You're Not So Bad

"YOU'RE NOT SO BAD AFTER ALL"
(1TIMOTHY 3: 15)

Intro:
I’m sorry, but I will be unable to preach this evening. As you can see on the screen, the power point lesson I had prepared isn’t working. Well, if it it’s broken, then we better just stop now. In fact, we have had so much trouble with this thing, that I think we should just give up, and pull the thing out of this building. Give me a minute, and I will go get the laddor.
Now, how crazy did that sound. Just because one slide is messed up, I was prepared to just dump the whole system. I saw that there was a problem or two, and therefore nothing was good.
Let me ask you this, how many of us believe that the church is broken beyond repair? How many of us look at the church of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, and see nothing more than a glorified collection of seats? Unfortunately, many of the messages, which we hear today, concern the problems of the church. It is a laundry list of those things that are wrong with the church, and the many ways in which it is failing in this modern world.
This morning, I want to help you to see that it isn't to late. I want you to know, "YOU'RE NOT SO BAD!" Much like the power point system could still have it's redeeming qualities, so the church still has far more right than wrong with it today! Join me as we consider those things, which are right with the church today.

I. IT HAS THE RIGHT CREATION

1. It is amazing how temporal the creations of man truly are when we examine them closely.
A. The Sistine Chapel has been restored several times over the years.
B. The very computer on which we are recording our sermon today, wonderful though it is, has a broken screen.
C. The White House, in which the most powerful man in the country if not the world lives, has been renovated and repaired over and over again.
d. The simple truth is that in each of these cases, the first design contained mistakes.
2. However, from the beginning, the Church of Christ was founded upon the right path!
A. Eph 1: 4 it is the right creation because it was provided by the perfect plan!
B. Eph 1: 6-7 it is the right creation because it was purchased by the perfect prince of peace!
C. Eph 1: 13 it is the right creation because it was procured by the promised provider of comfort!

II. IT HAS THE RIGHT COMPONENTS

1. Over time, man has shown himself to be very exclusionary.
A. "I'd like to join your club." "Sorry, you don't make enough money."
B. "I'd like to eat in your restaurant." "Sorry, your not the right color."
C. "I'd like to talk to you for a minute." "Sorry, you're not smart enough."
D. Truly it is no wonder that most of our relationships are failures, because the majority of them aren't made up of the right parts.
2. Unlike man made organizations, the Church of our Lord, that is the Church of Christ, has always been made up of the perfect components!
A. Gal 6: 1 it is made up of saved sinners!
B. James 5: 16 it is made up of stumbling saints!
C. 1Jn 3: 3 it is made up of sunny rays of light in a dark world!

III. IT HAS THE RIGHT CHALLENGE

1. One of the first things that you must know before beginning a new game is the goals and objectives of that game.
A. The funny thing is that we as people tend to change the rules and challenges of the game.
Football is forever trying to improve and change how the game is played.
B. Why, even in grade school, we eventually changed the challenge and rules of hide-and-seek.
C. We did it for no other reason than that we wanted to make the game better.
2. However, the truth of the Church of Christ is that the challenges have remained the same because the goal of the church remains the same!
A. 1Thess 5: 11 the right challenge is to edify the saints!
B. Eph 3: 21 the right challenge is to exalt the God of Heaven!
C. Matt 5: 16 the right challenge is to evangelize the lost of this world!