The Church of Christ: Its Sufficiency (Part 3)
Topical SermonsPart 3
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST:
Its Sufficiency
Intro.
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).
3. God's ways honor Him by requiring man's faith & trust in His ways. And, His ways serve His purposes.
Conclusion
1. Any effort to improve upon God's ways represents unbelief! - Num. 20:8-12
2. We must not turn from God's ways to man's ways!
-(Adapted from Walking By Faith, Cogdill, p. 10-12)
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