is the church ever fully restored? ruins of medieval church in york, england
TRANSCRIPT
Is the Church Ever Fully Restored?
Ruins of Medieval church in York, England
Is the Church Ever Fully Restored?
• In one sense… The church is made up of imperfect people. The lifelong task of attaining perfection will be incomplete when we die.
• However… Some believe that truth is unknowable, and so we never really can determine for certain what IS God’s will. This is not so!
The Perfect Church• A Divine Architect
– Ephesians 3:10-11
Ephesians 3:10-11
“To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God planned the church from all eternity
The Perfect Church• A Divine Architect
– Ephesians 3:10-11• A Perfect Blueprint
– Hebrews 8:5 (cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17)
Hebrews 8:4-5
“For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”
1 Corinthians 4:17; 7:17
(4:17), “For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.”(7:17), “But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.”
The Perfect Church• A Divine Architect
– Ephesians 3:10-11• A Perfect Blueprint
– Hebrews 8:5 (cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17)• A Perfect Builder
– Matthew 16:18
Matthew 16:18
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
The Perfect Church• A Divine Architect
– Ephesians 3:10-11• A Perfect Blueprint
– Hebrews 8:5 (cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17)• A Perfect Builder
– Matthew 16:18• A Perfect Head
– Ephesians 1:22-23
Ephesians 1:22-23
“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
The Perfect Church• A Divine Architect
– Ephesians 3:10-11• A Perfect Blueprint
– Hebrews 8:5 (cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17)• A Perfect Builder
– Matthew 16:18• A Perfect Head
– Ephesians 1:22-23• A Perfect Law
– James 1:25
James 1:25
“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
In What Areas Is Continuing Restoration Needed?
• The Truth about Jesus?• The Conditions for
salvation?• The Organization of the church?• The Work of the church?• The Worship of the church?
Truth is Knowable!
John 8:32
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Ephesians 3:3-4
“How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).”
Ephesians 5:17
“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
2 Peter 3:15-17“…Brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked…”
Conclusion
The Quest for restoration is not the aim of restoration, it is the attainment of truth!
Truth can be and has been attained by men…
The church has been restored!