By Bernie Parsons 

Presented to the Load church of Christ 07/25/2004

This morning we studied the lesson, "The Perfect Church—The Church That I See In The Bible". In that study, I noted that we find the perfect church in the scriptures of the Holy Bible. We further determined that Jesus is perfect, and His body must also be perfect. We realized that we are perfected in charity, or perfect love. If we are perfect, we will obey the commandments of Jesus, our Lord, and our Head.

1 John 2:5 "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

This evening we continue our study of the called out assembly of Jesus Christ. Since we determined this morning that the perfect church is one that follows the teachings of Jesus, this evening I would like to take a look at some of those teachings.

2 Peter 1:1-12 "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

" Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth."

We read this morning that we believers are translated into the kingdom of Christ. Peter, an eye witness and an Apostle to Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, tells us how to assure that this translation is eternal. He learned those things from our Lord Jesus, so we must diligently attend to the things that he wrote.

Jesus called upon men to hear.

Mark 4:23-25 "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath."

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Jesus called for repentance.

Matthew 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Repent means to turn back to the God who made us. It means to abandon the ways of sin and disobedience, and walk in the ways of God.

1 Peter 1:16 "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

Repentance means to quit trying to direct your own ways, and seek God instead.

Jeremiah 10:23 "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."

Proverbs3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Jesus called for obedience.

Matthew 15:7-9 "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Matthew 23:1-4 "Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."

Jesus called for forgiveness of violations against man and God.

Matthew 6:14-15" For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Jesus called for humility.

Luke 14:8-11 "When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Jesus called for service to our fellow man.

Matthew 20:25-28 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Jesus called for compassion toward the poor and the needy.

Luke 10:30-37 "And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

And again, in:

Luke 14:12-14 "Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

Jesus called for honesty.

Luke 8:15 "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

Jesus promoted the truth.

John 8:31-32 "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

John17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

Jesus called for impartiality.

Matthew 22:16 "And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men."

Jesus called for work in God's service.

John 5:16 "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."

Jesus called for belief.

Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."

Mark 1:15 "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."

John 3:14-18 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Jesus called for baptism.

Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Matthew 28:19 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

Jesus called for mercy.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

Matthew 9:13 "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Jesus called for love.

Luke 10:27 "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."

Matthew 5:43-48 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

The perfect church, that perfect called out assembly of Christ, is perfected in love.

1 John 2:5 "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

1 John 4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."

The perfect church is known to the world by the love within.

John 13: 33-35 "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

This morning we talked about finding the perfect church in the pages of the Holy Bible. This evening we talked about how the perfect church follows Christ.

Acts 11:26 says "…And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."

The scriptures do not say that the early believers called themselves Christians. Apparently, non-believers called them Christians. Why? Because the non-believers could see Christ in their lives. Today, we call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ. Are we? Are we following him in all the things that we have studied this evening? Are we keeping His teachings and following His commandments? Do we study them diligently, carefully, prayerfully, every day, so that we might understand what He taught, so that we might keep His sayings?

1 John 2:5 "But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."

A placard over the door does not make us perfect. Following a set of traditional rituals and patterns does not make us perfect. Loving the Lord with all that is within us, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and, yes, loving our enemies, makes us the perfect church.