What is Church?
![What is Church?
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© August 4, 2013
www.pastorkennedy.com
How did you come to know Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior?
Was it through an evangelistic campaign? Was it through a preacher knocking on your door? Was it through a TV message or movie? Was it through a friend, family member or loved one? Was it through many of the above?
[Note: When a survey is taken of any church, any size, it seems the outcome to the above questions is overwhelming: 95% or more acknowledge that their response to receive Jesus Christ into their lives was primarily through an invitation or encouragement from a friend, family member or loved one. Take a quick survey at your church.]
What is Church?
After Jesus Christ’s temptation in the wilderness he went up to the synagogue on the Sabbath, in Nazareth, where He had been brought up. Jesus stood up and read the following passage, which I believe reveals five fundamental reasons for the Church’s existence. Have we lost these primary emphases in the church today?
Isaiah prophesied 700 years before Christ, the Work that the coming Messiah (Jesus Christ), was to accomplish. We should include these personal emphases of outreach in ministry, today, in His Church.
Luke 4:18–19
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
1. The Power. Jesus’ empowerment was by the Spirit of God and His goals should be the same as any church, in any age, doing His work.
Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news…”
2. The Poor. The proclamation of the Good News (the Gospel) to those who are “poor in spirit” [those having no confidence in their own flesh for spiritual gain].
Matthew 5:3
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 14:12–24
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ ”
1 Corinthians 1:18–31
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah, Jesus, would proclaim the Good News (the Gospel) to those who were poor, “poor in spirit” [those having no confidence in their own flesh for spiritual gain]. These are the ones who would be most open to receiving the free gift of Eternal Life, which is offered by God, through the Sacrifice and Redemption of His Son!
3. The Imprisoned. The proclamation of freedom for prisoners (in particular those imprisoned by sin and condemned to eternal doom).
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 107:10–16
10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
4. The Blind. The recovery of sight for those who are blind in heart and mind to God’s Truth - the Gospel of Christ Jesus.
John 9:39
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Acts 26:18
18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
5. The Oppressed. To set at liberty those who are spiritually oppressed – and the blessing of the Jubilee Year – the year of freedom for all!
Isaiah 58:6
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
Psalm 107:17–22
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
How are we committed to building a Church as Christ founded it – as prophesied by Isaiah?
1. The Power. Jesus’ empowerment was by the Spirit of God and His goals should be the same as any church, in any age, doing His work. Ask for God’s Power in Reaching out to Others! We are unable to accomplish His Work if we are living for ourselves without the Empowerment of His Spirit!
2. The Poor. The proclamation of the Good News (the Gospel) to those who are “poor in spirit” [those having no confidence in their own flesh for spiritual gain]. Do not put confidence in your own ability to be “saved”. Seek those who know of their own inability to be acceptable to God on their own terms.
3. The Imprisoned. The proclamation of freedom for those imprisoned by sin and condemned to eternal doom. Keep your eyes open for those who feel hopelessly lost in their own problems and bondages. They desperately need hope and living for something worthwhile. Jesus Christ can free them.
4. The Blind. The recovery of sight to those who are blind in heart and mind to God’s Truth - the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Do not be afraid of those who are blinded in their understanding of God and His Word. Seek to give them God’s Light and ask for God’s empowerment to reach through their darkness.
5. The Oppressed. To set at liberty those who are spiritually oppressed – and the blessing of the Jubilee Year – the year of freedom! Reaching out to the lonely, downhearted and oppressed with the freedom of the Gospel.
Can we make it our goal to invite someone to come to Christ within the next three months?
Can we join together with one or two others in this personal venture?
• How is our own personal relationship with the Lord? We must begin here. If we are not where we should be with the Lord, we need to return to the Lord and put ourselves in an honest Spiritual place to reach out to others. If we are insecure about our own Spiritual relationship with God, now a good time to “Plant our own Flag” and confirm our relationship with Christ!
• If God brings someone into our path in the next few days…the next few weeks or months, are we prepared to give testimony to the saving Grace of Christ in our own life?
• Do we know how to present the Gospel to others? Are we prepared, should the Lord bring someone seeking Him into our path?
• Are you prepared to invite someone to know Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior, and receive Him into his or her life?
• We have been given some wonderful tools in our digital age (some are given below) to present the Gospel in a clear and powerful way. After showing this presentation to our friend(s), family, or member of your community, please follow up by sharing your own personal testimony and encouraging them to consider the claims of Christ for their own life.
“Defining Moments” and other excellent evangelistic videos can be seen online at: http://myhopewithbillygraham.org/c/videos/
Or, by going to the Church Website: www.brinnonchurch.com or www.pastorkennedy.com and clicking on the link.](What_is_Church_files/shapeimage_1.png)
