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Newsletter April 2004
Solid Rock Christian Church Newsletter
Winning to Jesus - Growing in Jesus
Craig Rippy
Office Telephone 573-265-5003
E-Mail Address, srcc@tigernet.missouri.org
Gene Scantlin and Alan Wynn, Elders.
Diane Daniel, Preschool Director.
The Church Wins. "The Gates of Hades will not overcome it" said Jesus (Matt. 16:18). When you look at the teaching of Scripture concerning the Church you find an undeniable truth. The Church Wins.
I'm happy you are a part of the Church of our Lord. Jesus came to build His Church (Matt. 16:18). He was sent to die for those who would be construction material. Each soul that turns to Christ is included in the Church. God adds us to His family. (Acts 2:41 & 47; 1 Pet. 2:5).
As the spiritual house of God, the Church, we are the dwelling of God by His Holy Spirit. We are the divine residence of God on earth. In being His residence we are the Body of Christ filling the earth with His presence. You and I, along with all who are God's Church, are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We reveal the truth of Jesus Christ by word and deed to the world around us. (Acts 2:38; Eph. 2:22; Matt. 5:13-16).
This Church is destined to win. Each person added to the Church has been added due to God accepting their faith. First John 5:4-5 states, "This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.." When we place faith in Jesus as God's Son, turn to Him as Lord of our lives, are baptized into Him, and faithfully live for Him, God tells us we have the victory. All of those in Christ share the victory as members of His Church.
How is victory possible? Simply, only through Jesus. Acts 2:36-47 and 1 Peter 3:21-22 help us to understand our victory. When a person is convicted of sin, recognizing they have offended God by living as if He was unimportant, they make a change of mind about His importance. The change of mind is called repentance. Repentance is a turn in thinking and action. God sent His personal representative to turn our thinking around and He was crucified. Praise God, that was His plan, that Jesus would be crucified as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus took our sin, its guilt, and the consequences of our guilt upon Himself as a sacrifice in our stead. When we change our thinking about the importance of God we recognize how important we are to God. So important that He sent His only Son to die in our stead.
This acceptance of Jesus as the sacrifice is followed by symbolic death, burial and resurrection of self, baptism (Rom. 6:1-4). As the symbolism is being witnessed on the outside the reality is being accomplished on the inside. God judges us forgiven and sends His Holy Spirit to live in us. The Holy Spirit's presence testifies that God has also added us to the victorious Church.
The position of the Church is a position of authority. Jesus is Lord of the Church. Jesus has been raised to have all authority. 1 Peter 3:22 reveals that we are saved by His resurrection, because He has authority (Also see Matt. 28:18). This authority was achieved by His Victorious Resurrection into heaven, where He has been seated at God's right hand and has all authority.
Having ALL authority means He has authority over all creation.
Take a look at Romans 8:37-39 to understand the breadth of this.
Paul tells us of this victory the Church has in Ephesians 1:18 and following. The members of the Church have God's "incomparably great power" available for their lives, because Christ was raised from the dead "far above" everything else. Verses 22 and 23 conclude, "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (NIV)
Did you notice that God placed all things under Christ "FOR THE CHURCH." The Lord Jesus, with all authority, has given His people, the Church, victory. In affect, Satan has been bound and can not prevent the Church from accomplishing her mission. I believe this is what is meant by Jesus when He said, "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house." (Matt. 12:29 - NIV) Jesus bound the strong man, Satan, at the Cross. Now the Church can truly function as the Body of Christ, taking the Gospel to the world. We are His fullness Who is filling everything. He is doing that through the Church. We are illuminating the world with the light of Christ's presence and message. As the victorious Church, we will not be defeated. The gates of Hades will not overcome the Church.
The intention of God for the Church is His boast to all the heavenly realm of His Son's accomplishment. Ephesians 3:10 and 11 is clear,"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV) God's reputation is at stake here. Do you believe that God would allow the Church to fail?
By no means.
Solid Rock Christian Church is one congregation of Christ's Church. We are the victorious Church under the authority of the Lord of Lords. Jesus is for His Church to succeed. To succeed in our mission is to bring glory to both the Father and the Son. To succeed is to reveal our faith in Christ's authority over all things and for us to accomplish the task we were brought into the Church to do, Win to Jesus and Grow in Jesus.
Oh, one other thing: Only those in the Church have their names written in heaven (WOW, What Victory), Hebrews 12:23; Rev. 20:15; Rev. 21:27.
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