A message presented to pastors challenging them to teach Christ; to find Christ in their churches.

1. Pastors Meeting
Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Dr. Jerry Smith
Missionary Pastor-Teacher
jfrsmth@gmail.com

2. A brief word about
Christ-Ed in the Church
Christ
Education

3. Christ-ed is an ‘equipping’ ministry
With the primary task of edifying
Christians and equipping them to
worship and honor God and to reach
out to the world.

4. CHRIST MUST BE EXALTED in Church
meetings
• If spiritual leaders truly desire to see their
people GROW, Christ must be the focus.
• Christ-Ed involves focusing attention on
Christ, the source of the believer's spiritual
strength; his inspiration; and his ultimate
model of the faith.

5. It is clear from Scripture that Jesus
Christ is the ultimate need of all
mankind:
John 6:68
Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, to whom shall we go? thou
hast the words of eternal life;

6. Our divinely appointed goal is to
become the image of Christ
Romans 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many
brethren.

7. The END of the believer’s spiritual
walk is to eventually become the
image of Jesus Christ
Image:
Likeness
Representation
Illustration
Reflection
… of Jesus Christ.

8. Because: Only Jesus Christ PLEASES
GOD
Matthew 3:17
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.
“It is God's goal that Christians mature
(1Corinthians 3:1-3), with the goal of the perfect
man in Christ (Ephesians 4:13)” (Byrnes, 1988).

9. Where is CHRIST in HIS Church?
Is He on the outside of our churches?
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if
any man hear my
voice, and open the
door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.

10. In Song

11. Where is the emphasis in our songs?
GOD or ME?
GOD-Centered or MAN-Centered
CHRIST-Exalting or MAN-Exalting

12. Song: King of Majesty
You know that I love you
You know that I want to know you so much more
These words are from my heart
I will live for you
I am devoted to you
Forever I’ll give my praises to you

13. Song: Faith
I’m reaching for the prize
I’m giving everything
Nothing will keep me from Him
I will live for you

14. Scripture says …
Matthew 26:33, 35
33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all
men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I
never be offended.
35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with
thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all
the disciples.

15. Scripture says …
John 2:24
But Jesus did not commit himself
unto them, because he knew all
men

16. Song: Mahal Na Mahal Kita
Mahal na mahal kita
Mahal na mahal kita
Mahal na mahal kita

17. BUT Scripture says …
1John 4:19
We love him because he first
loved us.

18. John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my
commandments.
Scripture says …

19. Scripture says …
Psalm 115:1
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
but unto thy name give glory,
for thy mercy, and for thy truth's
sake.

20. Song: To God Be The Glory
To God be the glory great things He hath
done
So loved He the world that He gave us His
Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord …

21. Song: Majesty
Worship His majesty
Unto Jesus be all glory honor and praise
So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus
Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King
Worship His majesty
Jesus who died now glorified
King of all Kings

22. Song: Jesus Paid it All
I hear the Savior say your strength
indeed is small
Child of weakness watch and pray
Find in me your all in all
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

23. 1Corinthians 14:15
I will sing with the spirit, and I
will sing with the
understanding …
Scripture says …

24. In Teaching

25. We need Christ to grow
2Peter 3:18
But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be
glory both now and for ever.
Amen.

26. That we might bear fruit
2Peter 1:8
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.

27. Delight thyself FIRST in the Lord
NURTURE your personal relationship
with Jesus Christ FIRST, and the ‘soul
winning’ will follow.
Revelation 2:4-5
4 … thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence
thou art fallen, and repent, and do
the first works

28. • Worship is about Christ –
our STRENGTH and the
POWER
• If our lives, hearts, and
minds, are centered on
Jesus Christ, everything
else will fall into place,
and we will most
certainly live 'Christian'
lives.
• We won’t have to
emphasize our ability; we
will naturally follow Him,
be more like Him.
CHRIST

29. Luke 10:41-42
41 And Jesus answered
and said unto her,
Martha, Martha, thou
art careful and
troubled about many
things:
42 But one thing is
needful: and Mary
hath chosen that good
part, which shall not be
taken away from her.”

30. The Role of Pastors
(Ephesians 4:11-16)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers;
12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ:

31. 13 till we all come in the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 that we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of
men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they
lie in wait to deceive;

32. 15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the
head, even Christ:
16 from whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which
every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every
part, maketh increase of the body unto the
edifying of itself in love.

33. FEED my sheep
John 21:17
Lovest thou me? … Feed my sheep.

34. How do we FEED the flock?
Jeremiah 3:15
… and I will give you pastors
according to mine heart, which
shall feed you with knowledge
and understanding

35. What is that knowledge?
2Peter 3:18
But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. To him be glory both
now and for ever. Amen.

36. Christ Taught Himself To Others
Luke 24:27
And beginning at
Moses and all the
prophets, he
expounded unto them
in all the scriptures the
things concerning
himself.

37. How much of our teaching actually
CENTERS on the Lord Jesus Christ?
His BEAUTY
His EXCELLENCIES
His EXAMPLE
His WORK
His MINISTRY

38. In Preaching*
*By nature “preaching” means proclaiming the
GOSPEL
The GOSPEL is the message of CHRIST’s work

39. Is it possible in the Lord’s
church?
• To listen to an entire message and NOT hear
the name of Christ even ONCE (x3)?
• To attend an entire service and NEVER hear
Christ EXALTED?
• To sing “Christian” songs in Christ’s church
where Christ is ABSENT?

40. There is a drought in churches today

41. Psalm 63:1
1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for
thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water
is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have
seen thee in the sanctuary.”

42. CHRIST our THIRST QUENCHER
he that believeth on me shall never
thirst (John 6:35; Rev 22:17)
• Could we last long
without water?
• How can peoples’
spiritual thirst be
quenched without Christ
being preached?

43. Jesus Christ is so much
MORE …

44. BREAD
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread
of life … (John 6:35)
• Would we go to work
without eating? What
would happen?
• How can people eat
spiritually without Christ
being preached? How
can they be nourished
without Him?

45. LIGHT
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am
the light of the world … (John 8:12)
• What happens when we
walk around in the
dark?
• How can people see
spiritually to know
which way to go in their
personal life without
Christ being preached?

46. GOOD SHEPHERD
I am the good shepherd … (John 10:11)
• We need people to lead
us.
• If we have no leader, how
will we know which
direction to go, or how to
get to where we are
going?
• How can believers be led,
protected, comforted,
and guided if Christ is not
lifted up?

47. DOOR
I am the door: by me if any man enter
in, he shall be saved … (John 10:9)
• Can someone enter a
house without a door?
• How can people enter
the kingdom of heaven
without Christ being
preached?

48. TRUE VINE
I am the true vine … (John 15: 1, 5)
• If a branch is cut off from
the bush it will wither and
die.
• How can believers therefore
be nourished without Christ
being exalted?
• How can they be nourished
apart from Christ by self-
help messages, and
methods which promote
self-reliance?

49. RIGTHEOUSNESS
For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God
in him (2Corinthians 5:21)
• Can we as humans clean
ourselves up enough to
be acceptable to God?
• How can people hear
without teaching Christ;
how shall they believe
in Him of whom they
have not heard (Romans
10:17)?

50. WISDOM
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto
us wisdom … (1Corinthians 1:30)
• When we face difficulties in life;
when we don’t know what to do,
we need wisdom.
• What did Jesus do; who is Jesus;
what did He endure; what was
His example; how can He
transform; how can He lead us?
• No Christ, no wisdom!

51. WAY
I am the way … (John 14:6)
• If we are traveling to a destination, and don’t
know how to get there, what happens?
• How can people know the way they should go
in salvation and life decisions if Christ is not
being taught?

52. TRUTH
I am … the truth … (John 14:6)
• What happens to those who follow a lie?
• They get deceived and end up in a worse
condition.
• How can people know the truth if Christ is not
being magnified?

53. LIFE
I am … the life … (John 14:6, 11:25)
• If we don’t have life, we are dead.
• There are people who attend church meetings that do
not know the Lord (c/w 1Corinthians 14:23-25).
• How can people hear the words of life if Christ is not
being taught?

54. EXAMPLE
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us
an example … (1Peter 2:21)
• We need role models.
We seek idols, because
we humans need to
follow someone – like
sheep (Isaiah 53:6).
• How can believers
follow Christ’s perfect
Example (1Peter 2:21) if
Christ is not being held
up?

55. HOPE
… [the] Lord Jesus Christ, which is our
hope … (1Timothy 1:1)
• Without hope, people give up. Hope keeps us going.
• How can the people sitting in local churches be given
hope if the preacher does not share Him with them?
– Even after a 60-90 minute message and 10 points – they
are still without hope.

56. TREASURE
In whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge … (Colossians 2:3)
• How can people share
the treasure of Jesus
Christ if it hasn’t been
shared with them?

57. Revelation 3:17
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and
increased with goods, and have need
of nothing; and knowest not that thou
art wretched, and miserable, and poor,
and blind, and naked:

58. Christ was good enough for Paul
1Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know any
thing among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified”

59. Our eyes need to be fixed on JESUS
Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy
that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne
of God.

60. Christ must be FIRST in His church
Colossians 1:18
And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all
things he might have the
preeminence.

61. CHRIST in the CHURCH
Ephesians 3:21
Unto him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages,
world without end. Amen.

62. No Christ = nothing
John 15:5
I am the vine, ye are the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing.

63. Without Christ . . .
• Salvation, conformation to His image,
maturity, or pleasing God can take place
• In fact, the name Christian means ‘little
Christ’ or ‘Christ one.’
• Therefore, it would make sense for Jesus
Christ to be the central and only focus of
our meetings.

64. It is essential that He be exalted
(i.e. lifted up):
John 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me.

65. Let Christ be exalted, and He will
draw men to Himself.
• Let man be exalted and men will be drawn away
from Christ.
• One way we BENEFIT, the other way we SUFFER.
• NO Christ in teaching means NO Life, NO Light, NO
Bread, NO Way, NO Truth, NO Door, NO Shepherd,
NO True Vine, NO Lamb of God, NO blood.
• EVERYTHING must relate to Christ where spiritual
matters are concerned.

66. Any teaching in which
Christ does NOT have the
pre-eminence is NOT
teaching according to our
New Testament example.

67. Is it that some teachers/preachers
believe that they have a better way
for people to become more
SPIRITUAL and MATURE apart from
Christ?
Christians do NOT need more
“points,” they need MORE
Sustenance, MORE Bread (of life).

68. Where is CHRIST in HIS Church?
Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the
door, and knock: if
any man hear my
voice, and open the
door, I will come in to
him, and will sup
with him, and he
with me.

69. THE END
Thank you for your kind
attention!