AUTHENTIC CHURCH - THE FOUNDATION (1 OF 3)
by Jerry Watts
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:3-10
This content is part of a series.
Authentic Church - The Foundation (1 of 3)
Series: The Authentic
Jerry Watts
1 Thessalonians 1:3-10
Today, we begin a series of messages that I'm entitling ''AUTHENTIC''. This is going to be an organic series that gives us the Biblical vision of the authentic Christian and Church. Today's message grew into 3 messages.
For today's message to actually mean anything, you and I must know the definitions of 2 terms. Those two words are 'authentic'and 'church.'
Authentic - means something that is real, true, genuine, like the original. Not counterfeit. The authentic is more valuable than a knockoff.
Church - this is so interesting. Most people have been members of a church for years and cannot give a Bibilcal definition of it. We know what it is, we just can't express it. Four years ago, I asked my online connections to define a church. Close to 8 dozen people responded I was amazed. Is it any wonder the modern-day church has such difficulty in this culture that is disintegrating? If you are unsure of what you are, then you are unsure of what you are to be, and then you are unsure of what to do. Years ago, at a deacon ordination service, a candidate was asked to define a church, to which he said, ''a group of baptized believers.'' Now, that is not as inaccurate as it is incomplete. Jesus said, ''I will build my church in such a way that, as it charges the gates of hell, that those gates will not prevail against it.'' The authentic church, the church that Jesus started, envisioned, died for, loves, and will return for, is a church that is more than just a gathering group of people, they are His army. A Biblical church is more like, ''a group of Baptized believers, who have voluntarily banded together to observe the ordinances of Christ and seek to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission.'' The authentic church is the visible hands and feet of Jesus here on earth, reaching, touching, loving, caring, sharing the gospel with the world, rescuing ...
Series: The Authentic
Jerry Watts
1 Thessalonians 1:3-10
Today, we begin a series of messages that I'm entitling ''AUTHENTIC''. This is going to be an organic series that gives us the Biblical vision of the authentic Christian and Church. Today's message grew into 3 messages.
For today's message to actually mean anything, you and I must know the definitions of 2 terms. Those two words are 'authentic'and 'church.'
Authentic - means something that is real, true, genuine, like the original. Not counterfeit. The authentic is more valuable than a knockoff.
Church - this is so interesting. Most people have been members of a church for years and cannot give a Bibilcal definition of it. We know what it is, we just can't express it. Four years ago, I asked my online connections to define a church. Close to 8 dozen people responded I was amazed. Is it any wonder the modern-day church has such difficulty in this culture that is disintegrating? If you are unsure of what you are, then you are unsure of what you are to be, and then you are unsure of what to do. Years ago, at a deacon ordination service, a candidate was asked to define a church, to which he said, ''a group of baptized believers.'' Now, that is not as inaccurate as it is incomplete. Jesus said, ''I will build my church in such a way that, as it charges the gates of hell, that those gates will not prevail against it.'' The authentic church, the church that Jesus started, envisioned, died for, loves, and will return for, is a church that is more than just a gathering group of people, they are His army. A Biblical church is more like, ''a group of Baptized believers, who have voluntarily banded together to observe the ordinances of Christ and seek to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission.'' The authentic church is the visible hands and feet of Jesus here on earth, reaching, touching, loving, caring, sharing the gospel with the world, rescuing ...
There are 11116 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
