Part 3

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST:

1.  The church -- Universal (spiritual relationship) & Local (spiritual relationship & functional organization).

2.  Dan. 2:44-45 - Is this God-ordained kingdom (mountain) sufficient to fulfill God's will for it?

  a.  Sufficient: Adequate, competent to fulfill its work; "As much as it needed, enough" (Webster) to perform its tasks.

  b.  If the church is sufficiently arranged & equipped, then no other organization or arrangement is permitted or needed for it to do God's will in God's way.

I.  THE CHURCH IS THE EXECUTION & FULFILLMENT OF A DIVINE WORK - Dan. 2:34, 44; Heb. 8:2.

  A.  Prophesied: The Church Was Foretold By The Prophets - Isa. 2:2-3.  [House & mountain K Church / kingdom]

  B.  Prepared: The Church Was Prepared For By The Preaching Of John - Matt. 3:2-3.  [Repentance to be ready for the kingdom]

  C.  Promised: Christ Promised To Build It - Isa. 28:16; Matt. 16:18.  [Foundation & chief cornerstone - Eph. 2:19-22]

  D.  Preached: The Church (Kingdom) Is Now In Existence - Acts 2:47.  [House of God, Heb. 10:21; Mountain of God, Heb. 12:22-23,28]

    -In the prediction & execution of God's "church-plan," we see God's wisdom, patience, might, love & glory!

    -POINT: Did God do all this work just to end up with an insufficient church? No!

II.  THE CHURCH, DESIGNED BY DIVINE WISDOM FOR A DIVINE PURPOSE, MUST BE SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMPLISH THAT PURPOSE!  (Axiomatic)

  A.  Whatever God Creates Is Sufficient To Fulfill Its Purposes & Functions.

    1.  cf. Creation of world (Gen. 1: 6x's "good" or "very good").

    2.  Creation of the church - Eph. 3:20-21.

  B.  To Deny The Sufficiency Of The Church Is To Deny God's Wisdom & Power - 1 Cor. 1:25-31.

    -Superiority of God's wisdom / Chose despised things (in men's eyes) to accomplish His purposes, that man might glory in God, not himself!

  C.  To Improve On God's Arrangement, Man Would Have To Be Wiser & More Powerful Than God! - Rom. 9:20

-Presumptuous sin!

  D.  A Perfect (Complete) Revelation Cannot Set Forth Imperfect Truth, Including An Imperfect (Incomplete) Church!

    -God's ways, revealed in God's word, are sufficient to accomplish God's purposes!

III.  THEREFORE, THE CHURCH IS SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK GIVEN IT BY GOD (Eph. 4:12).

  A.  Edification: Local Church - Acts 2:42.

  B.  Benevolence: Local Church - Acts 4:34-35; 11:29-30.

  C.  Evangelism: Local Church - Acts 11:22-26; Phil. 1:5; 4:15-16.

  D.  God's Way Of Doing This Church Work Is Not Only The Best Way, It Is The Only Approved Way! (cf. Prov. 16:25; Isa. 55:8-9)

    1.  Deut. 28:9 K Heb. 5:9; Col. 3:17.

    2.  God's way are best because they display His wisdom, His foresight (He sees the end of a matter), & His love (He is   always guided by it).