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INTRODUCTION
Today is the last message in our series from Acts on Growing a Healthy Church using our church
Purpose Statement. We are looking at 1st century churches that are prototype for us in
the 21st century.
“What would our Church Purpose Statement look like if we actually did it?” Today, last
line:
“All this is accomplished by God’s grace, in God’s love, for God’s
glory.”
The prototype church is the church in Rome. Rome is mentioned a few times in Acts. Paul wrote to
Rome while on his 3rd missionary trip, and at the end of Acts Paul finally arrives - under arrest.
Intro Text: 8:14-16, 30-31
The City of Rome: The capital of the 4th greatest world empire. All
roads lead to and from Rome - Rome’s reach was into government, commerce, sports. It is
believed to have been a city of about 4 million people. The Romans considered themselves above
everyone, and thus everyone else was a slave. It was a city of luxury and squalor side by side. It
was in Rome where the gladiator games were held. Many Emperors where barbaric, gluttons, and
perverts. However at the time of Paul’s travels, there was relative peace in the empire, even
at arrest in 60 AD. But in a few years, 64 AD, Nero would make everything worse when he fiddled
while half of Rome burned. The scapegoats were the Christians and in 67 AD both Paul and Peter were
martyred.
The Church of Rome: A church in Rome would be strategic. At Pentecost Acts 2:10
“visitors from Rome.” No doubt other believers migrated from other regions of the
empire. Rome was a strong attraction - “If I can make it Rome and I make it anywhere.”
By the time of Paul wrote to the church in 58 AD, it was well established and thriving. It probably
consisted of several house churches - many locations in the city - in midst of Empires’ power
hungry, polytheistic, perverted, barbaric culture.
Like the fame of the city itself, this church also was famous worldwide (Romans 1:8). Paul
wrote his greatest Theological Dissertation to them.
The Church of Rome was an empowered church. God was at work in them. They are an example to us of
how God works in churches today. The last line of our church purpose statement is explained and
exemplified in the book of Romans. It explains The Who of the church. It is God’s church! It
is not my church or your church. The church is divinely unique - it is not a human institution. We
are Christ’s body, temple of the Holy Spirit, God’s living building. God’s great
power manifested through Jesus Christ encircles and empowers the ministry of the church.
We are going to the book of Romans itself for today’s message. It could be outlined various
ways in three points: Sin, Salvation, Sanctification. Past, Present, Future. But today: God’s
Grace, God’s Love, and God’s Glory.
1. By God’s Grace Romans 3:24; 5:2
- Only by the grace of God can a church be what God ordained it to be.
- “grace” 113 times in NT. Grace - charis = benefits
bestowed liberally.
- Grace - God’s unmerited favor. God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
QUOTE SONGS: “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like
me.” “Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and
our guilt, Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There were the blood of the
Lamb was spilt.” “Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin. How
shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden,
setting my spirit free, for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.”
- By grace, Paul a persecutor of the church was saved. By grace the gospel was taken to
the Jews. By grace to the Gentles, to people like us. By grace you and I can be saved
from sin and given new life.
- By grace the church exists. By grace we have spiritual gifts to serve one another -
Romans 12:6. We are channels of God’s grace to others. By grace we are
blessed with every spiritual blessing. Are you genuinely amazed at God’s grace in
your life? God’s grace in our church?
ILLUS: I have heard many of your testimonies. Concerning salvation, but also grace
for victory over sin, grace to help in time of need.
2. In God’s Love Romans 5:8; 8:35-39
- Only in God’s love can the people of the church be united to love God, to love one
another and to love the people of the world
- “love” 194 times in NT. Love is inherent in grace.
- God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
QUOTE SONGS: “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.
O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore
endure - the saints and angel’s song.” “O love that will not let
me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee; I give Thee back the life I owe, That in Thine
ocean depths it flow may richer, fuller be.” George Beverly Shea “O, the
wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me.”
- Because of God’s love in us, we can love others 12:9-10 v. 9 agape
love, v. 10 philo love. Love sets us apart from the world.
- We live in an unloving world. It shows up in the church sometimes in our
harshness/selfishness, our policies/politics “The church that fights.”
- True love really is - sacrificially giving our best to others, seeking the best for
another, known by our love for others, because God loved us.
QUOTES: “We must learn to use the right tools in building a church. If all you
have is a hammer in your ministry toolbox, you’ll tend to treat everything as
a nail.” Rick Warren Tool Box E-Newsletter Jan-Feb. “Be kinder than
necessary, for everyone is fighting some kind of battle.”
- The church is to be a safe place.
ILLUS: Promote The Cellar to be a safe place - a crazy place maybe.
- The entire church is to be a safe place. Care for one another because God cares for us.
Safe place for people to share their life - the ups and downs, trials and blessings,
questions and concerns. With gentleness & kindness.
- We shouldn’t shoot the wounded or the messengers. “If God so
loved us, we also ought to love one another” 1 John 4:11
- Do you know by experience you are loved by God? Do you love others?
3. For God’s Glory Romans 5:2; 11:33-36; 15:6, 9; 16:29
- Only for God’s glory must the church engage in all her many activities.
- “glorifying, glorify, glory” 175 times in NT.
- Glory to boast in God, to give all honor to God, to make God look great.
QUOTE SONGS: “To God be the glory - great things He hath done!”
“How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me...I owe it all to
Thee. To God be the glory.” “We will glorify the King of Kings, we will
glorify the Lamb, We will glorify the Lord of lords, who is the great I Am.”
“Father we love You, we worship and adore You, Glorify Thy Name in all the
earth.”
- To see Him as the center of our life, the One whom everything in us comes from and
returns to. We acknowledge Him as our Source, Sustainer, Savior, Supreme Ruler, and
coming Sovereign King of Kings.
QUOTE: Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, first line in
first chapter “It’s not about you.” Chapter entitled “It All
Starts with God.” “You were made by God and for God - and until you
understand that, life will never make sense.” First line of Chapter 7
“It’s all about him.” Chapter entitled “The Reason for
Everything.” “The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of
God. It is the reason for everything that exists, including you. God made it all for
his glory. Without God’s glory, there would be nothing...Living for
God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our
lives.“ (17-54)
- Are you living for God’s glory? Are you making God famous? Do people see your good
works and glorify our Father who is heaven?
ILLUS: The athlete. Kurt Warner, Tony Dungy, there are Olympic athletes.
Indianapolis Colts kicker. They give God the glory. It is more than praise and
worship in church - a lifestyle of living for God. Credit where due.
APPLICATION
What does this look like if we actually did it?
In reality God has already done it. We simply respond, some samples:
- We accept God’s grace which saves us from our sins and give us eternal life
through Jesus Christ His Son, our Savior.
- We accept God’s grace which forgives us of our failures and frailty, hypocrisy and
harshness, guilt and shame - as we confess our sins.
- We accept God’s grace in us and extend it to others as demonstrated by the fruit
of the Spirit.
- We cherish God’s love for us as He has given His only begotten Son to suffer death
on the cross for our redemption from the darkness of sin, the deceptions of the devil,
and the damnation of hell.
- We cherish God’s love to us as an everlasting love, a love that seeks our very
best, as He gives us His very best.
- We cherish God’s love which is sacrificial and is to be extended through us to
others in extravagant generosity and gratitude.
- We give God all the glory, for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
- We give God all the glory in all that we think, do, or say. It is all about God. He is
our goal and our supreme purpose for living.
- We give God all the glory in our daily lives so that others may see our good works and
glorify our Father in heaven.
I am somewhat sad I am ending this series. I have preached and pointed to this statement often. This
time I started it by faith, wasn’t quite sure the direction. Pleasantly surprised. However,
maybe March 21, one more message on Church Revival - using music video “The Mississippi
Squirrel Revival.”
How do I close? I have had an abundance of resources. Allow me today to close with one of my
favorite quotes on what it takes to grow a healthy church:
“We do not need a new church, but a restored church.
We do not need a humanly directed church, but a divinely directed church.
We need empowered people more than impressive programs.
We must not surrender to the philosophy of a shrinking church in secular society; but we must
embrace the philosophy of a living, growing church that will transform society.
The task of Christ cannot be accomplished by the faithful few alone; but every believer must be
vitalized, equipped, and mobilized for ministry.
Churches grow ‘not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.’”
(Ellis, Joe, The Church on Purpose. Cincinnati: Standard Publishing, 1982, page 191 adapted)
Invitation
Do you need to accept Gods grace?
Do you need to greater cherish God’s love?
Do you need to greater give God all the Glory?
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