Generated Transcript:
I realized the value of time and that
you’ve given this portion listen to this
presentation is greatly appreciated
I want to ask you a very simple question
can you find your church in the Bible I
realized when we use the pronoun you’re
that we’re not talking about a church
that belongs to us that that’s a more
accommodative thing but can you find the
church to which you belong that you
attend that has your allegiance in the
Bible
most folks upon hearing that question
would maybe even laugh and say well of
course I’m sure
I can find my church in the Bible and
yet upon further study meaning you’re
very shocked disappointed horrified and
left wondering what do I do now when
they can’t find their church in the
Bible an open heart an open mind and an
open Bible is all I ask
as we study together the question can
you find your church in the Bible is
there a church in the Bible at all does
the Bible speak of a church and as we go
back and as we examine the pages of the
Divine Word of God Bible does speak of
church as a matter of fact when you go
back into the Old Testament the church
is not there the Old Testament was
preparatory for the coming of the Christ
the Messiah and the church or the
kingdom that he was going to build
Daniel said in Daniel chapter 2 and
verse 44 in the days of these Kings
shall the God of heaven build a kingdom
or establish a kingdom which shall never
be destroyed that’s interesting language
isn’t it
establish the kingdom now they were
confused and even the apostles were
confused at times when when that word
Kingdom was used they were thinking
about some military type Kingdom they
were thinking about some possession of
land and yet when we look and see and
new testament the concept of the kingdom
so often that word is interchangeable
with a word Church John the forerunner
of Jesus in Matthew chapter 3 and verse
2 said repent for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand so we found Daniel and many
other prophets that spoke of a coming
Kingdom and a coming church as we narrow
down the timeframe when did that church
come John says in the first century it’s
at hand in Matthew chapter 4 and verse
17 jesus said repent for the kingdom is
near it’s at hand so the church that we
read about in the Bible was going to be
established very near the time of the
writing the recording of the words of
john and jesus in matthew 16 verses 18
and 19 after Jesus had quizzed his
disciples about who people said he was
Peter said he was the son of God Jesus
said blessed are thou simon barjona
flesh and blood didn’t reveal this to
you but the father which is in heaven
and upon upon this rock the confession
of the Christ the Christ himself upon
this rock I’ll build my church the gates
of Hades will not prevail against it and
I will given to you the keys of the
kingdom here’s an interesting question
what’s Jesus going to build his church
and then give the keys to the kingdom of
an entirely separate entity no Jesus is
just using two words to mean the same
thing Church and Kingdom someone said
well Jesus said he had built it can we
narrow down even more so the timeframe
of when that church would begin or be
established in mark 9 and 1 Jesus told
some there’s some of you standing here
that will not taste death until you see
the
Kingdom Come with power so I can know
and you can know that the church had its
beginning within the lifetime of some
that Jesus spoke to so either the church
had a beginning hundreds of years
thousands of years later in which there
were some very very old people or the
church began the church began in the
lifetime of some of those to whom Jesus
spoke we don’t have to wonder we don’t
have to worry we don’t have to surmise
about that because Acts chapter 2
records the birth of the church Jesus
has made that ultimate sacrifice paid
that great prize upon the cross he had
prepared his disciples before his death
and he said I’m going back to the Father
and I’m going to leave the Holy Spirit
to guide you and all truth and when he
went back to the Father and Acts when he
told them to remain in Jerusalem and
that they would receive power from on
high power for what power to do wide
well what a John said was coming the
kingdom what Jesus said was coming the
kingdom what Jesus told people that they
would not die until they saw the kingdom
and then I urge you to read in your
Bible Acts chapter two and you see the
establishment of the church the
beginning of that kingdom in Jerusalem
in AD 30 it’s not accidental you can go
back and you can read the Old Testament
prophets and see exactly how they
prophesied where the mountain of the
Lord the house of the Lord Zion where
the kingdom was going to begin where it
was going to be built established and so
one of the first things I noted out the
church that I’m a part of is if it
didn’t begin in Jerusalem it’s not the
Church of the Bible if it began any
place other than Jerusalem my church is
not the Church of the Bible the kingdom
Colossians chapter one and verse
thirteen talks about those who were in
the kingdom he’s translated us I’m a
power of darkness and into the kingdom
of his dear son sadly there’s a lot of
false teaching regarding the kingdom
today there are those that say well
Jesus is going to come back and there’s
going to be a rapture and a Battle of
Armageddon and then he’s going to
establish the kingdom that’s not what
the Bible says the Bible says in
Colossians chapter one they’re already
where folks in the kingdom and numerous
other passages talk about people being
in the kingdom well it’s Jesus going to
establish another kingdom why would he
have to come back again if people are
already in the kingdom how many churches
how many churches did God plan for how
many churches did Jesus pray for how
many churches did Jesus build how many
churches does God authorize today the
answer that might be the first that
comes to mind to some are well there are
many churches hundreds thousands just
just pick and choose the one of your
choice maybe you’ve read maybe you’ve
heard maybe you’ve even said just attend
the Church of your choice our
presentation is made this morning not
upon not upon the concept of man’s
opinion but what does the Bible say how
many churches
does the Bible say that God authorizes
if we can find out that answer then we
can know how many we need to be a part
of or whether we have a choice would you
believe if I told you there is just to
be one Church someone says all that’s
that’s narrow-minded it’s just it’s way
too narrow to suggest that there’s but
one church in Ephesians chapter 4 and in
verse number six it tells us that there
is one God one God would you tell people
that there’s only one
somebody said well I sure would these
crazy notions and ideas about many
guards multiple gods there is but one
God there’s nothing plainer in the Bible
than the concept there is but one God
well how do you know that
why do you well I believe that and I
know that because the Bible says so if
you back up just a couple of verses in
Ephesians chapter four and verse four it
says there is one body no trouble with
the concept of one God what about one
bite someone said well now how do I know
what that body is how do I know that the
body is the church three chapters
earlier in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 22
and 23 he’s given all things to Christ
put him under speak giving him to be
head over all things to the church which
is his body the church is his body
there’s one body now how many churches
are there can’t be one can’t be but one
that God authorizes it is no more
narrow-minded to plead for to pray for
and to work for one church and it is to
plead and pray and work for one God
where’d your church began when did your
church begin we noticed as we went back
and looked at Old Testament prophecy
that the church was to begin in
Jerusalem and it began on the day of
Pentecost and 8030 every religious group
I know will make some claim for a
founding date the Catholic Church around
325 AD you look at the Church of England
the Methodist Church the Baptist Church
the Presbyterian Church the Lutheran
Church you’re going to find these
churches that are going to have their
beginning from the fifteen hundreds on
forward and every one of them will give
you a date and
exact date when did your church began I
submit that if the Bible is going to be
our sole authority if the Bible is going
to be that to which we’re going to turn
to find our church if it began after
that first century the church that we’re
a part of not the Church of the Bible
well it may have some characteristics of
it there may be some similarities but it
can’t be the Church of the Bible if it
began after the first century does your
church wear a Bible name our names
important sometimes people in these
discussions say well there’s nothing in
a name anyway
try saying someone else’s name to a
check and and see what happens
try getting alone in someone else’s name
why would you want a church that didn’t
have a Bible name does your church have
Obama you can get the phone book out and
the yellow pages out and go and look
under the church section and you can
find all kinds of names and you can get
a concordance or some kind of Bible
program and you began to look that word
up and try to associate it with Church
in the Bible and and you can’t find that
name what you can find is you can find
the church name in the Bible after Jesus
Christ you can find in Romans chapter 16
the Churches of Christ the plural since
there is not in multiplicity of churches
but the different congregations that
make up the one church one doesn’t teach
one thing and one another and a third a
third but the Church of Christ you can
find in the Bible the church being
referred to as the Church of God the
Church of the firstborn now might I add
at this point that it’s not necessarily
the Church of the Bible just because
it has a Bible name if the other
identifying marks and characteristics of
the church are not there it’s not the
Church of the Bible regardless of what
name it may have but can it be the
Church of the Bible if it doesn’t have a
Bible name if it wears the name of
Baptist or Methodist or Lutheran or
Presbyterian or or some other non
biblical name where did the name come
from
why would the Church of the Bible bear a
non biblical name can you find your
church in the Bible who changed the name
who made up the name who gave the name
of the church that you’re a part of was
it from heaven or was it from men was it
divinely given can you find your church
in the Bible how’s your church organized
when we go and we look and read in the
Bible of the the church has an
organizational structure a divinely
ordained pattern wherein those that are
a part of this body operate in the New
Testament church you find that Christ is
the head he is the head of the body
which is the church but what about
locally what about upon the earth Jesus
is going back to the Father in the
church you read about in the Bible
they’re a group of men that are selected
in each congregation called elders Titus
chapter 1 and verse 5 Paul left Titus in
Crete
but he might ordain elders in every city
Acts chapter 20 tells us that elders are
to oversee the congregation the flock to
feed the Church of God which he
purchased with his own blood Peter
writes about the leadership of elders
and so in the Church of the Bible every
congregation that has qualified men is
led or guided by that group of people
does that sound like your church
someone might say well no the the pastor
he’s the he’s the head of my church can
you find that in the Bible
pastors an interesting word as a matter
of fact when you look at it in the
biblical sense
number one you always find it in the
plural and the word pastor applies to
elders not to preachers and it is
possible Peter was one for a man to be a
preacher and an elder a pastor but he’s
only one of a group never in the New
Testament never in the Bible is is one
man over the church someone might say
well in my church the Deacons are in
charge
we’ve got deacons and they’re in charge
can you find your church in the Bible
that has the Deacons in charge of the
local congregation in Philippians
chapter 1 verse 1 Paul addresses the
church at Philippi and he talks about
the elders or the bishops another word
for elders and the Deacons and the
Saints and the people there but the
structure the organizational structure
of the church finds Christ at the head
but directly elders in every
congregation elders are the overseers
they make decisions regarding matters of
judgment doctrinal matters Rory’s
settled by the Word of God when are we
going to meet the facilities things of
that nature are under the oversight of
the eldership in the Church of the Bible
is it that way in your church
what is your church teach in regard to
salvation you know there are a lot of
things that that people teach today what
is your church teach someone says well
I’m gonna tell you now there’s an area
where we’re following the Bible there’s
an area where you can go and you can
find my church in the Bible in regard to
salvation someone says well in our
church if you want to be saved you’re
gonna need to pray the sinner’s prayer
can you go and look in your Bible and
find where any person and the New
Testament who was not yet a Christian
was ever told to pray in order to
receive salvation can you find the
sinner’s prayer in the New Testament
some have have made and rightly so
logically so this offer I’ll give you
$10,000 if you can find what people call
the sinner’s prayer today those words in
the Bible in the New Testament there’s
never had to be a payout because the
sinner’s prayer is not there many people
have been shocked and disappointed to
find well why are our preachers our
pastors why are our people telling
people to pray the the sinner’s prayer
when you can’t find it in the Bible
those are the folks you’re going to have
tonight well if someone says well our
church you go to the altar and you pray
through you go to the altar and you pray
through can you find that in the Bible
and there was great opportunity for that
in Acts chapter 2 when people were
asking what do we new need to do to be
saved men and brethren what shall we do
Peter and the other apostles didn’t
answer pray the sinner’s prayer
they didn’t say go to the altar bench
and pray through they didn’t say you
just accept Jesus as your personal
Savior
they said repent and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of your sins you see
when you go and I go and look and see
what the Bible says how one becomes a
part of the church how personally saved
there are a variety of ideas opinions
and teachings today but there is but one
there is but one in the New Testament
church that every single person or group
of people followed in order for them to
be saved when we begin to look in and
see what that pattern is we find people
hearing the gospel sometimes people try
to save babies babies don’t need to be
saved because they’re not lost the soul
that sinneth it shall die
ezekiel 18:4 but children aren’t sinners
one must believe the gospel jesus said
if you believe not that I’m healed
you’ll die on your sins where I’m at you
can’t come John chapter 8 we must repent
of our sins Luke chapter 13 and verse 3
jesus said I tell you nay but unless you
repent you will all likewise perish in
Matthew 10 verse 32 jesus said if you
confess me before men I’ll confess you
before my father which isn’t heaven
somebody said I like all of that that
that’s what we do but then there comes
that sticky subject of baptism and
people say well that’s where we just
have different opinions different ideas
and the opinions and the ideas really
don’t matter do they what matters is
what does the Bible say and you can go
in the book of Acts as the church begins
beginning in chapter 2 chapter 8 chapter
10 chapter 16 and in every one of those
places chapter 22 you can go and you can
find people that are being saved and
what are they doing every one of them
are doing the same thing there’s no
sinner’s prayer
there’s no mourners bench there’s no
accepting Jesus as your personal Savior
there’s no better felt than told
religious experience there’s no wave of
the Holy Spirit coming upon them and
just overwhelming them with salvation
what you have is people listening to the
truth responding to it and while it may
not mention every portion of that
salvation in every account of conversion
what you do have in every account is
people that are baptized not because
they have been saved there’s not a
statement made would you like to be
baptized because you believe that the
heart for Christ’s sake has pardoned
your sins that’s not it
Acts chapter two and verse 38 repent and
be baptized for the remission of your
sins in Acts chapter 16 and verse 22
Saul was told
and be baptized and wash away thy sins
calling upon the name of the Lord a lot
of people want to save Saul on the road
to Damascus if he was saved on the road
to Damascus he had to be saved in her
sins because it wasn’t till he got there
and spoke with that and I said was told
to be baptized someone said well I’d
like to hear what Jesus had to say about
that Jesus said go on to all the world
preach the gospel to every creature he
that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved
Jesus made two things in this passage
clear in other passages he made other
things clear but he said belief and
baptism both are both necessary for
salvation why would your church or mine
argue and say something Jesus said was
necessary really didn’t matter really
didn’t make any difference someone said
well I don’t know if it has a real clear
connection to salvation or not first
Peter chapter 3 and verse 21 the light
figure wearing to baptism does I’m gonna
pause there and ask you this if the
Bible said baptism saves would you
believe the Bible
now I’ll complete that verse light
figure wearing to death baptism now also
save us not the Washington where the
filth of flesh but the answer of a good
conscience toward God revelations
chapter 1 and verse 4 says we’re wise
from our sins in his blood I do not know
anyone that would argue that one can be
saved
without having their sins remitted or
washed away we’ve seen the great old
hymn what can wash away my sin nothing
but the blood of Jesus how do you
contact the blood of Jesus you’ll search
in vain and your Bible to find that you
contact it by praying the sinner’s
prayer by going to the mourners bench by
accepting Jesus as your personal Savior
but you will find in acts 22 and verse
16 that Saul was told arise be baptized
wash away your sins calling on the name
of the Lord salvation once a person
becomes a child of God they must remain
true and faithful
it’s interesting to note in that New
Testament church once a person is saved
they must remain faithful I know there
are many churches that teach once person
saved you are always saved you can’t
ever be lost that’s about it rather
convenient doctrine it’s an easy
doctrine because then you can live
pretty much any way you want to and
nothing can happen but is the Church of
the Bible does it teach that Matthew
Mark Luke and John primarily introduced
us to Christ in preparation for the
kingdom book of acts tells us about the
establishment of the church and how to
become a child of God and the books of
Roman through revelation help to teach
us primarily to teach us how to be
faithful to God
now if faithfulness was not an option if
it wasn’t important if it didn’t matter
why would 22 of the 27 books of the New
Testament why were 22 of 27 books be
dedicated to our remaining faithful to
him that thinketh he standeth Paul said
take heed lest he fall examine
yourselves whether you be in the faith
Paul wrote to the church at Corinth
these were people that had already been
saved people that were already part of
the family of God oh yes it’s just as
important for us in salvation to remain
true and faithful to God as it is to do
those primary steps that plan that would
get us into Christ Jesus Galatians
chapter 3 verse 26 27 you’re all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus
somebody said now that’s it preacher
that’s what my church believes that
you’ve got to be in Christ Jesus and it
comes by faith but not by faith alone
verse 27 the very next verse says for as
many of us have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ let me say
this very kindly but very plainly
if I can be saved without being baptized
according to Galatians three and verse
27 I can be saved outside of Christ do
you know anybody that believes that said
oh yes you know a person must be in
Christ how does one get into Christ
we’re baptized into Christ you can’t
find any other way in the New Testament
does your church believe this that to
get into Christ you must be baptized not
that it’s just a good open confirmation
of your faith once you’ve been say but
that you need to be baptized in order to
be washed from your sins
what about worship does your church
worship according to the Bible many
people would think wow I know we do
we’ve got leaders in our church and and
why would they worship any other way we
know it’s time this progressed the time
is as gone by people have drifted
further and further away from the
teachings of this book and they’ve
drifted closer and closer to personal
preferences what I want what I like what
what I want to have in worship Jesus
made a statement in John in John chapter
4 and verse 24 and Jesus said this God
is a spirit and they that worship must
worship Him in spirit and in truth what
does that verse mean what does it mean
to worship in spirit and in truth
word spirit there means the attitude the
disposition of our heart we can do all
the right things and have the wrong
attitude and our worship is no good as a
matter of fact Jesus speaks about vain
worship but he speaks about people that
honor him with their lips but their
hearts are far from him but what is that
part truth what does that part truth
have to do with Jesus didn’t say God is
the spirit they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and according to
their preferences or how they’d like to
or what they think would be best but he
said according to truth it was Jesus
also that said John
Seventeen’s sanctify them through thy
truth thy Word is truth it’s gotta be
according to scripture does your church
worship according to the scripture
according to truth does it worship on
the right day acts 20:7 in 1st
Corinthians 16 disciples came together
on the first day of the week people are
confused about days of the week
sometimes religiously the Sabbath was in
the Old Testament Colossians 2 and verse
14 says that the Old Testament the old
law was taken away nailed to the cross
Jesus is the mediator the Hebrew writer
said of a better covenant of a better
Testament
sunday is not the Sabbath day the
Sabbath day was the seventh day Saturday
it sometimes causes me to wonder today
when you’ll see a bumper sticker that
will say something like obey the Ten
Commandments that sadly indicates a lack
of Bible study the Ten Commandments were
never given especially to Gentiles in
the 21st century it was given to a
specific group of people for a limited
period of time for a particular purpose
we’re not under the Ten Commandments
today somebody says that mean I can go
out and kill them still commit adultery
and do all that no nine of those Ten
Commandments are carried over or are
brought into taught in the New Covenant
the New Testament the one that’s not is
is the Sabbath day I’ve seen people
driving around on Saturday with a bumper
sticker that said obey the Ten
Commandments they’re disobeying what
they said y’all to obey if they’re going
more than a Sabbath day’s travel
Saturday was a day of rest no cooking no
working understanding the concept of
worship under the New Covenant under the
New Testament do you worship on the
right day some people still worship on
Saturday on the Sabbath day I knew of
the first day of the week you take the
Lord’s Supper does your church observe
the Lord’s Supper you might say now
there
one where we’re doing good once a
quarter or twice a year or just whenever
our preacher decides now and we take the
Lord’s Supper maybe on a Tuesday night
or Thursday night we light some candles
when we take the Lord’s Supper the
Church of the Bible the Church of the
New Testament vertical the Lord’s Supper
on the first day of the week every first
day of the week you can’t even begin to
find anything that suggests quarterly
annually twice a year
whenever the notion strikes acts 20
verse 7 upon the first day of the week
the disciples came together to break
bread somebody said well Heidi you know
it was the first day every first day of
the week first Corinthians chapter 16
verses 1 & 2
talk about the collection upon the first
day of the week let every one of you lay
by in store or take up a collection as
God’s prospered that there be no
gatherings when I come how many churches
do you know that take up a quarterly
collection or annual or semiannual
collection and somebody says no upon the
first death week means every first ed
week were take up collection same
language same concept what about the
music in your church
Ephesians 5:19 says speaking yourselves
in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord
there’s the church of the Bible the New
Testament have music absolutely what is
it
it’s acapella singing singing without
the use of instruments by all of the
members praising God and edifying one
another
you can’t find eight passages talk about
singing in the New Testament church and
of those every single one specifies
singing there is no Authority for the
use of instruments there is no Authority
for clapping there is no authority for
humming sing and make melody in your
heart an inclusive and exclusive command
it includes all that God wants us to do
it excludes everything else you didn’t
have to say sing don’t play he didn’t
have to say sing don’t whistle he didn’t
have to
they sing don’t hum he didn’t have to
say sing all of you not just one or two
of the others the command was given to
the church well my church likes
tambourines and drums and and pianos and
organs and all those things where’d they
get that from heaven well they all
Testament I hope we’ve already made the
point the Old Testament taken away
nailed well you see about some things
that might be in heaven I’m talking
about heaven we’re talking about the
Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ that you can read about in the
New Testament who’s taking the lead in
your church a lot of places women are
taking leading roles preaching teaching
leading the singing you don’t find that
in the New Testament church you don’t
find that in the Church of the Bible
what you find in 1st Timothy 2:8 11 and
12 is this wood that men pray everywhere
that word there doesn’t mean the word
that we think about mankind that was a
specific word for for the male gender
and then verses 11 and 12 that that the
women that the women keep silence
they’re not to teach nor to usurp
authority over the man somebody said
were you saying women are not as smart
as men are you saying women are not as
valuable as men no women can’t do as
good a job as men no I didn’t say any of
those things just simply said when you
read about the Church of the Bible the
Church of the New Testament the men took
the leading role where women active sure
they sang along they prayed along silent
and they took the Lord’s Supper they
worked in the kingdom but in leading
roles men took took that role
somebody said all that was just a
cultural thing no when you go in search
and look at the scripture it goes all
the way back to the garden and and to
Adam and Eve does your church worship
does your church worship like the New
Testament church
you see when when you’re looking for a
pattern got a couple of choices in
Matthew chapter 21 verse 25 about the
baptism of John Jesus asks this question
is it from heaven or from men in other
words is there divine authority for it
or
it’s just something man decided and in
every aspect of doctrinal nature in the
church we need to ask that same question
did it come from God did it come from
the Bible or is this just something man
decided to do your church man you see
many people are very shocked
disappointed when they find out the
church they’re part of it’s not the
Church of the Bible it may have some
characteristics like it it would be kind
of like having an NFL team there’s only
a limited number of NFL teams college
teams have a lot of characteristics of
playing football or our high school
teams or semi-pro teams but there’s only
a select group that are in the NFL
there’s only one church that you can
read about in the Bible narrow minded no
more narrow minded to say there’s only
one God that the Bible teaches that
we’re to be obedient to what about your
church is that the Church of the Bible
the Church of the New Testament is that
the church for which God planned
Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 11 when he
talks about the church being the eternal
purpose of God in that great eternal
purpose is it the church is your church
the church at the prophet saw the church
Daniel saw in Daniel chapter 2 and verse
44 it began any time other than the 1st
century it’s not the church to the
prophet saww it’s your church the church
that jesus prayed for in John 17 verse
21 before Jesus died he said about his
followers and about those of us day I
pray that they all may be one you and I
are part of the nomination ilysm we’re
not a part of the Church of the Bible
because the Church of the New Testament
is the church that is one jesus prayed
not that we would be divided people say
we’re so thankful that there are so many
churches to choose from and you can just
pick the one of your choice that’s
blasphemous to the words of Jesus jesus
said that they all might be one we’re
added to the church Acts chapter 2 and
verse 47 are you a part of the church
that Jesus paid for with his blood Acts
chapter 20 and verse 28 which one did
Jesus died for
died for the one he talked about the one
he promised the one he prayed about the
one that he paid for with his own blood
you see it’s an important matter isn’t
it it’s an important matter whether we
can go and we can find our church in the
Bible if you can’t do that
this lessons been disturbing as you’ve
looked and the church that you’re a part
of us it’s not the church the Bible some
characteristics maybe but it’s not the
Church of the Bible I encourage you find
one find a place and there are numerous
congregations today where people will do
exactly what the Bible said your church
from heaven is it for me was it planted
prepared built by God or was it designed
by mankind eternity is in the balance
there’s too much at stake to be a part
of a church that men built because men
can’t save I urge and encourage you to
find the Church of the Bible be a part
of it be true and faithful to it