The Church Jesus Would Attend Part 1-Part B

They gave themselves to the apostles' doctrine because it's the source of everything else. It's the Bible that teaches us how to love. It's the Bible that teaches us motivation for singing. It's the Bible that teaches us how to get involved and interface with the community. It's the Bible that teaches us how to raise children, attitudes, everything.

That's number one on the list of what they practiced as they were glorifying God. We continue with our series, Church Who Needs It, with Pastor Skip Heitzig here in Connect with Skip Weekend Edition. Depending on what survey you look at, there are around 68,000 to 100,000 churches in the U.S. Now, faced with that many different choices, it's no wonder some people have a hard time deciding where to go to church. But what about Jesus? If he had to choose from the thousands of churches available, what church would he go to?

After all, if we knew the kind of place Jesus would go, wouldn't that make our choices easier? Skip will explore that a bit more. But first, here's how he connects you with the brand new book project by Joel Rosenberg. I've traveled with Joel to Middle East cities to meet with kings and crown princes. We sat together on the east lawn of the White House for the signing of the historic Abraham Accords, and I previewed his new book, Enemies and Allies. I can tell you it contains never before published quotes from behind closed door meetings with some of the most powerful and mysterious leaders in the Middle East. You will want to read this book. Enemies and Allies by Joel Rosenberg includes insights and analysis from the author's conversations with some of the most controversial leaders in the world. This is the first book of its kind. Almost nobody's ever had that chance to not just meet one of these major leaders, but to meet almost all of them, and then to get to tell the story in first person language, come with me into the palace, into the motorcade, and come meet the most interesting, consequential, and controversial leaders in the entire Middle East. Enemies and Allies by Joel Rosenberg includes insights and analysis from the author's conversations with some of the most controversial leaders in the world. We'll send you a hardcover copy of Enemies and Allies as thanks for your gift of $35 or more.

To give, visit connectwithskipp.com, or call 800-922-1888. Open your Bibles or Bible apps to John chapter 17. Let's join Skip Heitzig as he talks more about the church Jesus would attend. Church Jesus would attend is a group of people that makes it all about Him.

It turns the me generation into the He generation, so to speak. Second, number two. It's one that reveals the truth of God. Look at verse six. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. And now, now because they have kept your word, now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me, and they have received them, and they have known surely that I came, that I came forth from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

Now, please don't, don't not understand this. Please see the flow of this. Jesus is saying, you, Father, gave me words of truth that I passed on to them, my followers. They received those words, and they have not only kept them, but they have passed them down.

And Jesus will mention that later on as we follow the text through. So, any church Jesus would attend must do the same, and that is regularly speak the word of God, not the opinions of men. It's noteworthy to me that high on the list of what's important in a church gathering or in gathering together, that's what's on the most important list is the word of God. I say it's interesting to me because that's not always on many people's most important list in finding a church.

What's often on the list is how close is it to where I live, and do they have programs for my children, etc., etc. But in many people's view, finding the truth of God preached undiluted, undistorted is not high on the list. It is high on Jesus' list.

Why? Because the word of God is the source of all truth. It's the source of all truth. Look at verse 17.

Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Now, that explains a lot. It explains why we do what we do. Skip, how come every time I come it's the same? You sing a few songs and you talk, and you talk, and you keep talking and preaching and opening the Bible.

Can't you mix it up and have a raffle one day or interpretive dance one day? Just picturing that is frightening, isn't it? There was an article in the Albuquerque Journal some time back. I cut it out. I won't read the article to you, but I just want to read the heading of the article.

Ready? Church, a trendy place for singles seeking dates. Man, that puts a whole spin on things. Church, a trendy place for singles seeking dates. Well, Jesus said go into all nations and make disciples of them, teaching them, teaching them to observe whatever I have commanded you. So here's Jesus anticipating his followers and the church that he will build and the glory of God and the truth of God are high on his list. And that's exactly what we find when we turn to the book of Acts. We find his prayer being answered.

Acts chapter 2 verse 42, a text that we're going to uncover in more detail later on. And they gave themselves continually to the apostles' doctrine, breaking of bread, prayer or fellowship and prayer. Those are the four things they gave themselves to. What was one on the list? Number one on the list? The apostles' doctrine.

They gave themselves continually to the apostles' doctrine. Why was that number one on the list? Why doesn't it say, and they gave themselves number one to love? Or they gave themselves number one to singing? Or they gave themselves number one to community improvement?

Wanna know why? Because they gave themselves to the apostles' doctrine because it's the source of everything else. It's the Bible that teaches us how to love. It's the Bible that teaches us motivation for singing. It's the Bible that teaches us how to get involved and interface with the community. It's the Bible that teaches us how to raise children, attitudes, everything. That is number one on the list of what they practiced as they were glorifying God.

That's what they gave themselves to. So, the church that Jesus would attend is one that radiates the glory of God and reveals the truth of God. But I don't want to just stop with that.

We'll uncover the next two next week. I want to show you what will happen, what truth produces. Look at verse 13.

It produces joy. Jesus continues in his prayer, verse 13, but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they, they being the disciples, that's the antecedent, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I've given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world.

You follow? Jesus gave them truth words from the Father. And having received those words, they became really joyful, even though the world hated them and hassled them. So how can a person have joy in the midst of a world that by and large doesn't love God and doesn't love those who stand up for the truth of God? How do you find joy surrounded by that?

How do you, how do you be a joyful person in the midst of a world that's falling apart? Answer? The word. Truth.

It brings joy. There's basically only two types of people. There's people of the world and there's people of the word.

And they're very different from one another. People of the world have a sense of happiness from time to time, but it's circumstantial. It might go up. It might go down. Things are good today. I'm happy. Things are bad tomorrow.

I'm really bummed out. That's how it works. They're prisoners to their circumstances because the circumstances change like always. But people of the word can have a sense of joy that is the same and sometimes even increasing in the worst of situations because the one their trust is in is in Jesus Christ who's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

He never changes. There's a huge difference between just happiness that goes up and down and joy. Joy. What's your joy like? Does joy mark you? Well, if it's rooted in truth, it definitely will.

And here's why. As we expose ourselves to truth and read the word, we discover that there's something a lot better than this present world up ahead. That makes us joyful. That's what's going to happen after we're gone from here. And in the meantime, we have plenty of promises and resources to sustain us right now until we get there.

All of that brings joy. Jesus said in John 16, in the world you will have trouble. You can underline that in your Bible. In the world you will have trouble.

But take heart, I have overcome the world. You see the difference between the person of the world and the person of the word? Person of the world, they're like a thermometer. They just register what's going on. They go up or down. Person of the word is like a thermostat. They set it. They set that pace.

They set the temperature. It's a never fixed mark of joy. Let me just brag a little bit about you. One of the things I love so much about you is your joy. You're fanatics, honestly.

You guys are a bunch of fanatics. You get happy about worship. You get happy about Bible study. You clap at a sermon. Maybe you're just happy it's over.

I don't know. But you get excited over it. And it's wonderful to see.

And I've had guest speakers who come and go, okay, your church is like the best church to be a guest speaker at. The people are so into the word. They're so excited about it. And you should be. You should be.

And you are. Charles Spurgeon said, our happy God should be worshiped by a happy people. A cheerful people is in keeping with his nature and his acts. You know what's produced that joy in you? The scripture. The scripture reveals to you God's plan and God's promises and heaven and all of the future and all of the resources till then.

And it's produced in you an abiding sense of joy and the outward expression as well. Psalm 119. I'm just going to read a few verses to you. Happy are the people who follow the law of the Lord. Happy are those who obey his decrees and search for him with all their hearts. Make me walk along the path of your commands for that is where my happiness is found. That's why the joy is there. Interesting, the Tyndale Publishers, a publisher that I worked with for years, put out a poll some years back and published some results and they found, and I'm quoting, 90% of Bible readers feel at peace all or most of the time as compared to 58% who read less than once a month.

Now that's fascinating. They feel at peace all or most of the time a much greater percentage. Also 92% of frequent Bible readers report knowing a clear purpose and meaning for their life whereas only 69% of infrequent Bible readers report the same. So let me tell you, the church that Jesus would attend is the place where joy producing truth is proclaimed. Also, and finally and we'll close, truth produces not just joy but holiness. Holiness.

Verse 15. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth.

Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world and for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. Now there's another religious sounding word, sanctification, sanctify. It's a good word.

Don't lose that word. It means to be holy. It means to be separate.

In particular, to be separate from sin. To be different from. How different are you from the world? Well if you're a person of the word, you're very different from the world.

Your values are different. So here's the gist of what Jesus is praying to his father here. Father, the world is deceptive. It's powerfully evil but you can purify them through your word. How does that work? How does it work? Well, here's how it works. When we expose ourselves to truth, something happens.

Now you'll track as soon as I describe what happens. Sometimes you read it and it's so comforting. You read a promise and you go, oh, I needed that so much right now in my life.

That's so comforting to me. Other times you read it and it doesn't comfort you. It confronts you. You go, oh, I don't like that. I'm not going to underline that verse.

No. I'm not going to memorize that verse. That's real personal, that verse. Sometimes it comforts. Sometimes it confronts. Or as one person put it, sometimes the Bible will comfort the afflicted and other times it will afflict the comfortable. We know what that's like. You know, I've even had people, I kid you not, at least five, maybe seven times in my years as a preacher, teacher, people have come up to me accusing me of following them through the week or of receiving a phone call from their wife or husband or somebody who told me about them and I'm directing my sermon at them that day. And I will say, with all due respect, sir or ma'am, I don't even know you, let alone have the time to follow you through the week.

What is happening? The truth is cutting, confronting, working. It's what Hebrews 4 describes. The word of God is living. It's powerful.

It's sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Now can I just say, I believe that every good sermon should do that. I believe every good sermon should at some point cut and confront, not for the sake of cutting, not for the sake of pain, not just for the sake of inducing guilt, but to cut away those things which are displeasing to the Lord. That's why Paul said to young Timothy, a man just starting in the ministry, Timothy, preach the word of God, be persistent whether the time is favorable or not, patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

Get the balance there? Encouragement, rebuking, admonishment all together. Now can I just, before we close, say, let that happen. Let that happen. Don't be the kind of listener who says, I only like it when the sermons make me feel really good about myself. That's shallow.

You can get that in a good movie. Let God, through the Holy Spirit, have his way. So even if it's like, oh man, let it happen.

Let it happen. Let him cut, let him cleanse. Jesus said to his disciples, now you are clean.

And it means cut the rizzo, to cut away and cleanse. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. In conclusion, a church that Jesus would attend is one where God is glorified by declaration, by praise, or it's about him more than anything else.

And also one in which the congregation responds to the truth by a holy lifestyle. Glory and truth. I read an article that made me very sad.

As I tell you, you'll understand why. True story. A couple in, I think, Boston, if I remember correctly, had a little baby and invited friends over for a christening party for their child. The baby was placed on a bed in the guest room and it was a flurry of activity as their friends came and they walked in the guest room and threw their coat on the bed, not recognizing the baby was there. And then another coat and then another coat and another coat and a pile of coats and the baby died.

And I think it was the Boston newspaper the next day that told about the baby that was smothered to death at his own party. I sometimes think that God is smothered at his own party. I sometimes think that some want to make a big party about everything but God in his glory. And so two things to walk away with.

Two charges this morning. Number one, learn to glorify God. Learn to glorify God. When we gather together and we're engaging in worship, if it's worship, engage. Engage. Fully engage. Fully declare. And then go out and make him famous.

Declare him out there. And second, let the word of God produce in you the kind of real joy better than the superficial happiness of the world that goes up and down. True abiding joy even in the worst of times and let it do its work.

Comforting and confronting. Well now that you know a little bit more about what sort of church Jesus would attend, where will you go to church? Some of you may already go to a church, but what do you do there? It's our hope that you do just what Skip Heitzig suggested and not just go to church, but be actively involved in it. Well, we'll let you know how to get a copy of today's teaching.

But before we do, here's an update from the Connect with Skip Resource Center. The beating heart of Bible prophecy is the land of Israel and the Middle East. Joel Rosenberg has his finger on the pulse of the world shaking changes happening right now. And he unveils them in his new nonfiction book, Enemies and Allies. This is the first book of its kind that takes you inside the Oval Office, inside the palaces of the kings and crown princes, the presidents and the prime ministers in Israel and in the Arab world. As we ask them, what do you think about religious freedom, about making peace with Israel, about the threat from Iran, about U.S.-Arab relations, U.S.-Israel relations? Enemies and Allies from multiple New York Times bestselling author Joel Rosenberg takes you on an unforgettable journey inside the turbulent Middle East. You'll go behind closed doors to hear from the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the charge. Enemies and Allies includes exclusive, never-before-published quotes, insights and analysis from the author's conversations with some of the world's most controversial leaders. Your hardcover copy of Enemies and Allies is our thanks for your generous gift of $35 or more today. To give, call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com. And if you'd like a copy of today's teaching, The Church Jesus Would Attend, get in touch with us. It's available on CD for just $4, plus shipping when you call 1-800-922-1888 or when you visit connectwithskip.com. Next time, Skip continues to message The Church Jesus Would Attend, so we hope you can join us here on Connect with Skip Weekend Edition, a presentation of Connection Communications. .... bringing you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.