The Church: Its Meaning - The Pillar of the Truth of God, Part 2

We've been looking at the church, trying to understand the meaning of the church as well as the mission and ministry of the church. And we're going to spend some time looking at this because it's so incredibly important, especially in today's culture. It's important to realize that over 100 years ago, the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, said these words about the church in his day. He said, this age of novelties would seem to have discovered spiritual power in brass bands and tambourines. The tendency of the time is towards bigness, parade, and show of power.

Jesus said, preach the gospel to every creature, but men are getting tired of the divine plan. They're going to be saved by the priest, by the music, by theatricals. Well, they may try these things, but nothing can ever come of the whole thing but utter disappointment and confusion. God dishonored, the gospel travestied, hypocrites manufactured by the thousands, and the church dragged down to the level of the world. Over 100 years ago, that's what Charles Spurgeon had to say about the condition of the church in his day.

I wonder if he was alive, what he would say about the church today. 70 years ago, over 70 years ago, Dr. Harry Ironside, who was a pastor and an author, said this about the church in his day. He said, the church of God has gone into the entertainment business. People must be amused. And as a church needs the people's money, the church must supply the demand and meet the craving. How else are godless hypocrites to be held together? So the picture show and entertainment take the place of the gospel address and the solemn worship of God.

And thus, Christless souls are lulled to sleep and made to feel religious, while gratifying every carnal desire under the sanction of the sham called the church. In the end, what an awakening in eternity. 70 years ago, it's how Dr. Harry Ironside saw the church. Today's church is worse. That's unfortunate. People in today's church like to toy with the truth. If they're not toying with the truth, they trifle with the truth. If they don't trifle with the truth, they trivialize the truth. And unfortunately, some churches even tamper with the truth.

But very few churches truly treasure the truth. Treasure it enough to trust it. Treasure it enough to teach it. Treasure enough to tell the truth to people they come in contact with. Instead of people today going to church and hearing about the person and work of the Messiah, instead of hearing about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ our Lord, who came to die for the sins of man, they're gonna hear all kinds of funny stories that make them feel good about coming to church. And they'll laugh and they'll have fun and they're entertained.

They're not enlightened, but they are entertained. And people come to church to be entertained, unfortunately. But the reason the church exists is that we might enlighten people to the truth of the living God. The church is not about social issues. The church is not even about political issues. But we love to go to church and hear about what's going on in politics and what's going on in the social atmosphere of the community. Church is not about social issues. It's about spiritual issues. It's not about political issues.

It's about biblical issues. But the church has strayed away from the truth. And they begin to talk about all kinds of things that are temporal and not eternal. The church is about the eternal truth of the living God. So important. And so people will go to church today, all around the world, and they will be made to feel religious because they put their time in for God. And yet their souls are low to sleep, not realizing that they've never heard the truth about the saving grace of the Messiah and the transforming power of His work in the new creation of an individual.

And they perish simply because they went to the wrong church instead of a church that understands it's the pillar and support of the truth of God. See, the church is the plan of the Son of God. Matthew chapter 16. Christ said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The church is the possession of the living God. It's my church, he says. You are my people. You are my bride. You are my sheep. I bought you with a price. I purchased you with my blood. Your body is no longer your own, it's mine.

Paul says, I no longer live for myself, I live for Him who came and died for me. Why? Because we've been purchased by God. We are a people of His own possession. First Peter two, verse number nine.

The church is the plan of the Son of God. The church is the possession of the living God. And the church is the pillar of the truth of God. First Timothy three, 15.

The church is the pillar and support of the truth. We live in a society that needs to hear and see the truth of God. I mean, after all, we've been saved by the truth, right? We've been sanctified, set apart by the truth. We are the people who are to speak that truth. Because we live in a world that suppresses the truth. It pushes the truth away. It covers its ears because they don't wanna hear the truth that God says.

You know the verse in Romans chapter one, which talks about how a community suppresses the truth. It talks about the downgrade of society. Talks about the wrath of God's abandonment of society. And if you read through it, you realize it's a description of America. And people sing the song, God bless America. God's not going to bless America. That's not going to happen. Why? Because God has abandoned America. He's given America over to the desires of his heart. It's given America over to degrading passions.

It's given America over, he's given America over to a depraved mind. Why? Well, Romans one tells you why. It says, verse number 18, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. How can they suppress something they don't know? Oh, but they do know. They do know. Why? What does John say? Well, in John's gospel, the first chapter, it says, there was the true light, which coming to the world, enlightens every man.

The true light, that's Christ, who enlightens every man. But man continues to suppress the truth. It says, because that which is known about God is evident within them for God made it evident to them. That's Ecclesiastes three, verse number 11, that eternity has been set in the heart of man. God has made it very evident to man about his existence. God doesn't believe in atheists. So verse number 20 says, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature has been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so they are without excuse.

Every man is without excuse. I don't care where you live. I don't care when you lived. You can live in the island of Boga Boga land, wherever that is. You are without excuse, because God has made it clearly evident to you of his existence. It says, these words are verse number 21, for even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God. God doesn't not only not believe in atheists, God doesn't know any agnostics, right? People say they're agnostic. No, they're not. No, it says very clearly, for even though they knew God.

So they can claim to be agnostic or claim to be an atheist, but they're really not. How do we know that? Because the Bible says there's no such thing as those things, those guys.

So it says, they didn't give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore, God gave them over. Gave them over to what? The lusts of their hearts to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. God gave them over to the lusts of their heart.

The passions of their desires grew greater and greater. So God just said, have at it, go for it. See if there's some fulfillment there without me. Verse 25, for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. Don't tell me the world doesn't know the truth of God. Oh, they do. They suppress that truth in unrighteousness. The Bible says they've exchanged that truth for a lie.

Why? Because the lie fits their present need. The lie fits their feelings. The lie is what they wanna believe. They don't wanna believe what God says.

So they exchanged what God says to believe a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever, amen.

For this reason, God gave them over. God gave them over to the desire of their hearts. God now gives them over to degrading passions. For their woman exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural. In the same way also, the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committed indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. Homosexuality is God giving man over to his degrading passions. It's God's wrath of abandonment upon a country, upon a nation, upon a society.

It goes from all kinds of adultery and fornication and all kinds of porneia, lust for the flesh and lust of the eyes that leads to degrading passions to the realm of all the LGBTQ plus movement and all that happens within that. And God just gives them over to that. When God abandons a nation, when God abandons a society, when God abandons a people, it's the worst thing that could ever happen to that people because God gives them over to their lustful passions. So it says in verse number 28, and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, it's not that they don't know that God exists, they do know he exists.

They just refuse to acknowledge him any longer. That's what's happening in America. That's what's happening in our nation's capital. They just refuse to acknowledge God any longer. Why? Because God has given them over to a depraved mind, a reprobate mind, a non-functioning mind, a non-thinking mind. That's why politics is not the answer. Government is not the answer because you sit around the table with people with reprobate minds, non-functioning minds, unthinking minds. They can't think properly because they have suppressed the truth for so long that God has given them over to their own lustful desires, to their own degrading passions, to their own reprobate minds.

So they can't even think straight. And so he says to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness. A non-thinking mind does the things that are improper and that are nothing but unrighteousness. That's why politics is not the answer. That's why government's not the answer. It says, wickedness, greed, evil, they're full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They are gossip, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful.

And although they know the ordinances of God, although they know the statutes of God, although they know the commandments of God, although they know the truth of God, don't tell me they don't know the truth. They do know the truth. They choose to suppress the truth. They choose to close their ears to the truth. They don't wanna face the truth. Why? Because the truth will always, listen carefully, raise your moral accountability. Or excuse me, raise your moral responsibility. It will reinforce your personal accountability and it will reveal your final destiny.

That's why they suppress the truth. That's why they exchange the truth of God for a lie. That's why although they know the ordinances of God, which says that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they know that. They are worthy of death. Why? For the wages of sin is what? Death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Don't think for one moment they don't know that the wages of sin is death. Why? Because they know the ordinances of God. They know the commandments of God.

They know the truth of God. They just push the truth down. They want nothing to do with it. They wanna live as they want to live. Why do they do that? Because the truth always raises your moral responsibility and they don't wanna do that. It reinforces their personal accountability. They are accountable to a higher authority and they don't wanna do that either. And it reveals their final destiny and they know it. That's why Jesus said these words in John chapter 12. John chapter 12, verse number 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. The word that Christ speaks, the word of truth that Christ speaks is gonna judge man on that last day. And they know that the ordinances of God reveal their final destiny. And they wanna put that completely out of their mind because God says, I'm gonna judge you by the words which I have spoken.

Remember Hebrews chapter 12? Hebrews chapter 12 says this. We've already covered this. But Hebrews chapter 12, verse number 25, see to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. Who is that? It's the Lord speaking from heaven. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, that is God speaking through Moses at Mount Sinai, much less will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven. Verse 26, and his voice shook the earth then, but now he is promising yet once more, I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.

In other words, God says, I'm gonna shake not just the earth, I'm gonna shake everything because I'm the God who judges all men.

I will shake heaven and I will shake earth. You need to fear the one who's going to do that. But they want to put him out of their minds. They want to exchange the truth of God for a lie because the lie fits their needs. It fits the comfort of their lives and they push it away. That's what the truth does. And so in Romans one, it says, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. All you gotta do is watch the news. And Washington gives hearty approval to all those who practice everything that's listed in Romans chapter one.

And that's unfortunate. But that's why God's abandoned America. He hasn't abandoned individuals. He's abandoned the nation as a whole because God's still saving people's lives. That's why the church exists. The church exists to uphold the divine standard of revelation that God has given to man. And we are that pillar. We are that support. We are the ones who display the truth of God, hold it high because we have been saved from sin. And we want others to be saved from sin. We want others to receive the grace of the living God.

We want them to respond to the truth that's given. So we keep telling them the truth over and over and over again, trusting God to do what God's going to do. But this is why we are here as a church, as an assembly of the called out ones. We exist so that we can proclaim loudly the truth of God because we stand on the truth. We speak the truth. We show the truth. We tell the truth. We safeguard the truth. We do all we can because that's what people need to hear 2,400 years ago. It was Plato who said these words about truth.

He said, find the truth that is in you, self-knowledge. Be true to your truth and you will be free. Be true to your truth and you will be free. That's exactly what's happening in America today, 2,400 years later. Everybody has a truth. And if I'm just true to my truth, I'll be set free from all my psychosis. I'll be set free from all my turmoil. I just gotta be true to myself, true to my truth. So 400 years later, Jesus comes along and says, I come to testify to the truth. John 18, the truth about heaven, the truth about hell, truth about grace, truth about mercy, truth about man, truth about everything.

I've come to testify to the truth. What did Pilate say? What is truth? Cynical. What is truth? You think you know truth? And everybody's been asking the same question since then. What is truth? Just be true to yourself. But you can't be true to yourself because yourself is full of sin. So you're true to your sin. And so you need to know that there's an absolute, objective, infallible, inerrant truth given to us by the living God. And so we as a church stand strong in the truth as the pillar and support of that truth.

That's what we do. But we live in a hedonistic society, a society filled with self-love and self-pleasure because we are living in Romans chapter one. And isn't it interesting that in 1932, Aldous Huxley wrote a book called The Brave New World, a dystopian novel that would describe what happens in a society. And he was writing about the Western world. He was writing about us in 1932. About what will happen when a society gives its way over to a totalitarian government. It begins to give all the characteristics.

17 years later, George Orwell would write his book, 1984, echoing the same thing. So 17 years apart, these men would say the same thing about where the Western world is going. Both of them claim to be atheists, but Romans one says there's no such thing as atheists. But that's what they claim to be. But it's very interesting that of all the characteristics that they gave, there was one characteristic that was absolutely predominant in both novels. And it was about the hedonism of a society that moves willingly toward a totalitarian government.

A totalitarian regime. A society that turns loose all kinds of immorality everywhere. Creates a situation of unhindered sexual lust. Let people be completely lost in pleasure. No boundaries on any kind of sexual behavior. Fill the culture with pornography. Because as long as they are unhindered in their sexual lusts, as long as they are lost in their hedonistic pleasures, they will be unthinking people. And that's true. That's what Romans one says. He gives them over to unthinking minds. Reprobate minds, degrading passions.

And so these men would write about these things years ago about the culture, the Western culture, that's moving toward a government that will rule them in a totalitarian kind of way. They also said that you feed them mindless, accessible, irrelevant, distracting, nonstop entertainment. Feed them that. So they'll live a life of fantasy, emotional stimulation, rather than thought. Rather than thought, don't get them to think. Get them to live in a fantasy world where their emotions are constantly stimulated.

And then they said, make drugs available to everyone. Make them available to everyone. Why? Because a drugged up, drunken, distracted, debased people will willingly give up all their freedoms. And that's the world we live in. And they said the only thing that overcomes this, and both of them were true on this, the only thing that overrides this is not government, is not anyone in politics, but as some kind of transcendent authority, some eternal authority, which is God. And the only book they fear?

The Bible. That's the book they fear, because the Bible is true. Is it any wonder that in the suburbs of Utah, they have getting rid of all the Bibles in their elementary and middle-class schools? And the excuse is because the Bible's too violent and too vulgar. No, the Bible's too virtuous. And it goes against all the things that you believe. In August of last year, 2022, there was a community in Texas that got rid of all their Bibles in their libraries. Why? Because it's a reminder of Romans chapter one, it's a reminder of their accountability.

It's a reminder that the Bible is going to raise their moral responsibility, it's gonna reinforce their personal accountability, and it's going to reveal their final destiny. So they suppressed that truth, they pushed that truth away, because they want nothing to do with it. Did you read the article about the professor of Hebrew University who at the World Economic Forum made the statement that we need artificial intelligence to write for us a new Bible? You guys haven't read that? What do you guys read?

And that artificial intelligence will be able to create a Bible that will establish a religion that everyone can be a part of. So he's the professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. And so this Bible is not good enough. Why? Because this Bible is all about the truth. It's all about the God who speaks truth. And we as a church are the pillar and foundation of that truth. That's who we are, that's what we do. So the question comes, what does that church look like? How do we be that church that stands erect, shining the light of the gospel, making sure that we are salt and light in a community of darkness and corruption?

How do we do that? What does that church look like? Well, let me tell you. First of all, the church that's the pillar and foundation of the truth studies the truth carefully.

They study the truth carefully. How do we know that? The Bible says in the book of Acts, Acts chapter two, verse number 42, that the early church continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in the fellowship and the breaking of bread and praising God and prayer.

But the first on the list is the apostles' doctrine. That's first on the list. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Why? They wanted to learn about their Messiah. They wanted to understand all that their Messiah had come to do. They truly desired the truth. The church that studies the truth carefully, first of all, desires it so intently that that's all they wanna do.

And so the church that's the pillar and foundation and support of the truth is the church that studies that truth very carefully. That's why the Bible says, study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Second Timothy two, verse number 15. So the Bible warns that not everyone should become a teacher for with it comes a greater condemnation. James chapter three, verse number one.

Not everybody can teach. Not everybody should teach. But the church that's gonna stand erect as a pillar and support of the truth is gonna make sure they study the truth very, very carefully. See, the early church wasn't about entertainment. They were all about enlightenment. They weren't really concerned about social issues. They were just concerned about scriptural issues. What does the Bible say? Teach us how to live. Who's our Messiah? Jesus is the Messiah. How do we know he's the Messiah? How's he command us to live?

Teach us. That was their cry. Very few people go to church today and say, teach me. I wanna learn, I wanna grow, I wanna know. Remember the book of Hosea? Hosea chapter four, verse number six. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. They just don't know me. They think they do, but they don't. They know about me. They've heard of me. They've seen the works that I have done. But they don't know me. I haven't rubbed off on them in such a way that I've made a difference in their lives. You see, the church that's gonna stand as a pillar of truth must dive into the truth of God's word.

That's why I'm so pleased with the curriculum we have for our children. It is so in-depth that if you're a teacher teaching our children, you're going to grow immensely through the things you learn so you can teach them to our children. That's why I'm so excited about what's happening in our youth ministry, because we know that what's being taught in youth ministry and what's being taught to our children, our youth, that they might be able to stand strong in their schools and with their sports teams and their environment in which they live, that they might be able to stand strong in the truth.

That's why I'm glad about our young adult ministry because of what they're learning. I'm glad about what's happening in our elective classes. Why don't we have electives? So we can teach you about theology, teach you about God, teach you about who he is, what he does, why he exists. We'll teach you those things. Why don't we have fundamental of the faith classes? Because we want you to grow when you walk with the Lord. Why don't we have men's Bible studies? We wanna grow men in their understanding of God.

They might teach their families. Why don't we have women's Bible studies? We're gonna help women grow in their knowledge of God. We just wanna pump truth into you day after day after day. Why? Because the church is gonna be a pillar in support of the truth. It's gonna study the truth carefully, very carefully. They wanna know what God says.

They wanna understand what God says. Remember Proverbs 13, verse number 13? The one who despises the word will be destroyed by it. Those who disregard the word, those who despise it, those who devalue it, those who set it aside, they're in debt to it. They'll be destroyed by it. But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. The one who fears the commandment will be rewarded. The teaching of the wise is the fountain of life. To turn aside from the snares of death. We want you to turn aside from the snares of death.

How are we gonna do that? Just teach you what the Bible says about wisdom, understanding, knowledge. And as you're being taught the truth of the word of God, the spirit of truth is already working in your heart to turn you toward himself that you might follow and understand the things you are to do for the glory of God. Good understanding produces favor, but the way of the treacherous is hard. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly. I want you to understand the truth.

So we want you to study the truth carefully. If you study the truth carefully, point number two, you will show the truth clearly.

You will show the truth clearly. Why is it we show the truth unclear? It's because we don't study the word of God carefully. You study it carefully, you'll show it clearly. People need to see what the truth does in the life of an individual who's committed to that truth. So if I'm preaching to those in my school, I'm preaching to those at work, I'm telling them about the transforming power of God and my life is just like their life, where's the power? If I'm telling them about what God is doing in my marriage and the greatness that God is doing because there's been a transforming work in my marriage, then my marriage has gotta be different than the marriages of the world.

Because God's doing a work in my family, my wife, my kids, my life, because the truth effectively works in those who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2, 13. God's at work in the heart. And so I'm being transformed day by day into the image of the glory of God. As I'm being transformed, I can go and tell people, listen, God's doing a work in my heart, he's doing a work in my family and they see it. They see it. Do your kids see it in your parenting? Do your kids see it in your relationship, husband and wife?

Do they see it clearly? They should see it so clearly there are no questions about the transforming power of the work of God. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation. The power of God. The power of God is seen when he takes a life that's steeped in sin and transforms it into his kingdom and makes it a new creation. That's the power of God. We have so many people today in churches all across our country that claim to be Christians, but give no evidence of the transforming power of the work of God in their lives.

So we have reason to ask, are you really truly born again? Do you really love the Lord? Have you really committed your life to Christ? Because if you have, you're a new creation. All things have passed away, all things have become new. You can't continue the way things used to be. Things have been changed in your life. Whenever the pattern of godliness is missing, the power of ministry is gone. In other words, if as a husband, the pattern of godliness is missing, the power of my ministry at home is gone.

There needs to be a pattern of godliness. Paul would say, follow me as I follow Christ. Paul always exemplified a pattern of godliness. He called the church of Thessalonica, the only church in scripture he called the pattern. They were the model church. They were the church that every church needs to pattern their lives after. Why? Because they received the word with joy, they turned to God from idols that they might serve the true and living God, and they waited expectantly for the return of Christ.

There was something about the church of Thessalonica that was so incredible that Paul says, this is the example, this is the pattern. That's why in chapter five, he could give exhortation after exhortation, rejoice always, pray without ceasing, right? And just give a litany of exhortation without explanation. Why? Because he didn't need to explain it to a church that wants to be what Christ wants it to be. They just do what he says. That's it. Pray without ceasing. Okay. Rejoice always. Yep, we're gonna rejoice always.

Right? Abstain from every form of evil. Okay. Doesn't explain it to me. I'm gonna do that. Why? Because God said so. You see, when you study the word carefully, you'll show the word clearly. And the church that stands as a pillar and support of the truth begins right there. But yet there is more. And for that, you gotta come back next week. So let's pray. Lord, we thank you for today and the opportunity you give us to look into the word of the Lord. We realize where our nation's gone, where the world's gone.

We realize the only hope is you. It's always been the case. And Father, as a church, we are to be that pillar and support of the truth. Shining bright, standing strong, so others will see and hear and believe. My prayer, Father, is for all of us as you do a work in us as a church. Christ Community Church is not a perfect church by no means. But Father, we do wanna follow what your word says. So we wanna study it carefully. As a church, we might show it very clearly. At home, at work, in our community, in our schools, in our place of employment.

No matter what we do, no matter where we go, we are so enamored with truth that we exemplify that truth. That's our prayer this day, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.