The Makings Of A Sound Church

Introduction

I want to begin with this question this morning, and it’s an important one. Are we sound? Is the Decker Prairie Church a sound church? And perhaps an equally relevant question is, are you sound?

If so, we partake in awesome things. We are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come. What a great statement. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 11. We delve into things into which angels longed to look. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 12. If we are a sound church, there’s nothing ordinary about what’s going on here today. But what does this mean exactly? For some people, it’s the simple catchphrase, we’re standing for the truth. If we’re a sound church, we’re standing for the truth, and that’s right. But what does that mean exactly? I read of a church in the New Testament that was doing a lot of right things corporately. They weren’t believing and embracing false doctrine. They weren’t organized in an unscriptural fashion, yet there were some very real spiritual problems, and so I want to just tell you at the very beginning, it’s not how we might measure this or the determinations that we might make.

The really important thing is, does God approve or not? It is God’s determination of this answer to this question. That is really the significant thing here. The Lord knows those that are his. And let everyone who names the name of Christ abstain from wickedness. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 19. And we know that from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3, where Jesus is showing his determinations about these seven churches, five of whom are experiencing severe spiritual problems. And I mentioned that this group, this is the one I was referring to, the group that had a name that they were alive, or we might just insert the word there, sound. They had a name that they were alive, but they were dead.

And we know about the church at Sardis, but not everyone was infected with the deadness. Because there were a few who had not soiled their garments. And they shall walk with me in wife. Jesus says in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 4. And we could go through all of those seven churches and show how that the Ephesians who had left their first love most likely had not perceived that. And yet that was Jesus’ determination. They thought they were pretty sound. And they were in a number of areas. And then there was the Laodicean church who thought they were quite rich. And yet they were actually the other end of the scale spiritually. They were poor. And so it’s ultimately God’s determinations that matter. And it’s more than just the corporate things that we do together, as we’ll discuss that momentarily, but what we do corporately or as a congregation certainly can affect our individual standing before God.

And we know about that from the letter to the churches of Galatia. In Galatians 3 and verse 1, when Paul says, Who has bewitched you, O foolish Galatians? He was not writing to a single congregation, but a number of congregations in the region of Galatia who have become infected with another gospel related to the practices of Judaism and incorporating and demanding those as a part of the gospel, such as circumcision. And he says, Someone has hindered you. You were running well. He told these churches, you were running, you were sound. You were running well, but someone has hindered you. And the things that they were now beginning to embrace, he says, this persuasion does not come from him who calls you. In Galatians chapter 5 and verse 8.

So my spiritual responsibilities are both individual, and this is the point of this lesson. So get this. My spiritual responsibilities before God are both individual, pertaining to my own holiness, and collective, pertaining to my obligations and activities with the local church. There is a great emphasis in the New Testament upon the possibility of being unsound. To go onward and not abide in the doctrine of Christ, the result of that is you do not have God. 2 John verse 9. The Spirit expressly says that in the latter days, difficult times will come, people will err from the truth. That implication in 1 Timothy 4, verses 1 through 3. This is not just about claims. There are many people that say, Lord, who shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

1. A Sound Church Must Be Based Upon Sound Instruction

So, what constitutes a sound church? And I really want to make three observations in this sermon, and the first of which is foundational to everything, and that is a sound church must be based upon sound instruction. We know that from building houses, do we not? And buildings. They have to have a firm, solid foundation. And when Jesus used that analogy at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7, about building your house upon the rock and not upon the sand. The rock, of course, in the analogy is those who hear my words and my sayings. That’s building upon the right foundation. And of course, Paul would talk about the foundation of the apostles and prophets in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 19 through 22.

But I want to direct your attention specifically to this word sound. Because I marvel at it in some ways. And I want to start in Titus 1. It’s more than what we claim. Titus 1 16. Paul talks about those who profess to know God. That’s a good thing. To say I know God. We should want to know God. They profess that. But their deeds aren’t consistent with that. That’s a problem. By their deeds they deny him. That is not a situation you should envy. Being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Notice the emphasis on disobedient there. Titus, don’t be like that. That’s what he tells the evangelist in chapter 2 and verse 1. He says, but as for you, notice the word of contrast that starts chapter 2, the word but.

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. And you might want to put a string here. Again, if you have the Bible version, the actual book version rather than the electronic version, or put your electronic string there in Titus 2 and verse 1, as we’ll be returning to that in a minute. I want to focus on that word found in Titus 2 and verse 1. I don’t know if I’m saying that right. I have no idea.

It’s used twelve times in the New Testament, and we’re going to look at them.

To be well, to be in good health. Metaphorically, it is used of Christians whose opinions are free from any mixture of error of one who keeps the graces and is strong. Thayers says. And so when you get this concept of sound, it’s the idea of wellness. And wouldn’t you know that three of the twelve uses of this word in the New Testament are by a physician. Luke, the beloved physician, in Luke 5 and verse 31 says, It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. And that’s the word. Hujiano. It’s not those who are sound who need the doctoring. But those who are sick. And so he uses this concept of wellness. And he talks about it in Luke 7.

When the centurion servant who was sick, it says they found him sound after Jesus healed him. He was well. And you even find this incidentally in the story of the prodigal son. The third time Luke uses it, when the father says of the returning prodigal that he has come home safe and sound. I love that. That Luke the physician is using this term, does it three times in his gospel narrative, this word about wellness. The idea is physical and spiritual, when it’s used metaphorically, spiritual well-being. And it’s the word John uses in the beginning in the introduction of 3 John, when he says, regarding gaus, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. I think he’s talking about his physical condition, but implying more importantly, the spiritual condition of gates.

Now let’s look at the other uses. Oh, hold on. I’m getting ahead of myself here. One more thing here. Before we leave the physical wellness. I just say the word Obamacare. And people have a reaction. That’s a catchword now in the United States. Everybody knows what Obamacare is. And so the question could be raised does Jesus have a health plan? It’s better than Obamacare. I guarantee you that this morning. And he demonstrated that in his healing miracles, which all indicated that he had an ability beyond physical to assist man’s spiritual woes and to assist his spiritual health. And soundness starts at the source. Notice Israel in Isaiah chapter 1, God says of their spiritual condition, the whole head is sick. And the heart is faint. In Matthew 6, when Jesus is talking about spiritual wellness, he talks about the lamp of the body, which is the eye.

And that if it is darkened, the whole person is in darkness. And that’s all predicated upon. If we had time to look at the context of that, you need to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. I think we need to see verses 19 through 21 with what follows in regard to the lamp of the eye in verses 22 through 24 as all going together. Soundness begins at the source. And so the right foundation is critical. And as we see this term used in the New Testament, look at 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 10. And I want you to notice something here as we look at these quickly. As he talks about the law being made for the immoral person, and he talks about a number of immoral ills in verses 9 and 10.

And then he says, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching. And I just started underlining all of these in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. Whatever else is contrary to sound teaching. And now flip over to chapter 6 and verse 3. And this goes back to our beginning illustration of the churches of Galatia when he says, if anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, he goes on to say. Now over to 2 Timothy 1. In the second epistle, he writes to the young evangelist. He says in verse 13, retain the standard of sound words, which you have heard from me in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

And he ties together faith and love, again, as he did in the first epistle in 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 14 and following. He ties those two concepts together. Chapter 4 and verse 3 of 2 Timothy, he talks about a time when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will accumulate teachers in accord with their own desires. And then when you flip over to Titus, earlier, before Titus 2 and verse 1, in verse 9, the elder is able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict. In verse 13, he says, for this cause, reprove them severely, Cretans who are always liars, that they may be sound in the faith. Okay, before I go on to this. Something interesting here I need to point out.

We saw how Luke used this term. In the other nine uses of this term, other than 3 John, the other eight uses of this term, who are they directed to? Evangelists. You see this concentration of this term to Timothy and Titus. See how important that is? These evangelists, these who are teaching God’s way, need to be sound because soundness starts at the source. And Timothy and Titus particularly need to give attention to the source of their teaching, that it must be sound instruction. Take pains with these things, Paul tells Timothy. Be absorbed in them, that your progress may be evident to all, and you may ensure salvation, both for yourself and for those who hear you. 1 Timothy chapter 4, verses 15 through 16. And so, whatever we’re going to say about soundness and how that relates to us as God’s people and as a local church, it begins with the right information.

We sure have a lot of Bible classes. There’s no other religious group on this planet that gives more attention to Bible study than you guys. Probably true. Why is that? Why do we have all these Bible classes? Why are we going through the book of James verse by verse? So the book of Nehemiah on Wednesday night. Why are we emphasizing it to our children? Because soundness is all about the instruction we’re getting and embracing. If we’re going to be healthy spiritually, it starts at the source. And I want to draw this conclusion. I dare not single out a few or several tenets of the New Testament and make those a litmus test for soundness. How am I going to define soundness? A few important New Testament concepts and teachings.

That’s what constitutes a sound church. Or that’s what constitutes a sound individual. No. That’s incorrect. How many areas does a group have to be right in, or how many areas can they be wrong in before they’re no longer God’s people or erring as God’s people?

Major conclusion number one. We need to make sure we’re putting all of the pieces together. Many who claim to be sound do so on the basis of a few tenets that they’re particularly excited about. And they’ve gotten right. And maybe ultimately, one of those tenets, and this is certainly an important one, and I’m not belittling any of these because they’re all part of the puzzle. We stand for the truth on the subject of baptism for the remission of sins. That it’s a part of God’s plan to save man, and if you’re not baptized into Christ, then your sins cannot be remitted. It’s not an afterthought in God’s plan. It’s not done to those who are already saved. It is done in order to be saved. And because we believe that truth, we’re sound.

We’re standing for the truth. And we teach them things morally as well about marriage and God’s requirements there. And we teach the truth about marriage, divorce, and remarriage. And well, we should because that’s a part of the new covenant. And we take a strong stand against unscriptural marriages, therefore we’re sound. And there’s a host of false doctrines. Let me give you a list of the things we stand opposed to, beginning with instrumental music, and on down the list we go. And because we’ve got these things right, we’re a sound church. But soundness is more than those things. Those are only pieces, you see, of the puzzles. And we’re going to study that when we get to James the second chapter. When he says, He who stumbles in one point is guilty of all.

That’s a haunting verse in James 2 and verse 10. Sean, don’t go that far next Sunday. That’s for me when I get back. And when you look at the context of that statement, he’s not talking about any of these three things. In the context of James chapter 2, surprisingly, almost shockingly, he’s talking about the way you treat a visitor who comes into your assembly. That might not be top on the list in our puzzle. And I really didn’t give that a puzzle piece, but I could add another puzzle piece and put a V on it and say, visitor. That’s a part of it. The way you treat other people, the way you treat the one who comes into your assembly. If we don’t have practice the royal law, and here I am going teaching James 2.

I’ll save that for a couple weeks. He who stumbles in one point is guilty of all. And what that passage is saying, hold this in your thought, put it right here, and don’t let it get away for the next three weeks. What he’s saying in James chapter 2 is you’re taking that piece of the puzzle and you’re acting like that doesn’t exist.

He’s talking about someone who says, I’m ignoring that piece of the puzzle, not going to do it. You don’t get to determine what parts of the puzzle you’re going to embrace or not. That’s what this point number one about sound instruction is all about. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for approval, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. The man of God may be perfect or complete, thoroughly furnished unto every good works. What this is telling me is I’ve got to avoid hobby preaching.

And hobby issues as a church, where there are a certain number of issues that we get excited about and want to talk about and will stand for and stand against, and perhaps neglect other equally important matters. There was a time when brethren talked about what we called the issues a lot. And they were very pertinent to the times. Brethren were engaging in practices corporately that the New Testament does not authorize. And I understand giving a significant amount of attention to that. But some people started to measure soundness by where they stood on those issues. We’re not misusing the treasury, the monies that were contributed today to carry out the Lord’s work that He has authorized in the New Testament. We’re not engaged in those false practices.

Some who wear the name Church of Christ are still engaged in those. In fact, a good number of them. We stand opposed to that. But our soundness is not based on that alone. And I believe there are some bigger issues facing the Lord’s people today. I’ve not known anybody in 30 years of preaching who’s strongly advocated and pushed among any of the groups that I’ve been associated with a misuse of the treasury. That hasn’t happened in 30 years of preaching. I’ve not seen one brother get all been out of shape and say, no, we’re going to support this human institution or we’re going to engage in the sponsoring church arrangement. That’s what we need to be doing. And if you don’t do it, and making a big issue about it and dividing a little church.

I’ve not seen it one time in 30 years. Not once. But I tell you what I have seen. I’ve seen people who’ve enthroned themselves in their hearts over Christ. That’s a bigger issue facing us today.

2. Soundness In What We Do Corporately

I’ve seen churches dominated by worldliness. And godliness was lacking. I’ve seen spiritual lethargy where there should be fervency and zeal for the Lord. And I’ve seen all kinds of problems. In love of the brethren in our homes and in relationships as God’s instruction pertains to that. Now let me tell you something about the puzzle pieces here. I’ve given you just a few. Remember, the pieces of the puzzle are the whole New Testament. Retain the standard of sound words. What is that? Sound doctrine. It’s the whole of new covenant teaching. And yes, that plays out in two significant areas as we start with the right foundation. Yes, it pertains to what we do corporately or as a collective entity. And yes, fringe membership, which is again a common problem among the Lord’s people today, fringe membership is not consistent with what the Bible teaches about our collective responsibility.

And yet some people just they want to attend once a week, and that’s all. That’s all their Christianity is. There’s no more interaction beyond that. New Testament doesn’t teach that. It says we’re a body of people that function with one another. And here are the kinds of things that the New Testament talks about that are significant in our collective activity. What we believe about baptism and what we teach about that. But more importantly, what we teach about salvation by grace through faith and all that’s involved in that, terms of membership, the doctrines we espouse. Yes, how we’re organized as a local group. The elders who lead us and shepherd us, the deacons who serve us. The fact that we’re not affiliated with other churches in a corporate way.

3. Sound Living In Our Individual Lives

There’s no entity larger than the local church in God’s scheme. The way that we work and worship together. That’s all a part of New Testament’s instruction and is important to our soundness. But more than that, all of the corporate correctness in this world will not be sufficient. If there is not sound living in our individual lives that coincides with it. And Jesus said this on the Sermon on the Mount. He could not have been any more clear about this when he said, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. You cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Boy, that’s more than corporate correctness there. Your soundness, your righteousness, your pursuit of what’s right had better be more than what we’re seeing in the New Testament Pharisees.

I’ll never forget what Brother Bill Murph said one time. I had the occasion to take my mom and dad over and spend some time with Bill. His health is failing. He is a great man who served the Lord’s people in unbelievable ways. Well, we’ve got to spend a little time with Bill, but I’ll never forget what he said once. He traveled a lot. Bill was not one to sit around home for too long. He traveled all over Texas mostly. And he came back from one of his trips. I think it was somewhere out in West Texas. I’m not sure where it was. Yeah. On Sunday, I attended, I attended a sound congregation. He said, but I tell you, they were as dead as a doornail. And what he was saying was, you know, they were practicing things corporately that were correct.

But this group was anything but alive for the Lord. And I get that. Because a lot of folks measure sound. We get these corporate things right, and we oppose false doctrines. We’re right on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. We teach the truth about baptism. We refrain from instrumental music. We’re sound. It’s more than that. We need to be alive for the Lord individually. I oppose divorce for any cause. Because Matthew 5.32 says I should. I believe those outside of Christ are held responsible to God’s marriage laws and must not remain in adulterous marriages if they desire to become a Christian. I do not believe the put-a-way fornicator can remarry. And all of those are consistent with God’s marriage instruction. And that’s all well and good.

But what if I am a horrible spouse?

What if I get all of those things right?

And I am continually treating my wife like dirt. And not dealing with her in an understanding way. As 1 Peter 3 and verse 7 says. You know what 1 Peter 3 7 says, don’t you? Your prayers will be hindered. No, I’m not. I’m going to listen to your prayers, God says, because you’re right on Mary’s divorce and remarriage. Oh no. And let me tell you this. If you hate your brother, it doesn’t matter how right you are in instrumental music. It doesn’t matter how right you are on a hundred issues. If you hold your brother in contempt. Because if you do not love your brother whom you can see, God says, you can’t love me whom you cannot see. In 1 John chapter 4, verses 20 and 21.

Or what if I fail in my responsibilities in my home to bring up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

Those are a part of soundness. Any man does not bridle his tongue, as Sean will demonstrate with you next week and talk to you about. If any man does not bridle his tongue, what? This man’s religion is worthless.

If you’re not working on godly living in yourself, pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this? To visit the orphans and widows in their affliction, that’s not a congregation passage. That’s a me as an individual passage. To visit the orphans and widows in the distress and to keep myself, to keep oneself unspotted from the world. And what if I do not render the proper effort on my job or steal from my employer or my country? I don’t render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. What about my integrity? Does that matter in my response to God? And what if I worship with less than my whole heart when Jesus says, God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Conclusion

You see, soundness. It begins with the right foundation, but it extends to collective activity and godly living. Demonstrated in the church at Ephesus, who had left their first love. The issue of soundness pertains to every principle and point of doctrine in the New Testament. And there’s actually an old testament passage that summarizes everything that I’ve said today. And you’re not going to be surprised when I tell you what it is. This is the whole duty of man. Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is, and really in the Hebrew, there is just simply the idea of wholeness. It is the whole of man. It applies to every person, the New American Standard says, This is what makes a man whole before God. This will make you well.

This will make you sound. He who fears God and keeps his commandments. And again, I could talk about James chapter 2 and James chapter 1 and verse 25, the Sean will talk about next Sunday morning, about being doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. When the kids were little, we spent way too much time and way too much money at Olin Mills. It drives you crazy, all the pictures you’ve got to have. You’ve got to have a picture when they’re one month, two months, six months, twelve months, I don’t know, fifteen months, every month there is. You’ve got to have some new pictures, and we’ve got all those pictures. You want to come see them? We can spend hours looking at all those pictures.

I was in Olin Mills on one of those occasions, and I saw this, and I thought that’s pretty cool. The Olin Mills mission. To provide customer satisfaction, which will continue the successful growth and development of Olin Mills as the world’s premier portrait company offering quality portraits at reasonable prices through dedicated challenge and involved people. Our mission, thus stated, that’s pretty cool.

I said, you know, that’s very similar to our mission as the Lord people. So I sort of adapted this. Our mission to provide soul satisfaction, which will continue the successful growth and development of the Lord’s church as the world’s premier pillar and support of the truth, commending to a lost world the Lord’s salvation and quality living at a reasonable price, submission to God, through dedicated, challenged and involved Christians. That’s my taking Olin Mills’s mission and applying it to what the New Testament says our mission needs to be as God’s people. Have you signed on to the Lord’s mission statement? Oh, not just my rendering of Olin Mill’s mission, but all that the New Testament teaches in regard to your wellness. You know, that’s really what all this is about.

We talk about people who are sick, need to go to the doctor and need this physical issue resolved and that, but the real issue is are you sound spiritually? Nobody should walk out of this building this morning unsound in your spiritual condition. Everything is ready and made available for your soundness and your wellness. And can we assist you in finding the solutions for your soul? Let’s stand and sing together.