4 Pillars of the Church: Doctrine

4 Pillars part 5: Doctrine

This morning we are continuing our series on the 4 Pillars of the church. Today will be a bit of a recap of the first pillars, because it is the pillar that balances the others. How do we know Whom we worship? How do we know what we are called to do? How are we to treat one another? These questions are all guided by ‘Doctrine’—what we know and how we know it. In fact, if at some point our worship becomes out of line, our mission becomes clouded, or our fellowship is broken, it is to doctrine that we can look for answers. So, as we have done in weeks past, let’s read again the Great Commission that we have in Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As you recall, the second week we examined how Jesus is the object of our worship, because “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [Him].” Then, we examined the mission we have from Jesus to “Go and make disciples of all nations,” because it is the same mission for which God sent Jesus. Last week, we examined baptism as an act of fellowship and drawing those new disciples into union with the Church. Now, each of those is guided by ‘doctrine’—what we believe about God. And so, it makes perfect sense for Jesus to end this command with “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Just as Jesus taught His disciples, disciples are called to teach the next generation of disciples what Christ has given us. 

Now, we are going to look at a lot of verses today fairly quickly, but I want to give a verse straight from the mouth of Christ in order to set up the main idea. Turn back a few pages to Matthew 5:48.

Matthew 5:48

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus tells us to “be perfect.” Now, before you resign yourself to failure saying ‘no one can be perfect!’, consider the word used here—teleois. ‘Perfect’ is one possible meaning, and the other is ‘completed’. We tend to think of ‘perfect’ as someone who never makes a mistake. Of course, God never makes a mistake, but as humans, we tend to make them quite a bit. Jesus, of course, knows this. He is not giving us a standard to which we can never achieve. He is giving us a goal to strive for. If we think of teleois as ‘completed,’ it may help wrap our minds around the process of Christian growth. Too many times Christians will lament they can never be perfect, and so they never try to grow. But Jesus is telling us that we are called to grow towards perfection, or completion, just as God is complete/perfect in Himself. 

Learning Doctrine helps us grow toward the Goal of our Faith.

Now, we will return to this phrase many times, but for now consider this question, “What is the goal of your faith?” What is the point of putting your faith in Jesus?

Is it to avoid hell?

Is it to go to heaven?

Is it hope for tomorrow?

Is it to know your Creator?

Is it to have a better today?

These are all good things and placing your faith in Jesus will certainly achieve these goals. But can I tell you Jesus’ goal for your faith? It is to complete your creation—to complete you.

Learning Doctrine is part of how Jesus makes you ‘you’. 

The big theological word is ‘sanctification.’ We are saved in order to be transformed from the corrupted dying version of ourselves into the incorruptible design God has for us. Sometimes people believe that in order for a person to be a good Christian, they have to act like every other ‘good Christian.’ But the truth is, you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139:14). God has made you like you are on purpose. Sin may have disfigured you, but in Christ, you are reformed as God originally intended. Character flaws are simply corruptions of God’s good design. ‘Conviction’ becomes ‘obstinance,’ ‘passionate’ becomes ‘intemperate,’ ‘merciful’ becomes ‘enabler,’ and so forth. When we grow in Christ, learning to live as He has called us to live, we discover more about ourselves than we thought possible.

Now, as I said, each of the pillars is governed in some way by ‘doctrine,’ and also, it is through doctrine that we learn to observe all that Christ has commanded. So let’s revisit the pillars in light of this truth:

The call to learn is a call towards completion in Christ.

We learn to know God better—worship.

First, we learn doctrine in order to know God better, and thus, worship better. Turn with me to Romans 12. We will return to this chapter later, but for now, let’s just read the first two verses. 

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul appeals by the ‘mercies of God’ for us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. We are to allow ourselves to be transformed in order to be holy and acceptable to God. We do not conform to this world—which is dying in its sin—but rather, we are transformed by the renewal of our minds. How can you renew your mind? Feed it with the knowledge of Christ. 

Spiritual renewal for the Christian begins in the mind.

Now, I do say ‘for the Christian,’ because the lost person needs a complete transformation which begins when they repent of sin and surrender to Jesus. But, if we have received the ‘mercies of God’, and we find ourselves in a spiritual malaise, or in a state lacking worship, the way out of that spiritual slump is to renew our minds. Dig into a book of the Bible you have not studied before. Listen to a different type of worship music. Most importantly, recognize where you have conformed to this world rather than conforming to Jesus. Then, and only then, will you be able to repent and learn God’s will, which, if you will notice at the end of verse 2 is “good and acceptable and perfect.” And, yes, that word for perfect is is the same word Jesus used—teleois. 

And why does Paul say all this? Because it is our “spiritual worship”—or as some translations say “reasonable worship”. There is a much longer explanation for these possibilities, but the short version of what Paul is saying is, “This is the type of worship that makes perfect sense, based on Who God is and what He has done.”

Now, we will return to this chapter, but let’s continue by turning with me to John 4. We see a familiar story, if you have been with us for some time. Jesus is at a well with the Samaritan woman, and they are discussing worship. But, this story makes for a great transition, because they are discussing how to worship, and Jesus’ answer is directly tied to the Church’s mission—which as we said a couple of weeks ago is God’s mission.

Let’s read a portion of the story and see how learning more about Christ helps us join in the mission of Christ.

We learn to share God better—mission.

John 4:21-26

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

The hour has come when God calls all nations to worship in spirit and truth. It is not enough for people to simply worship something, God is calling them to worship Him. And how will they know? He has sent His Son into this world to save it from sin. And as each person meets Christ, they find the only thing worth worshiping. The Samaritans had gotten many things wrong in their history, but the one thing they knew correctly was the Messiah would come and tell them all things. Interestingly, this particular Samaritan had gotten a lot wrong in her life, but this one thing she knew for certain. And Jesus tells her, “I who speak to you am he.” Despite her failings, she got the most important thing right. 

And what does she do in response? In the remaining story, she goes around her town telling people the Good News, the Messiah has come! Verses 39-42 are some of the most beautiful verses in the Bible, especially considering the characters in this story.

John 4:39-42

Many Samaritans form that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said tot the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.

The crowd that had scorned her in the past is now giving thanks to her, because she has led them to the Messiah!

The more we learn the truth about the Messiah, we are compelled to tell others.

Next, I would like us to consider a truth about humanity. Everyone is compelled to worship something. God designed us to worship Him—that is part of being made in His image. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says,

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 

God has created humans with a desire for the eternal, but we are limited in our ability to comprehend it. C. S. Lewis described it as being created with the desire for ‘Joy’. Every numinous experience—standing at the edge of the ocean looking out, experiencing the beauty and wonder of the sunset, climbing majestic mountains, finding love in your heart’s mate, and all the other places the Celtics described as ‘thin places,’ places where heaven and earth seem to touch—these are all experiences that remind us, our greatest heart’s desire is to know our Creator. We are made for heavenly communion with our Creator, just like a fish is made for water, and birds are made for the air. It is in our DNA. But how can we find our Creator unless someone points us in His direction? That is why Jesus came, and that is the mission of the Church.

Paul came across this phenomenon in Athens. At the Areopagus in Athens, the Greeks had made statues of all kinds of spirits and gods. But they also knew the writings of Plato and later philosophers who had come to the conclusion there must be some Supreme Being above all the other gods that they did not understand. Paul comes across the statue to this Unknown God and uses it as a point of reference for his audience. Look at Acts 17:23.

Acts 17:23

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

We are called to point people who worship false gods out of ignorance toward the worship of the One True God. But consider, how can we describe what we have not understood ourselves?

Learning the Truth about God enables us to teach the Truth about God.

Next, as we go and tell others about Christ, we will undoubtedly come across those who spread lies about Christ. The devil is a defeated foe, but he is also a stubborn foe who refuses to go down without a fight. Turn with me to Jude.

Jude 3-4 & 17-23

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude reminds us there will be those who pervert the grace of our God. Jesus told His first disciples there would come false teachers, and Jude is reminding us this prophecy has come true. Satan used those who rejected Christ, but found Him interesting to infiltrate the Church. They began spreading false teachings that came from the various pagan religions and even the perversions from Judaism. Jude wanted to write about our ‘common salvation,’ in other words our bond in Christ, but instead, he is compelled to ‘contend for the faith’ because of these false teachers. 

So what is Judes’ advice to deal with these false teachers? Skip down to verses 17-23.

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

First, remember what Jesus said—go back to sound doctrine! 

Second, keep yourselves in the love of God by “building yourselves up in faith and praying in the Holy Spirit”—renew your faith and prayer life by drawing closer to the Holy Spirit.
Third, “have mercy for those who doubt,” those whose faith is not quite as strong.

Fourth, “snatch others from the fire.” Those who respond in faith to Jesus Christ, snatch them up from the devil!

Last, “to others show mercy with fear.” Those who will not respond in faith, continue to show mercy, but do not let them drag you down into their sinful passions. 

Learning sound doctrine enables us to defend our faith.

Unfortunately, we are out of time today to look at the relationship between ‘Doctrine’ and ‘Fellowship,’ so we will return to this last pillar next week. 

As we finish, though, I want to ask you this: Who do you worship? And, who do you call others to worship?

Have you discovered the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, or do you still wander in ignorance, giving worship to some ‘Unknown God’? For many people in this generation, they have given up knowing their Creator and have chosen to worship the things of this world—money, wealth, relationships, etc. But God has called everyone to turn away from these false idols and learn Who He is. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to make known the One Supreme Being who made heaven and earth. Take that step of faith by surrendering to Jesus today, and learn more about God and yourself than you ever thought possible.