DO YOU ENJOY MEETING OTHER CHRISTIANS?

INTRODUCTION

We at little ole FBC Colfax are a part of something BIG. We are one little church in a huge body of believers that reaches back 2000 years to the time of the Apostles, enduring until the time of the rapture, and stretching worldwide.

If you have traveled and attended another church, or been on a mission trip - you know that when you meet fellow believers, there is an instant friendship, a bond, because we each are a part of the great body of Christ. In Mexico, Jamaica, Montana, MN, even the southerners in Georgia. Talked with the Pastor at Aplington Baptist Church Thursday. Total strangers are bonded together because we are believers, each a part of the body of Christ, the universal church.

We are going to spend 4 Sunday’s on the doctrines of the church from our Statement of Faith, today is doctrine of the universal church.

We believe in THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH: that Christ alone is Head of the Body of Christ, into which all true believers are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit; that all believers of all the ages are members of this one spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16.

“Church” = ekklesia, assembly, Greek literally “called together.” Term which Christ and the Apostles applied to the assembly of believers. The NT usages:

• 3 times to a secular assembly/gathering
• 13 for description of universal church
• 90 in reference to a local church or churches

For us today, let us see three characteristics of the Universal Church - which I trust we individually are members thereof...

1. Leadership - Christ is the Head. Col. 1:18

• The risen Christ is the leader of the church, the head of the body of saints, who deserves first place, first priority in our life/our church.
HYMN: The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.



• Our Leader is not a mere mortal man, but the DIVINE/Man.



• Matt. 16:18 “I will build My church”



• Eph. 1:22-23 His fullness dwells in us, we experience the rich blessings of divinity in our lives through Christ.



• His authority is self giving, sacrificial, presented in the illustration of marriage Eph. 5:23-27



• What does this mean functionally? Does He chair the business meetings? Maintains office hours during the week? Makes the day to day decisions? He is the Head not in terms of CEO, but Savior and Master.



• Christ’s leadership is universal, but also demonstrated locally. How?
A. Graces us with salvation Eph. 5:23, 25

B. Guides us through His Word Eph. 5:26

C. Guarantees our ultimate sanctification/perfection Eph. 5:27

D. Gifts our human leaders Eph. 4:11

E. Our Goal is Christ-likeness Eph. 4:13-16

F. Our Glory is Christ working in us John 15:5; 2 Cor. 12:9



• Is Christ the head of your life? Our church? Is He the brains?



• Different world languages but use same terminology: Born again. Body of Christ. Salvation. Glory of God. Gospel. Universal truths.

2. Membership - All true believers Eph. 1:19

• This is the one membership you don’t have to take classes for, or fill out any paperwork. When you believe in Christ, accept Christ as personal Savior - you are instantly a member of the Universal Church of Christ.



• In the universal church, the membership list is the Lambs Book of Life, every member is a believer in Christ, and every believer is a member. There is no exception. If you are saved - you are part of universal church.



• All believers everywhere during entire church age. Pentecost - Rapture.



• But in the local church, try as we should, it is possible for people to be members who are not true believers in Christ. We Baptists hold dearly to saved church membership. We can judge on the basis of the testimonies and works often soon after salvation, but even those are not conclusive for we cannot see the heart - Christ knows the heart.
ILLUS: Like Judas was one of the 12, while he was with them, Jesus knew he really wasn’t one of them. So many warning passages in the Epistles about false teachers and unrepentant sinners in the churches. Sad to take names off of the local church rolls. Christ never does that with universal church rolls.



• But Christ knows His own. The shepherd knows the sheep. Are you one?

3. Membership - All true believers Eph. 1:19

• The terms “baptism” “baptized” are used in different contexts in the Bible: Baptism of Moses, fire, of John, believers baptism in water,



• Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an one time event, occurring at our salvation where by we are placed in the Body of Christ, from which our Christian growth is derived. At salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us at once at one time, and is made available for empowerment.



• The filling of the Holy Spirit is the repeated experiences of empowerment where the Spirit has control of us. One baptism, many fillings



• This Spirit baptism is universal, for all believers. It cuts across cultures, races, genders, social classes, denominations. Diversity and unity in Body
ILLUS: Our missions diversity: CBA, Independent, SIM, Awana, Radio Bible, TEAM, Mexican Medical, Campus Crusade, Christian Educators, Baptist Mid Missions. Encouraging you to give to NAB. Next Sunday night Mike Gilbert’s niece will give missions presentation.



• The NT metaphors speaks of “the body of Christ,” “the people of God,” “the temple of God.” As God is One in the Trinity, there is to be essential unity in the universal church. Christ is not divided (1 Cor. 1:13). We hold to the same gospel truths, the same saving faith. We are “one” Eph. 4:4-6

CONCLUSION

Wherever you live, visit, do you enjoy meeting other believers? Have you seen the rich diversity of the Body of Christ?

ILLUS: I have pastored 4 churches (2 CBA, 1 NAB, 1 Independent), member of 3 more (GARB, Wesleyan, Alliance), attended many others. Our family has great diversity right now (parents, siblings, our kids, aunts/uncles, cousins) - BGC, GARB, Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, Southern Baptist, Independent Baptists. Evangelical Free, conservative Lutheran, Pentecostal, Nazarene, General Conference Mennonite, Christian Church but not Disciples of Christ, Four Square Church, CBA, (15). Not to mention other past connection with friends and family in another 15 or so denominations. Rich diversity, and if those members of those local churches are true believers in Christ, lead by Christ, baptized by Holy Spirit - we are all of the universal church!

Other past personal connections:

IFCA, Village Missions, American Baptists, New Testament Baptists, The Covenant Church, Lutheran Free, Missouri Synod Lutheran, Reformed Baptist, old Evangelical United Brethren, Open Bible, 4 C’s Congregational, Christian Reform, The Reformed Church, The United Methodist, Free Will Methodist, Disciples Heritage.

We are a part of something BIG. Do you value your heritage? Do you treasure the many relationships in the Body of Christ?

Let us make sure you are a member of that great church. Without any membership class today, or signing any document, or any water baptism rite ARE you a member of Christ’s universal church?