The Foundation of the Church

The Foundation of the Church(Eph2:19-22)
– presbytery sermon (10/28/2013)

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Introduction:

  1. First of all, We thank God for the fist presbytery meeting since we had begun with the establishment of the presbytery of CBPCP today , here. This proves the wonderful love of God towards Cambodian church. We have many thankful conditions in our ministry. We thank God for preaching the gospel to Cambodia, for studying the word of God regularly, for preparing the future workers and having the reformed presbytery. Especially, above of all, the presbytery should keep the sound doctrine, the Scripture. This is the main purpose of our presbytery establishment.

In this time the Apostle Paul‘s thought about a little but important doctrine of the church. The Apostle uses the house metaphor to explain what the church is to us. Verse2:20 “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

First, Christ is the owner of the church.

  1. We do not believe that the church is building but we do believe that the church is the assembly of Christians who accepted Jesus Christ as their savior and their Lord. So When we believe in Jesus as our Lord, we have changed into the new creature. We are born again by the Holy Spirit, we have the eternal life and we have remission, we have the eternal life, the holy Spirit. We believe that fact. Do not you think so? So we are the church that is united with Christ. Only Christ is our owner, our Lord as Paul says in verse 21-22, “21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Who is our y what our owner? It is Jesus Christ.
  2. Many people misunderstand that the owner is the man. Pastor, elder or, congregation. No only Christ is the owner of church. But Christ lead the church through the pastor. Only the pastor is the servant of Christ. The servant should obey absolutely to Christ. If he does not obey his owner’s words, he can not become his servant.
  3. Our presbytery is the servant of Christ to glorify God. When we discuss some things and settles somethings, we have to accept the contents because of our owner’s will.

Second, the church should stand firm on the Scripture.

  1. Verses 20 says “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. What does it mean? A building consisted of main the cornerstone, the foundation and another structures.

The cornerstone is Christ, the foundation is the apostles and the prophets in the New Testament. And the frames are all Christians and the gentiles in the earth consisted of the Jew and the gentiles.

Do you experience that the Scripture is the living word? Because of this experience we devote ourselves the Scripture.

  1. Our presbytery and churches are building in the Cambodia history. We have to assure four important things. What are they? 1) Sola Scriptura (We should admit 66 books as the Word of God very well. 2) Sola Fide (We are saved out of sins not by work but by faith.) 3) Sola Gratia (Only grace Eph2:8-9 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.) and Soli Deo Gloria.(I Corin.10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.)

Third, the church shall be building until the second coming of Christ.

  1. The church of Christ is building in the world until the second coming of Christ. So we need the tension, creation and owner in the tension. So God called for us for this ministry.
  2. Cambodia church are building in the earth. So we have to offer our much troubles to this ministry because the Lord gave the mission to us in order to imitate the image of God.

Conclusion:

  1. My beloved presbytery pastors, remember the teaching of Apostle Paul in this time. Let’s take that assurance to the church to glorify God and to enjoy God.

 

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, We thank you for your wonderful grace to us. Strengthen your servants with your right hand Provide the fullness of Hoy Spirit and give them assurance to thesound doctrine, reformed theology and it’s faith. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.