Christ: The Head of the Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-14-2026

Matthew 16:13-23
 

Introduction:

A. While preaching a series on the local church, I feel the need to deal with the Church, the Body of Christ. Many preachers deny that doctrine while defaming those of us who believe it. While they defame us, they have no answers to specific Bible verses dealing with Christ’s Church.

 

B. In the context of my message for this morning, we find the proper identification of the Christ, the “Rock” upon which the church is built. “Thou art Peter (Petros - a little piece of rock), and upon this “rock” (petra – bedrock, a massive rock) I will build my church.” The foundation of the Church is not the confession of Peter, but the Person of Christ. Peter fully understood what Christ said to him and recorded it in 1 Peter.

 

1 Peter 2:4-6 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (6) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

 

1 Corinthians 3:9-11 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. (10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

C. What the Church is not. (I am speaking of the Body of Christ)

 

1. The Church is not man-made but is divinely given.

 

2. The Church is not Christendom in general. It is not universal: the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. It is the totality of the saved in this dispensation; every born-again believer makes up the entirety of the Church.

 

D. Exactly what is the Church? There is much confusion and contention concerning what the Church is or is not. God is certainly not the Author of confusion, and the Word of God is clear concerning the Church and its meaning. The word "church " in the New Testament has a dual meaning, with context differentiating between the two.

 

1. The Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the Body, the Church. The word “Spirit” is capitalized, referring to the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 

2. A glorious church is not the local church as it contains both saved and lost at times. To name a few: Diotrephes, Hymenaeus, Alexander the Coppersmith, etc. Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 

3. In the local church, we have Jew and Gentile, bond and free, male and female. In the Body of Christ, also called the Church, we are all equal. Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

Church defined - ἐκκλησία ekklēsia ek-klay-see'-ah From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, relative to a specific time and place.

 

1. The Church, the “Body of Christ,” is made up of every born-again believer in this dispensation. The “Body of Christ” is not the local church! The collective body of believers, or of those who have turned to Christ in repentance and faith, makes up the Body of Christ.

 

2. The Church, the Body of Christ, will be called out at the right time to the right place. The Body of Christ belongs to Him!

 

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 

a) The right time for our assembly. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17a For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…

 

b) The right place of our assembly. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 

c) The right reason for our assembly. Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 

E. Having seen what the Church is not and what the Church is, let us return to our text and see what Christ Himself says concerning His Church.

 

1. The Church is built upon Christ. “Upon this rock” The Rock that cannot be moved!

 

1 Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

 

1 Peter 2:6-8 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

 

2. The Church is built by Christ ("I will build"). It is Christ who died for and saves us! Salvation is an act of God that takes place when the believer comes to God in repentance and faith.

 

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

 

Acts 2:6-7 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

Psalms 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:

 

3. The Church belongs to Christ ("I will build my church"). As the Body of Christ belongs to Christ, so does the local church. The local church is not mine, nor is it yours. It is a place to be respected and cherished.

 

Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

 

Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

 

Ephesians 4:14-16 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

 

Colossians 1:17-18 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

4. The Church is loved by Christ (“my church”). Christ loves the Church, His Body, and also what we are doing here this morning!

 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

 

5. The Church is not merely something Christ owns and loves; it is also something Christ uses. ("And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven..."). The dispensation of the Gospel has been given to both the believer and the local church.

 

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Necessities For Building a Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-7-2026

Acts 2:41-47

 

Introduction: 

A.  The Lord wants to build His church according to Matthew 16:18.  “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It is the Lord’s desire to see the churches grow.  I understand what time it is, but God’s people need to be busy about the Father’s business.

 

B.  The Lord is the one Who will build the church.  Psalms 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

 

C. But the Lord uses people to get the job done.  We need not sit back, do nothing, and expect the church to flourish.  Our job is to “be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” 

 

D.  Many today think that what I am and will be preaching on the subject of the local church is “Hard Preaching,” but it will be subjects that should come naturally with a spiritual people.  The key is found in verse 41.  A saved membership that became obedient to the Lord!

 

E.  In order for a church to grow both physically and spiritually, some things have to be evident in the church.

 

IN ORDER TO BUILD A CHURCH THAT HONORS GOD, WE MUST HAVE what the first church in Jerusalem had.

 

1.  A Word Of God That Has Free Course And Is Glorified - 2 Thessalonians 3:1   Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:  (Satan hates the church that makes much of the Word of God!  The religionist says that we are majoring on a minor while we are actually majoring on THE MAJOR!) 

 

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 

a.  We Must Make Much Of The Word Of God - Psalms 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

 

b.  We Must Hear The Word Of God - Acts 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

 

c.  We Must Heed The Word Of God - Colossians 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

 

James 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 

2.  A Willingness To Work - Nehemiah 4:6  So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. 

 

Every piece of the “body” has a function, and if all do not work for the betterment of all, then part of the work of the church will not get done.

 

3.  A Burden For Souls - Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

 

Proverbs 11:30  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

 

4.  A Heart For Missions - 2 Corinthians 8:5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

 

Galatians 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

 

5.  An Uncompromising Stand On Both Doctrine And Separation - 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

 

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

 

6.  A Holy Membership - Ephesians 5:3  But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

 

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

 

7.  A Fervency In Prayer And Supplication - Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 

          1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

 

8.  A Fervent Love For Each Other - 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

 

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

 

9.  A Sacrificial Stewardship - Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

 

a.  Though God does not need our money, He chooses to use it to care for the church, the pastor, and missions.

 

b.  You do not tithe and give; the church bills go unpaid; the pastor must work a secular job; and the missions board would be blank! 

 

c.  And, if you are saved, God will not bless you!

 

2 Corinthians 9:6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Do You Love the Church?

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-31-2026

Ephesians 5:22-33

 

Introduction: 

A.  Last week, I started a series of messages on the local church.  You may ask why such a series is important.  Because of the falling away from the local church in our day.  We need to fall in love with the local church!  I personally do not want to be “as the manner of some is!” 

 

B.  “Do you love the church?” is a question easily answered by those believers who love God! 

 

1.  Our text tells us of God’s love for the Church.  I fully understand that in this context, Paul speaks of the Body of Christ.  This phrase, though, is corporate! 

 

2.  We know that God loves every believer because He died for the individual as well as the whole of humanity.  John 3:16 speaks of the love of God for “the world,” which is corporate.  He died not only for the individual but also for every individual in the world.

 

3.  The contextual comparison is Christ’s love for His church and the love of the husband for his wife.  I do not believe that we men can love our wives and forsake them at the same time.

 

C.  A verse concerning our love for Christ says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15)  Though there are many commandments, I want to look again at one that deals with the local assembly called the local church.

 

D.  Last week, we saw God’s commandment concerning the local church:  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” 

 

1.  Though this verse is not the subject of this morning’s message, it entails the truth of our loving or not loving the Lord as we should.  Love God, and you will love His church!  Plain and simple, isn’t it? 

 

2.  If Christ loved the church enough to die for it, then, if we love Christ as we should, we should love the local church!

 

3.  I love the church!  Not because I am a pastor.  It has been a place of separation from the world for God.  It has been a refuge in the time of storm.  It has been a place of companionship with the family of God.  I am a pastor because I first loved the Lord and then His church. 

 

4.  Though the Church that Christ died for was the body, He also loved the assembly of the local church.

 

E.  So many of God’s children in our day commit “spiritual adultery.”  This is plainly stated in 1 John 2:15:  “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  If we love the world more than we love God, then the love of God is not in us.

F.  Now, back to the analogy that the Scriptures give here: men, we are to “love” our wives as Christ “loved” the Church. 

 

1.  Christ gave His all for the Church.  We are to give our all to our wives!

 

2.  Christ did this because He loved the Church.  We are to do the same out of the “same” love.

 

3.  We cannot love as Christ loves, but we are to love in the same way He loves. 

 

a)  The love between a man and his wife is an ever-changing love.  I have often said that the first love between a man and his wife is not the love that will hold their marriage together. 

 

b)  Though we need to keep that first love alive.  Trials and tribulations are what God has chosen to strengthen and change that love over time.  When Barbara and I were saved, we fell in love with the local church.  That first love still exists but has transformed. By finding the local church a refuge in times of trials and tribulations, our love and respect for it have strengthened!

 

c)  Our wedding vows have been kept! 

 

d)  I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded wife/husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better or worse, for richer or poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, honor, and cherish,
forsaking all others,
till death do us part,

 

e)  Through “think and thin,” the local church has always been there for us, and we have been there for the local church.

 

G.  Why is loving the local church so important?  We cannot love the church and be unfaithful to it any more than we can love our wives and be unfaithful to them!

 

1.  Because It Is The Place That God Loves - Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

 

2.  Because It Is The Place Of Worship - Psalms 5:7   But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

 

A place of Singing, A place of Praising, A place of Giving, and A place of Preaching!

 

3.  Because It Is The Place Where I Can Tithe and Give.  Malachi 3:10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

 

4.  Because It Is The Place Of Preaching And Teaching God’s Word - 1 Timothy 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 

What a joy to open God’s Word and just read it together.  What a joy to study God’s Word in Sunday School.  What a joy to be reproved rebuked, exhorted, and challenged by the preaching of God’s Word.

 

Job 23:12  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

 

5.  Because It Is The Place Where God’s People Gather - Psalms 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

 

The greatest people on earth are there!

 

Psalms 122:1  A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 

6.  Because It Is The Place Where Sinners Are Both Sought And Loved - Luke 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

 

Matthew 9:10  And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

 

7.  Because It Is God’s Instrument For World Evangelism - 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God–ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

 

8.  Because It Was There That I Heard The True Gospel Preached And Was Gloriously and Eternally Saved – Luke 18:10, 13-14  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican …  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

9.  Because It Is A Place Of Comfort And Spiritual Joy - Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 

10.  It Is An Encouragement Filling Station - 2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

 

Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

10.  Because It Is Just A Little Bit Of Heaven On Earth - Psalms 84:1-12  How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.  Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.  Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.  Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.  Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.  They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.  O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.  Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.  For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

The Importance of Attending Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-24-2026

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5; Hebrews 10:22-27

 

Introduction: 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  (Be not shaken) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  (3)  (Be not deceived) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, (Be not except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  (4)  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.  (5)  (Let us be reminded)  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

 

Hebrews 10:22-27  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (23)  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  (24)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25)  (Let us be faithful to assemble) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but (Let us exhort) exhorting one another: and so much the more, (Let us be watchful) as ye see the day approaching.  (26)  (Let us be obedient) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  (27)  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

 

1 John 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

 

1.  Just allow me to preach to us all this morning!  We live at the end of the last days with rampant sinfulness all around us. I am not here to fix that this morning because it will wax worse and worse.  My greatest fear is that we will allow the things of this present world to change us also.

 

2.  I want to tie some phrases together this morning as I begin a series on the Church. “A falling away” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” in Hebrews 10:25.  Both “falling away” and “forsaking the assembling” mean the same thing.  You had to be somewhere to fall away and also to forsake something.

 

3.  Now, for a good biblical example of these phrases, let's go to 2 Timothy 4:

 

2 Timothy 4:10a  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…

 

4.  This “present world” that drew Demas away from the Lord first and the Apostle Paul later continues to have an effect on both the pulpit and the pew!  So, hang on for a little while as every one of us needs this message!

 

A.  This November will be the Golden Anniversary of my salvation.  Fifty years!  I was once young (28 when I was saved), and now I am old (78 and counting).  In my years of salvation, bible college, and pastoring, I have witnessed 2 Thessalonians chapter two, verses 1-5, come to fruition.

 

1.  During the early years of salvation, Barbara and I saw the excitement of our home church as it was 1,000+ strong, hundreds coming in on the buses and making professions of faith.  It was all new to us, so we sat and watched with awe.  What we did not see but were quickly introduced to was the church's foundation, which was cracked.  Great preaching and tremendous singing, but a church that was in the process of falling away.  The pastor was soon to resign, and a power struggle raised its ugly head. And the huge crowd dwindled in a couple of years to about 85 people sitting in that massive sanctuary.

 

2.  During those years, God began to groom Barbara and me by allowing us to step up and help the church stabilize.  I was a babe in Christ, and Barbara was not yet saved (which took place in 1982).  Driving a bus, teaching Sunday School, chairman of the board of deacons, school board, radio board, plumber-electrician-grounds keeper, but a soul winner.

 

3.  Less than a year after Barbara was saved, God, in His infinite mercy, called me to preach.  I did not know what He wanted me to do or where He wanted me to go.  I only knew that God knew all the details, and my desire was to follow Him.  I didn’t know where to go, but God led us in the way He wanted us to go. 

 

4.  I spent 4 years in Bible College with app 250 men of God that, like my family, brought their wives and kids in.  Those were the glory days as God was calling and sending families around the world to once again turn the world upside down.  I still did not know what God wanted me to do, but I was “bucking in the traces”.  I wanted to do something for the glory of God because of what He did for Barbara and me!   We owed a debt that we could not pay to the One who paid a debt that He did not owe.

 

5.  God sent me to a faithful handful of people who loved God and loved the church.  God used these few precious saints to stabilize the church and help it grow. 

 

6.  Over this past half-century, I have had many opportunities to quit and go back to the world from which Barbara and I came.

 

7.  I said all that to say this: I have seen a generation that loves God and continually serves Him around the world today.  But, throughout the years, I have also seen the decline in spirituality and faithfulness come to pass.  The “falling away” has taken its toll upon the people of God, from the pulpits to the pews, as spirituality and faithfulness are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

 

B.  There has been a serious decline in church attendance in the past few decades, and this decline is simply a fulfillment of Scripture.  The days of Noah (eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage), Lot’s Day (they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded), and Demas’ Day (having loved this present world … departed unto Thessalonica).  Pastors preach Hebrews 10:22-26 to little or no avail as more and more of God’s people have fallen in love with the world at the expense of the local churches.  Decline in church attendance is a direct result of a decline in spirituality and a love for the world! 

 

1.  It has been prophesied that in the last days there would be a falling away, and we are in the middle of it.  Normally, we classify the “falling away” as the spiritual apostasy that is certainly in full swing.  But I have seen such a fearful change in believers and churches in general over these past 39 years. 

 

2.  I remember the faithfulness of God’s people here at Temple and the loss that we have suffered as we watched them grow older and pass on to heaven through the veil of death.  Years ago, the crowds on Sunday night and Wednesday night, along with Sunday School,  were virtually the same as on Sunday morning. 

 

3.  The older generation treated the Lord’s Day as the Lord’s Day.  Though we still have families like that, across the Bible Belt, we find more and more churches canceling services each week or making them optional.  They love the things of the world more than the things of God!  That bothers this old preacher!

 

C.  The “form of godliness” has permeated the ranks of the professing believers with little or no conviction or holiness of life.  “As the manner of some is” has become the rule instead of the exception, with more and more of the once faithful now either slack in their faithfulness or completely out of church. 

 

D.  The Importance of God’s House.  The phrase “The house of the Lord” is used 213 X  in the Bible.  The phrase “house of God” is used 87 times in the Bible.  That is a total of 300 references.  This does not include other references such as “temple” and “tabernacle.”  God’s house is a place of great importance.

 

E.  In Hebrews 10:25, we find the command of God to assemble.  That in itself should be all that is necessary to get God’s children to be faithful, but faithful attendance will never be accomplished until we see the value of the church, along with having a love for the church.  There is an old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink!”

 

F. Hebrews 10:25 shows the importance of the assembly of the local church.

 

1.  The Emphasis of God’s House - Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  Why the emphasis?

 

a.  It Is A Place Of Rallying.  (When you are down.)

 

b.  It Is A Place Of Relying.  (When you are devastated.)

 

c.  It Is A Place Of Renewing.  (When you are defiled.)

 

d.  It Is A Place Of Revival.  (When you are defeated.)

 

2.  The Exhortation of God’s House - Hebrews 10:22-25  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (23)  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  (24)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25)  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

a.  Let us draw near in holiness.

 

b.  Let us draw near in faithfulness.

 

c.  Let us draw near in consideration of others.

 

d.  Let us draw near in exhortation.

 

3.  The Excitement of God’s House - Psalms 122:1  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 

a.  What a Privilege.

 

b.  What a Pleasure.

 

4.  The Ecstasy of God’s House - Psalms 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

 

Psalms 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

 

a.  Ecstasy means an overwhelming feeling of great joy, delight, or intense emotional excitement.

 

b.  The Joy of coming to church and worshipping God!

 

c.  The Joy of coming to church and seeing the brethren.

 

d.  The Joy of coming to church and leaving this old, sinful world behind for a while.

 

e.  The Joy of serving God in obedience to His command.

 

Conclusion:  Don’t let the things of the world draw you away from church.  Let the Love of God draw you to church!  Don’t let “falling away” be a vivid description of you.  The Lord is coming, and we are leaving one way or the other soon. 

Why I Love the Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-17-2025

Ephesians 5:22-33; Matthew 16:15-18; Psalm 84:1-12

 

Introduction:  Psalm 84 has been called “The Pearl of Psalms.”

 

A.  Hebrews 10:25-27 are possibly the most quoted verses concerning church attendance and, like biblical separation, have been preached as a negative when it is a POSITIVE!  I fear that much negative preaching should be positive.

 

B.  Psalms 84:10 is also in direct contrast to the end-time professing Christian.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “As the manner of some is.”  The word manner means a custom or habitual practice.  There has been a great forsaking of the assembling in the past few decades, with the majority of America unchurched at present.

 

1.  Church attendance is at an all-time low, with more churches and professing Christians than ever.

 

2.  The faithful few that make up the nucleus of the local church have become fewer in number, especially on Sunday and Wednesday night crowds.

 

3. The church has gone from meeting every day in Acts 2 to having 6-8 week meetings a century ago to no Sunday or Wednesday night services!

 

C.  Faithfulness has turned from a blessing to a hardship for many. Today, more is said against the church than for the church.  Many local churches have brought this problem upon themselves by their compromised behavior.

 

1.  Some say that the church is full of hypocrites.  Two things I see about hiding behind a hypocrite:  The hypocrite is bigger than the one hiding because it covers them.  Also, the hypocrite is closer to the Lord than the one hiding behind him.

 

2.  Some say that the church has become a social organization.  Unfortunately, this is true.

 

3.  Some say that the church no longer portrays the love of Christ.  Unfortunately, this is also true.

 

4.  But there are still good, not perfect, churches in America and especially in the Bible Belt.

 

D.  The majority of the average church’s visitation program is spent visiting people who professed to be saved and either make shallow excuses for missing church or have become disgruntled over some petty problem and now are permanently excused from faithful attendance.

 

1.  Many Of These Have Religion And Not Salvation – I personally do not understand saved people not wanting to go to church.  They evidently did not get what I got!  I fell in love with church and still do not miss it, even when traveling!

 

2.  Many Of These Are so Worldly And Carnal That They Cannot Know The Will Of God.

 

a)  They have the love of Ephesus.  They left it.

 

b)  They have the deadness of Sardis.  They have no heart or spirit of worship.

 

c)  They have the lukewarmness of Laodicea. They are neither in nor out.

 

E.  But I still love the local church!  In spite of its shortcomings and problems.  This beautiful Psalm gives some of the reasons that I love the church.

 

1.  It Is The Place That God Loves - Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

 

2.  It Is The Place Of Worship - Psalms 5:7   But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

 

3.  It Is The Place Of Preaching And Teaching God’s Word - 1 Timothy 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 

4.  It Is The Place Where God’s People Gather - Psalms 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

 

The greatest people on earth are there!

 

5 It Is The Place Where Sinners Are Both Sought And Loved - Luke 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Matthew 9:10  And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

 

6.  It Is God’s Instrument For World Evangelism - 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God–ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

 

7.  It Was There That I Heard The True Gospel Preached And Was Gloriously and Eternally Saved – Luke 18:10, 13-14  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican …  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

8.  It Is A Place Of Comfort And Spiritual Joy - Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 

9.  It Is An Encouragement Filling Station - 2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

10.  It Is Just A Little Bit Of Heaven On Earth - Psalms 84:1-2  How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.