1689 London Baptist Confession (part 63)

Our great God and Savior we come before you this morning thankful For all that you have done for us

For all that you have done to us for all that you have done through us. You are a great

God and worthy of all praise Lord as we come before you this morning, we would pray that you would bless our time as we look to What you teach in your word about the church

What the confession of faith says about it how we might view it and come to understand the really the historical issues that were so prevalent

Then at the time of the Reformation and still have a great Import for us now

Lord bless our time in Jesus name. Amen. Well, so we started talking about the church a few weeks ago a month ago

And To just kind of review briefly where we were we talked about the

Catholic Church Not in the sense of the Roman Catholic Church, but the church universal the church invisible which means basically every believer we talked about the word

Ecclesia from which we get ecclesiastical Which means it's a Greek word and it means or it's translated church and it means called out ones

We're gonna be talking more about that what that means this morning and we come to this part of the confession

Talking about the church again all persons throughout the world professing the faith of the gospel and Obedience unto

God by Christ according unto it not destroying their own profession by any errors averting or undermining the foundation

And you know what while I'm on that let me just give you an example of what that means Someone says

I'm a Christian but They're well known for being dishonest in their business dealings

What's your first thought? Your first thought ought to be well, how can somebody who does that call themselves a

Christian? Somebody says that they're a Christian and yet they're living with their boyfriend or girlfriend

Again that's everting or undermining their profession of faith So let me continue

Not destroying their own profession by any errors averting the foundation or unholiness of conversation

Are and may be called visible saints and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted

One source I found online says this all Christians are saints It's not a title which the

Pope places on some people who were holy Being a saint contrary to the usual meaning of the term does not mean being perfect It means being someone who is set apart by God for holy use

Everyone who professes the true faith of the gospel may be called a saint and welcomed as a brother or sister

Obviously some professing believers will be just that Professors of the faith but not possessors of the faith.

They are welcomed into our fellowship Receive the sacraments unbeknownst to us that they are not actually true believers

We cannot look into people's hearts, but we must listen to what comes out of their mouths and what their conduct is

Somebody says are you a fruit inspector? What do they mean? They mean you go to the store and pick up tomatoes and oranges and stuff and look at them and know

Talking about people who look at your life. Is that a bad thing to do? When people apply to be a member of Bethlehem Bible Church, I mean, they're basically two ways you can go about church membership

One is to Mason. Well, there are three and I prefer the third that we don't practice but leaving that aside

You could take church membership seriously or you can treat it as basically a farce You can just accept everybody's application no matter what or you can exact actually examine the application and talk to the person and Try as much as you can to discover whether that person is actually a

Christian or not Whether they're a possessor of the faith or just a professor of the faith

So if you look at somebody's life if you actually inspect their fruit, would you see something that is consistent or reasonably so with Christian conduct if a man is living with three wives

We probably wouldn't accept them into membership two wives better chance

Okay, enough said about that. The confession teaches that professing Christians should belong to particular congregations

We like to think we're pretty particular here We don't just accept anybody

It just means individual congregations and we'll talk a little bit more about that to the importance of that and especially as we talk about it historically

The Christian must belong to a local body of Christ And a professor

I used to I like to quote this because it's true Professor in seminary he said he was talking about ministry and here's what he said.

He said the Lone Ranger is The Dead Ranger, what was his point about that?

pastors out there in the ministry who just try to do everything themselves and don't have fellowship with other pastors are going to die on the vine

But how much more true is that of Christians the Lone Ranger is the Dead Ranger? You're a Christian, but you don't want to belong to a church.

You're a Christian, but you don't want to have fellowship with Saints Now you may be a

Christian, but you are going to starve spiritually, right You are out in the wilderness on your own trying to survive.

You know, it's it's a Christian survivor thing That is not how the

Bible describes Christians what we're supposed to do and if you think about the

New Testament How many of the New Testament books are epistles written to churches?

the importance on the local church throughout the New Testament is very apparent moving on in the

Confession says this the purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error and Some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan nevertheless

Christ always hath Hath had and ever shall have a kingdom in this world to the end thereof that of such as believe in him and make profession of his name and I want to address the last part first because Frankly I didn't make any notes about the first part or the last part.

There's always a faithful remnant. There are always Christians There are always believers.

There's always been believers even since You know the flood and before that there have always been a few

There have always been those, you know in the Old Testament who wouldn't bow the knee to bail who were faithful to the

Lord Who suffered persecution? When the Lord came back and was resurrected there were how many 500 that saw him, right?

there were always a few and I was I was kind of playing then I thought if we think about Christianity and I've said similar things before but it really struck me

That Christianity it might be the ultimate proof that evolution is a lie

Even the thought of evolution is a lie. Why would I say that? evolution is based on survival of the fittest

The strong survive that kind of thinking well, what's true about Christianity? What's that?

It's all about the weak Where will we learn that in Scripture? I think first Corinthians is an excellent choice.

That's where I open my Bible. So, thank you Good job. First Corinthians 118

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing But to us or we're being saved it is the power of God for it is written

I Will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age has God has not

God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know

God through wisdom It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe and going on to chapter 2

And when I came to you brothers I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness and in fear and a much trembling and my speech my message were not in plausible words of wisdom

But in demonstration of the spirit and of power so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men

But in the power of God We see this over and over again

And I was thinking Taking a step further Islam Starts in well near Mecca and Medina But they actually have to conquer.

I think what's what's the first city they conquer? I think it was Medina, but could be Mecca They actually have to conquer it and they spread by force of arms

Christianity starts in the heart of Judaism where there are people called zealots, you know,

I mean there there's a group of Jews who are super zealous and There are you know, of course a larger group there are

Pew pew warmers to steal a phrase But it starts in the heart of Judaism Persecuted by Jews persecuted by Romans Eventually Certain parts of the

Roman Empire chased into the hills and someone will say yes But it was made the official religion of Rome sure in 325

AD right But for a few hundred years before that it's nothing

Except it continues to grow Not by power that we can see humanly

But by the power of God The strong didn't survive the weak Survived it was it's often been said that it was you know

Spread the gospel was spread by the blood of the martyrs the more persecution there was the stronger the church

Became which is counterintuitive, but God has always had a faithful remnant

Now let's talk about How does the church so degenerate as it says in the confession so degenerate as to become not a church at all

And it says here a synagogue of Satan well, what would a synagogue of Satan look like This is a recent example.

I don't know how many of you have ever heard of Nadia Bowles Weber. She's a female

Lutheran pastorina pastorette pastor She recently melted purity rings shaped them into something obscene and presented it to feminist

Gloria Steinem They call this is a Christianity today they call her a controversial pastor

Who has defended the use of so -called now this is this really must take some work?

I I didn't bother to research this you have to trust me She has defended the use of so -called ethically sourced porn and She first announced her art project at the 2018 makers conference where she explained she wants to quote take down the church's teachings around sex and evangelical purity culture the thing this thing about women that the church has tried to hide and control and that is a

Canvas upon which other people can write their own righteousness. It's actually ours She told the

Huffington Post This part of me is mine, and I get to determine. What is good for it, and if it's beautiful And how

I use it in the world I? There's nothing you could say about that other than that is distinctly not

Christian and any church that she Pastors would have to be would have to fall under the synagogue of Satan and certainly not every church that bears the name

Church is actually a church that bears the gospel right any more than anybody who says they're a

Christian is actually a Christian But historically I think we should understand again that this idea of synagogue of Satan refers to the

Roman Catholic Church Why? Well first of all they were under persecution

From the Roman Catholic Church they were basically at war with it But what are some areas of the

Roman Catholic Church teaching that are distinctly Anti -christian okay,

I had that actually good for me good job the idea that a priest

Resacrifices Jesus every time they have the mass yeah That's it's a major problem because it's saying

Jesus said it is finished the Roman Catholic Church says it is never finished It's ongoing

Jesus work is not done That's a major problem, and it is inherently anti -christian other areas

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about myself

Joanie said purgatory I Had that but I I had it sort of under something else, but I'll take credit for it anyway

Purgatory because it says that your sins are not completely paid for by Jesus that you go to a holding tank that you may actually experience pain and suffering and Pay for your own sins which may take centuries or thousands of years nobody really knows but I did put this down because it's pertinent to the

Reformation the whole idea of indulgences. I mean now you might hear of an indulgence.

I think one of the Kennedy's I don't remember I'll Teddy paid to An indulgence to the church to get his first marriage annulled

So they could get married again in the Roman Catholic Church That's kind of a new concept of indulgence the old concept was you gave money to the church to spring your

Relatives out of purgatory imagine. You know your mom Died she was a faithful Roman Catholic well the

Catholic Church teaches that she's in Purgatory suffering and you can write a check for a thousand dollars or five thousand dollars or whatever and get her out of purgatory

Aren't you gonna? Do that? What can a heartless son or daughter are you? Why would you not spare your mom or your dad or your aunt or your uncle brother or sister whatever?

that pain Which means more to you your money or your relative suffering that would be the idea, but ultimately what that denies?

The efficacy of Jesus death right? Other Anti -christian or un -christian or anti -biblical views, okay, well the existence of the

Pope My uncle posted something funny last night I don't know if anybody saw it a little two -minute video and in it.

It's a British TV show And they said is the Pope Catholic you know what the correct answer is

No, he's actually Eastern Orthodox He's the only person who claims the title of Pope is

Eastern Orthodox the Pope of course has the title of Pope is just a

Italian kind of nickname for the Pope But his titles his titles are unbelievable.

I didn't write them all down, but I mean you know the one that most offends me is vicar of Christ Because it suggests that he rules the church in place of the

Lord Jesus Christ Yeah, well yeah, and he's infallible which but that's only when he speaks.

You know on The electric chair or whatever it's called when he speaks Ex -cathedra which means in the chair, but I don't know you know if he's strapped in or what you know tell the truth

But he makes no mistakes when it comes to doctrine other other ones yes

Okay, sasserdotal ism is the word. I like to use the dispensing of grace through the sacraments

Yes, I didn't have that one down so bonus points for you. Yes, the idea that you have to participate in these sacraments and baptism and the mass and last rites and First rites and middle rites whatever they're all called yes

I have that one down Mary She's only grown since then

I mean they've added new offices to her Since the time of the Reformation, but even at the time of the

Reformation she had an unbiblical role with regard to salvation other

Yes, okay Idolatry worshiping images absolutely

I mean that's a that's yet another problem Janet confessing their sins to a priest

Yep, I would go for that that is anti -christian. Yes, Andrew Veneration of the

Saints they don't worship them That's funny you say that because in this English thing right here's the

Pope standing here And there are these other guys around and these robes and stuff like that but none of them have hats and so one of the commentators says well, you know the

Pope is the guy whose hat landed first and Maybe laugh, but yeah, there's a real hierarchy, right?

In which you know the the priests, and then there's car. Is there something before Cardinals, but you know there's there's this whole

Rank, yeah, Bishop, and there's this yeah, well you you know closet

Catholics Yeah, there's it's cool ready to get a rank

So then the priest is like a tenderfoot, right, okay? I'll just put it yeah, go ahead

Larry. Yeah, they would they miss the entire point in fact You know I could just summarize it this way. They have another gospel

Right Galatians 1a But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we have preached to you

Let him be accursed now listen to the Council of Trent You've probably heard this before but just listen to this

Canon number 11 if anyone saith that men are justified either by the sole imputation of the justice of Christ or by the sole remission of sins to the exclusion of the grace and charity which is poured forth in their hearts by the

Holy Ghost and Is inherent in them or even that the grace whereby we are justified is only the favor of God Let him be anathema.

Let him be accursed in other words Rome says the biblical gospel

Salvation by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone, or you know through grace alone in Christ alone

However, I you know I'm mixing all up, but the biblical gospel is anathema to Rome It is heresy to Rome So I mean synagogue of Satan yes

Go there and hear false doctrine all week long, okay?

Moving on in the confession says The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church

We were just talking about the Pope claiming to be the head of the church in whom by the appointment of the

Father all power for the calling institution order or government of the church is

Invested in a supreme and sovereign manner Neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be the head thereof

But is that Antichrist that man of sin and son of perdition that exalted himself in the church against Christ and All that is called

God Whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming there's some pretty strong feelings about the

Pope Let's look at Matthew 16 for a moment

Matthew 16 and much like Roman Catholics will go to Luke 1 and they will say well, this is why you know

Mary is the Meet mediatrix of all graces.

She is the intermediary between us and Jesus is Because you know

The angel says to Mary hail favored one That is you know somehow extrapolated into she was sinless at birth lived a perfect life

You know died and was ultimately she she doesn't even die she gets lifted up to heaven

I mean, it's it's amazing the the mythology around Mary in the Roman Catholic Church, but now listen to Matthew 16 13 through 20 and you'll notice that you know as we discuss that there's a similar mythology that comes about concerning Peter now when

Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi He asked his disciples who do people say that the

Son of Man is in other words Who do people say that I am and they said some say

John the Baptist others say Elijah and others say Jeremiah or? one of the prophets

He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied you are the

Christ the Son of the Living God and Jesus answered him Blessed are you

Simon bar Jonah? For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven in other words you didn't you didn't sort this out for yourself

God revealed it to you, 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 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven

Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ now from that The Roman Catholic Church says not only was

Peter the first Pope But he started an unbreakable chain of Popes who rule and reign in the place of Jesus at his authorization

Speak X Cathedral all these other things that they do why because Blessed are you

I mean? That's it's inconsistent with the rest of Scripture, and it's a Dubious interpretation of the passage that we have here certainly there's nothing to indicate

I You know I tell you that you are Peter and not only am I gonna make you the

Pope But all your successors will be the Pope after you Jesus could say things that bluntly, but he didn't and there's a good reason for it because That's not the right interpretation

Are there biblical arguments against for example people infallibility Yeah, Erickson Roman Street, which is

Okay, there's no one good right not even the Pope who sweeps

Sexual abuse scandals under the rug like nobody's business Puts a lot of maids to shame okay, the cessation of Apostles the cessation of revelation.

I mean even if we just look at Hebrews chapter 1 This is how God used to speak to people He doesn't speak that way anymore.

Why because we have his final word the Lord Jesus Christ We know that And we'll look more of this

Jesus is the head of the church But let's look for a moment, and this is one of my I I always like this one

Galatians 2 because I just say you know Out of everybody, I mean, you know,

I I know MacArthur said that Paul is his hero and stuff like that but here is like to me, this is like a scene from a movie where You know the hero goes into the bad guys lair and faces, you know, all the bad guys all by himself

Now not that these guys are all bad, but he stands up Just bold as you can here in Galatians chapter 2

Verses 11 to 14 and I mean the problem here is you know, it is the

Judaizing of Christianity which is to say that they were And even Peter had fallen under this this idea that somehow

Christianity was something that you added to your Jewishness or If you were a Jew that you had to go back and be also be under the old law

You had to add those things you had to go be circumcised. You had to live the dietary laws You had to do all these things and look at what?

Paul does in 2 verse 11, but when Cephas which is to say Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face even though He'd spoken ex cathedra about this

I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned

For before certain men came from James he was eating with the Gentiles But when they came he drew back and separated himself

Fearing the circumcision party in other words He was living in hypocrisy and the rest of the

Jews acted hypocritically along with him So that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy

But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel I said to Cephas before them all if you though a

Jew live like a Gentile and not like a Jew How can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?

I mean there are people in the Middle Ages basically who would get stoned well stone burned in it in You know at the in the fire for this for questioning the

Pope Peter wasn't a pope. That's the problem

How about this the the vicar of Christ ruling in place of? Jesus This is from God questions

Calling the Pope the vicar of Christ implies that he has the same power and authority that Christ had over the church

This title is derived from Jesus words in John 21 verses 16 and 17 to Peter feed my lambs take care of my sheep again a massive over interpretation of this

This according to Catholic reasoning Defines Peter as the Prince of the Apostles the first Pope and fulfills the words of Jesus in Matthew 16 18 and 19 calling

Peter the rock the rock now in the

Confession the Pope is called the Antichrist, and I say this whether he is actually the

Antichrist or not He is certainly Antichrist in other words against Christ Because he is the head of a false church, which teaches salvation by works

Let's look at Revelation 19 for a moment because I was kind of playing this and I thought Does anybody really believe that the

Pope the vicar of Christ that the What what's the

Sea of he's he's the head of the Sea of Rome. I mean he's got all these titles I mean, I can't even keep all it's like it's like you know watching one of these boxing matches where they start

Ticking off all the guys championships. You just go okay. Okay. We get the point. He's a good fighter You Know like with the

Pope he has all these titles and all this import and everything like that does anybody really believe That when the

Lord returns the Pope is going to be looking forward to it. I don't I Think he's gonna go man the gigs up.

It was fun. Well. I said, but I'm in trouble Look at Revelation 19 verses 11 to 20 then

I saw heaven opened and behold the white horse The one sitting on it is called faithful and true and in righteousness

He judges and makes war his eyes are a flame of fire and on his head are many diadems

And he has a name written that no one knows but himself he is clothed and a robe dipped in blood and the name by which he is called is the

Word of God and The armies of heaven arrayed and fine living fine linen

White and pure we're following him on white horses From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nation's and he will rule them with a rod of iron

He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty on His robe and on his thigh.

He has a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Then I saw an angel standing in the

Sun and with a loud voice He called to all the birds that fly directly overhead come gather for the

Great Supper of God to eat the flesh of kings the flesh of captains the flesh of mighty men the flesh of Horses and their riders and the flesh of all men both free and slave both small and great

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and his army and The beast was captured and with it the false prophet who was who is who in its presence had done the signs by which he had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and Those who worshipped its image

These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. I Don't believe there's a lot of hallelujahs just before that because they see the judgment of the

Lord coming. I Think if you just read what he's saying now, he's all concerned with political power

The ecology, you know that hugging the earth all these kind of things right now But there's no

Contemplation of what you know of the Lord returning and Supplanting him as head of the church, which again by the way is completely false.

Let's look at Colossians 118 Colossians 118 the only head of the church is

Jesus Christ He's the only head of the church Paul writes this

Again, think about this. This is after Roman Catholics believe that Peter has been anointed this the first Pope Colossians 118 and he is the head of the body the church

He Jesus he is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in everything he might be preeminent

Gives that to nobody else Not the Pope not a pastor not a denomination or a presbytery

There's nobody else just Christ alone Colossians 2 18 and 19 let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism and worship of angels

This is again. This almost sounds like Roman Catholicism Deprive yourself suffer for Lent, you know, don't pain is gain

Worship of angels or we could say saints Going on in detail about visions puffed up without reason by His sensuous mind and not holding fast to the head

From whom the whole body nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments grows with a growth that is from God It's always

Jesus Christ Ephesians 1 verses 22 and 23 and he the father put all things under his

Jesus feet and Gave him Jesus as head over all things to the church

Which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all

Jesus is the head of the church. He's the only head of the church ever and always

The confession goes on to say in the execution of this power there or wherewith He is so entrusted the

Lord Jesus call out of the world unto himself Through the ministry of his word by his spirit those that are given unto him by his father

That they may walk before him in all the ways of obedience Which he prescribed to them in his word

Those thus called he commanded to walk together in particular societies or churches

For their mutual edification and the due performance of that public worship Which he requireth of them in the world

So, let's think for a moment how people are brought into the church you say well I invite them and they come in I Say would you like to come to my church?

They come in. That's how they come into the church He's talking about actual membership of the body of Christ They are called out of the world by Jesus Called out of the world by Jesus John 12 32 says and I when

I am lifted up from the earth will draw What all people to myself?

Does that mean every man woman and child? He's going to draw those who are the called out ones

How does he do it by the Word in the Spirit? Romans 10 17 who can turn there and read that for me and I'll read 1st

Corinthians 12 verses 13 to 18 Somebody would go to Romans 10 17, please and I'll read 1st

Corinthians 12 13 18 for in one spirit We were all baptized into one body right one church universal

Jews or Greeks slaves are free and all were made to drink of one spirit

For the body does not consist of one member But of many if the foot should say because I am

NOT a hand I do not belong to the body that would make it Not any less a part of the body and if the ear should say because I am

NOT an eye I Do not belong to the body that would make not make any less a part of the body if the whole body were an eye

Where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear where would the sense of or where would be the sense of smell?

But as it is God arranged the members of the body each one of them as he chose

Excuse me in other words. We're all called into the body Baptized into the body by the

Spirit who has Romans 10 17 Go ahead Linton, okay

People hear the word they hear the gospel and they come to faith in Christ.

That's the only way they can You know, there are all these

Ideas out there that Muslims are coming to faith in dreams Well, maybe if they've heard the

Word of God and then they have a dream and they're convicted of it Okay, but not just a random dream.

They would have to hear the Word of God. There's no There's no allowance for any other way other than by hearing the

Word of God They're also

Saints the believers are given to Jesus by the Father as the Confession says

John 17 verses 1 & 2 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted his eyes to heaven and said father the hour has come

Glorify your son that the Son may glorify you Since you have given him authority over all flesh

To give eternal life to all whom you have given him Not to everybody

But to all whom you have given him The elect are given to the

Son by the Father in fact, John 6 44 No one can come to me unless the father who sent me

Draws him No one has the ability. Nobody has the capacity Nobody has the power to come

Unless the father draws them and then notice what he says and I will raise him up all that the father has given me on the last day

Excuse me Now, why are they given why are they given to the

Sun? Why do they come to the Sun? And the answer

Let's look at Matthew 28 Would somebody read Matthew 28 verses 18 and 20?

What we like to call The Great Commission, it's so interesting here because you know, a lot of times we skip over verse 20

We think you know, the idea is to go The idea is to baptize

Well, the idea is actually to make disciples right and what do disciples do well verse 20 tells us they observe

They obey All that I have commanded Right This is why we're called into the church.

This is why we're given to the Sun now, do we do that? We don't perfectly obey but Our desire is to obey our our desire is transformed.

Our desire has changed. Our direction is changed if there's absolutely no Desire for obedience then there's been no change in this at all.

Now how Talk about why we are called in so that we can obey but how do we do that?

How do we practically do that? Well, we do it together. That's why the church is so important.

That's why the local church is so vital We walk together for our mutual edification

The church organizes local believers. Let's look at Titus 1 5 Titus 1 5 and if somebody would read that please

Titus 1 5 We're gonna be doing a couple verses in Titus Titus 1 5

Titus being one of the pastoral epistles Paul writing to Titus telling him how to run the church on Crete And what somebody read

Titus 1 5, please? Okay again the idea he's organizing Paul is sending

Titus there to put things that remain in order to take the believers there and Organize them and then to appoint elders in every town so there are elders in every church

The local church also is to protect believers. It's a be a place of Yeah organization and mutual edification

But it's also to be a place where believers are protected from false doctrine now that doesn't happen in a lot of churches

But it should happen Titus 1 9 tells us that Listen says he or an elder or elders generally must hold firm to the trustworthy word as Taught they have to believe in the

Bible. They have to hold tightly to scriptures so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine

Exhort in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it

When unsound doctrine is introduced into a church or when someone is

Hears of it and brings it to the elders. They must be able to say that's false. Here's why That's what the church is to do talking about mutual education the reason that we gather together to organize believers to protect them against false doctrine also to exercise spiritual gifts

Spiritual gifts are utterly pointless apart from a local body to exercise them in again this idea as I said earlier the

Lone Ranger is the Dead Ranger if you have a spiritual gift and you're out in the woods by yourself Does it really matter the answer is no?

first Peter 4 10 as Each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace

You're given a gift if you don't exercise it in the local body Then you have wasted

God's grace you've not been a good steward a good servant to exercise it properly We also gather together as a local church to worship together

We'll close here Colossians 3 16 as he's writing the

Church of Colossae Paul writes this he says let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom

Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

I mean we ought to like Maybe start all of our singing with that verse right? Singing we're here to encourage and exhort one another singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

With thankfulness in your hearts to God Sing as if you have thankfulness in your hearts to God and then finally

Hebrews 10 as we talk about gathering together to worship and ultimately to do the one another's

Hebrews 10 verse 24 and 25 and Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works

Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some that group of lone Rangers dying in the wilderness, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near the day of The Lord's return the day of judgment

We should be together Encouraging one another serving one another exhorting one another to love and good works

And we need to close so we'll go ahead and close there Father thank you for your word.

Thank you for the clear teaching of it with regard to the importance of the local church

With the importance of Your word with the importance of the focus being on the

Lord Jesus Christ because he is our head No one else Not pastor

Mike not mean at the elders. No one here, but Jesus Christ alone or teach us to value what you have given us in Just in the ability to gather together first of all

But secondly in the fact that we have brothers and sisters here to serve us and to serve

To edify and to be edified by to bear one another's burdens and to exhort one another to love and good works

Lord let this be That the theme the heart of what we do here at Bethlehem Bible Church in Jesus name.