Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2016

Chapel Notes There is a whole generation of Christians who say the Church doesn’t really matter. They think the Church is just one little piece of food on the great spiritual buffet in 21st-century America. A whole generation of Christians have decided that their spiritual lives are about their campus groups, their iPods, the blogs they frequent, and their Twitter accounts. That’s how I’m going to grow as a Christian. That kind of thinking is just wholly wrong. Jesus created the Church; He owns it, and He loves it. His mind, above all, is on her, the Church. I’m not just talking about the universal Church either. Jesus’ attention and fierce affection is on the local church, on little groups of people scattered throughout the world, redeemed by His grace, organized as embassies of the eternal Kingdom, and given authority by the King to speak with His voice in this fallen world. Because of that, your life as a Christian must be centered in service to the local church. There are three things about the Church that I want to talk to you about today. They are its constitution, its charter, and its commission. When I say constitution, I mean the Church’s beginning or creation. That happens in Matthew 16. Peter says Jesus is the Christ. Jesus responds and agrees with him, but He also says Peter is blessed. The King starts to move and says, “On this rock, I will build My Church.” The Church is not just some idea that a bunch of pastors had to keep their jobs. It’s not just another social club or a campus group. Jesus Himself constituted it and created it as His embassy in the world. InMatthew 18, Jesus gives the Church a charter of authority and essentially says, “You have the right to act in My name. So not only have I constituted you, but I’m going to charter you and give you a right to speak in My name.” We are an embassy of the high King of Heaven. It’s not just a group of people who are unorganized, but it has structure and leadership. It has the ability to listen. It has the ability to act. It doesn’t exist to give you an emotional spiritual high. It brings a real, tangible, powerful challenge to this world. In Matthew 28, Jesus gives the Church a commission. “All authority has been given to Me,” Jesus says. What’s the mission? Be My witnesses and make disciples. Proclaim to the world that the King has re-invaded and will judge the world, but for now, the King’s hand is extended in mercy. He will forgive you and save you. So what does all of this mean for you, as a Christian? If you want to serve Jesus, that will mean a life spent in service to the local church. You cannot love Jesus and not care about His Church, because He is irrevocably united to them. If Jesus loves His Church, then it means you need to be a committed member of a church, even through your college years. Greg Gilbert is Senior Pastor of Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. What Is the Church? The following is an excerpt from a chapel presentation by Greg Gilbert on August 25, 2016, at the Fall Bible Conference. Listen to his remarks and other conference messages at cedarville.edu/chapel . Proclaim to the world that the King has re-invaded and will judge the world, but for now, the King’s hand is extended in mercy. He will forgive you and save you. Join the University family in chapel each day via the live stream broadcast ( cedarville.edu/chapellive ) or Facebook Live ( cedarville.edu/facebook ). Past messages are also archived at cedarville.edu/chapel . Nov. 3 Tim Armstrong Senior Pastor of The Chapel Akron,Ohio Nov. 10 9Marks Conference Matt Mason Senior Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills Birmingham,Alabama Dec. 6–7 Bryan Loritts Lead Pastor of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship MountainView,California Jan. 10–11 Missions Conference Johnnie Moore Founder andCEOof The KAIROSCompany Glendale,California 20 | Cedarville Magazine