I. Bible teaches one true church. Mt. 16:18
Col. 1:18 - "And He is the head of the Body the church..."
A. Many den. people will agree that only one true church.
1. But the problem with many honest and sincere people is that
they do not know how to identify the one true church.
2. There are many religions bodies in world, over 1000 professing
to be Christian.
B. Some do not see a problem with there being so many churches.
1. In fact, some have been heard to thank God for the many
churches from which to choose.
2. This is contrary to the spirit of the Lord's prayer (Jn. 17).
II. Vain attempts have been made to justify (den.) numerous
bodies of professed believers.
A. Jesus said, "I am the vine . . . "
1. They draw the conclusion that den. are branches.
2. Imagine a tree bearing all kinds of fruit.
a. Orange tree bearing apples, grapes, cherries...
b. Such is impossibly.
B. Individuals are the branches.
Jn. 15:5-6 - "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and
I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." If a man abide
not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them,
and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."
1. It is clear to see that branch.... is an individual...
2. Argument that church are branches is just a vain attempt to
justify that which scriptures condemn.
III. The True Church Is Not Denomination or Sect.
A. Greek word "HAIRESIS" is translated "Sect" 5 times, "heresy" four times.
B. The word never used in good sense in Bible.
1. Classified with works of flesh in Gal. 5.
2. Always used in un-complementary way.
IV. One Should Not Hunt For a Church as Near Like the True
Church as Possible, But for Church Itself.
A. There is an element in the church which seems to think that to be
the true church there must be no error of any kind believed or
taught.
1. This is error.
2. The attitude that fosters this kind of thinking has hurt the
church of the Lord.
B. A church acceptable to God can be easily identified and one doesn't have
to find out what is believed and taught in regards to every doctrine.
C. In this lesson we intend to look at the things necessary to
identify the true church.
D. There is of course, the church universal and the church local.
1. A local congregation is all that we can look at, as far as what
is believed and practiced by churches in the land.
a. This is true because a local church with a certain name may
not believe and practice the same thing as another church with the
same name.
2. We must look to the N.T. for identifying marks - and compare
these marks to any cong. of professed Christians we might
look at in an effort to determine if it is the True Church.
I. If Want To Identify Something, Look at Characteristics - Identifying Marks.
A. NAME - is an identifying mark.
1. Hunting for John Smith - John Jones wrong man.
a. In fact you may find several with name, John Smith.
b. The John Smith you are looking for may have, and be known by more than one name.
1) Maybe, "Buck" or "Jake", etc.
2) Therefore, just knowing his name, or one of his names, will not enable you to find the man looking for.
2. The one true church is known as the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16); church of God (I Cor. 1:2); church of the first born (Heb. 12:23); "Lord's church".
a. In our search for the one true church, if we find one with name "Church of England", "Rome", "Lutheran", Or any name other than what the one true church is called in the N.T., NOT the one looking for.
b. Just as it is a fact that there is more than one man called John Smith, there is more than one church with a scriptural name, therefore, we must exam. other characteristics (iden. marks) to be sure of the church we are looking for.
B. BIRTHPLACE
1. Jesus (Savior) was to be born in Bethlehem.
a. If during that period of time a man claimed to be the Savior, one could investigate and find out where he was born.
b. If he was born anywhere else, we would know he was an impostor.
2. If hunting for John Smith born in _______ and you find a man says he is John Smith, you could ask, "where were you born?".
a. If said, Little Rock, wrong man.
b. The man looking for born in _______, therefore, every John Smith not born in ________ wrong man.
3. Jerusalem is the birthplace of church we are looking for - one true church read about in N.T.
a.
Zech. 1:16 - "Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to
Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith
the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon
Jerusalem."
b.
Luke 24:46-47 - "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and
thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem."
c. A church founded in Rome, England, US, or any other place
besides Jer. is not one looking for.
1) We can be certain that a church is NOT the right church if
it doesn't have right name and wasn't born in Jerusalem.
2) But if one we are looking at has right name, and was born in
Jerusalem, then we continue to investigate it as look as
other characteristics.
C. AGE
1. If looking for John Smith 40 years old -one 20 or 60 wrong one.
2. Man's age is figured by subtracting date of birth from present date.
3. Church was established in Jerusalem (birthplace) in 33 A.D.
a. That makes it 1961 yrs old.
b. All the churches that started since this time (or before),
cannot be church looking for.
D. The one true church for which every man should search will have the
proper FOUNDER.
1. Many churches claim to be church read about in the N.T.
2. But Christ founded the one we are looking for, and He just
founded one (Matt. 16:18).
3. All churches have a founder.
a. People recognize this, and some have charged that Campbell
started the church of Christ.
1) Campbell started (estab.) local congregations by preaching – like
lot of others, but he was not the founder of the Lord's church.
2) These had no headquarters but heaven.
b. Jesus started (founded) His church, the one looking for, and one
started (founded) by anyone else is wrong one.
E. Another identifying mark ... is the FOUNDATION.
1. Christ Son of God. Matt. 16:16-18 R E A D
2. The "laid foundation" -
"For no other foundation can anyone lay
than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11)
3. The "tried foundation" -
Therefore thus saith the Lord God,
"Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a
precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall
not make haste" (Isa. 28:16)
4. The "apostolic foundation" -
"And have been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20)
a. There is but one good foundation for a church.
b. The true church will have it, all others (counterfeits) will not.
1) If looking for certain house among houses where almost same
in appearance, you're going to have great difficulty unless
there is some distinguishing mark (steet names, house # etc.)
2) But suppose you are told that the house ... is built on a
great rock whereas others are on sand, you could easily identify it...
3) The church looking for built on rock, that is, it recognizes Him as
the very support of their salvation.
F. The true church will have the RIGHT LAW.
1. Nothing could be more confusing than to be governed by
conflicting laws.
2. There is on organic law of U.S. - Constitution.
a. In times past, other laws have governed the people who have
occupied this land.
b. But with the inception of the constitution, others became
inactive.
3. God's people have lived under three ages and three laws.
a. Patriarical; Mosiac; and Christian.
b. We are taught to keep the commandments of God.
"If you love me.." - Jn. 14:15
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His
commandments are not burdensome." (1 Jn. 5:3)
1) Can't be O.T. (law of Moses) Gal. 5:4 -
"Whosoever of you.."
2) Was a change of law -
"For the priesthood being changed,
of necessity there is also also a change of the law." Heb. 7:12
i. Paul said,
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made us free form the law of sin and death"
(Rom. 8:2)
3)
Eph. 2:15 - "Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that
is, the law of com. contained in ordinances, so as to create
in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace."
a) God's people have since that time been under new law.
b) Shouldn't conclude that things said and written before
the cross cannot be part of the N.T. law, just that these
things were in the "making" stage.
i. U.S. constitution was written before it went into effect.
4. The true church is governed by only N.T.
5. Churches, which add and follow (rather than the Bible) such things
as: Book of Mormon; Articles of Faith; Confession of Faith; Disciplines,
Church manuals or Creeds of men are counterfeit churches.
G. Proper Method Of Becoming Members (PLAN OF SALVATION).
1. The saved are added to the church (Acts 2:47).
a. Therefore, the conditions for salv. are the conditions for church
membership.
b. Faith, Repentance, Confession that Jesus is the Son of God and
Baptism for the remission of sins.
"For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13)
2. Cannot "join" church - God's family - people are born into it (Jn. 3:5).
3. The one true church will teach the Bible plan of salv. for church
membership - counterfeits will teach something more or less.
H. PROPER ORGANIZATION
1. (Should have) Elders over each church
Acts 14:23 - "And when they had appointed elders in every church,
and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom
they believed."
a. These men rule over only the one flock...20:17,28 (read).
b. Have meet qualifications I Tim. 3:1-13.
c. No presiding elders, Arch Bishops, Pope.
d. Not run by a "pastor".
1) Pastor, elder, bishop, shepherd, all refer to same office.
2) Must be a plurality of men if office is to be properly or
scripturally held.
2. (Should have) Deacons that are servants.
3. Saints or Christians make up the rest of the church.
4. Work done through the church.
"The pillar and ground of truth" (I Tim. 3:15)
I. Proper FORM OF WORSHIP.
1. Prayer -
Acts 2:42 - "Continued steadfastly in apostles doctrine...."
2. Singing -
Eph. 5:19 - "Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual ..."
a. Kind of music specified.
b. Other kinds (mechanical), excluded – not authorized.
3. Contribution on Sunday. 1 Cor. 16:1-2
a. No pie suppers, raffles, etc.
b. Many who profess to be C of C are doing such things, but they
are losing their identifying marks, and at some point "candlestick".
4. Lord's supper on first day.. Acts 20:7 - "Upon the first day of the ..."
We must not engage in more, or less, than that which God has
prescribed for us in our worship of Him.
I. If a train goes into a tunnel bearing the name MS Pacific it will come out bearing the same name.
A. It will also come out with all the other identifying marks of that train.
B. The Church went into the wilderness (dark ages) bearing all marks referred to, must come out the same way.
II. The N.T. church can be easily identified if one puts forth effort to investigate.
A. You can become a member of Christ's universal church by doing what God teaches to be saved, then join yourself to a local congregation of God's people.
B. Lord invites you to come unto him as you call on his name by believing....
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