October 7, 2018
Morning Service

Matthew 16:18 … I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Colossians 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up the things lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, on behalf of His body, which is the church;

 

Romans 12:4-5  For even as we have many members in one body, and all members do not have the same function,  (5)  so we the many are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another.

 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it,

 

1 John 3:16 By this we have known the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

 

In 1978 a new fellowship of the Lord’s church was established.  It was named “The Bride of Christ Fellowship.” (2Cor. 11:2)  The Lord led Jerry to step out by faith and start a church that just simply preached the Word of God.  It has now been 40 years that Jerry said “Yes” to that calling.  This all happened as a result.  Along life’s journey, each of our paths have somehow, sometime passed through these doors or the ones on the old 3^rd & Warren church and said “Yes” to being part of this Fellowship as well.  God has indeed been faithful to us.  As you look around this morning you see people who you have done life with.  We have celebrated together the miracle of new life and cried together as we mourned losing loved ones.  We have been together through sickness and in health; in good times and in bad.  You will see people you have prayed for and people who have prayed for you.  You see those who have helped you in a time of need and you will see those whom you have helped.  I see many of you that I have baptized and I see adults who I taught as children at the “Little House” who now teach my grandchildren.  We, in following Christ and doing life together, have proved that we are the church.

 

 John 13:35 By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another.

·        Love never fails.  Love and your walk with Christ are inseparable. Our love one for another has become an incredible witness that we indeed are true disciples of Jesus Christ.  Together we make up this church.  It is just as God has designed it.  We are stronger together.  We need each other.

1 Corinthians 12:25-27 that there not be division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.  (26)  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it.  (27)  And you are the body of Christ, and members in part.

·        We laugh together and we cry together.  We pray together and we praise together.  We all play our part.  In Romans 12 and I Cor. 12, Paul explains that we are each a different part of the same body (church) and we bring our own unique gifts and abilities with us.  The challenge for us is to find how we can best apply what we bring with us to make this church better.

 

Ephesians 4:15-16 But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; (16)  from whom the whole body, fitted together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of each part, producing the growth of the body to the edifying of itself in love.

·        We give each other opportunities to grow and edify (build up) each other.  I know you can look around this morning and see those who have encouraged you in some way or their testimony inspired you on to a closer relationship with God.  Today is a day that we need to celebrate those relationships.  God, in His wisdom, has placed us here to walk this road called life together.  We are here to give and to receive.  We are a group of believers brought together by our common faith in Jesus Christ. We all love God’s Word and seek to live by it. We have all answered Jesus’ call to “Follow Me.” One other thing that binds us to together is the fact that we have something else in common.  We are not perfect.  (Yet)

 

1 John 1:7-8  But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  (8)  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

·        By admitting to each other that we do have struggles, fears and failures we bring it out into the light and we can be seen as what we all really are; sinners saved by the grace of God.  It takes courage and humility to admit our faults, but we are encouraged when we know we are not alone.  The church is not made up of perfect people who have no problems.  The church is full of “real” people who do face problems, trials, and temptations just like you and me.  We are called to love imperfect sinners just like God does.  We have that in common.  We are better together.  That is how God designed His church so that the gates of hell could not prevail against it.

Rick Warren in his book “The Purpose Driven Life,” gives five basic needs that we all need to have fulfilled in our lives.

·        A purpose to live for

·        People to live with

·        Principles to live by

·        Profession to live out

·        Power to live it

The church is the only place on earth you can find all five needs fulfilled. God of course is the architect so what do we expect?  Our basic needs in life are fulfilled in being part of Christ’s body, the church.  We are first committed to Christ and secondly committed to each other.  Today is a day to celebrate the church; to celebrate each other.  To celebrate Jerry saying “Yes” to the Lord 40 years ago and the Lord continuing to bless us for it.  It is a day to celebrate each of us saying “Yes” to the Lord and continuing this work if He wills until He returns.  We are better together.

 

Lord, thank You for allowing us to be part of something as great as Your church.