Pillars of Christianity

Transcription

1 Pillars of Christianity We stand on the cusp of a major national holiday. In just a few days we will celebrate the birth of this great nation. In the last several weeks, we have marked at least two other national holidays. In May, we remembered those service men and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Then, in June we noted the invasion of France that led to the victory of the Allied Forces thus ending the second World War. These holidays are often marked by various patriotic displays and festivities. Some lament that most of the people alive today fail to know or understand the significance of these historic dates. That being said, it sparked the memory of a quote that I had long credited to the wrong individual. The quote that we often hear is: Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it. The quote by George Santayana actually reads: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Some have credited this quote to Edmund Burke yet there is no record that ties it to him. For some reason, I had associated this quote with a noted historian Arnold Toynbee. Toynbee wrote a twelve-volume opus A Study of History ( ). In his study, Toynbee examined the rise and fall of 26 civilizations in the course of human history, and he concluded that they rose by responding successfully to challenges under the leadership of creative minorities composed of elite leaders. Civilizations declined when their leaders stopped responding creatively, and the civilizations then sank owing to the sins of nationalism, militarism, and the tyranny of a despotic minority. Where do these observations fit into a theme of a Christian message? For those who don t know me that well, I am a patriotic American citizen. I love this country and the various freedoms upon which it was founded. I honor and revere the heroes who have sacrificed their life for these freedoms and those who are still standing in `1

2 ready to defend and protect this country from all enemies both foreign and domestic. The very document that started our nation, the Declaration of Independence, acknowledges a divine creator (God) and all freedoms on which we established this nation are drawn from God. However, I do not equate this country as being divinely established by God. It is established on divine principles that are found in the teachings of God. Against the idea of building on Godly principles, we will spend some time today looking at the Pillars of Christianity. When we look at the buildings from Greek and Roman architecture, we find structures that have survived for thousands of years. One of the notable features of these buildings is their columns or pillars. Pillars are an essential part of the structure. They support the building as it is erected and sustain the building through the years of use and storms that may buffet the structure. As a Christian, if we want to endure and weather the storms of life and the various seasons of this world, we need strong pillars. We will look to God s word this morning to identify the pillars that we need to establish out strong building and provide us with a secure stable refuge in our lives. Before we begin to place our pillars, we need to have a firm foundation. We need a foundation that will become the base of stability for our pillars. That foundation is Jesus. Jesus underscores the importance of the foundation in the sermon on the Mount. In Matthew the 7 th chapter we read verses 24 and 25. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them (or does them), may (will) be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed `2

3 against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25 NASB) In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11 NASB) (You may want to stick your bulletin here because we will come back to this passage in a few minutes.) We could continue to support the idea of Jesus as our foundation but these will be enough for now. We place our pillars on the foundation of Jesus and then we must guard them against the assaults of Satan. Satan wants to destroy the pillars that we erect. We will look at four of the main pillars that we must protect from our enemy. The first is our Faith in God. In Ephesians the 2 nd chapter, we read that faith is essential to our salvation. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that (that salvation) not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB) Grace is the gift of salvation from God that we receive through faith. Without faith, there is no avenue for that grace to travel to us. We lose our connection to God. The writer of Hebrews echoes the same idea in the 11 th chapter. `3

4 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NASB) If we lack faith, we cannot believe in God whom we have not seen. Thus, we cannot please God without faith. These two statements are so simple that we may not realize the critical nature of faith in our connection with God. Satan knows. Satan wants to destroy our faith. Peter warns us that Satan (the devil) is trying to over take us. Peter admonishes us to remain firm or steadfast in our faith. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9 NASB) Faith is one pillar that is essential to our salvation. Without faith, we lose our connection to God. Without faith, we will see our salvation crumble into ruin. That is one pillar that we must maintain. A second pillar of Christianity is the Truth of God s Word. David reflected on the importance of God s word. In the 119 th Psalm and verse 11, David wrote these words: Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. (Psalm 119:11 NASB) Without God s word, how can we know what is pleasing or acceptable to God? Well, I suppose you could come here on Sunday mornings to hear me. Perhaps you could tune in on your television, radio, or streaming device and listen to a wide `4

5 assortment of various preachers tell you what God says. However, all you will know then is what some person told you God said. Luke shared an example of people hearing and then reading God s word. Paul and Silas had been teaching and preaching in Thessalonica. For their safety, they were sent to the nearby city of Beria. Paul and Silas began preaching there and in the 17 th chapter and verse 11, we find how they received the message that they heard. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11 NASB) Over the years, people have used many excuses for why they fail to read the Bible. Some are intimidated and believe they cannot hope to understand it. They fail to pause and realize that the poorly educated people who came to this county and helped to populate and form this great nation read the Bible daily. Maybe it was because they didn t have televisions or other diversions. They got God s message. Maybe people don t get the Bible is because they don t accept and ask for the Holy Spirit to open up God s word. For some, they may believe that the Bible is just a bunch of myths that are no longer germane for today s world. Certainly, we can t hold it to be an inspired revelation from God. Yet that is exactly what Paul said when he wrote to the young preacher named Timothy. All Scripture is inspired by God (Lit. God breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB) `5

6 If you want to know what God says, go to the source. Peter wrote similar words in His second letter. We read in 2 Peter1:20-21 how God used the Holy Spirit to move the writers and prophets. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21 NASB) This same Holy Spirit that move people to write God s words will help us understand His words. The pillar of the Truth of God s words must be maintained or we will see our faith in God erode as we begin to question His word. Without knowledge of His words and the truth revealed in His words, we cannot hope to build any lasting structure. The third pillar is Unity of Believers. A few minutes ago, we read from 1 Corinthians about the foundation. In that same section of scripture, Paul speaks of the unity of Christians. We should not be divided according to a preacher or teacher. Let s turn back to that scripture and read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you not mere men? `6

7 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward (or wages) according to his own labor. For we are God s fellow workers; you are God s field (or cultivated land), God s building. (1 Corinthians 3:1-9 NASB) Again, in Ephesians the 4 th chapter, Paul speaks of unity as we read the first six verses of the 4 th chapter. Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6 NASB) As humans. How do we avoid the temptation to divide along some tenet of Christianity? Paul, again supplies the answer in his letter to the young preacher Timothy. We find the answer in 2 Timothy 2:14. Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. (2 Timothy 2:14 NASB) `7

8 God s word is to build us up into one church and not become an instrument for arguments or divisions. The Pillar of Unity of Believers is crucial lest we crumble into just another human group that has not divine purpose. The three pillars: Faith, Truth of God s Word, and Unity are too weak to support the building of God without the fourth pillar. The Pillar of Love is needed to complete the structure. We read in Ephesians the 4 th chapter about the unity. (There is one faith, one hope, etc.) Even in that section the word love is mentioned. Dropping down in the same chapter to the 15 th verse, we read Paul s admonition: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16 NASB) The importance and power of love cannot be overstated. Love is the central theme of the Bible and we could spend days diving into the aspect of love. Paul tells Timothy rekindle the gift that God had given him. Let s read 2 Timothy 1:6-7. For this reason, I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity (or cowardice), but of power and love and discipline (or sound judgement). (2 Timothy 1:6-7 NASB) The final scripture we will read today is one often associated with weddings. It is found in Pau s letter to the church at Corinth. This church is divided over many issues and Paul is guiding them through a healing process. In the 13 th chapter, Paul `8

9 opens up about love and ends that section of scripture with the words we find in the 13 th verse of 1 Corinthians 13. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB) Christianity, globally or as it lived by us individually must be build on the foundation of Jesus. Christianity must contain the pillars of Faith, Truth of God, Unity, and Love. We each personally and individually are responsible for building with these elements. `9