The Church is Like. I. Introduction. II. The Church is like a hospital.

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Theodora King
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1 The Church is Like I. Introduction. A. The Kingdom of Heaven is like 1. Like a man who sowed good seed his enemy came and sowed tares." Mt. 13:24 2. Like a mustard seed. Mt. 13:31 3. Like leaven. Mt. 13:33 4. Like treasure hidden in the field. Mt. 13:44 5. Like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls found pearl of great price. Mt. 13:45 6. Like a dragnet that was cast into the sea. Mt. 13:47 7. Like a certain king who wanted to settle his accounts with his servants." Mt. 18:23 8. Like a landowner who went out to hire laborers for his vineyard." Mt. 20:1 9. Like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son." Mt. 22:2 10. Like a man traveling to a far country gave five talents " Mt. 25:14 B. The Teaching of Jesus. 1. Through these comparisons, Jesus taught people about His kingdom. a. He taught people about the church. 2. He used simple illustrations which taught powerful lessons about the church. C. This morning's lesson. 1. We're going to look at some more comparisons. 2. What is the church? a. There are a lot of comparisons or illustrations we could use to teach about the church. 3. Title. a. "The Church is Like " 4. Illustrations for everyone. a. God's kingdom, His church, is not a complicated concept. 5. Illustrations. a. Hospital. b. Business. c. Fishing. d. Football team. e. Quilt. f. School. g. Garden. h. Symphony. i. Army. j. Family. II. The Church is like a hospital. A. The church is a place of healing. 1. All through the week, we get beat up and banged up. 2. It's like a football game. 3. After the game, we need somewhere to go to heal up. 4. To get ready for some more fights.

2 B. The church is full of caring people who want to help. 1. Takes a special kind of a person to work in a hospital or nursing home. a. The kind of person who really cares and wants to do what they can to help. 2. Isn't that what the church is all about. 3. Hebrews 12: a. "Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed." C. The doctor is there. 1. Mark 2:17. a. "When Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. 2. Do you need to be healed? a. Then you've come to the right place. b. Jesus is here, and He's ready to heal. D. All hospitals are not equal. 1. All hospitals are not full of caring people. 2. All hospitals do not have the right doctors. 3. In some hospitals, you would better off staying out of. 4. Is that true with some churches? III. The Church is like a business. A. Everyone has a job to do. 1. For a business to be successful, there must be a clear division of responsibilities. a. Everybody's not responsible for everything, but everyone has a certain job to do. 2. What is your job in the church? 3. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. a. "diversities of gifts diversities of ministries diversities of activities given to each one for the profit of all." B. Every Christian is a salesman. 1. It's often been said that a preacher is a salesman. 2. But isn't every Christian. 3. We have a message which we're trying to sell, to get people to buy into it. 4. We're selling an investment. a. An investment which is going to cost you everything you have. C. Diversity should be valued. 1. We've already read the passage in 1 Corinthians A good business realizes that different people bring different things to the table. 3. We need to understand that in the church as well. 4. There is not one person here who can't contribute greatly to the success of the church. D. Unethical behavior can kill it. 1. Businesses destroyed by unethical behavior. 2. How many times have you heard of churches being ravaged by it? a. Elders or preachers being caught in immorality. b. Members behaving in ways that destroy their influence in the community.

3 3. John 17:21. a. "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." 4. Romans 2:24. a. "For 'the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,' as it is written." IV. The Church is like fishing. A. Fishing takes time and effort. 1. There's more to fishing than putting a worm on the end of a hook and throwing it in the water. 2. Fishing is not something you spend just a few minutes doing. 3. Have you ever been to Bass Pro Shop? 4. The church demands our time and effort. B. The same bait doesn't catch everyone. 1. Matthew 4:19, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 2. It's not as simple as putting the worm on the hook and throwing it in the water. 3. We've got to work to find what works. 4. Jude a. "And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." C. You've got to get up early. 1. I remember getting up early with my grandfather to go fishing. 2. That was the best time to fish. 3. But it took some sacrifice and dedication to get out of bed. 4. Christianity demands that we get up off the couch and get to work. D. Much patience is required. 1. Perhaps this is why I don't like to fish that much. a. I don't have the patience. 2. Patience is required in the church. a. Patience with each other. b. Patience with those we are teaching. c. Patience and endurance in our own lives. d. Patience while waiting for our prayers to be answered. V. The Church is like a football team. A. One or two don't make the team. 1. Watching Cherokee play (2 great players). 2. Even if you have a great quarterback, if you don't have an offensive line. 3. The church is about more than just a couple of people. 4. Success will be determined based on the output of the group. 5. Ephesians 4:16. a. "by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." B. Everyone's got to be on the same page. 1. Ever seen a botched play. 2. Quarterback throwing to a receiver: receiver went long and the quarterback threw short.

4 3. Quarterback and running back run into each other. 4. Philippians 3:16. a. "let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind." C. Egos sometimes get in the way. 1. I want the ball. a. Kickoffs with two returners deep. b. Receiver who is thrown to 17 times and still complains about not getting the ball enough. 2. Egos often are the culprit when the church doesn't succeed. 3. Philippians 2:3. a. "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." D. Enthusiasm is vital to success. 1. Pre-game huddles. 2. Game is played with energy, enthusiasm, and aggression. 3. How does a church succeed? a. Through exhortation. b. Hebrews 3:13, "exhort one another daily." 4. There's too much apathy in the church. VI. The Church is like a quilt. A. The finished product is beautiful. 1. Hand-made quilts are quite impressive. a. Have you been to Ronnie & Denise's house? b. Beautiful colors, beautiful design. c. What makes it the most beautiful is knowing the work that went into it. 2. Isn't the church the same way? a. When the church is what it is supposed to be, the end result is incredibly beautiful. 3. Ephesians 5:27. a. "that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." B. One stich at a time. 1. I don't know much about making quilts but I know that it is a slow process. a. Hours and hours and hours. b. One small step at a time. 2. There are no short-cuts to success in the church. a. No easy answers. 3. Ephesians 4:3. a. "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." C. A rip can destroy it. 1. It takes thousands of little actions to make a quilt, but it only takes one to damage it severely. 2. How quickly can a church be destroyed? 3. 1 Corinthians 5:6. a. "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" D. Pieces are interwoven together.

5 1. My mom used to make quilts from time to time. 2. I believe she used to make certain pieces and then put them together in a quilt. 3. Isn't that a good description of the church? a. We're each individual pieces. b. And then we are sewn together in the church. 4. Ephesians 4:16. a. "joined and knit together by what every joint supplies." VII. The Church is like a school. A. The church is a place of learning. 1. Learning is what school is supposed to be about. 2. You go to school to learn things that will help you succeed in your physical life. 3. When we assemble together as a church, learning should be one of our chief goals. a. Learn things that will be helpful in our spiritual lives. 4. Romans 1:16, "the power of God to salvation." B. Requires effort and a willingness to learn. 1. Learning takes effort. a. School requires a lot of work. 2. I want you to think about how much work children put in to school. a. 21,420 hours of 17 years. 3. Questions. a. Should a Christian spend more or less time learning the Word of God? b. How many years would it take just to equal that by only learning 3 hours a week? 137 years 4. What's the point? Take every opportunity to learn more. a. Acts 17:11, "search the scriptures daily" with a "readiness of mind." C. Respect must be shown. 1. The way schools should be. a. Children need to learn about respect. b. Respect for the teacher, the principal, each other, and the subjects they study. 2. The church should be a place of respect. a. Respect for God, respect for leaders, respect for each other, and respect for the Word of God. 3. Romans 12:10, "in honor giving preference to one another." D. Some people don't want to be there. 1. It's obvious that many students just don't want to be in class. a. Their minds are somewhere else. 2. Sometimes that is the case in the church. a. They just don't want to be there. 3. Just as school won't do much good for the kid who doesn't want to be there. a. The assemblies of the church won't do much good either. VIII. The Church is like a garden. A. The seed must be sown. 1. If you expect anything to grow, you've got to first plant it. 2. Mark 4:14, "The sower sows the word." 3. Mark 4:20.

6 a. "But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred. 4. Consider that passage in reverse. a. Incredible success in the kingdom. b. How did it come about? The first step was to plant the seed. B. Someone's got to water. 1. Without water, your garden is not going to do well. a. And it's not just water, but it's water at the right time. b. There are certain times in their growth where it is vital that they get the water right then. 2. The church is a place of planting and watering. a. Planting the seed into the hearts of unbelievers. b. Watering the plants of believers Corinthians 3:6, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." a. We need to strive to recognize when one of our brethren starts to wilt under the heat of the sun. C. Harvest must be gathered. 1. Harvest is the most important time for a farmer. a. If you leave the fruit on the plant, it will rot. b. There's more work to do in the harvesting than there is in planting the seed. 2. Matthew 9: a. "Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.' 3. It is critical for Christians to realize when someone is ready to obey the gospel. a. Mark 4:29, "But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." D. Idleness kills. 1. If you don't take care of your garden, you're not going to get much out of it. 2. If you don't put in the work, you can't expect to reap the fruit. 3. The church is the same way. a. It requires a lot of work. 4. If we want it to succeed, we have to be willing to put forth the work. a. That requires a lot of weeding. b. Weeding out the things in our lives that will lead us away from God. IX. The Church is like a symphony. A. Harmony is beautiful. 1. I'm not a big music fan, but I do like harmony. a. Whether it's four-part harmony when we sing. b. Or whether it's a good band playing their half-time show. c. Or an orchestra performing a concert. 2. Psalm 133:1. a. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" 3. When the church works together, with no strife and envy, what a wonderful site. B. Everyone must be in tune and in time with each other. 1. I played the guitar for just a little while when I was younger. a. There's was a big difference between being in tune and being almost in tune. 2. There's also a big difference between being right on time and being a half-step behind.

7 3. 2 Thessalonians 3:6. a. "withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly." b. Word translated "disorderly" means "out of step" or "out of rank." c. Picture of soldiers walking in formation. 4. Relate that to band members walking in step with one another. 5. That's the type of unity which we must strive for in the church. C. Leadership is key. 1. I used to wonder why you had to have somebody in front of the band waiving their arms around. 2. But now I know that it helps to lead the band, to keep them in time and give them instructions. 3. In the church, leadership is key. 4. Why do we need elders? a. Titus 1:10-11, "For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. b. We need protection. c. Hebrews 13:17, "they watch out for your souls." D. Everyone has a different part to play. 1. Music sounds pretty good when everyone is playing the same notes. 2. But it sounds incredible when everyone is playing a different part and it all comes together. 3. The church is like that. a. When we get the roles and the responsibilities figured out. b. And we all peform those roles. c. The result can be magnificent. X. The Church is like an Army. A. An army fights for a cause Timothy 6:12. a. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 2. Our soldiers are fighting for freedom. a. Protecting our freedom and giving freedom to others. 3. We're fighting for something as well. a. It's the fight of faith; the fight for spiritual freedom; the fight for eternal life. B. A soldier is willing to fight and even to die for his brother. 1. Example of Jesus, Stephen, Paul, first century Christians. 2. John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." 3. This speaks to the close bond and the love of brethren. 4. You've got people watching out for you. 5. People who love you enough that they would die for you. C. An army looks to its leader for guidance. 1. Jesus is the "King of kings and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:6 2. Jesus is our leader. a. John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." 3. We have the confidence that we are not on our own. a. We have a leader who knows what to do. b. All we have to do is follow His instructions.

8 D. Discipline is a vital part of an army Corinthians 9:27. a. "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." 2. We can ask Shaun about this when he gets back. 3. Discipline is important. a. Preparing their bodies and minds for battle. 4. Are you prepared for battle? a. Have you learned how to control your body and mind? 5. Self-control is one of core principles of Christianity. a. Acts 24:25, "righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come." Paul to Felix XI. The Church is like a Family. A. Humility and love are the keys. 1. Galatians 5:13, "through love serve one another." 2. What are the keys to a successful marriage and family? 3. How do humility and love help the church? a. Humility helps us to be patient and to seek each other's forgiveness. b. Love reminds us of our responsibilities to each other and seeks to solve problems. B. Differences and division are bound to happen. 1. Example of Paul and Barnabas. 2. Philippians 4:2-3. a. "I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life." 3. In your family, do you ever have any disagreements? 4. How do you handle them? a. Ignore them. b. Address them and fix the problem. C. The husband is the leader in everything. 1. Eph. 5:23-24, "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything." 2. Jesus is the leader, and we are subject to Him. 3. In everything. 4. We must always look to Him for guidance. D. We are the family heirs Peter 1:3-4. a. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."

Outsourcing Your Christianity

I. Introduction. Outsourcing Your Christianity A. Christianity. 1. It's about work. a. Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand