Failure of God's People to Know Him - Part 2 O.T. is a record of failure of God's people to know Him and serve Him as they should. Jeremiah prophesied of a time when a new covenant would come in which the people would know God. Jer 31:31-34 The covenant came with Christ, something far superior to what the Jews had with more understanding of God. However, the new covenant did not stop all of the problems that come from man. Many of the early Christians left behind a religion that had degenerated to a cold formal practice of law-keeping. They had God's Word through Moses but had failed in their relationship to God that it was supposed to bring. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly, knowing man) the same problems began to surface in the church in a short time. Most epistles were written because of failures and problems of the churches 1. Division, Fornication, Strife, False Teachers, and Confusion were all at Corinth and also other churches. Reason for their problems were summed up in 1 Cor. 15:34. 1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. The church had to be reminded of the foundations 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 13:1-8, 13 2. Intellectualism was another problem. Corinth, Colossae and Athens were cultural trade centers heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. as a result, there were some simi lar problems in the churches at Corinth and Colossae. 1 Cor 1:17-31 (21), 3:18-20, Col. 2:8, 20-23 Paul's remedy for the church at Colossae in regards to the problem of philosophy and intellectualism was identical to what he taught the Corinthians: Get to know Jesus! Col. 2:2-7, 9-10 3. Legalism was a problem in the churches that Timothy and Titus worked with. God gave them both instructions on how to deal with the problem. 1 Tim 1:3-7, 2 Tim 2:14-16, 22-26, Titus 3:8-11 4. Gnosticism was another problem. It emphasized intellectualism and the acquiring of certain "special" knowledge of spiritual truths as the way to grow spiritually. It was like a crossbreed of legalism and intellectualism. The root word of gnosticism is "gnosis" which means "knowledge". They felt they had special knowledge that brought true salvation from the material world (instead of sin). They sought to turn Christianity into a classroom instead of a way of life. Paul and John warned Christians to avoid these men since they denied the true knowl edge of God through Jesus 1 Tim. 6:20-21, 1 John 2:18-26, 4:1-6, 5:20-21, 2 John 7-11. The Cure for these Problems: John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Ephesians 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Colossians 2:2-3 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowl edge. (NIV) 2 Peter 1:2-8 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 2 Peter 3:16-18 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. God desires that we continually hunger and thirst after the knowledge of Christ. Philippians 3:7-10 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. The interesting thing about Paul's hunger to know Christ was, not only the priority he placed on knowing Christ above all things, but he was not satisfied with the knowledge he already had. At the time Paul wrote to the Philip., he had access to the other apostles, 500 eyewitness, was inspired by the H.S. who revealed the mystery of Christ to him and he met the Lord personally on the road to Damascus, and was "caught up in the third heaven" (2 Cor. 12:1-4). Yet with all his knowledge of Christ, which was probably far superior to all Christians today, yet he still was not satisfied with the knowledge he did have and knew there was more. The question we need to as ourselves is "Why are many Christians today satisfied with their limited knowledge of Christ when Paul was not satisfied with his superior knowledge of Christ?" Is it because we do not emphasize the need to know Christ the way the N.T. writers teach us to? After the first century, the "falling away" of the church was soon coming Acts 20:28-30, 1 Tim. 4:1, 2 Tim. 3:1. For the next 1700 years, the vast majority claiming to be Christians failed to hold to "the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints". In the 1800's there were many efforts made to go back to the N.T. as revealed in the Bible. The Restoration Movement's Effort to Restore the N.T. Church's Organization But Failure to Restore the N.T. Church's Knowledge of Christ A. It was not until the beginning of the 1800's that men like Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone began to go back to the N.T. for the blueprint of Christ's church. They realized, that in order to resurrect Christ's church in America, they would have to bury their old denominational doctrines and creeds that contradicted the "apostle's teaching" and "teachings of Christ" Acts 2:42, 2 John 9. B. They were founders of a movement in America that was eventually called "The Disciples of Christ" after the Stone and Campbell groups united their efforts in 1832. The number of Christians associated with this movement started out with an estimates 20,000 and by 1850 had grown to 200,000 members. C. There have been many struggles and division, within the movement between the 1850's to the present. The earlier divisions center around such issues as missionary societies and instrumental music in worship. After this division, the divisions were known as Christian Church The Disciples of Christ) and the Church of Christ. By the 1940's another great split took place. This time the issue centered around institutionalism - orphan homes, the Herald of Truth, etc. This division resulted in two major groups that were called "institutional and non-institutional" Churches of Christ. D. What caused all the division from the beginning of the Restoration Movement to the present? Can we blame it all on Satan? It is true that he is the source of sin but are we not also to blame when we sin? The answer to the cause of division in the body of Christ can be answered by determining what was the basis of the unity in the 1st cent church. E. Paul tells the Ephesians how they can be unified in both doctrine and in attitude. He begins in chap. 4 by telling them that they need to have the attitude of Christ in the way they deal with one another vs. 1-3. Ephesians 4:1-3 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Until we develop the heart and attitude of Christ, there is no way that we can have unity in the body of Christ. Until we can agree on what are the things we are to emphasize more in our lives and our teachings, and make sure they are the things a that Christ and the apostles emphasized in their lives and teachings we will never have unity in the body of Christ. Galatians 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 6:14-15 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. 1 John 2:5-6 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. F. Paul sums up the way to unity in the body of Christ in Eph. 4:13: Ephesians 4:13 "until we all attain to the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Paul gives the perfect balance we must strive for in our quest for unity. It is found in having the attitudes of the King (knowing Him), and discerning and obeying the "doctrines of the kingdom". Without having the attitudes of Christ. (Phil 2:1-8) Paul implies there is no way we can be united on the "N.T. Creed". G. Here is the heart of the problems of the church today. We have a strong tendency to lead people to the Kingdom instead of the King. Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. We tend to "ground" new converts in the N.T. creed rather than in Christ Col. 2:6-7. Colossians 2:6-7 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. H. We must not go to the other extreme and teach the King without His kingdom. This is what we in the church have tended to accuse the denominations for doing. This is a reason we may go the other extreme in fighting their extreme. Need to be balanced in our emphasis if we hope to fully establish the body of Christ to the "full stature of Christ". Eph. 1:23, 4:13-16. 1. In some places the body of Christ has no feet to carry the message. 2. In others, it has no love to season the message when spoken Eph 4:15. 3. In other places, there is no unity to confirm the message John 17:20-23. 4. In other places, there is no hope within the messengers, to cause those without hope to seek hope 1 Peter 3:15. The church is hurting! The Church and the World need to Know More About Christ. He is the Exalted One, Not Man. I. We need to teach the King and the kingdom that the died for and be balanced in this if we are to fully restore the N.T. church. Acts 28:23-24 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. Acts 28:30-31 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. J. We must never be satisfied with the "restoration of the N.T. Church" if the "restoration of Christ" as the central figure and focus has not been attained Col. 1:17-18. Colossians 1:17-18 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. With all the lack of growth, fussing, division, apathy, loss of children, lack of support for preachers, we need to consider what the problem is. We are supposed to depend on God to give us the increase. If there is no increase - why? How many congregations are like the one in 1 Thess. 1:6-8? Almost a universal complaints of what is happening in the churches: increasing worldliness, materialism, lack of knowledge, gossip, toleration of sin. We know the church will never be absolutely perfect in this life but when you look at past generations and compare to today, there is a serious weakness in the church What is the cure? More elders? buildings? preachers? better class books? Lamentations 3:39-40 Why should any living mortal or any man offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord. Word s of Comfort to those taken in captivity to Babylon: Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. Lord will not work for those that sinful, worldly, apathetic but He wants us to succeed. He did not die for the eternal Kingdom for it to be a failure. We have God, the creator on our side, whose greatness we cannot comprehend. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; We must know Him to be able to proclaim His excellencies. Be part of the New Covenant. Wayne Wells wayneliz@twave.net http://users.twave.net/ncc