Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
July 29, 2001 pm
What Our World Needs Most
Reading - 1 John 4.12-5.5
All human kind have basic needs... For instance we need:
-Light and darkness,
-Food and water,
-Shelter and clothing,
-Love and compassion.
We also have some basic spiritual needs:
-The world needs God.
-The world needs Godly people.
-The world needs Godly morals.
-The world needs the one true church.
-And the world needs God’s will in worship.
Access a worship bulletin and let’s examine each of these spiritual needs.
First... What the world needs most is God.
Now we are not talking about gods of wood, metal, stone... The gods of man’s imagination like those of Greek mythology, but the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD.
-The God of the Bible.
-Jehovah God.
-The God of creation.
-The spirit God.
-The self existent... Eternal... Omnipotent... Omniscient... and Omnipresent God.
-The God that abounds in loving kindness... mercy... and grace.
Scripture tells us the ONE and ONLY TRUE God is one...Yet He displays three personalities.
He is God the father, the creator, the provider and sustainer of all things. All things that exist were created by Him and are sustained by Him. Paul told the Areopagus on Mars Hill that... God created the world and everything in it. It is in Him that we live move; it is to Him that we owe our very being. He has given life and breath to all things. Without Him was nothing made that was made. If it were not for this God, NOTHING... NO THING could or would exist. He is God the Son.
This spirit God took on flesh and blood... He came into the world to save us. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was God in the flesh... God with skin on. You see... no man-made god ever became flesh and died for his creation... But only the ONE and ONLY TRUE God who is full of grace and mercy. Folk... indeed... this is the God we need today.
He also has the personality of the Holy Spirit. God exists as one who communicates... One who talks to His creation. The Holy Spirit is God’s speaking... revealing personality. It is through the Spirit that we have the will of God in written form. Paul said... All Scripture is inspired by Him. Peter tells us... Holy men of God were moved, carried alone, by the Holy Spirit as they wrote.
Plus, it is through the Spirit that God is able to live within us. You see, flesh and blood can’t dwell in flesh and blood. We can’t get inside one another’s body... But as a spirit... God can live in His creation... Not just in some abstract sense... But in reality.
-Ephesians 4.6 says, There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all... and in you all.
-1 John 3.24 tells us... Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.
OK... Why is God what the world needs most?
-First... And most obvious, is the fact that without God the world would not exist. God is the creator.
-Second... The fact that all things were created by Him tells us that we are dependent upon His great power to continue to exist... God is our sustainer.
The Hebrew’s writer tells us... He is upholding all things by the word of His power.
-Third... Without God there would be no moral right and wrong. Only through God, and a knowledge of His word found in the Bible, can we discern good and evil, (what is right and what is wrong).
-And without God we have no immortal soul... No hope of life after death... No living forever.
Is there any doubt that what the world needs most is the ONE and ONLY TRUE God?
Secondly... What the world needs is Godly people.
In Genesis 18, God comes to Abraham with the news that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness... Their ungodly morals. Abraham begs for Sodom to be spared. He bargains with God saying, if there be 50 righteous souls found in Sodom, would you spare the city?... God says yes. Then Abraham got to thinking, maybe 50 is too many, so he partitions God for 40 souls. God agrees that if there are forty Godly people in Sodom it would be spared. Then Abraham moves from forty to thirty, to twenty, and finally to ten. God agrees... If ten Godly people could be found the city would be spared. Think about it... Sodom and Gomorrah would still be here today if only ten Godly people could have been found.
As we observe the world in which we live... We recognize that our culture closely resembles the ungodly state of affairs found in Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins are our sins... Listen to Galatians 5.19-21... The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Sounds like Paul is writing in today’s morning paper.
And here is bad news... The wages of sin is death.... Spiritual death... Eternal separation
from God. Solomon tells us that... righteousness exalts a nation... but sin is a reproach to any people. David says... The wicked shall be turned into hell... and the nations that forget God,
audience... Our world... Our nation... Our communities... Our families... and Our churches... are in serious trouble today because of the shortage of Godly people
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells His disciples, and us that... We are to be the salt of the earth... The light of the world... Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works (your Godly lives) and glorify your Father in heaven.
-Salt preserves... Adds flavor... and makes things better.
-Light illuminates... Light helps us see things as they really are.
Paul tells us that... We, in the church are to become communities of light... Shining like stars in the universe. God wants us to become salt and light.
The world needs godly people.
Can one... two... three people make a difference in this sinful world?
-How many Godly people will it take to save our nation?
-How many Godly teachers will it take to save our educational system?
-How many righteous souls will it take to make a difference in the church... This church... Or the church where you attend?
I don’t know... But I know ten would have done it in Sodom.
Yes!... What the world needs is more Godly people!
Thirdly... The world needs Godly morals... more Godly defined behavior. Morality has to do with the way we live. The Hebrews’ writer tells us that MORALITY HAS TO DO WITH RIGHT AND WRONG... Who by reason of use have their senses, their mind or intellect, exercised to discern both good and evil.
Morality has to do with things like...
How we dress
Remember Genesis 3.7... Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Note something here... Look at Genesis 3.21.
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Who defined what Adam and Eve were to wear? You see, their definition of modesty... Fig leaves... didn’t really cover their nakedness... So God made them PROPER clothing. Who defines modesty for us?... Who defines proper clothing for you and your preacher? I hope it is God!!
Morals has to do with how we talk.
Matthew 15.18 says... The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander... from the heart... the mouth speaks.
Morals has to do with where we go and who we go with.
1 Thessalonians. 5.22 and 1 Corinthians 15.33 says,
Avoid every kind of evil... Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
Folk... Regardless of what the world says... The Bible says... bad company corrupts good morals.
Morality also has to do with what we do.
Colossians 3.17 says... Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Morality has to do with what we see...what we look at.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said... But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
In 2 Peter 2... Peter speaks of those who have... Eyes full of adultery.
Morality has to do with how we think.
Philippians 4.8 reads... Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Paul says we are to... Let our conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Church... We need to ask... Would Jesus...
-Do this,
-Think this,
-Watch this video... Read this book.
-Would Jesus be here,
-Dress like this,
-Say these words... Tell this joke?
-Would Jesus keep this kind of company?
-Can I do this in the name of Jesus?
When we speak of godly morals we are speaking of our manner of living as defined by God in His divinely inspired word...
Know this tonight... Morality is not defined by what we think... Or by what other people think... Or are doing... How they are living. Morality is each of us personally LIVING BY GOD’S STANDARDS as defined in His Word. What our world needs is more Godly morals... Godly living.
Fourthly... What the world needs is the ONE and ONLY TRUE church.
According to the United States Census there are more than 2,000 different religious organizations...
-Claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ...
-Claiming to be the church of Christ...
-CLAIMING to be the church that Jesus promised to build and purchased with His blood.
Yet... We all differ in the things we teach... Still we all claim to be right.
Common sense tells us that when two or more churches teach doctrines which directly oppose and contradict one another there is no way they can both be right. They both may be wrong... But they both cannot be right. Is it any wonder that people are confused about religion today?
However... If we would allow the Bible to be our ONLY guide in religion and discard all other creed books, introduced by uninspired men, the confusion would end.
Now, we must know tonight, that when we speak of the church, as it is found in the New Testament we are not speaking of a denomination... We are speaking of the one church which Jesus promised to build and was purchased with His blood.
Listen closely to Ephesians 4. 4-6... There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Now... How many Gods are there?... ONE!
How many Lords are there?... ONE!
How many bodies?... ONE!
What is the body?... THE CHURCH!
You see... We have as much right to teach that there are many Gods... many Lords as we have to teach that there are many bodies... many churches which are pleasing to God.
The plea today MUST BE for RESTORATION... Reenactment of the original church as it existed in the mind of God... and as He revealed it should be in Scripture.
Pea Ridge, Arkansas, is named after a famous battle fought there during the Civil War.
Each year that battle is reenacted. Those participating in that reenactment.
-Dress like the Civil War soldiers.
-They live for three days like they lived.
-They eat what the original soldiers ate.
-They use the same kind of weapons the Civil War soldiers used.
-They think like they thought.
-They talk about the same things.
-They sing Civil War songs.
To the extent that these people do things like the original soldiers... They have restored that famous battle. This must to be our aim... To reenact what God had in mind in the beginning in His church.
You see,
-If we can find in the Bible what it took to save an individual in New Testament church...
Then we can do the same things today and be saved.
-If we can find out what name the early church wore... Then we ought to wear that name.
-If we can determine how the first century Christians lived... We are to live like them.
-If we can determine how they worshiped... Then we can and should restore that worship in our churches today.
Today’s denominationalism is destroying the ONE and ONLY TRUE church.
The word denominate means to divide into parts... A part of the whole.
A denomination then would be... A part of the whole.
Webster says... Denominationalism is the spirit of dividing... The spirit of division.
The church of Christ should not be a denomination... Because it not a part of the whole... It is the whole... Folk... Christ’s body is not divided. And we should never have the spirit of division when it comes to the Lord’s body. I don’t care what the world is teaching or saying... The Lord’s church... The true church of Christ is not divided... It is not a denomination.
Listen to me closely... Those teaching and obeying the Bible... and the Bible only, are not a part of the church that Jesus built... They are the church of Jesus Christ today.
-They are the church...
-The body of the saved...
That the Lord added to in Acts 2.17... And the Lord added to the church those being saved.
Yes... This church can be just another denomination... But God help us to not be. God help this church to be His true body. And we can be... and are to the extent that we restore and reenact genuine New Testament Christianity individually and corporately in our teaching and in our daily walk
Then finally what the world needs is God’s will in Worship.
What is worship?
First from the dictionary worship is defined as...
-Adoration... Homage... Given to deity.
-The rituals... Prayers... etc... Expressing such adoration or homage.
-Ceremonies or services in honor of God.
From the Greek.
There are two Greek words translated worship in our New Testament:
Proskeneo - meaning... To bow before, to pay homage in reverence.
Latro - meaning... To serve before.
There are two ways we worship God
-First... There is corporate worship, as we are assembled tonight, where we do certain things commanded by God which express our adoration and praise to Him... And at the same time they edify the worshiper.
-Second... By individually serving Him in the way he prescribed through His word.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, his reply contains both these Greek words, you shall worship (Proskeneo) the Lord thy God... and Him only shall you serve (Latro).
Jesus tells us that worship that is pleasing to God must have two aspects:
1. It must be in spirit...
2. And in truth.
To the woman at Jacob’s well Jesus said... The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
Jesus is saying...
-We are to ONLY worship the ONE and only TRUE God.
-Worship must be in spirit, with the right attitude, the right heart, with proper motive.
-And worship must be according to truth.
In John 17 Jesus tells us where we are to find this truth for worship... Sanctify them through Thy TRUTH, Thy WORD is TRUTH.
The question becomes then, are we, individually and corporately as a church, worshiping and serving God according to His truth? I hope and pray we are.
It’s true isn’t it?... This world in which we live needs...
-The ONE and ONLY TRUE God...
-It needs Godly people...
-Godly morals...
-God’s ONE and ONLY TRUE Church...
-And needs to restore His will in worship.
Are you a child... and a worshiper of the ONE and ONLY TRUE God?
You can be by:.. Faith... Repentance... New Testament Baptism... Immersion in water for the forgives of sins.
Perhaps we have not been the Godly people we are called to be, and need to ask forgiveness and prayers from the church for strength to do better.
Maybe you’ve been worshiping with us, and as a baptized believer would like to become a part of this church as we strive to restore and reenact genuine New Testament Christianity.
If tonight’s lesson has spoken to you... Respond... As we stand and sings this invitation song.
Will you come??
