The church's success and distinctiveness are rooted in a deep commitment to Christ and Scripture, not in superficial changes like musical instruments or worship styles. Drawing from the example of the early church in Antioch, where believers were first called Christians, the sermon emphasizes that genuine commitment, born from persecution and fidelity to God's Word, characterized their model church. This commitment to Christ's centrality, the priesthood of all believers, remembering Christ's sacrifice weekly, local autonomy, and spiritual gifts is what truly defines a flourishing church. The sermon concludes by urging a return to these foundational commitments, highlighting that such unwavering dedication, even in the face of challenges, is essential for the church to thrive and maintain its unique identity.
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I think you should at least stand and stretch a bit and shake hands with the person next to you. So would you take a moment to do that? During that wonderful message, I was very much alert to what our brother Ross was saying, but my leg went to sleep, so if you'll take a minute to do that. My head is out of the light. This is the first opportunity I've had to meet Ross or to minister with him at a conference, though I am not unfamiliar with his ministry and his writings.
His articles have appeared on a number of occasions in some of the periodicals from Dallas Seminary. More specifically, some years ago, I... about eighteen or nineteen years now I guess it is I came to a mass to teach and assume other responsibilities there and in the newsletter that announced that it was interesting to see that there was also an article including the fact that Ross Rainey had just been at the school teaching as one of the visiting faculty and that probably dates both of us a little bit so periodically when my wife pulls out a that newsletter to show how I used to look.
I see a picture of Ross as well, so it's good to be with you in the flesh, and I'm with you more in the flesh now than I would have been in that particular picture. A lot happens in eighteen years. I'm working on omnipresence personally. I'd like for us to consider, just briefly, in an introductory way, the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ relating to the success of the church. In Matthew sixteen, he has taken his disciples away from the land of Palestine to a private place.
discouragement had set in to the disciples because of what had happened thus far in the ministry of the Lord and his Galilean ministry. During that period of time, some eighteen months of ministry, a number of things developed. It became the official stance of the Sanhedrin, of the leadership of Israel, that the many miracles and signs and wonders that the Lord Jesus Christ performed were done by the empowerment of Satan. That was their official doctrinal verdict of how he carried out his many works. During that period of time, his friends, because of his involvement in ministry, said he was beside himself.
He was not mentally balanced. From time to time, his relatives, his mother, in fact, would interfere in the work that he had to do. During that Galilean ministry, someplace in that period of time, John the Baptist was executed. The forerunner was killed. As he comes to a close of the Galilean ministry and gives his bread of life discourse, and challenges those thousands of Jews who had enjoyed his food, they all disappear.
And he says to his disciples at the end, will you go away also? He started with twelve. And he addresses those same twelve, and Peter says, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And the Lord said, that's good, Peter. There are twelve of you, and one of you is a demon. It was a time of great discouragement for them. Though they were doing mighty miracles, the followers were few. The leader of many of them, for they were disciples of John before they were disciples of Christ in many instances, the leader had been executed. And he takes those disciples away.
And he wants to minister to them particularly. And it is in this time of ministry that he says to Peter, thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The rock being Christ, or perhaps the confession of Peter, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, perhaps even the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The thing I'm pointing out here is the Lord Jesus Christ made a promise. I will build my church. That promise will be fulfilled.
In Philippians chapter one, we read the Apostle Paul writing to the Philippian believers that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. I'm going to build my church. I'm going to start it. Future tense. I will build. I'm going to start it. Day of Pentecost, it started. And it's going to be completed. And we are certain of that. We are certain that the church that the Lord Jesus Christ intends to be built will be built. I'm starting this series at that point. Because I think in the assembly movement as such right now there's a great deal of discouragement about the work that god is doing particularly the work amongst us as we move amongst god's people particularly those in the assemblies i don't get many invitations elsewhere but that's fair because i don't ask that much either As I
move about the assemblies at large, I sense a degree of discouragement of malaise. And imagine experts are stepping forth to tell us what needs to be done, how we can solve the problems. And there are all sorts of voices being heard presently. There are these quick fixes that if we just put this in place, everything will be okay. The real problem in the assembly is the pews.
It's the chairs we sit on. I always say, that's ridiculous. I heard it preached. If we could just get rid of the chairs and sit on the floor. Do you know? Wouldn't that be better? That would solve the problems that we have. And in doing that, it would really be solved if we could just get a few guitars in. That would really solve our problems. The problem with the assembly is the piano. You need guitars.
They're both stringed instruments, folks. We need to recognize that. A little hard to strum a piano, I realize that. But the same basic principle, action on a string. If we could just do that, get rid of the trappings of formality. That's what inhibits involvement. Catacomb Christians, that kind of person. Do away with all the comforts of home. Sit on the floor. Strum a guitar. And everything's fine. Now look, I'm not opposed to that.
This past Wednesday night in my wreck room at home, we had some ninety people. And it was full. And some of them were sitting on the floor. We didn't have that many chairs. And there were four, count them, four guitars. And it was a wonderful time. But that happened to match that group of people was where they were. I doubt that collectively we would enjoy that very much.
If you'd like to try it, we probably could arrange that for one of our sessions today. But that is not the thing that's going to solve our problems. It's not that we have to be more like the saints that worshiped in the catacombs. There are some few amongst us who would like to go the other way. There are some predominant people in the assembly movement who are very much enthralled with the Episcopal Church, the form, the liturgy, the beauty. And some have moved in that direction. Some would like to see that direction move toward us.
Some have taken place in being lay ministers in the Catholic Church because of the beauty of ritual. And instead of the catacomb Christian, we there have somebody that says the problem could be solved if we could be cathedral Christians. Get some beauty, some form, some liturgy, some class to the whole thing. Then we could be what we're supposed to be. My nephew returned to a Mass this year and he said, Uncle Dave, you know what I learned at camp this year?
I finally overcame the inhibition as of not being able to raise my hands up in the air. I can do that now. Isn't that wonderful? That's the problem. If we could only lift up our hands to God and overcome all these physical and emotional inhibitions that we as brethren have had practiced for so many years. If I could just lift up my hands, I said, that was good, Matthew. Glad you learned to lift your hands up. If I could be more enthusiastic, say the amen is a little louder you know I've been working on that I'm about at the point now where I go hmm isn't that good I'm getting closer it's not easy one of these days I'm going to give a good solid amen in a meeting and my wife will pass out I'm sure go a little further and shows some of the enthusiasm that other churches manifest, the charismatic type
Christian. Go to the catacombs, go to the cathedral, be charismatic. Perhaps not in all of its extremes, but let's get some of that enthusiasm and that will solve our problem. Some think that the real key to success in a local church is unloosing the silenced women. That's where the problem is. We call them the COED Christians. If we could just get equal participation and have some of these gifted, talented ladies participate and speak and teach and preach in the meetings of the church.
that would solve our problems. Related to that is if we could only free them up from that burden of head coverings, get that thing worked out, then the churches would really fly, coed Christians. There are some who in response to some of these other things say, hey, what we need is procedure. What we need is statements of how we are to conduct ourselves. What we need is the code of practice, the codified Christian, the authoritarian Christian. Has it all worked out very neatly in a nice package? And that's what we need in the church.
And then there is that element within the brethren that says what we need to do is what we've been doing. the custom Christian. Just keep doing it. Now, you know, in all of these things there is a little germ of truth. And most of it has arisen, all these various quick fixes have arisen out of overstatement that is customary. in the workings of God's people.
We have heard already today and we have prayed that we might be reminded of the things that are worth contending for in Scripture. Rather than a quick fix, I think what assemblies at large need today is to return to what has characterized the assembly movement from its beginning, which is a devotion to the Word of God and a desire to practice whatever they see the Word of God teaching.
Now, all of the people that we have mentioned in these categories would say, that's what we say too. But I think in an attempt to bring about change, we are not being very careful in examining the change as it relates to the abiding principles of the Word of God. On one occasion at a retreat that I attended from a given assembly, we were in a great discussion. over certain specific procedures. And one of the men made a statement like this, I wish so-and-so were here so he could present my you.
There is an apparent contradiction in that statement. And what we need is to be able, as in the past, to go to Scripture and say, here is a scriptural form which we most certainly should follow. And here are our customs, our traditions, our methodology, which may vary according to the day. Those applications of principles will be different for any group. But the principles remain the same.
You've never heard that, have you? That is so often repeated. There is a passage in Scripture that relates to the things that I would like to address in the times that I will be with you this weekend, and it is found in Acts and the eleventh chapter. Acts chapter eleven. As I was driving over with Bob Williams, He stopped in a store and Kim and I were chatting. And she mentioned, asked the difference between two words.
And we discussed words a little bit. And she said, well, this word's out now. We don't use this one anymore. And words do change. And the little sayings change. You don't say it's cool anymore. That's ancient. Words change. In Acts chapter eleven, a new word is introduced into the language. That has remained for two thousand years. A new word. In the city of Antioch, the pagans observed a group of individuals.
and they observed and they observed and they started to call them something. They started to call them Christians. In verse twenty-six we read and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. The pagan society recognized a group of people who were so devoted to Christ, who so frequently spoke of Christ, whose lifestyle so imitated Christ, that they said these must be followers of Christ.
They are Christians. I would assume that a church, the church at Antioch that leaves that kind of an impression on the pagan world is a model church. There are certain characteristics in that church that are worth following. We know it as the primary missionary church of New Testament days. We know it as a center of Christianity. Now, what are those marks of that church?
And I'd like to consider this throughout this weekend. Verse nineteen begins the history of chapter eleven of the book of Acts. Now they who were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them, who were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spoke unto the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them. A great number believed and turned unto the Lord.
Then tidings of these things came unto the years of the church, which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came? And it seemed the grace of God was glad and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cling unto the Lord. For he was a righteous man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And many people were added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that for a whole year they assembled themselves with the church.
and taught many people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. And in those days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch, and they stood up, and there stood up one of them named Agabus and signified by the Spirit, that there should be a great famine throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea. which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Verse twenty-four of chapter twelve. But the word of God grew and multiplied, and Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
Now, verse one of chapter thirteen, there were at the church that was at Antioch certain prophets, and teachers. Verse two, as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work unto which I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Spirit departed unto Solution. And from there sailed to Cyprus. And the church at Antioch and its history continues in other parts of the Book of Acts. They were called Christians there.
What are the characteristics of this church that marks them out as a model church? There is no letter to Antioch, and I kind of think it's because they didn't need one. No problems. That would be wishing too much, I'm certain. What were those characteristics that so marked out this church that pagans would call the participants in that local church Christians? Well, the first thing we recognize is that the church was born out of persecution. They who were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose.
The founders of the church were people who experienced persecution. I am not saying what the church needs today is persecution. Did you all hear me say that? I think that is somewhat sadistic. Lord, send persecution. Don't pray that. Don't advertise for persecution or tribulations. Enough come without advertisement, okay? The point is not persecution. Persecution is not good. Trials are not good just because of the trials.
It is what is produced that is good. The element that is produced upon persecution is commitment. That's what persecution demonstrates, that I am committed to what I have stated. That's what any kind of trial produces in our life. Faith is not faith which disappears in the place of trials. Faith tells us what persecution, trials tell us what part of our faith is genuine.
And it became apparent that most of the faith that these founders of the church at Antioch had was genuine because when persecution came, they did not recant, they did not give up, they preached Christ. They were committed. And born in the city of Antioch is a group of individuals who are committed to Jesus Christ and to the testimony of Jesus Christ in this world. Up front at the founding of the church was a commitment to the things of God that was going to be unshakable.
It's what Rosh is talking about, contending for the faith. We are willing to fight for certain things. The truth of Scripture being that. And they were committed. Was this church at Antioch? Present day local church must be made up of committed people if it is to be successful. Between you me and the fence post, I think that's one of the big problems. To what was that early church committed? One of the things we like to think about is that we are New Testament churches.
We can't be New Testament churches. New Testament era is gone. But by that we mean we are following New Testament principles. Look, if you were a church in the time of the writing of Acts and the Epistles, that's the only way you could be. You had to be a New Testament church. The variations had not yet set in. To what were those folk committed? Not that they had options like we do. They were committed to the Lord, to be sure. But they were committed to certain forms, good words, certain forms of practice.
They were committed to the centrality of Jesus Christ. as part of their local testimony and witness. Church historians will say that the Brethren movement is Christocentric. We center on Christ. The early church did. Centered on Christ. They were Christians. The early church structured into their meeting a setting in which the priesthood of all believers, both in worship and in prayer, could be corporately practiced.
They were committed to that. That spins out to this that there was a time for worship where that early church, this one like all the rest in New Testament times, would meet together on the first day of the week to honor the Lord's request to remember me in my death until I come. They were committed to that. I think that's an ultimately important commitment. It was the universal practice of the churches of that day to thus remember the Lord.
And it is to remember him in his death. And it is such a purifying practice. Seminary days, a friend of mine who attended another kind of a church was mocking the brethren. We worked together at our part-time employment. I was a janitor for Jesus. And we worked together. And he was really taking some shots at the brethren. Oh, you're disorganized. You don't have quality preaching and teaching. And he's going on and on and on and on.
And finally, I was tired of that. Do you ever get tired of things like that? I said, listen. Are there any of the churches that you represent that deny the deity of Christ? He said, yeah, quite a few. I said, I don't know one assembly that does. He said, are there any of the churches that you represent that deny the inspiration of Scripture? He said, yes, quite a few. In fact, the major statement of the denomination does that, a fallible scripture. I said, I don't know one assembly that does that. Any of your churches that deny the substitutionary death of Christ? Oh yes, some think he just died as a martyr or died as an example. I said, I don't know when assembly that does that. Any of your churches deny the virgin birth?
Yes, some of them do. It's just a way of speaking to signify a great man's on the scene. I said, I don't know when assembly that does that. And I kept going and going and going and going. And he finally got the point. Now have you ever wondered why that's the case? that by and large in the assembly movement there is a purity of doctrine that is amazing and convinced that it is because we come to the Lord's Supper week by week not for this but as a result this is what happens and we are reminded week by week of the sinful condition of man of the necessity of a substitutionary death of a valid sacrifice which demands the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ.
That we have an instinctive honor for the Word of God, that it is without error, and don't try to trick me with all your fancy talk. I don't care what you say, it's still without error. You see, it comes through as a secondary or eleventary level. it comes through that constant coming back to Jesus Christ constant coming back to Christ died for my sins according to the scripture that he was buried that he rose again the third day and we celebrate that week after week after week keeps us pure there was a commitment to remembering the Lord as a high and holy privilege there was a commitment in that early church, to the autonomy of a local church, tied in with the government that was everywhere established throughout the Mediterranean basin, a government in which there was a plurality of oversight of qualified godly men serving as shepherds under the great shepherd and bishop of our souls.
And that those churches were not related governmentally, horizontally to one another, but were related through the risen and ascended head of the church. We were committed to that. The early church was committed to that. The early church was committed to a multiplicity of spiritual gift in which the saints were equipped. The saints were equipped to do the work of the ministry. The early church was committed to that. The early church had as a given that we are in this together.
They could not go any other place than to groups of people who had that common commitment. We have a problem in our day. We can be committed in a number of different directions. If you don't like the way it's working out in your local assembly, well, there's the Presbyterian Church down the street, there's the Baptist Church, there's the Lutheran Church, now one great Lutheran Church in all of North America, the evangelical, American evangelical Lutheran Church. Just yesterday I came into being. Pentecost, too.
You can go there. Or you can go, if you like the cathedral-type concept, go to the Episcopal Church. You know, if you don't like the way it's happening in your local assembly, there are so many options. New Testament time, there were no options. You met with Christians who practiced the centrality of Jesus Christ. the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit the priesthood of believers in worship and in prayer of all believers government by a plurality of godly individuals meaning qualifications set down in scripture multiplicity of spiritual gifts the headship of Jesus Christ you could go to no other kind of church because that was the commitment of the New Testament.
I would suggest that if assembly life is going to flourish and function successfully, there must be that commitment up front. There must be, in all Christian love, the ability, the conviction to say, yes, We are different. We are different by choice and design. Not an exclusive difference that says you can't come, but an inclusive difference that says I am committed to the same thing that those saints in Antioch and other churches of New Testament Day were committed to.
They are differences worth maintaining. not to divide the body of Christ, to include all who would like to share in meeting in a similar way that the Church of the Apostles followed. I would suggest we need that commitment up front. We need that kind of commitment in life altogether. that I'm in this period. You need that in marriage. Never ever have in the back of the mind there's a way out.
There isn't. And when the struggles come, that thought won't even enter your mind. It's not there to start with. There's a commitment till death do us part. never considered divorce I've considered murder a few times never divorced till death do us part that kind of commitment when there are where there are no options I'm going in this direction there aren't three or four different things I can do there's one thing I can do and we must work out these difficulties within the framework of practice that's spelled out in Scripture We need that kind of commitment in spite of persecution and struggle and hard times.
That's where we start. It is not where we end. There are a number of other items that come out of this particular passage that will give us those characteristics of a church that was first called Christians. characteristics that are worth following, the first of which, many more to follow, but the first of which is commitment to one another and to God and to the functioning of the local church in which we find ourselves. Let's just pray together. Father, as we consider the functioning of a local church, we pray that we may be full participants, committed to your work, committed to those distinctives that mark us out as different, but also mark us out as following the principles that you would set forth for us.
Help us to be committed to this cause, we pray. In your Son's name. Amen. I'm sure there are some announcements.