Knowing God is Loving God Part 9: The Church

Sunday Morning | May 3, 2026 | Colby Flowers | Louisville, KY

Student Pastor Colby Flowers continues the series Knowing God is Loving God Part 9 - The Church.

You can join us on Sunday mornings at 11 AM for worship.  We are located at 8911 3rd Street Road, Louisville KY 40272.

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Good morning church. How are we doing? It's good to be with you this morning. I'm Coby Flowers. I'm a student pastor here at Valley View. I'm delighted to continue in our series this morning knowing God is loving God. And today we're going to be talking about the church, us, the doctrine of the church. Not just Valley View, but the big C Church. And we're going to talk about what who we are and what we've been called to do. So if you've got your scriptures, turn to Matthew chapter 16. That's where we're going to start this morning. In fact, we're going to be in several different places this morning. But that's where we're going to start. But my wife and I, with the help of some family, we recently purchased a new playground for my kids. And if you've ever encountered a new playground in it's most early of forms being brought to your house, you know what I'm about to say. It... It's kind of mind blowing because we have received a pallet of six large boxes and it was delivered. In fact, it was so heavy the pallet broke. Okay. And I had two really big concerns. One, we, our backyard is a frequent destination of groundhogs and moles. Anybody can relate? And because of that, the ground just it's just softened up there. There's you can see the the tunnels everywhere. And so finding us play a place. Sorry. Finding a place big enough to actually put it there was hard enough. That was my first concern. But then my second was this is a huge playground. And just by looking at me you can probably gather that I am not a Tim the Tool Man Taylor type. I'm not a Bob the Builder kind of guy. I'm a, I hope I can find some help to do this kind of guy. So looking at it, I'm like, oh boy, what am I going to do? So I thought to myself, as every guy does, every guy can admit to this this morning. It does cross your mind to think I wonder if I could do this without the instructions. Every guy has this innate thought. But then I quickly realized there's no possible way. So I pull out the instructions. This thing has over 50 steps, thousands of screws, tons of different pieces, and I'm like, oh, I'm in trouble. So what I could have done is I could have said, you know what, I'm going to try to put this together without the instructions. And if I were to do that, I guarantee you it likely won't resemble a playground. And it certainly won't be, safe to play on. But two, I had to really consider where I had to put it. So I had to really think through this process. And just to give you an update, I'm not done with it yet. Okay. So if we got anybody who would be willing to come build, that's really why I'm here today. I'm really asking for some help to come build this playground. But this morning we're going to unpack this really important idea about the church. And so here's our main point. I've got it on your notes. This is what our main point is this morning, that the church is the local global and heavenly assembly of believers. And this assembly of believers is in Christ. And these people who are called, called out to be different. And specifically, what we're going to unpack today is, is how we are built different. That's, an idea that's throughout Scripture, closely associated with the church. And so just to give you a frame of reference, this is kind of a working definition of the church. This is not an exhaustive or a perfect or a complete definition, because the Bible talks a lot about the church, but this is going to help navigate us this morning. But notice the church is local Valley View Church. We are the local church, a local body of believers that gathers together. But the church is not just local, it's global. We have brothers and sisters south of the border in Central America. We have brothers and sisters, and in Africa we have brothers and sisters in Europe it is a global faith, but it's also a heavenly church that they are saints, believers who have passed away, who have died, that are believers in Christ with him in his presence. And we are connected and tied to it. So it is without borders and without time. So the church is local, global and heavenly, and we're all tied to each other because of our faith in Jesus. But the word itself, church literally means called out. It means to be called out from a larger group. And so the churches is an assembly of believers. We've been called out, called away from the world. And what we're going to unpack this morning with this word built is five things that the scriptures tell us about who the church is and what the church is called to do. Are you y'all ready? All right. There's your first letter B. B is believes Jesus is Lord. The church believes Jesus is Lord. You know I, Colby that's duh, that's obvious. But before we even start there, we we really have to unpack this because Jesus has this really important moment with his disciples in Matthew 16. We're going to begin in verse 13. Here's what it says Matthew 16, verse 13. Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, this is a city north of Jerusalem, north of Galilee. It's kind of out of the way. So Jesus is really specific and takes him up to this location. In fact, this was like a United Nations, pagan worship. The Greeks worship their gods there. Baal was worshiped there, and the Romans worshiped Caesar there. So there was all these pagan worship that was happening here. And Jesus takes them up there for this specific reason. And he asked his disciples this question, who do people say that the Son of Man is? So he asked this general question who does the what does the public say about the Son of Man? Who is he? And if you know the Old Testament, this is coming from Daniel seven, is this picture of a messiah and a king that's going to come one day and rule and reign for God. So Jesus asked, who are the who are the people saying that this person is? So the disciples give a couple of answers. They say. Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But then in verse 15, Jesus gets really specific. He gets very personal. Look what he says. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Who do you say that I am? If I pause here, this is the most important question that you and I have to answer. This is the most important question, because how you answer this question will determine your eternity. It's who do you believe that Jesus is? Do you believe is just another common man? That history is just kind of written about and he's just a normal person? Or is he is who he says he is. That is God and the Savior. Well, then Peter speaks up. He says, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. He confesses with boldness and faith that Jesus, you are the Messiah. You are the Christ. You are the Son of Man. You are the one we've been waiting for in this declaration he makes with boldness. And then Jesus responds to him, verse 17 And Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah. That's Peter, for flesh and blood is not revealed this to you, but my father, who was in heaven. To take note of this, Jesus is commending him for his right response. But notice it's not flesh and blood that's made this possible for Peter. In other words, it's not Peter's logic or intelligence that's got him to this place of faith. It's not that Peter went to school long enough so that he could have faith, but it's the opposite. It says that it was revealed to him. By who? By the father who is in heaven. So here's what this means. Faith does not come from human education, but it comes from divine revelation. Faith is not something that you can go to school long enough to figure it out, because the Bible is full of people who knew the Bible but didn't know God. Faith is not about how much you know, although it's important to know things, but it's about who you believe in. Confess and live your life for. So Peter here has this incredible moment where he confesses that Jesus is Lord, and it wasn't his own human understanding and intelligence that got him there, but it was because God revealed it to him. So here's the one thing you need to know. Faith is a gift. You can't earn. Faith. You can't build yourself up to today and get to a place where I can believe in God. No gift. It is a gift from God that we believe. And then verse 18, he says this last thing to Peter, and I tell you, you are Peter, which is name literally means rock. It sounds like rock, which is why he says, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Now Jesus is using some imagery here. He says, Peter, on you I will build my church on this rock. I will build my church. Now Jesus is likely saying one thing for sure, maybe two. But he's definitely saying that. Peter, on your confession, on this confession of faith, I am building my church, that the church is built on this confession of faith. So that's what I'm building it on. And he might be talking about Peter himself, that Peter, because you're the first person to confess faith. I'm building the church on you. But we're going to disagree with our Catholic brothers and sisters who might think that this means that Peter was the Pope, and that there's a long line of history and Pope, and I'm not. I can't get into church, politics and all of that stuff at this point. But we believe that because of Peter's confession, this is what he built the church on. And notice the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, that the church was built on. The foundation of confession of faith. And it is going to triumph and defeat the gates of hell and all of its weapons and all of its schemes. It is supposed to be the Kingdom of heaven on earth. So understand this that Christ built the church. Christ is the founder. He is the owner. He is the operator of the church. We are Valley View. We are we. We're an elder led church. We're led by elders and pastors. We have a group of people who help lead, and we have a congregation who votes, affirms, and does the does the work of the ministry. But here's the thing it's all Jesus's. It's all his. But the Valley View Church is not a church in and of itself. It is under Christ and His authority and his dominion. So we as the church, we are a family run business, if you can think of it that way. Christ is the owner. He is the one. We have been brought into this family business with. But to Christ builds the church through this confession of faith. If I can be blunt, the only way to enter the church and to be a part of the church is through faith. It's not about cleaning your life up, getting your life in in such a way that you can then be good enough for the church. No, it's that Jesus died for you. And by faith in Jesus, now you can enter the church and be a part of the family of God, not because of what you can do or how much you know, but because of what Christ has done. And so our only entry into the church is faith. That's why it's such an important foundation to the church, is that we believe that Jesus is Lord. Amen. Second letter is U. The church is upheld by the Bible. The church is upheld by the Bible. Paul does a good job of explaining this in Ephesians chapter two, Ephesians chapter two, verse 19. He is writing to a Gentile church, our church of believers who are non-Jewish. Meaning before Christ came, Gentiles were outside of the people of God. But because of what Christ done, now they are welcomed into the family. And look what he says here in verse 19.

Ephesians 2: 13:59

19 he says, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. At one time the Gentiles, everyone who was outside of the blood relationship with Abraham were without hope, without God in the world, but because of what Christ has done, he's brought us into the family, meaning because of Christ. It's not about our blood relation to Abraham. It's about the blood of Jesus cleansing us from our sins. It's not about being about the family of Abraham. It's about being adopted into the family of God. The believers in Jesus are now in the house hold of God. So listen, the church is a family that's united through spiritual faith and not blood relation. And praise God for that. Just look around the room. We don't look alike. We don't talk alike. We didn't grow up in the same place. We don't necessarily have all the same interests and values. We don't. But, but, but what we can say is what unites us is Christ Jesus and his blood shed for us. That brings us all to this room today, that Christ has brought us here. But he goes on here. He talks further about what the church is built on in verse 20, that this church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus, or what Paul's talking about here is, is that the church was built on the biblical foundation of the apostles. That is all the disciples, all those who saw Jesus risen from the dead. And so the church is built on the apostles of the New Testament, including the Apostle Paul, the Apostle James in Jerusalem. But not just them, but the Old Testament prophets Abraham, Samuel, David, Isaiah, these people who wrote the Bible. So what Paul's getting at here is we are built on a foundation of what the Bible teaches. This is why this is important into today's culture, because churches that are not built on the Bible will find other things to build their foundation on. And if the church is not built on the Bible, they're going to come up with whatever they want to be built on. That's why we get false teachings. That's even why we get churches that die off, because they're not built on anything that is pure and true. And unchanging. So we're built on a historical, biblical foundation of 66 books written on three different continents. Approximately 40 different human authors wrote it all, pointing and attesting to the same gospel that's unchanging. So we've got a firm foundation in that. And it not only rests on the Bible, but the foundation of the church is Christ himself. He's the cornerstone. We depend on Jesus. He aligns as he brings us all together and upholds us. Without Christ, the church falls to Christ is the cornerstone. So there's your third letter. I. We are indwelt by the spirit. Now, I's likely a word you don't use often, but it basically simply means that something that inhabits, that comes into you and the church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and Pastor John spent two weeks unpacking the Holy Spirit. And there's more to be said about the Holy Spirit. But but certainly go and hear those messages. But here's the beautiful thing that you and I, for believers, have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Sustain. Here in Ephesians two, Paul explains this. He says, in whom? Then Jesus, the whole structure being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And the Old Testament, the people of God needed something called a temple. They built this temple because God commanded them to build it, because God wanted to be among them. They had a big problem. They were sinners, so God needed to be separated from them but near them. So the purpose of the temple was so that God's presence would be among his people. So Paul was now saying, in the church, we no longer go to a building for the presence of God, but the present God has come in to us. We don't have to drive down the street or come go to some metropolis and go to a building to get close to God. But God came to us by the by the work of Jesus and by faith in him. He cleanses us, cleans us up. And now the spirit dwells inside of every believer. Praise God, can we not? I think we so easily get over that miracle that we've broken sinful people, that God would choose to dwell not just among us, but in us. And notice this temple. It grows, it grows and grows. And in verse 22, in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God. And here it is by the spirit. But here's the catch. Now, as Christians, now that we've received the Holy Spirit, that means we need to be separated from certain things. The Bible speaks directly to this, which is why that it's called the Holy Temple. Holy to be set apart. And here's a danger you would face as a Christian that we confess Christ, believe in Jesus, accept the Holy Spirit. But then we still live with the world, not just in the world, but we allow the world to get into us. Paul addresses this in second Corinthians six. We're not going to go there this morning, but second Corinthians six deals with this. But here's what he says the church must not be unequally yoked with the world, but set apart in holiness. And that picture of being unequally yoked, it comes from a metaphor or from a common everyday occurrence for them, in which two animals were yoked and they would pull something behind them. They would be pulling a a cart or farming equipment. And the two animals, horses or oxen, they would be walking side by side with each other. So but Paul is saying is we can't do that with the world. We can't partner with the world. We can't allow the world to inform us, to direct us, to guide us. We, on the other hand, should be directing the world towards the gospel, towards holiness, towards Christ. But if you just look at the things that we watch, the things that we're scrolling through on our phones, the music that we're letting in our ears and into our heart. The people that we give freedom to speak into our lives and to influence us. And some of you may be thinking, I'm praying for God to move in my life. But the question is, is there any room for God to move in your life? Are you filled too much with the world? There's a church father named Saint Augustine. He wrote countless things, but he has a great quote on this I want to share with you this morning. Saint Augustine said, God means to fill each of you with what is good. That is His word, his spirit, his teachings, his desires, his thoughts. So Augustine says, so cast out what is bad if he wishes to fill you with honey and you were full of sour wine, where is the honey to go? The vessel must be emptied of its contents and then be cleansed. Yes, it must be cleansed. Even if you have to work hard and scour it, it must be made fit for the new thing, whatever it may be. Which means, as Christians, we have to daily scour daily look to remove what is worldly in us so that we can have more room for God, more room for his Word, more room for the Holy Spirit. Because if we're going to be the church, we have to be holy and set apart. And us flirting or being friendly with the world is not going to allow God to be who he wants us to be. Here's your fourth letter L. The church loves and equips each other, loves and equips each other. The church must have a culture of service and love towards one another. Look what Paul says here later on in the book of Ephesians. In chapter four, Ephesians four verse 11 says, And Christ gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelist, the shepherds, and teachers, meaning God gave the gifts, spiritual gifts to the church to lead the apostles of Peter and James and John, the prophets who would come and speak the words of God the evangelist, who would go out and tell others about the gospel to bring them in the shepherds, the pastors who would protect and guard the church, the teachers who would pass along God's Word to others. But notice verse 12 that the leaders aren't the only ones doing the ministry. Verse 12 says that these leaders are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ. And we can easily get caught up in thinking that the 10% of the leadership of the church has to do all the ministry. But this is not what Paul says. Instead, Paul says we need to equip one another, build one another up using our gifts to lift others up so that those of you who have gifts, we put you in places and positions to serve and to give. It's the goal of the church. And you may have attended a church like this before, where all the ministry was done by a few people, which leads to burnout, which leads to frustration, which leads to conflict, which leads to people who think they're even bigger than the church. But instead the church is a 100% everybody being in to doing the work of the ministry, you'll see that. So if we do that, Paul says that we also need to love each other. Verse 15, jumping a couple verses ahead, rather speaking the truth in love. We are to grow up in every way into Christ, who is the head. We need to grow up into Christ by speaking the truth in love. And then verse 16, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly. Makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Have you all ever pushed a cart that has one bad wheel? It's the worst. Have you ever hurt an ankle and had to walk on it? Hurt a shoulder and had to use one arm. Had to do everything you've ever been to the gym and you encounter somebody who all they focus on is their upper body, but they never have a leg day. You know, I'm talking about. I unfortunately have chicken legs. I can't fix that. I try, but you know what I'm talking about. All they do is work the upper body. But then you're thinking, I don't know how their legs are supporting all their muscle. But this is the picture Paul gives us of the church, the body that everyone needs to be built up. It can't just be one or the other or one group and not the other group. This whole church has to be equipped, gifted and encouraged and built up so that they could do the work of the ministry. And here's what it does is it makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. So here's what I take from that. The church will grow when the saints are equipped and serving one another in love. Do you all want Valley View to grow? Valley View will grow when our members and our people are equipped and we serve one another. And I'm so thankful to be a part of a church that does this already. But I'm one to not settle for where we are. But I want more people to get involved, more people to give, more people to serve. Because you all have gifts that I don't. All you have to do is look at the handout this morning and notice I put the wrong date on it. Okay, I'm not good with details. This is why I married my wife. She tells me where to go, what to do sometimes, what to say. She's my biggest help. But that's because there's things that I'm not gifted at and there's things that you're not gifted at. But that's the point. We complete each other. But we need you. Last letter T the church takes the gospel to the world. So yes, we love each other. We equip each other. But here's the purpose so that we can go out into the world. The church cannot be remain internally focused, but the church is called to be externally missional. And Jesus gives the last command to the church in Matthew 28. It's a very familiar verse, likely for for all of us. The Great Commission, verse 18, Jesus says, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. There's so much to unpack there. I can't do it. But here's what Jesus is telling them to do go simple. Go make disciples. Baptize them once they believe, and then teach them. Build them, equip them up to be the church. But here's the easy temptation is churches. I've struggled with this for a long time. I think, is that we can get people maybe to the waters of baptism and get them dunked, but then they don't actually grow. It's a danger. In fact, there's an author that calls this the Great Old Mission is that we're really good job of making converts, but we don't make disciples. Well, I don't want you to be that way. We want to dunk you. And before you're even dry, we get you in a small group before you're even dry. We get you into building up the community, and then we actually help you learn how to serve. We look at your gifts, you're good at this. Here's a great place to serve because I want the church to be built up. Because I need you, Lord, with the children's ministry needs you. The men's ministry, the women's ministry, the sojourners. We all need the church to step up and to be the church. But not just here. Now we've got to go out there. And for some of you, you will never leave the state of Kentucky, maybe for the rest of your life. And that's okay. I talked to someone the other day. They said, I just don't like traveling. I could live in the South End and be here for the rest of my life. And I would have a great life, great. But being a missionary doesn't mean you need to go to the jungles of Africa. It means you need to go across the street. The Great Commission does not just extend to Europe and to Asia. It extends to the person on the other side of your dorm. It extends the person who is in your school. And before you think, listen, I can't do that. I'm not gifted. I don't know enough. I don't have enough education. You think these disciples had any education? Five minutes ago they were fishing. And then Jesus says, all right, I need you to go change the world. They're like, what? But notice what verse 20 says, I will be with you always to the end of the age. Jesus didn't leave you to do it by yourself, but the Holy Spirit now indwells you. It goes before you. So now we have the power. We have the message. We just need the people to go. So listen, the Great Commission is not a command for some believers, but all not for pastors, not for elders, not for deacons, for for every one. If God can use people like the disciples, he can use you. Church. So here, I'm gonna give us three things to wrap this up. Three ways that I believe we can be built as a church member. We talked about who the church is, what the church called to do. I'm gonna give you three things from acts chapter two. We're not going to look at the scriptures. We don't have the time for that. But I encourage you to go look at acts chapter two. And there's these three things that I believe we're called to do as the church already. Number one, be devoted.

Acts 2: 33:41

42 spells it out that we are called to be devoted to the apostles teaching. Be devoted to the Bible. Get in your word. Get the Word of God in you. Be devoted to fellowship among believers. Be devoted to the public prayer. As it says in the verse, we need a group of believers who are devoted Two- be sacrificial. The early church was predominantly poor. They had some people who had a little money, but. But what they would do is as they would gather together, they would give all of their money to the church so that no one went without. Now be careful. I'm not here to squeeze money out of you. I'm not doing that. I'm not even here to squeeze some. Some volunteer hours out of you. But let me ask you, church. Where's your treasure at this morning? Because Jesus said, where your treasure is, that's where your heart is. We're called to be sacrificial as a church member, as the people of God, as the family of God, to invest our money, invest our time, invest our energy so that the church is built up. Amen. Last but not least, number three, maybe the most important be present. In a day of digital media, it is easy to window shop churches online from your couch. It is easy to check in online but never walk in the door of a church. Now it is a beautiful, wonderful, helpful thing to be able to have access to to preaching and teaching online? Yes. I've had this question asked to me before can you be a Christian if you don't attend a church? What would you say? Do you think? I said, yes, you can, but there's a big but to that. You can be a Christian, but what kind of Christian are you going to be? Yeah, you can be a Christian. You can be a Bible believing, fully knowing Christ at home, on your couch, never having entered a church building. Yes, but what type of Christian are you going to be? Because if you really have read the Bible, you know the Bible says, do not neglect to meet together. That's why being present is one of the best ways that you can serve the church. Now, we don't measure your your faithfulness over your attendance, but it sure has a lot to say about it. And I would say being present is so crucial to the church today. There's no substitute that I need you here. You need, I want maybe you need me here, maybe not. But we need each other here. We need to build one another up and praise God we've been given this building. This building is not the church, but it's the people inside the church. And we need each other. So here's your challenge this morning. Are you building and being built up in the church? Two things. Are you actively a part of the process of building up the church, and are you yourself being built up by others? Because I can sometimes fall for the trap of I don't want anybody to do anything for me, I want to do it myself and by myself. I don't want anybody to serve me or help me or. Wrap this up, but I want to share with you the church. I said this to my wife, I think last week. I'm so thankful for the church. I'm so thankful not just for Valley View. I'm very thankful for Valley View, but I'm thankful for the Big C Church and wherever my wife and I have lived. The church has loved and supported us. Have we encountered bad churches? I say bad churches. Have we encountered churches that have had some serious challenges? Yes. Have we dealt with church hurt? Yes. And I'm sure you have to. But the church has meant more to me. Than almost anything. We need the church. You need the church. Christ loved the church so much that he was willing to die for it. So because of that, we need to be present, to be devoted and to be sacrificial. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you, father. For the church. The bride of Christ. The family of God, the body of Christ. The called out assembly of believers in a crooked and twisted generation. Thank you, God, for this church in which you are reigning and authority over. It is not pastor John or the elders or anyone you are in charge of this church. Father. And we are thankful that you have brought all of these people together from their unique testimonies, their unique stories, and their unique backgrounds to this place in this season. And I pray, father, that all of us in this room would take great delight in the church. I pray, father, that we would not take it lightly what it means to be a church member, but that father, we would be devoted, sacrificial, and we would be present to build up the church for your glory, God for our growth, and for reaching the nations with the gospel. Pray this in Jesus name. Amen.