1 Corinthains 1:2 – What Is the Church Here For? – Bible study

1Corinthians 1:2 What is the church here for? 1Co 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints. Tonight I would like to spend our time asking and answering the question, "What is the church here for?" When we stand before the Lord at the Bema Seat, and God calls all the members of the Green Pond Baptist Church, the 2018 Version, before Him, what standard will be judged by? What will He have expected us to accomplish? I. The Green Pond Baptist Church should be a presence. A. The very presence of a Christian should have an effect on the world around us. 1. If Christians have to speak to be heard we have failed. a. Do not get me wrong. b. We have a message and we must proclaim it, but even without our mouths closed, the church should make an impact on a lost world. 2. The message must translate into our life and living. 3. A Christ-like presence will depend on our walk with God. a. It takes a hot fire and a holy life to produce a Christian presence for the Lord. b. Anything else only creates fodder for jokes. B. Our presence should create thirst. Matt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 1. The idea of creating a thirst is that the church should create a DESIRE for God. a. We are supposed to have the kind of life that the lost would envy. b. I do not believe (as many modern-day Christians advocate) that this relates to our wealth or material substance. c. I think it relates to our joy, peace, and confidence in God. 2. A life filled with and lived for Christ will produce those qualities. C. Our presence should give light. Matt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 1. Light speaks of DIRECTION or guidance. Light is used to show the way. 2. Direction runs in two different ways. a. There is the direction I have gone. b. There is the direction I am going to go. 3. Older saint have the ability to demonstrate something younger Christians cannot. They can demonstrate that God works. a. People shouldnt be too quick to follow something that hasnt been proven to work. b. Young Christians can demonstrate faith that the Bible WILL work but only experienced Christians can demonstrate success that the Bible HAS worked. c. If the Christian life doesnt work, why follow it? d. So, my presence before you tonight is show you the light, Gods Word, works! (1) It works in rearing your children. (2) It works in giving mental stability. (3) It works in giving martial bless. (4) It works in handling your finances. (5) It works in building relationships. D. Our presence should withhold. 2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 1. Withhold means to hinder or DETER. a. Our existence hinders Satan. b. Our actions should hinder Satan. 2. I am afraid some Christians are not deterring Satan as much as encouraging him. 3. I find a. Too many Christians are compromising with sin instead of condemning it. b. Too many Christians are exploiting grace instead of expounding it. c. Too many Christians are fellowshipping with the devil instead of fleeing from Him. 4. And I believe that leaves too many Christians encouraging the devil instead of deterring Him. E. When people look at the members of the Green Pond Baptist Church, do they see 1. a God they desire, 2. a direction that works, 3. and a force that deters evil? II. The Green Pond Baptist Church should be a power. A. We are the power of God on earth today. 1. Do we like reading about Moses calling down the power of God? Thats us. 2. Do we like reading about David who was used of God to do impossible things? Thats us. 3. Do we like reading about Isaiah and Jeremiah who knew the mind of God? Thats us. B. We have power when we believe. 1. 98 times the word faith or believe is used in gospels. Mt 17:20 If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Mr 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. Mr 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 2. Our faith is only visible to the world when we are walking in it and the only time we can walk in faith is when we having problems. a. Talking about faith does not impress people much. b. Only when we are walking in our faith and it is sustaining us can other people see it. 3. How do we do that? a. In our bad times, we believe in the PROMISES OF GOD. (1) Gods promises are very specific and verifiable. (2) We either stand on them or we dont. (3) i.e. tithing, soul winning, worship b. In our bad times, we believe in the GOODNESS OF GOD. (1) To believe in the goodness of God is even more of a challenge than to believe in the promises of God. (2) A promise is a specifically worded, verifiable, black ink on white paper prediction. (3) When we start talking about believing in the goodness of God, it usually means that we have run out of promises. (a) There are no specific promises telling you that your loved one will trust Christ. (b) There are no specific promises telling you that you will find a job. (c) There are no specific promises telling you that you will be healed of that disease. (4) Now, we are in virgin territory, where no man has gone before. Now we must rely on Gods goodness. (a) WHATEVER GOD DOES, God is good. (b) WHATEVER GOD DOES, God is worthy. (c) WHATEVER GOD DOES, God is trustworthy (5) To believe in the goodness of God is not a guarantee that better things are coming but that no matter what happens, we can and will trust God. c. In our bad times, we believe in the LEADERSHIP OF HOLY GHOST. (1) We believe that we have not arrived where we are by accident. God has brought us here. (2) We believe that if this is where we are to stay, God has a plan to use. (3) We believe that if God wants to move us to another place, it is always best to follow Him. C. We have power when we pray. 1. Prayer is not preparation for the work. It is the work. Mt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Mr 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. 2. Yet prayer is very difficult. a. It is difficult because it requires time and discipline. b. Even so, prayer is one of our most valuable and powerful weapons. D. We have power when we fast. Mt 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Mt 9:15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. Mt 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. E. We have more power when we unite. Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Mt 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. F. Each of these is a step that increases our power. III. The Green Pond Baptist Church should be a proclaimer. A. Here is what I meant earlier when is said we have a message. 1. That message is the gospel, the good news that Jesus saves. 2. We should preach and teach the gospel. Mt 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 3. Some years ago, a faithful church member mentioned to me they werent certain that we were really a missions- minded church. a. They were talking about the need for us to do more through our giving to missions. b. I am always for that, but I must tell you that no amount of sending money over there will replace the need and the duty for the Christian to proclaim the gospel right here. B. We should preach and teach the Word. Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Ro 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 1. Do we understand the power of the gospel? It recuses sinners from hell. 2. Do we understand that if we do not tell them, no one will? That makes us the only means of their rescue. What is the church for? In a nutshell, we represent God to the whole world. Are you happy with the picture of God we are presenting?