The Church God loves to bless (pt 2)

Which leads us to #2, God blesses Churches that Submit themselves entirely to the Bible.

It’s easy for Churches to claim in their doctrinal statements that they submit themselves to the authority and sufficiency of the Word. To write something on paper is not very difficult. Many churches say they are committed to the Word 100%. They believe they submit themselves to the Lorship of Christ. How then does Christ exercise His Lordship over the church today? Christ governs His Church through the written Word. It’s Christ’s church, thus where the Bible speaks, we have an obligation both to listen and obey.

The Bible must remain central or human wisdom and pragmatic thinking will slowly take over a Church. One of the great tragedies in the American church today is that so many congregations have abandoned the Word of God… Yet most don’t do this wholesale. In time, small deviations lead a ship totally off course, right? Churches begin to water down the sermon. 45 minute theological expositions are replaced with shallow 30 minute evangelical principlizing pulpit lessons. Churches begin to gut the Sunday School curriculum. It’s the current trend among many churches to shorten doctrinal statements (if one even bothers posting it online).

Yet we know that God has given us His Spirit and the Word as roadmaps for life. He has not left us here without guidance and direction. Christ still wants to govern and lead His Church.

Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 remind us the Scripture is sufficient to save and to sanctify! 2 Timothy 3:15-17, And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. If we had more time we’d dig into Psalm 19 and Psalm 119. The Bible is sufficient in all things pertaining to life and godliness.

In reading through the Scriptures it’s clear to me that God blesses Churches that submit themselves to His Revelation. For the most part I don’t care what your church name is (First Baptist, Crossroads, Grace Community, Grace Baptist), but I do care about what your church is known for. In this regard we all should be known as BIBLE churches (whether we call ourselves Freeport Bible Church or Grace Bible Church or not).

Let’s return to Matthew 16 for a moment. Matthew 16:17-18, And Jesus answered him (Peter), “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What Jesus said in v. 17 is startling…Blessed are you for giving the right answer (Peter)…But don’t get puffed up my brother, “for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

I don’t think Simon Peter received a special vision from heaven telling him who Jesus Christ really was. I don’t think Peter had a Damascus road encounter like Saul did. Simon Peter received God’s revelation by hearing the words of Jesus Christ! Every Word that came out of Jesus’ mouth was Divine. Jesus only spoke that what God revealed to Him. His bread was to do and speak the will of His Father in heaven.

Peter was able to answer Jesus’ question correctly because God revealed it to him. Now some of us might want to stop right here and say, “That’s not fair! I’d give up my right leg for the chance to have been one of Jesus’ disciples”

That of course is where 2 Peter 1:17-21 comes in. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (To be continued)