Please turn with me in your Bibles to First Timothy, Chapter 3. First Timothy, Chapter 3. Having spent the week in Montville and then attending a conference in Cloverdale on Friday and Saturday, my mind and heart were certainly filled. And I must confess, I wrestled with what to bring tonight, not because of a lack, but because of an abundance.

But what I wanted to speak on specifically are verses 14 to 16 in 1 Timothy chapter 3, the identity of the church. One thing that has encouraged me over this past week is meeting brethren from various places, meeting men from various age groups, people that are definitely different in a whole host of ways. But we are unified in our Lord Jesus Christ and we are seeking to glorify and honor him in the church. I believe it was this past year, two men wrote a book, Why We Love the Church.

Those men are Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. And it's a very encouraging book. Very often we talk about how bad the church is or you hear about how much the church doesn't do this or that or how the church is failing in this particular area. Well, we have that certain promise from our Lord Jesus that he will build his church and the gates of Haiti shall not prevail against it.

And we ought to formulate a proper understanding of the church and that we, too, would write books such as Kevin DeYoung's and Ted Klotz on why we love the church. Well, I'll just begin reading in First Timothy, chapter three, at verse 14. These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. Amen. Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Our Father, we pray for Your Spirit to be upon us now. I pray that we would be encouraged at what Paul says concerning the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in this passage. God, I pray that we would be committed to pray not only for this local church, but for the church at large, that we would be mindful, Lord God, that we are but a small part of a much larger group. And Father, I pray that you would just cause us to be encouraged, to be built up and strengthened.

And God, may we indeed see the great privilege that is ours of belonging to the very house of God himself. Do forgive us now for all of our sins. Wash us afresh in the blood of the Lord Jesus and cause us to receive the things that you would have for us. And we ask in his most blessed name.

Amen.

Introduction

Well, there are actually two sections here in verses 14 to 16. The first is the identity of the church where we'll spend most of our time this evening. But then the latter verse highlights the confession. of the church, what the church is to be about in terms of confessing or professing. And so we'll touch on that as well.

But first of all, with reference to the identity of the church, there's three things we need to notice about this verse and about where it appears in this particular book. The

Paul's Plan for Ministry

first is Paul's plan for ministry. Notice what he writes in verse 14. These things I write to you. though I hope to come to you shortly. Paul founded the church in Ephesus according to Acts 19.

Here in 1 Timothy 1 at verse 3, he stationed Timothy there for a very specific reason. If you look at 1 Timothy 1 verse 3, As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus, that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. So Paul's words had come to fruition. If you remember back in Acts 20, when he's on his way from Miletus to Jerusalem, or when he's in Miletus, he sends for the Ephesian elders and he gives them this pastoral charge.

He says, therefore, take heed. to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. He says that they were to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. And then he gives as a reason for savage wolves will come in amongst the flock, not sparing the flock. He says from among yourselves, men will rise up seeking to get disciples for their own cause.

So that had transpired. And so Paul sees the urgency and the necessity of stationing his like-minded friend, his companion Timothy, here in Ephesus so that he could indeed preach, teach, and wage the good warfare. Paul wanted to come and visit Timothy so he could assist him, so he could assist the church, and so that he could silence the false teachers. But then

Paul's Purpose for Timothy

notice, secondly, his purpose for Timothy. He goes on to say in verse 15, but if I am delayed, I write so that you may so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God. So he's written to Timothy with the intent and with the plan to come and to see him. But he's written so that if he doesn't get that, if that doesn't happen, if he doesn't actually come to Timothy, he's written so that Timothy has instruction.

He has a living, vital word from the apostle on how he is to deal with the situation. The things that Paul has in mind are specifically what he's already covered in chapters one to three. These things, he says, I write to you. What things, Paul?

The things that are listed in chapters 1 up until this point to chapter 3. That includes rooting out false teachers. We've already seen that in verse 3 of chapter 1. It includes proclaiming the right use of the law.

Those men who were false teachers in Ephesus desired to be teachers of the law. They botched it up. They twisted it. They distorted it.

So Paul highlights that there is a lawful way to use the law in chapter 1 and verse 8. Paul as well wants Timothy to proclaim the glorious gospel of the blessed God. What should mark the ministry in the church? It ought not to be self-help messages.

It ought not to be just a bunch of feel-good, but rather you are to proclaim the glorious gospel of the blessed God. That is a defining characteristic of the church of Jesus Christ. It's why we exist. Various other agencies engage in helping people.

Various other agencies engage in trying to relieve suffering. The church is primarily tasked with seeking reconciliation between God and sinners through the preaching of the glorious gospel of the blessed God. Paul has told Timothy, according to chapter 1, verse 18, that he is to wage the good warfare. I think that's a very good passage for us to remember.

He says in verse 18 of chapter 1, This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. It's very often for us, in the language of John Piper, to adopt a Disneyland mentality. We are Christians, we're in the church, and we just think that everything is hunky-dory. We don't hear the bullets whizzing by.

We don't smell the smoke of the spiritual bombs that are blasting off all around us. We are engaged in a warfare. We live in a world that is antagonistic to the Christ of the Gospel. We live in a world that is in opposition to those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

It's very easy for us to forget and neglect that fact that we are engaged in warfare to the very end. We are to take no prisoners. We are to give no quarter. We are, by God's grace, to dig in our heels and to be faithful to the very end.

That means over the long haul. It means Lord's Day in and Lord's Day out as the church, as individual Christians who make up that church. It means each and every day striving to wage the good warfare. Paul has highlighted the place of prayer in the church.

Remember, these things I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God. Chapter two, verses one to seven. I want men in every place to pray. I don't want you just to sort of coast along.

I don't want you to think that you can engage in spiritual activity in a carnal manner. The very backbone and foundation of the church is prayer. Notice in First Timothy two verse one. Therefore, I exhort.

First of all, this is the first order of business. The first order of business isn't Timothy. Make sure you're the most polished preacher in Ephesus. Timothy, make sure that you know how to be okay and to minister to others so that they can be okay.

Timothy, make sure that everybody you minister to becomes a better them. No, the first order of business is prayer. We don't just tack on prayer meetings. Prayer is the vital place where the work of the ministry is engaged in.

We want to call upon God to bless the ministries of the church. We want to call upon God to bless the individuals in the church. We want to join arms with our brethren in arms in other places of the world so that we may enter in on their behalf. First of all, he says.

Your theology like that is your practice like that. Therefore, I exhort, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men. You need to be prayerful, Timothy. These things I write to you so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God.

He then deals with the place of modesty in corporate worship. Ladies, you're not supposed to come in here as if it's a fashion show. The same with men. We're to engage in God-honoring clothing, God-honoring attire, so that when we come to praise and worship God, we're not wondering what's going on over there. modesty in corporate worship, and then he deals with the place of church leadership in chapter 3 verses 1 to 13.

The two abiding offices in the Church of Christ are elder and deacon, elder and deacon. Not apostle, not prophet, not whatever. The two abiding offices in the church of the Lord Jesus are elders and beacons. So that's what he means when he says in first Timothy 314, these things I write to you.

Now, certainly it includes what is to follow to be sure. But this at a minimum, the church is to be a praying church. The church is to have qualified officers. The church is to engage in gospel ministry, preaching the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

The church is to defend sound doctrine. She is to wage the good warfare. She is to root out false teachers. She is to engage as the apostle bids in this particular verse.

Now,

The Identity of the Church

notice thirdly, under the identity of the church, Specifically, Paul's portrayal of the church.

The House of God

He says, first, it is the house of God. Isn't that great? You're part of the house of God. Remember what we've been learning in the book of Galatians.

God is our father. In Ephesians chapter 1, when Paul is celebrating every spiritual blessing that we have in the heavenly places in Christ, he says, in love, having predestinated us unto adoption as sons. We are sons of the living God. We are participants of the household of God.

We are inhabitants of a most blessed, a most choice, and a most wonderful place. Through Christ's crosswork, God has adopted us as sons and daughters and brought us into his family. So when these false teachers went into the church and when they brought confusion, when they brought disorder, when they sowed the seeds of discord, they were attacking the very house of God. There's a tunnel.

I think it's Charles Road. And it's between First Avenue and Chilliwack Central. Perhaps you've been through that tunnel at some point in your life. It's a pedestrian tunnel, not a vehicle tunnel.

I know this because the pro-life walk goes through there, the 5K. I couldn't run 10K. I was happy to get five. But you run through this tunnel, and there's graffiti in there.

Or perhaps you've seen graffiti in public places before. We don't like it, do we? It bothers us. We wonder what kind of a man or a woman would write on, or a boy or a girl, would write on a public wall.

But in the final analysis, it really doesn't bother us that much. Imagine going home from church tonight, walking into your living room and seeing some gang insignia in there. You'd be fighting mad then. You'd be 9-1-1, get over here, get the Mounties, get whoever, because someone actually had the audacity to walk into my living room and to deface my property.

The church is the house of God. The church is God's place. The church is not to be defaced. It is not to be trashed.

It is not to be mistreated. It is to be loved. It is to be cherished. It is to be fought for.

And this is a good, helpful analogy for what we often hear. You ever met people who say, oh, the church is filled with all kinds of problems. Show me a house that isn't. We got problems in the Butler house.

Does that mean we hate each other? We don't want the best for each other. No, it means we're sinners. trying to live together in a particular house. I suspect that in all of your households, at some time or another, somebody acts messed up.

Oh, Pastor, you're impugning evil. I'm just being general here. Maybe yours is the house where no one ever has any issues. Everybody just does what they're supposed to do.

Everybody just toes the line. Nobody ever says a careless word. Nobody ever says anything that grates against the others. The Church of God is made up of sinners, redeemed sinners, to be sure, but there's remaining corruption.

So we can't say that house is all messed up because there's some messed up people there. No, it doesn't follow. Where can you go where there isn't messed up people? There's only one place that I know of, and we have to die in Christ in order to get there.

The house of God, she isn't perfect. She isn't without blemish. She isn't without issue. She isn't without her sin, but she nevertheless is God's house.

So that when these false teachers came in and wrote their graffiti in it, Paul says, these things I write to you, Timothy, you don't allow them to continue on in there with their spray cans, with their gang symbols. You don't allow them to represent. You force them out because God's house is a place of integrity. God's house is a place of holiness.

God's house is made up of his people. We need to understand this with reference to the idea of how we approach God as well. Who gets to call the shots? The house holder.

The house owner. The one who has formed the family. You fathers, when you lay down laws in your house, do you allow your children to say, you know, Dad, I've heard what you say, but I don't like that. I want to substitute this for that.

This morning we were reminded about pragmatism. Pragmatism is an offense. It is to say that God's way is not the best way. We know so much better.

We're so much wiser. We have taken market polls. We have conducted research. We know that people will not sit for a 45 minute sermon.

So we're going to give them a 10 or 15 minute message. We know that wrath and hell and the anger of God is so antiquated. So today we're only going to speak about love. We're only going to speak about goodness.

We're only going to speak about happiness. The problem with that is that love, happiness, goodness, all of that loses something without the context of who God is in his anger towards sin. We are in the house of God, and we need to understand that with reference to defending it and with reference to what we do when we're here. Well, you know, God, we've heard what you say, but we're going to do this.

God said to Moses, speak to the rock. Moses yelled at the people, took his staff, and struck the rock twice, as if to say, God, my way is better. Brethren, that ought to sober us. This is not ultimately ours.

It is God's. It is His. He is the monarch. It is a Christocracy.

It is a theocracy in terms of the church. I'm not suggesting that Canada is a theocracy. I'm speaking of the church. God rules.

Christ rules from the right hand of his father. This is a wonderful and beautiful description of the church. It is the house of God. As I said, guard against the temptation to expect perfection.

I have said it before and I have done it before. I will sin against you. You will sin against me. We will sin against each other.

The house of God is not absent of those things, but the house of God is marked by the way we deal with them. We confess it. We forsake it. We seek mercy from one another.

We don't hold grudges. We don't stand off. We don't avoid people. We deal with it.

We go to one another. In the spirit of Matthew 18, if your brother sins against you, go to him. I've often thought that if we had Matthew 18 and Matthew 6 better in our minds and hearts, we would be a whole lot better off. Matthew 18 is the rule for if our brother sins against us.

What are we supposed to do? Go to him. If he sins, go to him. Brother, you sinned against me.

You don't go to him with a gun. You don't go to him with a knife. You don't go to him with a club because I'm going to fix you for what you did. No, brother, you sinned against me.

You go to him. If he hears you, then you have won your brother. It's over. We bury it, we cover it, and off we go.

We don't keep bringing it up. We don't keep putting it in that person's face. The other passage is when Jesus says, if when you go to worship, you lay down your gift on the altar, and dare you remember that someone has a problem with you, first go and be reconciled to him. Before you engage in a hypocrisy, before you engage in hypocritical worship, go to him.

Reconcile. What's the point? Before you can come to God, you've got to make sure you're walking in unity with one another. That's why Paul deals the way he does in 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

The issue wasn't necessarily there was eating and drinking to the point of gluttony and drunkenness. Now don't take that and say, Butler says we can be gluttons and drunks. No, that's not what I'm saying. What was the point?

It is to despise the Church of God when a group who has neglects those who do not. It is to assault the very unity of the body when there are some who are well healed and they won't give to their brothers and sisters. Paul says you've got to clean that up. It cannot be the case that in this feast that you have, there are some who go away having eaten and drank to the full, and there's others among you who are hungry.

That is to despise the church of God. Brethren, we are part of the house of God. God is our father. Jesus is our brother.

We are brothers one with another. Let us pray for each other. Let us encourage each other. Let us realize what we have in this place.

Let us praise God. Not because we're perfect. We are far from it. But the root of the matter is here.

And we ought to be engaged in biblical churchmanship on that account. So he describes the church as the house of God. Then

The Church of the Living God

notice he calls it the church of the living God. Pastor Kim said when he was reading earlier, we don't serve the God of the heathen. We don't serve those idols who have eyes, but they don't see that have ears, but they don't hear. They have mouths, but they don't speak.

We serve the true and the living God. We serve the living Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only God and he himself is the source and life of the church. The church is not a pagan temple where we just come in for ritual.

The church is a place where God uniquely dwells in the New Covenant community. I love that scene in Revelation chapter 1 in verse 13. Jesus is standing in the midst of the lampstands. It's not some distant spectator.

He didn't just set the church in motion and then say, well, I'll come back and see you in a couple thousand years when everything is all said and done. Jesus is in the midst of her. That's why he can go to each of those seven churches and say, I know your works. That's why he can commend what is good in those local bodies.

That's why he can condemn what is bad in those local bodies. And that's why he can tell them to repent and make things right, because he is with them. Brethren, there ought to be a holy expectation when you come here on Sunday. Not just because you're going to see your brothers and sisters, though that's a boon.

The primary blessing of New Covenant worship is that God is in this place. That God is among us. You say, well, I don't feel it. That doesn't change it.

I suspect there's people who have cancer that don't feel it, at least initially. but it doesn't change the reality that they have it. We are often governed by our feelings, brethren, and our feelings must be informed by the Word of God. Our feelings must be informed by the truth of Holy Scripture. This is what God has promised to be with his people in the new covenant community, in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So his portrayal of the church, it includes being the house of God, the church of the living God. Now,

Pillar and Ground of the Truth

notice thirdly, the pillar and ground of the truth. The pillar and ground of the truth, John Calvin said this, could it have been described in loftier language? Is anything more venerable or more holy than that everlasting truth which embraces both the glory of God and the salvation of men? Were all the praises of heathen philosophy, with which it has been adorned by its followers, collected into one heap?

What is this in comparison of the dignity of this wisdom, which alone deserves to be called light and truth and the instruction of life and the way and the kingdom of God? Now it is preserved on earth by the ministry of the church alone. We are the pillar and the ground of the truth. Each of God's human institutions have a specific function.

The family is the basic social function. It is that place where we have children, where we rear them under kingdom usefulness. We bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. We have mutual love with one another.

We have that covenant of companionship in the married state with one another. The state has a very specific role. According to Romans chapter 13, its job is to defend its citizenry by enemies. God has placed into the hand of the magistrate the sword so that he may be an avenger of God's wrath.

But the church's unique privilege The church's unique blessing is to be the pillar and the ground of the truth that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save. The church is not to try and ameliorate, that means make better, everybody's issues. The church loses her way when she engages in those things that properly belong to the family and to the state. The church is to be about the proclamation of Christ and him crucified.

That is to be her defining characteristic. That is to be her defining deed within society, is to proclaim that Christ came into the world, sinners to save. It's interesting in the pastoral epistles, 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus called that because he's writing the pastors. The emphasis in these letters is upon sound doctrine.

I realize that everybody here is probably in agreement with me. But we need to be reminded. I went all the way to New Jersey to hear that I'm supposed to read my Bible and pray. Isn't that the message?

Go to a ladies conference. What should you hear? Ladies, read your Bibles and pray. Go to a men's conference.

What should you hear? Read your Bibles and pray. You go to a youth conference. What should you hear?

Read your Bibles and pray. However many pastors get together, and you know what they hear? Read your Bibles and pray. Why is that?

Because that's the ABCs of spiritual life. You don't grow without it. You don't fight without it. You don't persevere without it.

You don't move without it. It is your very lifeline. Read your Bibles and pray. Paul emphasizes this to these men. 1 Timothy 1, verse 10.

Again, just by way of reminder. 1 Timothy 1, verse 10. For fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars. He's highlighting, I believe specifically, the Ten Commandments and the fact that men were misusing or he was highlighting a wrong use of this particular law. are these laws. And then he says, "...for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust." 1 Timothy 4, verse 6.

Specific instruction to Timothy. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine. 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 13, till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, not give attention to golf, not give attention to self-help, not give attention to a thousand other causes that may be legitimate. But Timothy, as a man of God, waging the good warfare, seeking to refute false teachers, here's what you need to be about. He says, till I come, give attention to.

Not just throw it on at the end of a busy week. Brethren, that is a mistake. I mentioned this morning two books that were very Very encouraging, very good read. One is Why Johnny Can't Preach, and the other is Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns.

And in the Why Johnny Can't Preach book, he says, you know, I meet a lot of congregations, the fellow who's writing this, you know, he hears people say, you know, our minister, he's an okay preacher. And this man says, that usually means he's not a good preacher at all. I mean, this guy's brutal. He's the kind of guy that if you had a newborn baby would probably say, that's ugly.

I mean, probably a little bit overboard. But he says, I meet these people and they say, yeah, he's not that good of a preacher, but he's really good in this, or he's really good in this, or he's got a real shepherd's heart, or he really visits, and that's good. We ought to encourage such things. But he says, I long to meet a congregation that says, you know, he's a bit awkward in visitation.

He's a little bit weird in this particular area. But man, can he preach the truth. The final analysis, brethren, Jesus prayed, sanctify them by thy truth. I don't think we have fully appreciated the impact, effect, and necessity of sound doctrine.

We need it to learn about Christ in order to be saved. We need it in order to learn about Christ, in order to live, to persevere, to go forward. Paul emphasizes this with Timothy again and again and again. 1 Timothy 4, verse 16, take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. He sees that connection.

It's not as if he's just a doctrine machine. He must be applying it. It must be adorning his life. But he is to take heed to himself and to the doctrine.

Continue in them. For in doing this, you will save both yourself and those who hear you. You see what's at stake here. Salvation.

That's what's at stake. That's why it's important. That's why the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth. We're not here amongst the outlaws and the other clubs and the social groups just to kill time while we're in this lower world.

We're here to educate men and women that God is a holy God, that he is full of wrath and anger. that He will ultimately punish sinners in hell forever and ever and ever. But God, in His grace and in His mercy, sent His Son. His Son lived under the law. His Son obeyed the law.

His Son went to the cross on behalf of sinners. His Son died and rose again so that everybody who looks to Him in faith will have everlasting life. You see, it is huge, the implications here. It is about salvation or damnation.

It's not just a couple of ideas to help you be a little happier in this world. Second Timothy, chapter one, notice in verse 13. Second Timothy, chapter one, verse 13, hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Hold it fast, Timothy.

Later on in Second Timothy, chapter four, he's going to urge him to preach the word. And he's going to give him two reasons very specifically. And the first is simply this, for the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. So what would be the temptation for a Timothy?

If men don't want sound doctrine, what might be the temptation? Well, then I'll tell them things they want to hear. I'll tell them things that will soothe them. I'll tell them things that they'll like.

No, hold fast. Don't give in. Don't neglect. Take two hands, put it on that truth, and don't let it go.

I've mentioned before there's an amusement park in California. Everybody always wants to go to Disneyland when they go to California. That's for lightweights. Go to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

They have what they call white knucklers there. White knucklers. That means you're holding on so hard to that bar lest you fall out your knuckles are white. That's what Christian truth is.

It's a white knuckler. You don't hold it with a limp wrist. You don't hold it as if it's something that isn't important. You hold it fast.

You don't let it go. The church is to be the pillar and the ground of the truth. Not letting go. Not relinquishing.

Not entertaining. Not engaged in some other form of trying to reach the people. 2 Timothy 2, verse 15. Be diligent. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God.

A worker who does not need to be ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of truth. It's amazing. Be diligent in this.

Study to show yourself. Take the Word, divide it up, preach it, teach it, and ram it down the throats of the hearers in the nicest possible way to be sure. 2 Timothy 3, 14-17. 2 Timothy 3, 14. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. And that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Note the emphasis in the pastoral epistles. It is not upon the continuing sign gifts. It is not upon the continuing revelatory gifts.

It is to take that body of apostolic doctrine, hold it fast and proclaim it faithfully to the churches of Jesus Christ. Brethren, we are in the blessed and privileged position of being the house of God, the church of the living God, and the very pillar and ground of the truth. In the words of Gordon Clark, he says, in less metaphorical language, this means that the church proclaims, defends, and propagates the gospel. Its task is to declare all of God's revealed truth.

That is a great summary statement that does encapsulate this portion of teaching and much of the New Testament data in less metaphorical language. This means that the church proclaims, defends and propagates the gospel. Its task is to declare all of God's revealed truth. That is the identity of the church.

The Confession of the Church

Secondly, and quickly notice the confession of the church. Verse 16. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

What does Paul say? He says it's all about Jesus Christ. It's all about the Lord who came in the likeness of flesh. It is all about the Lord who died for sinners and who rose again.

Patrick Fairbairn says this was the thought in St. Paul's mind, that the great revelation of the religious life is Christ. The church is defined by her Christology. God was manifested in the flesh.

That is true of Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, the Logos. Remember in John 1, 1, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Drop down to verse 14. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

We beheld his glory. He is full of grace and truth. The church is to be about Jesus manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit. The idea, I think, there has to do with Romans chapter one and verse four.

It's not that Jesus needed justifying because he was sinful, but he was declared to be the son of God with power at the resurrection. The idea going on is that he's seen by angels and preached among the Gentiles. That is his work displayed. The angels behold Him at the cross.

The fallen angels, the elect angels. They see Him accomplish redemption. And then Jesus is preached among the Gentiles. This is why we go and testify that Jesus saves.

Jesus saves. He not only engaged in this work, but we are tasked with preaching it, proclaiming it, telling men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation of what Christ has done. This is why Paul tells the Philippians that they are to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation, holding forth the word of truth. They are to be light bearers and they are to be bold witnesses testifying for the glory of Christ.

Dr. Ware brought that out. We are not only to be witnesses but worshippers. Those two W's ought to define us as the people of God.

Witness for Him and worship unto Him. And then His work is embraced. His work is received. His work is confirmed.

He's believed on in the world. And He is received up in glory. God is well pleased with the Father. God highly exalts Him and gives Him a name which is above every name.

That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. Every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So the church's identity is highlighted in verses 14 and 15, and the church's confession is all about Christ in verse 16, called here the mystery of godliness. Mystery means for Paul something that was previously not revealed, but has now been revealed.

And this centers on the glory and the person of Jesus Christ. Well,

Application

in conclusion, by way of application, I think it's helpful for us first to consider some other descriptions of the church. I want you to love the church. I really do. I want you to write a book someday that says why I love the church or why we love the church.

It doesn't even have to be this church, but be some church. Consider what we have. Consider what you're a part of. Consider your identity.

Consider what God has done in your lives. We are a holy and a royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices to God. That's amazing. Wasn't that Israel's purpose among the nations of the earth?

Isn't that what God said in Exodus chapter 19? Well, as we know, Israel failed, but Jesus, the true Israel, was successful. So now, by virtue of this redemptive work, the church in him is the new Israel, the true Israel, the spiritual Israel. And according to 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 5, we are a holy and a royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices to God.

We don't engage in priestcraft. You don't go to a little box or a little booth to pour out your heart to some human priest. We have Jesus as the high priest of a better covenant. And we, by virtue of His work, are all priests unto God.

You know what the priest does? The priest has access to the Father. The prophet comes from God to proclaim the Word to the people. The priest goes to God on behalf of the people.

You get to pray. You get to worship. You have access. You can come with boldness to the throne of grace to find help in your time of need based on what Christ has done.

We are a chosen generation and a holy nation belonging to God in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9. Remember when Jesus is condemning unbelieving Israel in Matthew 21, He says, I will take the kingdom from you and I will give it to a nation bearing fruits consistent with it. Who is that nation? Is it America?

Is it Canada? Is it a place in Africa? It's the church according to Peter in 1 Peter chapter 2. We are a temple indwelled by the Spirit of God according to Ephesians 2, 21 and 22.

It's amazing. I've got to say, if I was the Spirit, I wouldn't want to hang out in me. But that's how good, merciful, kind and gracious our God is. He indwells us.

He's with us. He's our on-board guide in all of life. We have the Spirit. We are branches connected to Jesus, who is the true vine, according to John 15.

What does that mean? It means we must feed on him. We must read our Bibles and pray so that we may grow strong in that connection. We are a flock led by the good shepherd, according to John chapter 10.

Remember, he said, I came that they might have life and that they might have it abundantly. He doesn't just apportion out a little bit of life. Okay, you've got enough. I came that you may have it abundantly.

Remember the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55? Why do you spend your wages on that which does not satisfy? Why are you eating garbage? Why are you eating muck?

Why are you eating things that are not fit for consumption? God through the prophet says, come, buy wine and milk. Come feast without money. We are a body of which Jesus Christ is the head, Ephesians chapter one, verses 22 to 23.

You see, God was well pleased with what Christ did. So he exalted him, stationed him at his right hand, gave him universal and comprehensive authority over all things to the church. The church is central in God's plan. And we are the church which is blood-bought according to Acts 20, 28.

Marvelous exposition of that passage by the Puritan Richard Baxter. And one of the things that he urges upon his readers is the fact that we ought to consider the great dignity of the people of God. Yeah, we're miserable sinners. Yeah, we're wretches.

Yeah, we're all of that. But by virtue of the fact that Jesus died for us and rose again, we are blood-bought children of God. We have dignity. We have worth.

We have value. Not in some humanistic, self-esteem way that ultimately isn't. But we have value because of what Christ has done on our behalf. Secondly,

The Privilege of the Church

we need to consider the privilege that is ours. The church proclaims, defends, and propagates the Gospel. You may say, but I'm not a pastor. I'm not a preacher.

You're a prayer. You have some role to engage within the body of Christ. You have something that you do to advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ. I've often thought that the ones who get the biggest crowns are probably not going to be those men who preached in various places and all these things.

It's going to be the faithful brothers and sisters that labored in obscurity behind the scenes where only God alone saw them. There is no work insignificant in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Isn't this what Paul tells us after having taught on the resurrection? He says, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Labor is not in vain in the Lord. You say, well, that's that's just horrible. Step it up. You can do better.

Now, we could step it up and do better, but God sees our works in Christ and He receives them and He is pleased with them. In our lives and in our doctrine, we have the privilege of setting forth the glories of Christ to a world that needs the message desperately.

Responsibility of the Church

Thirdly, consistent with the privilege that is ours, there is a responsibility as well. There is a responsibility to let our conduct be worthy of the Gospel. Yes, there'll be sin in the church, but we need to deal with it. Yes, there'll be hypocrisy in the church, but we need to deal with it.

Yes, there'll be issues in the church. We need to deal with it. We have a responsibility as a royal priesthood, as a chosen nation, to actually engage in light bearing to actually let our good works adorn the doctrine of Christ our Savior.

Resisting Pragmatism

Fourthly, I mentioned this earlier. I alluded to Heinz's message this morning. Pragmatism. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 4 for just a moment.

Pastor Ted Donley preached on this section in two sessions on Thursday. And it was most excellent. Notice 2 Timothy 4. I already said that Paul gives two reasons for the command.

I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Here's the command. Preach the word. That's the command.

This is the last letter that Paul wrote prior to his death. What mattered for Paul in the 11th hour? Not his estate. Not his goods.

Not his retirement home. What mattered for Paul was that Timothy preach the Word. When all is said and done, Timothy, amongst your various ministerial duties, make this the crown. Make this the main thing.

Preach the Word. He then describes the manner in which Timothy is to do this. Be ready in season and out of season. When you preach, don't just throw it out there as suggestions.

Don't just throw it out there as something that you can take or leave. No, Timothy, when you preach the word convict or convince, reprove. Why? Because we err, we sin, we're prone to wander, prone to leave the God we love.

We need to come under faithful preaching so that our sin is reproved, or rebuked rather, and we go back to our Lord Jesus. He says to exhort. Not only must we be rebuked, we must be exhorted with the proper conduct. But notice, Timothy, you're to do this with all longsuffering and teaching.

Be patient, Timothy. I've often thought the most patient man in the world ought to be a Calvinist. The most patient man in the world ought to be a Calvinistic post-millennialist, but that's a whole different discussion. Timothy, don't get mad.

Don't get frustrated. Don't get angry. Don't beat them about the head when they don't do what God says. With long-suffering.

What does that teach us? Just by way of an aside, in the way that God deals with us. God is long-suffering with us. Again, that morning message this morning.

God could have said, look, Moses, look what you lost. I guess you'll learn next time not to smack rocks twice. Because of that, Moses, you're on your own. God buried him.

God tended to him. God cared for him. Our God is long-suffering with us. And Timothy, when you convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering, do a teaching.

You don't reach the heart through the feelings. You reach both through the mind. You teach the Scripture. People ought to understand their Bibles.

People ought to understand the exposition of Scripture. God communicated to be understood. Don't mess that up, Timothy. Make sure that when people come to hear you preach, they are learning what the passage means.

Now notice, here's his two reasons. Verse three, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. Second reason is verse 6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. The second reason is simply this.

Paul is about to die. He wants to make sure Timothy is going to be faithful. He wants to make sure that when he passes the Jordan River and he enters into Emmanuel's land, his young ministerial companion is faithfully executing his task, his charge in the proclamation of the truth. So Paul's teaching in the second point is I'm leaving, so I want you to preach the word.

But let's look at that first reason. Notice in verse three, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. Paul would fail church growth 101. What happens when the church will not endure sound doctrine?

We give them what they want. We tell them what they want to hear. We cuddle them. We play games with them.

Not Paul. Paul says there's a time coming, Timothy, when they will not endure sound doctrine. So what's the answer? Preach sound doctrine.

It doesn't matter what they think they need. God knows what they need. It doesn't matter what they think they want. God knows what they need.

Now, notice this. But according to their own desires. That's sad. We will actually enter into the fray and say, my desires trump God's mandate.

What I want is more important than what God says I need. You might take the dropper full of Tylenol to put it in your kid's mouth. I'm supposing or assuming that you all agree, if you don't, supply whatever it is that you put in there that's good. The kid says, no, I don't want that.

Just give me a lollipop. I've got a raging fever, 103 degrees. I want a lollipop because that will make it all go away. Oh yes, junior, let me give you the lollipop.

No, you squeeze the Tylenol into their mouths. Whether they gag or retch or whatever it may be because they don't like the taste. And yet in the church, my desires, my preferences, my whatever trumps God the Lord. Isn't that what he says?

The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires. And this is sick, too. Because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. It's unfortunate, but there's always somebody out there to satisfy desires.

If there's a paycheck in it, if there's prestige in it, if there's something in it, sure, I'll tell you what you want to hear. Sure, I'll tell you what you want to believe. Sure, I'll tell you what you want to know. Isn't that what Paul is saying here?

What's the antidote? Do what I'm commanding you to do. Preach the word. Be ready in season.

Be ready out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort. Do so with all longsuffering and teaching. Realizing there is a season coming.

There is a generation coming that will not endure sound doctrine. They will want to tailor things to their own desires. They'll heap up for themselves teachers. That's a sick scene.

But the answer is not to concede. The answer is to dig in, be faithful, and preach the word. He goes on to say, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things.

Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. The temptation of pragmatism is to substitute something else for what God has declared.

We often hear the words, regulative principle of worship. Al Martin mentioned an essay. It's a collection of essays that was presented in memory, probably memory. I don't know if he was alive when this book was written, but James Montgomery Boyce died.

And they wrote a collection of essays about worship. And Pastor Martin referenced one by Ligon Duncan. And basically, Ligon Duncan said, with reference to worship, we read the Word. We preach the Word.

We sing the Word. We pray the Word. We see the Word. That's a great, great encapsulation of what we're to do in worship.

We read the Word. We preach the Word. We sing the Word. Pray the Word and we see the Word.

What do you mean by seeing the Word? We see it right there when somebody goes into the water. We see it right here when we participate in the Lord's table. That is wherein genuine liberty lies.

And then

Entrance into the House of God

fifthly and finally, the means of entrance into the house of God. I know many churches have new believers classes. Many churches will have you read their confession and their constitution. Many churches will have you meet with the elders to discuss entrance into a particular local church.

That's not what I'm talking about. The way into the church is through Christ. The way into everlasting life is by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to Him.

Come to the one who alone can give you forgiveness and righteousness. Come to Christ in order to have everlasting life. It's not that you come to Free Grace Baptist Church and by virtue of that, you'll enter into heaven. Come to Jesus and by virtue of that, you'll enter into heaven.

Come to the Lord of glory alone. And you will have rest for your soul. Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank you for the word of God. We thank you for this section in Paul's epistle. We just pray that you would help us to be faithful, God, and to persevere and to love your truth, to love the fact that we are part of the very house of God, that we are part of the church of the living God, and to see that as the pillar and ground of the truth. And we pray for your peace to be upon us here.

We pray for other churches here in Chilliwack. We pray for churches throughout Canada that there would be an emphasis upon the truth of God, the glory of God, the gospel of free and sovereign grace. And we pray that you would do a mighty work in our generation, God. Pour out your spirit and revive your people and awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins.

We ask these things for your glory and for your honor, and we pray through Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• Exodus 19
• Isaiah 55
• Matthew 6; 18; 21
• John 1:1; 1:14; 10; 15
• Acts 19; 20; 20:28
• Romans 1:4; 13
• 1 Corinthians 11
• Ephesians 1:3-5; 1:22-23; 2:21-22
• Philippians 2:15
• 1 Timothy 1:3; 1:10; 1:18; 2:1; 2:1-7; 3:1-13; 3:14; 3:14-16; 4:6; 4:13; 4:16
• 2 Timothy 1:13; 2:15; 3:14-17; 4; 4:3; 4:6
• 1 Peter 2:5; 2:9
• Revelation 1:13