The Church Beautiful — Denny Kenaston

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold.

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The Church Is the People, Not the Building

I wonder if anything like this ever happened in this building before. What do you think? I don't think so. You know, the joy of a meeting like this is to realize that this building is not the house of God.

This is the house of God. I've preached in all kinds of different places. I remember one of the sweetest services I ever had was in an old mechanic shop on a Hutterite colony with a basketball hoop right above my head.

One of the sweetest services I was ever in. You know why? Because of the hearts of the people that were in that old garage. That's what made it sweet. It's not this building, it's us that make this place sweet.

May God sanctify this building today with the pure hearts and lives of His people from the beginning of the day all the way to the end of the day. May God do that. Let's pray. O God, our Father, we bless you this morning.

We come in Jesus Christ's name. Lord, we do acknowledge this building is not your house. We are your house. Just like we heard even again this morning, prophesied to David way back there in 2 Samuel, that a son will come and he will build me a house.

O Father, that's what we're talking about this weekend. The son coming and building a house. Father, we thank you for this opportunity that we have to gather together in this way, Lord. We ask you, Father, that you would cleanse the atmosphere, Lord, of this place this morning.

Wash this place, God, in the blood of Jesus. Lord, we don't know what has gone on in this place. We don't know what kind of activities have happened here. But, O God, this morning we sanctify this building in the name and through the blood of Jesus Christ, Father.

We set it apart for holy purposes that we may be a place where we can worship God, where we can have fellowship one with another, where Jesus Christ can be exalted. Father, I pray, wash me in the blood of the Lamb, fresh and new this morning, God.

From every little thought and every little attitude, God, any thought that may have gone through my heart, God, wash me in the blood and fill me with the Holy Spirit, Father. God, we pray that you'll teach us about the church this morning.

And we ask it in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. Continuing to follow our theme that we've been looking at here Friday night, Saturday night, now this morning. Looking at the church, principles of the church in the New Testament.

Jesus Christ Builds His Church

You know, Jesus said those beautiful words, we looked at him already this week. On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This morning I would like to consider just two little words in that verse.

Jesus said, my church. He said, it's going to be my church. It's not going to be anyone else's church. It's going to be my church, said Jesus. The question is, what kind of church is it that is my church?

If it's his, it's going to be like him. If it's his, it's going to represent his holy character. Jesus said, my church. And that's what we'd like to look at this morning. We have been looking at some basics, the last two messages, and some practical issues about our own walk with God, our own relationship with God.

But this morning, I would like to get a bit more visionary and dream some dreams and see some visions that are in God's heart for his church. You see, this whole matter of church is not something that man has come up with.

This is what is in God's heart. There are some lofty visions in the book of Ephesians, and you can turn there with me because that's where we'll be reading this morning after I make a few opening comments.

But there's some lofty visions, beautiful, awesome, lofty visions that we find in the book of Ephesians. It seems to me that God gave to the Apostle Paul some dreams and visions about what his church is supposed to be.

And Paul, riding to the church at Ephesus, felt moved by the Holy Ghost to ride in such a way to deposit into their hearts some of those dreams and some of those visions about what God wanted his church to be like.

Amen. Thank you, Lord. We look into the book of Ephesians. We find words like this. Consider them. There are nine of them. In fact, there's probably more, but these are the ones I just skimmed out this morning.

We find in the book of Ephesians that the church is mentioned, which is his body. Also, we find the church as an assembly of believers seated together in heavenly places. So you see, it doesn't matter whether we're in this building or we're in another building.

If we are a church, if we are an assembly of believers that are seated together and raised together to be seated in heavenly places. Hey, you can do that in any building. Amen? An assembly seated in heavenly places.

He mentions the church and calls it the household of God. Hallelujah! God's big family. Praise the Lord. And oh, that just seems sweet and dear to my heart this morning as we've gathered together on Friday night and gathered together on Saturday night and met people from all around this area and from many different churches.

They've been here through these. That's the way it is. The church is the household of God. Paul goes on to speak of the church as an habitation of God, a place where God can dwell. And brothers and sisters, again, that's not this building.

God dwells in the midst of his people. He mentions the church as a holy temple in the Lord. And he speaks about the church in Ephesians chapter four as one mature man. One mature man living out the life of Christ upon the earth.

Moving on from there also in Ephesians chapter four, he speaks of the church as a new man created in righteousness and true holiness. Look at that. And he speaks of the church in Ephesians chapter five as a beautiful bride ready and waiting for the bridegroom to come.

Hallelujah! And lastly in Ephesians chapter six, he mentions the church as a mighty warrior with its armor on and a sword in its hand and a shield in its other hand. And yes, we can take those verses there and apply them to our own lives.

But oh, have you ever considered that that warrior in Ephesians chapter six is a local New Testament church who knows how to do battle against the powers of the enemy. That is clothed, that is armored, that has a helmet on, that has a sword in its hand, that has a shield of faith in its hand, moving forth against the enemy.

Ah, these are lofty visions as we consider what the church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be on the earth. And I can by no means cover all of that in this short time this morning. But to sum it all up, we could just simply say the church is Christ on the earth manifesting His life, His character and His ways through us to a world that is around us.

That's the way it's supposed to be. Now we want to read in Ephesians here this morning in chapter five. And the title of my message today is, The Church Beautiful. The Church Beautiful. Reading from Ephesians chapter five, verse twenty-five, we have one of these nine revelations that I mentioned to you.

Ephesians five and verse twenty-five. Paul is speaking to the husbands, but as he speaks to the husbands, he branches out into one of the most glorious revelations of what the church is supposed to be.

Follow with me. Husbands, love your wives. How? Even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. Why? We mentioned this a bit last night and brought it out here in John chapter seventeen.

Why did He give Himself for it? Verse twenty-six is a very clear definition of the why He gave Himself for it. That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That He might present it to Himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

But that it should be holy and without blemish. Hallelujah. Look at that. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherishes it, even as the Lord nourishes and cherishes the church.

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. Now that's far enough for us to read. We can conceive a heavenly nature of this revelation. And we want to look at several aspects this morning.

Holiness Is the Beauty of the Church

But it's very important that we understand that His church is supposed to rightly represent His righteous character. You know, the verse there in the Old Testament, I'm not sure exactly where it is. But it's in the book of Psalms where it says that we are to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

God calls holiness beautiful. And this morning I want to preach to you about the church beautiful. What is this church going to be like? Now the light is coming back on. What will this church be like?

It is clear from the verses that we have read that God wants His church to be beautiful. And that beauty is holiness. There are several reasons why we should be concerned about what this church is like.

And I'll give you four, and there's probably many more. But just consider these four briefly. First of all, because we represent God's holy character. We are the ones that are supposed to represent His holy character upon the earth.

Representing God’s Holy Name

Ezekiel expressed it this way in Ezekiel chapter 36, as he was speaking prophetically to the children of Israel, and also speaking prophetically right down to the day that we live in now. Hear the heart of God in chapter 36 of Ezekiel and verse 23.

God says, I will sanctify My great name, representing God's holy character. We name His name. Do we not? Sometimes I think we throw His name around way too lightly. I like the attitude of those scribes, those Orthodox Jews, those Old Testament Jews, who when it comes time to write the name Yah, they put down their pen and pick up another one.

Now, I don't think we ought to do that, but I think we ought to get some of the hard attitude that those men had about the name which is above every name, the glorious name of God. God says right here, I will sanctify My great name which was profaned among the heathen.

Oh, brothers and sisters, if there was ever a day and a time when God's holy name has been profaned among the heathen, it's in this land that we live in today. God's name has been lowered and lowered and lowered, and it's even in the mud today.

How do you think God feels about that? My holy name, My great name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them. Oh, I hope that's not us this morning. And the heathen shall know that I am the Lord.

Remember, we talked about that last night. Brother Aaron mentioned that to us last night. God wants the heathen to know that He is the only true and living God, and beside Him there is no other God. The best way that the heathen can know who God is, is by your life and mine.

Listen to the heart of God. And the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord, when? When I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. We represent God's holy character. We name His name.

The Church as God’s Testimony

We have responsibilities to be His witness. Number two, we are God's testimony. We are His witness. We are to be shining lights in the midst of a dark world. We are to be the testimony of God upon the earth.

Remember how it was in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God's testimony was in one place. In the Old Testament, God's testimony was the nation of Israel, and the city of Jerusalem, and the temple that was there, and the people who lived there.

That was God's testimony in the Old Testament. And people, whoever could, would come to Jerusalem and gaze upon this, and see what God was like by looking at the city of Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel, and the king that was there.

And that beautiful testimony rose to its highest height in the days of Solomon. But as we know the story there, it went up and down, and up and down, according to those leaders in the nation of Israel.

Well, brothers and sisters, we're not in the Old Testament anymore. God has not raised up a testimony in one certain locality in the world, and called the rest of the world to come and look at it. But now God, through Jesus Christ, through His death, burial, and resurrection, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Amen, the Comforter has come.

Now God has scattered people in churches all around the whole world. Now, nobody will be without excuse. God's people represent His righteous character. That's what the church is supposed to be, and do.

The Church Represents the Gospel

Number three, we represent the most glorious, life-changing message that the world has ever known. That message is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is life-changing. It is glorious. It is the good news.

I mean, it is good news to every seeking soul who is desiring to be changed. Every seeking soul who knows there's something wrong in their life. Every seeking soul who knows they're not rightly related to God.

Every seeking soul who is longing for eternal life can come. It's whosoever will. But brothers and sisters, we are the ones who represent that message. That glorious message. Oh, I like these words. Let's just turn there and read them for a moment over in 1 Corinthians.

We must do that over in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Do you know those verses? Oh, Paul, he was excited about the gospel. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, he says it this way, starting in verse 17. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach.

What? The gospel! Not with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God.

Remember what he said to the Romans? He said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Why? For it is the power of God and a salvation for all who believe. Why should he be ashamed of the gospel? It changes lives!

There's no reason why we should be ashamed of the gospel. It changes people's lives. God can save people from the guttermost to the uttermost. Whosoever cometh to God by Jesus Christ, it says in Hebrews.

Why should he be ashamed of that? Paul wasn't ashamed of the gospel. He proclaimed it everywhere he went. He didn't change it. He didn't spark it up. He didn't move it around. He didn't add this to it.

He didn't put multimedia in there and all those things. He didn't need to do all those things. He just preached the gospel and people's lives were totally changed. He was not ashamed of the simple gospel of Jesus Christ.

Oh, may we be the same way. Lord helping us. Verse 19, for it is written, this is God speaking now, hear the heart of God, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where are the disputers of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God.

It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Listen to what God is saying there, brothers and sisters. Oh, listen, man's got all kinds of wisdom and he has all kinds of ways and he has all kinds of new methods and he has all kinds of innovations about how we're going to get people saved.

But look at what Paul said right there. God is pleased. It pleased God. In the annals, in eternity past, the God had sat together and it pleased the Godhead that through the foolishness of preaching, souls would be saved.

Oh my, if there was ever a day in an age when we need to grab a hold of that, it's this day that we live in. Now it's the passion of Christ and everybody's going to get saved by watching a movie. No way!

You mark it down! Very few people will get saved because they watched that movie. All they had is an emotional high and they went out the door without a changed life. I know maybe one or two here and there they'll get saved, just like a few people get saved in a rock concert.

But I'm telling you, brothers and sisters, it hath pleased God by the foolishness of preaching the simple message of Jesus Christ to save those who believe. We need to remember that and keep that seated in our own hearts.

But brothers and sisters, we are the ones who represent that beautiful, life-changing message. Remember what Emmanuel said this morning? Somebody standing and giving a testimony? You know what that testimony is?

That person can look and say, God changed him. God can change me. Oh my brothers and sisters, we represent the most life-changing message that there ever was around. Consider it. It is. It is the secret of the ages and it's been opened up to man in these last days.

It brings liberty to the captives. Hallelujah! And people that are bound by occult influences and all other things can be freed from it. It's the sweetest message of hope to the poor of this world. Hippies hear it and get converted.

People in the psychiatric sanitariums hear the Word and in one week they walk out the door confounding the psychiatrist many times over because they can't figure out how this is that they worked with this man for three years and in one week after he hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he walks out the door seen and clothed and in his right mind.

Hallelujah! Oh brothers and sisters, that's what we need today. We need more of that kind of preaching. Drug addicts hear this message and they are changed by its power. Alcoholics dry up without any therapy when they give heed to the words of this glorious message.

And Satan and his kingdom tremble at the sound of the message which changes the lives of humanity. You can be sure of it, brothers and sisters, but we are the ones who represent that beautiful, glorious message.

Adorning the Gospel Through Christian Conduct

Hear the heart of God. Hear the heart of God in these things over in Titus. Can we just turn there for a minute and hear the heart of God through the Apostle Paul? Paul is exhorting Titus to take care of the church there and tells him, say these things to the aged men, say these things to the aged women, say these things to the young women, say these things to the young men, and say these things to the servants and then listen to what he says in v. 10.

Now let's go with v. 9. Exhort the servants to be obedient unto their own masters and to please them well in all things, not answering again, not purloining, but showing all good fidelity. Why, Paul? Why?

That they, those servants, those converted servants, may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. What is Paul saying there? He's saying you tell those servants that the way they live is going to have something to do with the effect that this Gospel has upon those that they work for.

And brothers and sisters, it's the same way with us. We represent the message which is the most powerful, life-changing message that there ever was. Let us adorn the doctrine of God our Savior by our lives.

Amen? Let us do that. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 4 as we consider this point just a little bit further and we'll move on to the fourth one. 2 Corinthians 4. Paul says these words in v. 3, If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.

Now here we are again. We're on the message. We're on the message. If our Gospel, if the message, if the good news be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. We would all agree with that, wouldn't we? Paul explains, in whom the God of this world, that's the devil and all of his wicked demons, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.

And why blind them? Lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. What is Paul saying here? We know.

We've experienced it. We've been out on the streets. Maybe you've been witnessing here or there. You try to tell someone about Christ, and it's just like they're just looking at you and you know that they're not understanding what I'm saying.

Here I am giving them the most beautiful message that you could ever hear. And they don't see it. Why? Because they've been blinded. Let me ask you a question, brothers and sisters. Blinded where? Blinded in the eyes of their heart, or blinded in the eyes of their head?

Which one? It is the eyes of their heart. They have not been blinded with the eyes of their head. The eyes of their head can still see. And that's where you and I come in. Amen? The eyes of their head can still see.

Let's give them something to look at, brothers and sisters. I like the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5, where He says, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Brothers and sisters, we represent the message of the gospel upon this earth. And how we live affects how that message touches other people's lives. We have to come to grips with that. Number four. Fourth reason why we should be concerned about these things is we are the Lamb's wife.

The Church as the Bride of Christ

We are the Lamb's wife, says Ephesians and says the book of Revelation. Lay aside God's burden for the lost for just a moment. That is a right burden. We should be concerned how we live because of the lost and dying world around us.

But let's just lay that aside for a moment. Brothers and sisters, there is going to be a wedding like no other wedding you ever imagined before. And the honeymoon lasts for eternity. We are the Lamb's wife.

This should be a tremendous motivation to our hearts every day that we live. He's coming. He's coming. And He's coming for a bride. And He's coming for a beautiful bride. And a beautiful bride is not one with makeup on her.

The word beauty, you have to take that in the context of the Bible. And the word beauty in the Bible is speaking about holiness. He's not coming looking for a bride who painted herself up, who put on a face, who put on a facade, who put on a feat, who's making a show, who looks like everything's ok when things are really not ok.

No, no, no. He's coming for a beautiful bride. A bride who's beautified herself in the inward. A bride who has prepared herself. Yea, come see the Lamb's wife, the angel said to John the Revelator. Come and see.

And I look and behold, the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven like a bride adorned for her husband. Oh, brothers and sisters, we are the Lamb's wife. We surely ought to be concerned about how our garments are.

We read the Scriptures there without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. And I'm telling you, brothers and sisters, there are millions of people in this land of ours that are in for a shock someday. And maybe some of you in this room will be in for a shock someday.

But Christ is not coming for all those who believe that He is coming again. He is coming for a beautiful bride without spot or wrinkle. That means their heart and life is up to date. That means heaven is open over their life.

That means they're walking in the light that God has given them, just like we said the other evening. A beautiful bride who's made herself ready, who's watching and longing for the day when the bridegroom will come.

Oh, if God could just let that settle down deeply upon our hearts and let it become a motivation that we keep ourselves pure in this impure world we live in, brothers and sisters. Well, my, that's a whole sermon.

Practical Holiness and Visible Christian Living

We're just getting started here. We want to take a practical look at this beautiful church this morning, not just have some lofty ideas about what it's supposed to be, but we want to take a practical look at this beautiful church from the Bible's perspective.

Jesus said, You're the salt of the earth. He also said, You're the light of the world. He said, We're to be a city that is set on a hill. And Peter said, We're to be a holy nation of believers. How does that get worked out?

That's the question this morning. What are some practical ways in which we, as God's people, as the church, can manifest and properly represent who He is? How can we do that? Some practical ways. Number one, by living a holy life.

By living a holy life. You say, well, what is a holy life? It is a life that is set apart for God. Amen? Fully surrendered, Lord Divine,.

I will be true to Thee.

You know the song? It's in the little song book that we have here. It is a life that is set apart for God. A holy life is a life that has been sanctified by the Word of God. Jesus said, Sanctify them through Thy truth.

Thy word is truth. Brothers and sisters, each time we open up our hearts to the beautiful principles that are in this book, if we open our heart to them, we are transformed by the renewing of our mind.

Romans chapter 12 verse 2 says, we are transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we can prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. As we read the Word of God with an open heart, and we come to the principles of God's Word, when we see God's Word and open our heart to it, it changes us.

Amen? You agree with that? We're not going to be the same anymore. The Bible says in Isaiah chapter 55 that, God's ways are not like man's ways, for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways, says God, above your ways, man's ways, saith the Lord.

So when we open up our heart to the principles of this book, it changes us. You can't get away from that. It changes us. Each time we do that, the truth comes to our heart, the teachings of the Word of God, and it changes us, and we are not the same.

Now when you walk this way for a while, many changes take place. God touches your marriage, God touches your home, God touches your finances, God touches your possessions, God touches your activities, God touches your hobbies, God touches your free time, and God will do that until Jesus comes, my friend.

He is going to touch our lives. Amen? As we allow God to do that, He changes us. Those changes make us a very different people. Amen? And I know, there's a lot of people around today who don't want to be different.

There's probably some young people in this room this morning that deep down inside of you, you may not verbalize it, because you know you shouldn't say it, but deep down inside of you, your heart is saying, I don't want to be...

My friend, if you're going to be a Christian, you will be different. And if you don't want to be different, you can't be a Christian. You go study the New Testament and find out. I don't have three hours to show you all the verses this morning.

You will be different. And there's nothing wrong with being different. Now, brothers and sisters, I don't believe in the doctrine of being different. But I do believe, if you open your heart and your life to this book, especially in this departing culture that we live in, you are going to be different.

Separated from the people around you, your marriage is going to be different. They're going to wonder why that man is holding his wife's hand, and they'll wonder, I wonder, are they married? Are they just girlfriend and boyfriend?

Look at how they're acting. Look how he opens up the car for her. They must not be married. Because married people don't do tender things like that, do they? But oh, God wants us to be different. God wants the wives to be different, and respect and reverence their husband.

God wants the children to be different. God wants us to bring our family into the grocery store, or into the doctor's office, and there they are, all lined up. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

All those seven children. And they're all just sitting there so nicely, and reading a little book, looking at a story, waiting for mom while she's back there seeing the doctor. And the nurse is just kind of looking over the corner of the counter, thinking, what is this?

All these children, and they're not bouncing off the walls or anything. They're just sitting there so nice, and reading books, and speaking kindly to each other. God wants our children to be different.

Why? Because they represent His holy character. That's why. And represent a message of the gospel. The places where you go, they won't be the same. Oh, my friend, don't go where everybody else is leaving.

So interesting to me, you know, I meet all these Mennonite people down through the last 22 years, and sometimes, and I don't know who I'm talking to, but sometimes, you Mennonite people confuse me. I don't understand you.

It's like, you're going this way, and I'm going this way, and for a little while, we see each other, and we can talk a while, but it seems like you're going where I came from. How could this be? And the music that I burned before the Lord Jesus in a bonfire!

And the movies that I renounced and walked away from and said, I'll never darken the door of a theater again. You're going there! I tell you, we're going different ways. Where are you going, my friend?

God's people are supposed to be different. You say, I'm so sick and tired of putting on these holy clothes and having nothing else with that. I know. I know. But don't overreact, my friend. Don't throw away something that's good and right.

Go to the Bible and test it out. Hold on to that which is good. And add to it other things that God may give you. Listen, if you are going to follow God's Word in this departing culture,.

You will be different. Amen? You will be different.

Your friends will change. How you handle your money will change. Many practical things in your life will change. And this is very important because people are looking for practical answers to real problems in their lives.

They don't know how to handle life. They need an example. Let's give them something to look at. Let's turn their eyes in the grocery store when our children walk so patiently beside us and they're not screaming and fussing and carrying on for a candy bar and they won't stop screaming until they get it.

Let's give them something to look at as we relate to our husbands or our wives. Let's give them something to look at by the way we live and everything we do. In all things, let us adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

We are in all things, brothers and sisters. A holy life. A holy life, my friends. That's an influence, isn't it? People will see that. They will take note of it. But that's not enough. God wants more than that for the church of Jesus Christ.

Humility and the Beatitudes

He also wants us to be filled with the graces of humility. Jesus laid the foundation of the New Testament Christian life when He gave those beautiful Beatitudes. Those are the beautiful attitudes that are found there in Matthew 5.

He laid the foundation of true Christianity in the New Testament when He said, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.