The Purpose and aim of Reformata Baptist Church

We are here this morning celebrating, actually, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some may say it's not Easter. I thought the church only did that on Easter. No, every single week the Lord's Day is set aside so that we can remember and so that we can rejoice in what Jesus Christ has done.

We are here this morning as well to celebrate the church's 10-year anniversary. I think many times we think of that term or that word, and April made mention of knowing the definition, the importance of knowing the definitions and what words mean.

The Meaning of the Church and the Lord’s Day

I think a lot of times we simply take that word, the church, for granted. We assume that it's a building or it's a place that we go to on Sundays as Christians because as Christians we ought to set this day aside and gather together in the Lord's name to magnify and exalt His blessed and His holy name.

But as it's used throughout the Scriptures, There's a Hebrew phrase that's used for the gathering of God's elect children, Israel, in the Old Testament. There's the term that's used in the New Testament, and we're going to look at a few of those points of reference this morning.

And considering our celebrating being a united body, a church for the last 10 years particularly, but we're going to see, and I want you to, as we read the text of Scripture and as we see this word church used, I want you to know what this word means.

Now the Greek word that is used in the New Testament when we see the word church is the word ekklesia. If you need the spelling, it's E-K-K-L-E-S-I-A. That's ekklesia is how that word is pronounced, and some may say, what's the big deal about that?

Well, words matter. Words are important. E-K-K-L-E-S-I-A. You're welcome. And what this word defined is, so that when we see it throughout the text of Scripture as we're going to read today, so that you can have an idea and know what this word means, the word ekklesia is used in the text of the Scriptures.

It's referring to basically two things. It's referring to the whole company of the redeemed of God throughout all time. The church universal, if you want to put it that way. It's referred to the church universal.

And it is referred to the local church, a local gathering of a body of believers in Jesus Christ. That's important. So as we read the text here, beginning in Matthew chapter 16, we'll see this, and number one, the first thing that I want you to know and take away with you, and the theme, if you would have it today, of the message, basically is the church of Jesus Christ.

And I want you to know from the forefront that it is God's church. Eden Chapel is not Aaron Case's church. It is God's church. Westmiller's Cove is not Lucas Boehring's church. I use these names because we pray for these men every week.

It is God's church. Reformata Baptist Church is not Claude's church. It is God's church. God established, thought of, and established the church himself. So as we read the text, Matthew chapter 16, beginning here, I want you to see that the church is founded upon Jesus Christ.

Matthew chapter 16, verse 13, when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that I am? So they said, Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Let me pause right here for just a moment this morning. And I want to remind each and every one of you in this place today that you have a responsibility placed upon you this morning to know that Christ Jesus is the Son of God.

You will either affirm this truth or you will deny this truth. And whether you affirm or deny this truth will determine where you spend eternity, heaven or hell. Jesus said to them, But who do you say that I am?

Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Amen and amen right there. I want to say here from the forefront, as we begin here, I'll just go ahead and share this and get this out of the way, so to speak.

I have been saved by the grace of God. I was saved not based upon the good deeds that I had done or because my life merited saving, but because God loved me. And God sent his Son to die for my sins. And God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, regenerated me, gave me life so that I might have faith and grace to believe in his blessed and holy name.

Peter said, You are Christ, the Son of the living God. And some may say, Here's one of those questions. So what, preacher? What am I supposed to do with this? So what, preacher? What does the text expect me to...

How does the text expect me to respond to this question? Who do you say that Jesus is? I expect you today to make a decision, right or wrong, affirmation or denial, to know that when you leave this place, either you have been saved by the grace of God or you are lost and bound for a devil's hell.

Some might say that's not a very popular message in our day and in our time. The church was not set up to be a popular place. The church was not set up to be an entertaining place. The church was set up so that the Lord Jesus Christ might be magnified and exalted above all.

Amen and amen. Who do you say that I am? Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Now listen to what Jesus said unto Peter here. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven.

Salvation is of the Lord. Jesus in John's gospel spoke very clearly and very straightforward. Jesus said, My sheep, hear me. My sheep know my voice and my sheep will follow me. Are you a child of God?

If not, you must be born again. The Bible goes on in several other places and this morning in Latin, just to give you a little bit of history about a Reformata, a Baptist church, because some may think to themselves, well, that's kind of a strange name.

Some may know why we're named Reformata Baptist Church and others may not. The name of the church comes from a Latin phrase and the Latin phrase goes like this, Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda, Secundum Verbum Dea.

Now that says, most of you probably in here, some of you might have an education. I don't have an education. That's all the foreign language I know truly. But what that phrase says in English is this, the church, the called out assembly of the saints, the church reformed and always being reformed according to the word of God.

The word of God is all that the church has to stand on. It is all that the church has ever had to stand upon. It is the truth of the word of God. And so that being said, 10 years, maybe 11 years ago, when really it was really in the works, there was a lot of study.

There was a lot of contemplation. There was a lot of consideration about what the church name would be, what we determined that would be, what it was agreed upon. So we're all okay with that. But my friends, I want you to know today, I want you to know two things from the word of God, the purpose of the church of Jesus Christ, according to the word of God, the reason that God set up and ordained his church in this world.

By the way, we are not of the world, though we are in the world. This is why many times the church has to take unpopular stances. The church has to do unpopular things. And the church has to act completely opposite what the world says the church would act because we have been called unto holiness by the Lord our God.

The Church as the Manifold Wisdom of God

So the purpose of the church, first and foremost, if you'll turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 3, the purpose of God's church, the reason that we are here today, literally, the reason that we are here today is so that we might bring honor and glory to the Lord.

This is what the apostle Paul wrote concerning the purpose of the church. He said this in Ephesians chapter 3, verse 8, To me, the apostle Paul said, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ.

Verse 10, To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church. That's the visible representation of the kingdom of God in this world. The purpose of the church is to demonstrate to the world, and we'll see here to the principalities and powers that you cannot see, that God is Lord of all.

He said this,.

To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. According to the eternal purpose, God does not act on a whim.

God does not have knee-jerk reactions. The purpose of God has been from all of eternity to send his son to die for the lost, to redeem those whom he calls and draws unto himself, and to gather them in one unto and into the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, we have the church universal, and we have the church local. They are the called-out assembly of the saints.

And he says this,.

According to the eternal purpose, which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. So the purpose of the church, here as laid out for us in the scripture, is to make known to the principalities and powers that be the eternal purpose of God.

We are not a part of a passing phase. We are not a part of an organization that will be here today and gone tomorrow. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal as he is. So moving forward. Let's go forward just a little bit further.

So in trying to explain to you and give you a bit of the history of Reformation Baptist Church, we know that the church was founded upon the eternal purpose of God. It was in order that we might follow what the word of God teaches and what the word of God says.

But really some have asked over the years, and I'm going to try to explain to you from giving a model.

From the scripture here today.

And I want to say this, as we read the text that we're going to be going to, if you want to be turning to 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 11, I am not in any way comparing myself with the apostle Paul, but I'm taking what is spoken and laid out for us in the word of God to let you know that as a pattern and as a model, this is why the church was planted.

The church was planted in a simple statement before we go into this text in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. The church was planted for this reason, so that those who are born again, when they are gathered together, might be able to learn, to know, and to apply rightly the word of God.

Because there are a great many today, and we're still, we'll never be there truly, if I'm just going to be honest with you, we'll never be there where we fully understand what the scriptures say. But friends, as the church of Jesus Christ, we ought to be aware and we ought to be learning and we ought to be growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that when given the opportunity, we might speak forth the truth about what the scriptures say about who God is, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is.

And so that, in a nutshell, is why the church was planted. That was our aim. That was our goal. And I want to share with you from the text here as we look at the apostle's aim and the apostle's goal in instructing the church in the Lord Jesus Christ and the purpose in which he does it.

And it's amazing when you just begin to read the word of God. By the way, I want to ask you a question. How many of you ever in school had to read a book for a book report? By show of hands. Looks like everybody in here.

Some of you act like you didn't like to read. That's to be expected. But how many of you, when you read that book and you gave the report on that book, if you were honest and thought back to yourself, whatever book that was, how many of you tried to read something into that book that wasn't there?

Your goal was just to read what was there, to put it out on paper, to turn it in, and to be done with it. Would that be a true statement for most of you all?

Right?

Well, I wonder how come it is, that may be not real good English, but I'm going to say it again, how come it is that when folks, particularly those who profess to be saved by the grace of God, want to read into the word of God rather than just simply read out of what is written there for us.

We don't do it with any other books that we read except the word of God. Who are we to assume that we can improve upon what God has given unto us?

You can't.

Paul, the apostle Paul, in this passage that we're going to read through here, these verses we're going to look at, he uses sarcasm. Paul was historically, I believe, a very sarcastic man, but he used that to teach and to communicate the truth of God to the people.

He used very clear language as well at many times. He was very direct, very to the point. There was no way that truly you could miss what was being said. But friends, I want you to know this. The apostle Paul had a great concern, and we're going to read this in a minute, a great concern for the people of God.

He had a great concern for the churches, the called-out assembly of saints, universal as well as local congregations, that they might know God, that they might know Him in His fullness, and by knowing Him in His fullness, they might rightfully love Him better and live more faithfully to Him.

So just to bring you up to speed here in this text, 2 Corinthians 11, the chief issue that Paul addressed, and it's amazing. Rob was talking to me this morning how the Lord works all things together. Rob shared with me this morning how throughout the New Testament in general, the epistles were written to combat false teaching within the church.

That's why the apostles were written to combat false teaching. And here in Corinthians, it was no different. In our day, it is no different. Why are we so adamant and why are we so ardent about communicating to you that you need to know the truth of the Scriptures because there are many who teach false doctrine coming into the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for that, you have a responsibility to know the difference between right and wrong.

Spurgeon said, not only the difference between right and wrong or truth, but truth and half-truth because a half-truth will not save you. A half-truth will leave you damned. But Paul begins, he's addressing the issue of false apostles coming into the church, and these false apostles were fleecing the flock of God.

And when I say fleecing the flock of God, they were doing what most prosperity preachers do today, telling the people, you need to admire me, you need to admire what I am, you need to admire what I accomplish, and you need to, quote, unquote, sow into my ministry so that you can be blessed.

That's what they were teaching. That's what's taught today. It's the same lie, and it needs to be combated with the same old truth of the gospel. Paul, in his sarcastic way, begins in verse 16 of chapter 11, and he says, I say again, let no one think of me a fool.

If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool. So Paul, given this introduction, he said that I also may boast a little.

He said,.

What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.

He said,.

Seeing that many boast according to the flesh in reference to the false apostles,.

He said,.

I also will boast.

And it's almost like this becomes a parody. Anybody know what a parody is? It's where you make fun of something by using an opposite mode of communication than what has been used. So Paul is making reference to those who bragged about themselves, who exalted themselves, who exalted themselves to the point of virtually godhood, and who asked the people to give them the money, and asked the people to give them this, and asked the people to do this for them, and these people thought they were some great thing.

And Paul says,.

Let me boast a little. I'm going to do it foolishly though.

He said,.

You,.

Verse 19, you put up with fools gladly since you yourselves are wise. That's the sarcasm.

He says,.

You think you're so smart. And then he says in verse 20, for you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.

Paul says,.

Listen, you all put up with this garbage. You put up with this mess. You put up with all of what is the actual foolishness. And then Paul says in 21, to our shame, I say that we were too weak for that.

But in whatever anyone is bold,.

He said,.

I speak foolishly.

I'm bold also.

And then Paul begins to ask about these false teachers,.

And he says,.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more. And then this is where Paul turns the tables, and rather than the bragging way that these false apostles did when they came in, Paul begins to give the people a list of things that he has been through.

Not a list of rewards, not a list of accomplishments, not a list of badges, not a picture of his trophy case, but this is what he says.

He says,.

I, the more in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, listen to this list, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often, from the Jews, for five times I received 40 stripes minus one, three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I've been in the deep,.

He said,.

In journeys often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils of the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.

Don't that make you want to be saved? See what a wonderful plan Jesus has for your life. You see why that's a dangerous teaching. For Jesus did not say.

That you would have all the good in life,.

But he did promise us to have eternal life when the day of our death did come. Jesus' call to men has always been this, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. And so the Apostle Paul gives this great list of trouble and persecutions and heartaches that he has been through.

In contrast, as we learned in Sunday school this morning, in contrast to all the accolades that these false apostles were teaching, and he goes on here in verse 27. Now listen closely.

He said,.

In weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. And then in verse 28,.

He says this,.

Besides the other things, besides all those, what comes upon me daily is my deep concern for the church. This is why we strive to teach the word of God above all else. The Apostle Paul gave us this model and gave us this pattern and his concern was for the church of Jesus Christ.

Listen, we can do nothing for the world. It is the work of God to save the lost because the lost are dead in their trespasses and in their sins.

They are without God.

And without hope in this world and only the supernatural sovereign world. But the church, oh listen, we have the privilege and we have the opportunity when we gather to sing the word of God, to read the word of God, to hear the word of God taught and preached and proclaimed.

We have the privilege of being able to say, yes Lord, I agree with what you have done. And only the saved man can do that. Some may say, can a lost person be a member of the church? Naturally speaking, yeah.

There's plenty of lost people that are members of churches. But a saved person, only the redeemed of God can be a member of the Lord, saved Jesus Christ church universal.

And even local.

Oh friends, Paul, let me read just a little bit further to prove this to you. Paul's aim, go to chapter 12 there in 2 Corinthians just a little bit over, one chapter over. And let's look at just a couple of the phrases Paul uses here.

Paul's aim for the church at Corinth. Verse 15, 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Verse 15,.

Paul said,.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. Oh please,.

Please, please,.

If you know men.

Elsewhere.

That preach up and down this road, if you know men elsewhere who have been faithful to the word of God and faithful to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, I encourage you from the word of God. Esteem those men highly.

For the word's sake.

And for the work that they do. I'm not talking about me, I am genuinely talking about others because there have been men who throughout the years have stood firm on the truth of the word of God who have lived and who have died so that we might be here today.

Who have loved their lives not unto death.

But have given their all.

So that the church of Jesus Christ might have this great treasure that we have.

He said,.

I will very gladly be spent and spent for you. He goes on in verse 19, the latter part of verse 19.

And he says,.

But we do all things beloved for your edification. That is the aim and that is the goal as we are here today so that you as the body of Jesus Christ might be edified. Someone may say, Well, what about the tears among the weak?

What about the loss that's still in the church? I can't do nothing about that, but one thing and that is preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to remind everyone every single week, every opportunity that we have with every last breath that we have to remind you that Jesus Christ died for your sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he arose again the third day according to the scriptures.

And because he lives, the old song says, I can face tomorrow and because he lives death does not have its grip on me.

Like it had before and I know whether I live or whether I die.

The Lord's and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Is that your hope today? Do you know that if you die right now that you're going to go to heaven when you die? That you're going to have eternal life?

Or do you know that hell will be your home? Hell is just as big a reality as heaven is. It needs to be proclaimed on the same level of urgency because the old timers would say it this way, there's a heaven to gain and there's a hell to shun.

Truth, False Teaching, and Paul’s Concern for the Church

Paul goes on.

In chapter 13 just moving forward through that text there. For Paul said this, chapter 13 of 2 Corinthians verse 8.

He said,.

For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth. He was a truth man. I encourage you as Christians.

Listen.

The day is going to come when I am going to go home.

To be with the Lord.

Sir will go home.

To be with the Lord.

And I want to encourage you right now. What's today's date?

The 19th?

May 19th, 2019. I want to encourage you this and I want to make you all witnesses against yourselves that when we are dead and gone and it comes time to seek a pastor to seek new elders that you settle for nothing less than truth men.

Men who want nothing except the word of God. Men who love nothing except the word of God. Men who desire nothing for you.

But that you know the word of God.

So that when you are faced in the future with false teaching when you are faced with half truth that you can stand boldly on the word of God and say that is not what the scriptures say. Give us God's word or leave.

That's what I want for you all. That you desire nothing else. Paul said we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth.

For we are glad when we are weak.

And you are strong. There is nothing that encourages Sir's heart. There is nothing that encourages Kenny's heart as he teaches. There is nothing that encourages my heart as we preach and proclaim the truth of God's word to you.

Nothing that encourages more than to know that you get it. Tammy got this for us a long time ago. I can't explain it to you but I can't understand it for you. We desire for you to know the truth. And Paul went on right here and this also we pray that you may be made complete.

If you'll think back just at the book we're studying in Colossians you've heard this before. And guess what? Over the years you're going to hear it again because the aim and the goal is that you become a whole Christian.

That you become complete. That you grow up into Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ. Into the fullness of what He has intended. And Paul in his farewell there in verse 11 said this Finally, brethren, farewell.

Be complete.

Be of good comfort. Be of one mind.

Live in peace.

And the God of love and peace will be with you.

I'm going to close.

Actually by going back to the book of Ephesians. Back to the book of Ephesians. Or forward. It's actually forward to the book of Ephesians. Picking up right where we left off when we were there in verse 13.

The Church’s Edification and Paul’s Farewell

Ephesians chapter 3 and 13. The apostle Paul said this. Therefore I ask you that you do not lose heart in my tribulation for you.

Which is your glory.

And for this reason Paul said I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That's the church universal. That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him.

To Him. To Him.

To the Father.

To the Son.

And to the Holy Spirit. To Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to Him be glory.

Where?

In the church by Christ Jesus to all generations. For how long? Forever and ever.

Amen.

So the church was established by Jesus Christ. The purpose and the aim of the establishment of the forming of the planting of Ephraimata Baptist Church was so that those who are saved and redeemed of God would be able to come in and learn from the word of God the truth about what the scriptures say not just an idea about what I think it's telling you but what it says so that we know the truth.

So when you read the scriptures I encourage you this week to when you go home throughout the week if you've got a concordance look up churches see how many times churches is used get on Blue Letter Bible and just type in churches in the search bar and look at all of the passages of scripture.

That refer to the church.

And when you read them remember the meaning of that word that it is the called out assembly of the saints of God. And every time you read that word church.

Read that.

Say, so when it says that this is my church upon this rock when Jesus said upon this rock I will build my church upon this rock I will build out my called out assembly of saints.

Read that.

When you read that throughout the years and so again let's close I said in closing and I'm just going to be true to that I had quite a bit of other stuff that I had intended to share with you.

But I'm not going to.

I'm just going to stop right there this morning.

But I want you to know.

That Christ established.

His church.

And that His church will forever stand in Jesus Christ and that this church this local body of believers as long as we're able we will defend the truth of the word of God.

To the point.

Of being unfriended to the point of being disliked.

By the world.

And unless the word of God convinces us otherwise this is where we'll be.

Martin Luther.

When he took his one of his final stands for standing on the truth of the word of God contrary to what the Roman Catholic church believed and taught he said this here I stand. I can do no other and that's my.

My hope is that you have that mentality concerning the word of God. Chris I want to ask you if you would to dismiss this in prayer and bless the food.