R354 Why Is Our Church Special

We all could use some encouragement, and we'll find it together today in the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton. Today Dr. Don takes us to Ephesians and talks about the Church, how the Church is special, and more importantly, how each of us work together, your church, my church, the capital C Church, the body of Christ, to make a difference in the world as we make a difference in our own lives and the lives of each other. As we open the Word together, know that we're open for you on our website right now at www.tewonline.org. It's a great place to connect to our community, get connected to some of Dr. Wilton's social media, and sign up for the daily encouraging word devotional. You can do it online right now at www.tewonline.org. It'll supercharge your quiet time.

Sign up today online at www.tewonline.org. Now today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. Turn with me to Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 3. Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter 3. Right throughout this incredible epistle, the apostle Paul, under God's inspiration, keeps coming back and majoring on certain themes. One of those is the gospel.

We paused in the middle of our study through Ephesians in the first 13 verses of chapter 3, and we asked the question, what then is the gospel? Well, this week we're going to be having a look at the second of what I consider to be a major theme right throughout Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and that is the church. What is so special about the church? What is so special about our church? Why does Paul make so much of the church? What is so unique about the church? I want you to look with me at Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 10. Listen to what the Bible says. The Bible says that this God who created all things, that his intent was that now through the church.

That's an amazing statement. He doesn't say you and me. He says through the church.

Is it possible that he is saying, you and me, that now through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. What do you think of when you think of the church? I'm going to tell you that I think of the word passion because I believe that God exercised and demonstrated unbelievable passion when he instituted his church. Now for a lot of people when they think of passion, they think of a football game.

I do too. I'm going to be quite honest with you. I love to go to a football game and the moment I began to think of football games, I began to think that there are some remarkable parallels between a football game and the church. Think about it for a moment with me. In a football game, there are two ministry teams, the offensive team and the defensive team.

Very clear. There are some similarities and differences between this ministry thing that takes place in a football stadium. I guess one of the most notable differences is that when it rains at a football game, people still come.

It's remarkable. It happened at South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. People got drenched, but they stood there and watched and enjoyed the whole thing in the middle of the rain. It seems at a football game, if you win, you tell everybody. If you lose, you don't want to see anybody.

I mean, you just have to be very quiet and get out of the way. I believe one of the things that I've noticed about football games is that they have a worship leader on each side. They've got two ministers of music. And even to make things better, they even have a music ensemble. In fact, some of them, our choir doesn't resemble the ensembles at football games, but they do. They have a music team on each side.

It's quite remarkable. The wonderful thing about it that I really like is that all people at a football game sing whether they can sing or not. I think they really understand the word, make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

And all of them shout, no matter what, whatever they're saying, hit him again, kill him, kill him, hit him again, hit him again, kill him. They get megaphones and everybody joins in, in this unbelievable worship service at a football game. It seems to me that when football teams win, they praise the players.

They're just wonderful players. But as soon as the football team loses, they have the worst coaches in the division. I think that's kind of par for the course.

And so it goes on. But if you tried to stop the passion that surrounds a football game, I think we would be in serious trouble. If Senator Dole got up on a political platform and he said, one of my policies is going to be to ban all football games, I will guarantee you he wouldn't be elected next year.

It would be too much for us to overcome. People tried to stop the apostle Paul from doing what he did. They told him, they said to him, Paul, you had better stop doing what you're doing. You need to stop this passion.

You need to stop serving God. And he said to them, basically, why don't you go ahead and make my day? That's what Paul told them. They said to him, listen, you better stop doing what you do, because if you don't stop doing what you do, we're going to beat you. He said, well, go ahead and beat me.

I cannot stop doing it. He said, they said to him, if you don't stop doing what you do, if you don't sit down and quit it, we're going to shipwreck you. He said, well, why don't you shipwreck me?

I cannot stop the passion that God has placed in my heart. They said to him, if you don't stop doing what you do, we're going to hurt you. He said, well, why don't you just go ahead and hurt me? If you don't stop it, we're going to put you in prison. He said, go ahead and put me in prison. If you don't stop, we're going to muzzle you and we're going to whip you.

He said, well, why don't you just go ahead and muzzle me and whip me? Why? Because for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul understood the passion of God. I'm going to submit to you today, beloved friends, that perhaps it's time for us to understand the passion that God had for his church.

He's the one who said that not even the gates of hell will prevail against my church. What a remarkable thing to think about. So I want to show you something interesting. Just listen to this.

I've never done this before. I want to tell you something about this church. We're going to discover, folks, that it's not this church that it's special. It's God's church and nothing we can do is outside of the will of God.

Just listen to some of this for a minute. Folks, here's the best part. In missions, do you know what our church does in missions? Our church gives way beyond 10 percent a tithe of our income to missions, and I believe it is pleasing to God. Listen, folks, our church last year gave $569,962 to Southern Baptist Convention mission causes. This church gave $315,934 to other causes for a total missions giving from this church, from you people. And we're going to talk about faithfulness.

Let's talk about faithfulness. You folks gave $885,896 to missions causes last year. You say, what are these? I've got them written out, some of them. The Southern Baptist causes for which we gave $569,962, Annie Armstrong, Janie Chapman, Lottie Moon, Cooperative Program, Spartanburg Baptist Association, World Hunger, Connie Maxwell Children's Home, other mission causes. There are 30 of them that we've got actually listed. Listen to Gifts to Missionaries, Spartanburg Soup Kitchen, Greater Spartanburg Ministries, St. Luke's Medical Center, The Mission Home, The Carolina Pregnancy Center, Brazil Missions, a vital part of the ministry of our church, Deaf Ministries, Spartanburg Mobile Meals that I spoke about just a moment ago, Christian Social Ministries, Youth Choir Tour, Kentucky Missions, Christmas Party for Underprivileged Children, Youth Evangelism, Media Ministry, Television Outreach, Radio Evangelism, In Love Bible Guide, the WMU AIDS Fund in South Carolina, Retirement Offerings, Individual Offerings, Fuel Funds, Volunteer Mission Funds, Seminary Fund, Moldova Missions, Furman Direct Fund, Billy Graham Crusade, Downtown Rescue Mission. Listen to this folks, this does not include any missions, gifts given through individual Sunday school departments that did not come through the church business office.

What are some of those? The Angel Tree Project, Samaritan's Purse out of Boone, North Carolina, Christmas Projects and related things, et cetera. Why is the church so special? What is it that God has done by allowing the church to be the church? You're listening to Dr. Don Wilton, our teacher here on the Encouraging Word broadcast and we'll be back with the rest of today's message about the church in just a moment. But Dr. Don insists I remind you we're available for you, not just to provide you with resources, though that's an important part of encouraging you, but also to pray with you and for you. And if God stirred your heart in a specific way and you'd like to have some friends praying for you and with you, call us at 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. It's available not just now during the broadcast, but 24 hours a day as we get together to talk and listen and connect you to wonderful resources. If you haven't heard, there's a remarkable free indeed resource as we launch the month of June. It's all about praying for our country. Again, you'll find the details on our website at www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton.

What is it? I want us to consider this very briefly this morning. This is unusual for me to do this kind of thing. You know that. I don't usually spend very much time at all in preaching time giving statistics because I believe so much in the preaching of the Word of God. But folks, I believe that it is vital and it is necessary. And judging by the response that we got from people in the early service, it is something personally I couldn't believe some of these things. I'm going to say to you folks, what it did to me was not say to me, listen me, why don't you get on your hands and knees and pat yourself on the back because you belong to such a great church.

I'll tell you what it did for me folks. It humbled me to think that God would allow a group of people to be involved in their world to the extent that God has allowed a group of people to be involved. What a privilege. What an inestimable privilege. Why is the church so special?

Let's just look at it. Number one, because of her mystery. Because of her mystery. The Bible tells us here in Ephesians chapter 3 and verses 3, 4 and 9 that the church of God is a mystery. God was not telling us that because the church is a mystery that the church is obscure or that the church is unintelligible. What God is trying to teach us here my friend in his letter to the Ephesians is that the church is a divine secret known only to those to whom it is revealed.

The Bible tells us my friends that the church which is the body of Christ is a very special group of people set apart for the revelation of God in order to make known the manifold wisdom of God to mankind. I want you to turn over with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. Turn over there just very quickly, 1 Corinthians chapter 2. I want to read from verse 7.

Listen to what the Bible says. The Bible says, No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been, what, has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. Folk, listen to me, the world does not understand the mystery of the church. That is why the world tries to infiltrate the church. None of the rulers of this age understood it because if they had, Paul says to the church at Corinth, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written, No eye has seen nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

And the passage goes on. I just haven't got time to get into that passage in Corinthians. Listen folks, God's church is special because of her mystery. There is something about God's church and that special something, my friend, is that God instituted his church. She is special.

Why? Because of her mystery and also because of her meaning. What does the church mean? Well, if you look at verse 6 and verse 10 in Ephesians chapter 3, you begin to understand a little bit of the meaning of the church. Is it a building? I think if any church can testify to the fact that it's not a building, this church can.

Because some 35 years ago a tragedy struck Spartanburg, this church burned to the ground. Let me tell you, God's not dependent upon a building, folks. God can raise this building up anytime he wants to. He's not dependent upon acreage. He's not dependent upon how many cups of coffee are served.

He's not dependent upon how much is given to missions. God's church, my friend, has in the essence of its meaning the body of Christ. What God is trying to teach us, my friend, is that not one of us in this place go to church. We are the church.

We are the church. We don't go to church. You didn't go to church. You go to worship. You don't go to church. You go to worship.

Why? Because the Bible tells us, my friend, that the church is not a building. It's not a place. They get so hung up, my friend, on the sacredness of a place. They get so hung up on windows and carpets and microphones and all these things which are so vital. And they are so necessary and they are so wonderful.

And God has blessed his church so much. But God says that the church in its meaning is the body of Christ of which he alone is the head. And the head determines what the body does. When the head turns, the body reacts. When the head thinks, the body thinks.

And the body does what the head tells it to do. Why is the church so special? Because of her mystery, because of her meaning, but also because of her membership. You see, verse 6 tells us, look at verse 6. This mystery is that how, through the gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. The membership, who are they? All people. All people who love the Lord Jesus Christ are members of the church.

This mystery that has so much meaning is comprised of all people. And how do all people come together in the body of Christ? Through the preaching of the gospel.

That's what the word says. That is the primary means. That's why the pulpit occupies the primary place of worship. That is why biblical teaching and exegesis occupies a primary place in the heartbeat of God's church.

But she's also special because of her mission. Look at verse 8 and 10. In verse 8 and 10, the apostle Paul tries to tell us through the Spirit what the mission of God's church is all about. It is a three-fold mission. If you've ever asked the question, why is the church there? What do we need to do?

It's right here. Three. Three reasons. Three basic foundations to the mission. Number one, to preach the word of God. Number two, to make plain the mystery of God's revelation. And number three, to make known the wisdom of God.

Just think about that. Now you can summarize all that in one statement. To evangelize. That's what the Bible says. We've got to preach the gospel. We've got to make plain the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. And we've got to make known the wisdom of God.

We have got to evangelize. But there's a fifth reason why the church is so special. Because of her ministers. Her ministers. Look at verse 7.

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given to me through the working of his power. Some of you are going to say, well pastor, if you're going to talk about ministers, you've got to talk about Bob. And you've got to talk about Jerry. And you've got to talk about Britt. And you've got to talk about Steve and Lee and John and Wes and Keith and Eddie and Bain. You've got to talk about the full time ministers.

Yes, I'm going to say to you without apology something that you know so well. That God has brought into this church throughout its history. Wonderful men and women of God who have served him with such an open heart. And God has blessed this church as a result.

But you know what the Bible says? The Bible says, my friends, God forbid that there should ever come a time that the ministers are the ones who are considered to do the ministry of the church. Because all of us are ministers together. Every one of us.

That's stewardship. It is the essence of who we are. That we minister the word of God. But we also know that the church is special because of her marks.

Her character. The character of the church. We are servants. We are sharers. We are humble before him.

We have testimonies. We are accepted by God. That's why all people are accepted in God's church.

Why? Because this church doesn't belong to us. We're here by the grace of God.

God allows us the privilege of being a part of his passion, the church. Would you bow your heads with me this morning? It's time for you to respond to what God has told you today. Are you ready to say yes to Jesus Christ?

We're going to ask you to do just that this morning upstairs and downstairs. Dear friend, what has God been speaking to you about? About your giving?

About your service? Maybe there's someone here this morning and you'd say, Pastor, I don't even know Jesus. So I certainly came to church this morning. I didn't come to worship. There are people here today who came to church. Did you come to worship? You see, you cannot worship if you're not part of the body of Christ.

That is not a church building. It's a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ. We'd love to show you this morning how you can give your life to him. We'd like to help you. We want to pray with you. Maybe you're here with your family today and you just need to come.

Maybe you're a father, mother, single adult, college student. God has led you to First Baptist on Main Street. A young person today, why don't you come? I'm going to ask you to step out publicly, unashamedly, identify with God's people. But in so doing, you're saying I'm identifying with Jesus Christ because this is God's church. It's not a pastor. It's not a staff.

It's not a budget. It's not a hymnbook. This is God's church.

This is God's passion. What a simple phrase, would you come today? I pray that you would hear that in a number of ways as we have been praying together as a team about this message today and about how each of us need to change our perspective to respond to the Gospel, to respond to the Word of God, the living Word of God that continually challenges us, that when you hear those words, would you come, for some of you it's about coming to Jesus for the very first time.

For some of you it's about coming back home. If you have questions, let us talk with you. Let us discover those answers in the Bible itself, God's encouraging Word. You can call us anytime, day or night at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673. You've heard Dr. Don as he's presented the message today from Ephesians, but now as he steps into the studio, I pray you'd open your heart to what he wants to share next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?

I'm so happy to hear that. Why don't you pray this prayer with me today? Dear God, I know that you love me very, very much, and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin. Today, I repent of my sin. I confess my sin to you, and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life, I pray. In Jesus' name, I pray. If you've prayed that prayer, let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God.

This is wonderful. I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me. Call us so that we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey.

And in just a moment, I'm going to come back with a final word. If you just gave your life to Christ, praying alongside Dr. Wilton moments ago, or perhaps you rededicated your life, you have a brand-new commitment to living for Jesus. We want to walk with you and empower you to do that in ways like never before.

We have some wonderful resources that will help you build on that decision if you'll call us at 866-899-WORD. The number is 866-899-9673, and Dr. Wilton has these resources specifically for you as you build on the decision to say yes to Christ for the first time or to rededicate your life. And we want to pray with you and for you and watch your discipleship grow.

We also have wonderful resources on our website, tewonline.org, resources like this. Our nation needs prayer more than ever. Our founding fathers understood that everything that we have and everything that we are is rooted in all that God is.

And without him, we're on our own. God has a very serious message for America. This month, for your gift of any amount to the Encouraging Word broadcast ministry, you will receive Dr. Wilton's powerful message, Free Indeed, along with the bonus book, 31 Days of Prayer for My Nation. This resource set will provide encouragement now and for the days ahead.

You will have a renewed focus on the promise and power of prayer and for your freedom as an American. Call us at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673 to request Free Indeed and 31 Days of Prayer book. Thank you for supporting the Encouraging Word as we continue to proclaim the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ to a nation in desperate need of biblical truth. Again, our number to connect is 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673 and online at tewonline.org. Before we get away, though, our pastor and chief encourager, Dr. Don Wilton, has a final word. You know, before we go today, what a day of worship we've had. You know, you and I have in the middle of our hearts our beloved nation, don't we, how much I love America.

I'm so proud to be an American. And, you know, this broadcast is seen by so many of our armed forces across the world, and we hear from many, many of them, and we love them, we admire them, we respect them. They are our real heroes, and I want you to join with me as we are praying for them that God would protect them and their families and loved ones. Let's do that right now, shall we, just before we go?

Why don't you join with me? Lord Jesus, I'm joining with thousands of people right now and praying for our members, our brave, brave members of our community and our world who are in uniform. Many are overseas in strange and difficult places, families left behind. Lord Jesus, bless them, keep your hand upon them in every way. In Jesus' name, amen. Our time's gone for today, but oh, tomorrow Dr. Wilton is taking us to a special message again in the writings of Paul in the book of Ephesians about meaningful prayer. We believe in the power of prayer, and we're here to pray with you 24 hours a day at 866-899-WORD or online at www.tewonline.org. Thank you so much for your prayerful and financial support of this ministry, as every day we see men and women come to Jesus Christ through the power of God's encouraging word. Until next time, take care and God bless.