Why do they teach so many different things?
- Pray to Mary.
- Don't pray to Mary.
- Baptize babies.
- Don't baptize babies.
- Priests can marry.
- Priests can't marry.
- The "Work of the Church" is social.
- The "Work of the Church" is spiritual.
- There is no life after this one.
- There is a life after this one.
IS THE RIGHT ONE?
Where did all these churches come from? Well, back about 30 AD Jesus said, " I will build My Church..." in Matthew 16:18. That must mean that the Church belongs to Jesus. At least, that's what the Bible says...
The Bible teaches us that "All scripture given by inspiration of God ... is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16) and that Jesus "has purchased with His own blood" the Church (Acts 20:28).
I. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ.
-
a) The Church (kingdom) prophesied and began:
Danial 2:31-45; Isaiah 2:2-3; Micah 4:1-3; Mark 1:13-15; 9:1; Luke 1:32-33; Colossians 1:13-18; Hebrews 12: 20-28; 18:36; Revlation 1:9;
b) I wonder what else it says about Jesus' Church?
- 1) Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12, 15, 5:23; Colossians 1:18, 24; 2:19; Ephesians 2:22-23 says "...and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body..." (speaking of Jesus).
2) Colossians 1:18, "...and He is the head of the body, the Church...".
3) Ephesians 4:4-6 tells us that there is
4) Ephesians 4:4 also tells us there is
5) 1 Corinthians 1:10 says, "now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment.”
6) In John 10:16 Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice ... and they follow Me." John 10:16 says, "...and there shall be ONE FOLD and ONE SHEPHERD." We see that in the new testament that there was only
-Men might say, "I painted the church."
Is that "church" Jesus' Body, His Church?
-Acts 8:3 tells us that, "Saul made havoc of the Church... and committed men and women to prison."
-Men may say, “I believe all the different denominations are branches of Jesus' Church.”
Disciples are the branches, not churches!
Let's look at what the Bible says. In John 15:5-6 Jesus says “if a man abides not in Me..."
Acts 2:42 lays the teachings and foundation of the Apostles doctrine for the Church --- the Bible.
In Mark 16:16, Jesus said the following: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."
But some say: “He that believeth not and is baptized shall be saved."
And others say: “He that believeth and is not baptized shall be saved."
Mark 7:7-9, “... in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." When the doctrine of Christ is polluted with the doctrine of man, it makes man's worship of God empty of value. It is vain.
Are you following the doctrines of men that make your worship vain, or ... are you abiding in the doctrine of Christ, as put forth by His Word?
II. The Purpose of the Church:
- 1)
2) That Christians might grow in the knowledge of God that their lives might be lived in accordance with His will:
Colossians 1:10, “that you may live a life worthy of the Lord ... bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."
2 Peter 1:5-6, “... adding to your faith virtue; and to your virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly love; and to brotherly love charity (love); for if these things are in you, and abound, they make you that you shall not be idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ." III. The name of the New Testament Church:
- 1) Ephesians 1:22-23, "The Body of Christ".
2) Colossians 1:13, "The Kingdom of God".
3) 1 Corinthians 1:2, "The Church of God".
4) Romans 16:16, "The Church of Christ"
Acts 4:12; Col. 3:17; John 16:23; Ephesians 2:20; Philippians 2:11.
1) Jesus the Head:
2) Rules through the Apostles and Elders:
Acts 15:1-29.
3) Bishop over the local Church:
1 Timothy. 3:1-7
4) Elders oversee local Church:
5) Deacons & evangelists:
6) Independent and self-governing:
Matthew 7:21.
There are no perfect churches because there are no perfect people.
The Church is a divine-human institution, and not infallible. The rules of conduct must be in accordance with the teachings of the infallible Holy Scriptures, otherwise the true idea of the Church is lost sight of and the Church either assumes too much or too little.
The Bible and it alone is a competent and safe guide as to what we and all people are to believe and practice. Remember, The Bible:
(1) is complete and alive , able to challenge and change us if we allow it to,
(2) within the reach of every seeker of truth,
(3) is clear and intelligible to all honest and good hearts, and
(4) presents and contains all the truth God wants us to obey to live a godly life now and then with Him in Heaven after the Judgment (Matthew 7:7-8, Ephesians 3:3-4, 2 Peter 1:3, Jude 3);
(5) The Word is perfect and eternal;
(6) We must obey God's Word if we are to live eternally in heaven, or we will be punished eternally in hell. (Matthew 7:21-27; Romans 2:8; 6:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Hebrews 5:9; 1 Peter 4:17-18)
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world", 1 John 4:2. Test everything against God's Word.
“But the hour comes, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.", John 4:23. (Please note the underlined "in spirit" and "in truth", which will be gone into more later in this study).
When the Gospel of Christ is preached today, God is calling people to Him that they might be His worshippers, (Mark 16:15, 16; 2 Thessalonians 2:14). Anyone who hears the Gospel (Romans 10:17), believes the facts of the Gospel---the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:15-16), repents of sins (Acts 17:30, 31), confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10) and is baptized in water for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; & 8:36) is a son of God (Galatians 3:26, 27) has obeyed Christ and is then added to the Church (Acts 2:47), and thus seeks to worship God.
KINDS OF WORSHIP ARE MENTIONED
- 1) VAIN WORSHIP---Matthew 15:8,9, "This people draws close to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." The word vain means empty; worthless; having no genuine substance, value, or importance. Worship conducted after man's commandments is worthless.
2) WILL-WORSHIP---Colossians 2:21-23: Will-worship is a self-devised external form of ceremonial service, a mode of ceremonial worship chosen for one's self. Note that the scripture says these shall perish with the using.
3) IGNORANT-WORSHIP---Acts 17:23, "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an alter with this inscription, 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him I declare unto you." Ignorant is defined as lacking knowledge, uninstructed or uniformed or untaught; by implication to ignore through disinclination (Ephesians 4:18). According to Acts 17:30-1 God will not accept ignorant worship.
4) SPIRIT AND TRUTH---John 4:23-34, "But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth." Spirit is the character of our worship. Our worship must be from a heart of love for our Maker, thus involving our attitudes in approaching God in worship; I Corinthians 13:1-3. Truth is the standard to be used: "Sanctify them through your truth: your Word is Truth", John 17:17. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, 'If you continue in my Word, then you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free", John 8:31-32. You can know the truth. This is the kind of worship that God desires!
IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH.
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers", Acts 2:42.
"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them... and continued his speech until midnight", Acts 20:7.
"Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, has not God...", 2 John 9.
When they came together they studied God's Word, as we should today. We must abide (live) in the doctrine of Christ today.
2) PRAYER: Acts 12:5-15.
Acts 2:42“And they (the New Christians) continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer.”
Prayers of praise, thanksgiving and supplications to God the Father, through the name of Jesus Christ are a regular part not only of our worship, but of our everyday walk with Jesus Christ.
3) GIVING:
"Now concerning the collection for the saints (Christians), as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do you. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come",
I Corintians 16:1-2.
"Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver",
2 Corinthians 9:7.
"We must then purpose to give regularly, systematically, individually, and liberally", 2 Corinthians 8:1-12.
4) SINGING:
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord", Colossians 3:16.
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord...", Ephesians 5:19.
Nowhere in the New Testament worship of the Church do we find the authorization for mechanical instruments of music. To use them would be in fact offering vain worship, Matthew 15:9. We understand from the scriptures that we will sing with grace, making melody in our hearts to the Lord.
5) THE LORD'S SUPPER:
"And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, 'Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me'. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, 'This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do you, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me' ", 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers", Acts 2:42.
"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread..", Acts 20:7.
"But let a man examine himself, so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup", 1 Corinthians 11:28.
We observe from these passages that upon the first day of the week (Sunday) Christians assembled that they might break bread and drink the cup which to them by faith was the body and blood of Jesus. Since each week has a first day, every week the Lord's Supper should be observed in this worship in spirit and truth.
6) ASSEMBLED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK:
As already noted in 1 Corinthians 11:20, 16:12; Acts 20:7; and also in Hebrews 10:24-25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching." Children of God must not forsake this assembly of the Church of our Lord. To do so is sin, Hebrews 10:24-25. Christians must present their bodies as living sacrifices to God, Romans 12:1-2. Together, children of God form a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 2:5.
Please remember, those who are children of God must serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear every day of their lives, Hebrews 12:28.
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
If you have any comments or questions --- or would like the location and contact names of a congregation of the church belonging to Jesus Christ near you, please e-mail me at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com or call 253-396-0290. Thanks Dennis Crawford, editor
No comments:
Post a Comment