truth And people knowing truth They will spend eternity in hell For those who know the truth They will stay eternity with Christ That's why Christ at the end of his ministry is saying if you continue in my word You are truly my disciples And you will know the truth in that truth It will set you free Let's pray father. Thank you for today and the opportunity you give us to spend time in your word We are grateful people Our prayer Lord is that you instruct us and teach us in the way that we should go That we might honor you I do pray for every father in the room that he'd be a man a man of God Somebody who desires nothing, but the truth Who wants to depend on no one else but the truth?

Who wants to defend that truth of all that he has? Declare it loudly proudly because he wants to demonstrate every aspect of that truth to a stand My prayer is that there's one here who does not know you That today would be the day of their salvation They would be set free from the enslavement of sin And follow the great God and savior of the world Jesus christ our lord Pray this in jesus name Amen