The Church of the Bible

The Problem:

Some of us have been in the Church our whole lives, and still can’t explain what the Church IS.

Let’s Start:

What is the Church?

If you were to ask most people this question:

“A club where people talk about the meaning of life”

“It’s just something societies established to bring order to their people”

If you were to ask the apostle Paul this question:

“The family and household of the living God” 1 Timothy 3:15

“ekklesia”… the called out.. a gathered people

The collective Biblical definition:

“Those whom God has saved through the work of Jesus the Christ”

That’s why when you pull into the parking lot outside, it reads: “Phenix City Church of Christ”

We are a gathered group of saved believers that MEET in Phenix City Alabama. Amen?

Is one “Church” as good as another?

Driving up this road you’ll see quite a few.

In Columbus and Phenix City alone, there are 240 churches that carry the title of “Christian.”

If that be the case, there is a MASSIVE presence of the Church in our area!

But it doesn’t take 20/20 vision to see how divided the “Church” seems to be.

“Aren’t we all Christians?” one might ask. That’s a great question, let’s consider it for a moment. What designates someone being “Christian?”

A true Christian believes that Jesus is GOD in the flesh (Col 1:19) … But that excludes the Jehovah Witnesses

A true Christian believes that Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mat 28:18) … Catholicism affirms this, but their delegation of authority and man-instituted traditions oppose it leading to their number being excluded also.

A true Christian believes that the Bible is the complete an inerrant Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17) … but this excludes the Church of Latter-day Saints or “Mormons”… their website states: “we do not believe the Bible to be inerrant, complete, or the final word of God”

A true Christian believes that baptism is essential for salvation (Mark 16:16) … This excludes Baptists, Presbyterians, and the majority of major Denominations in our area.

But aren’t we all Christians?

If a Christian is someone who devotes themselves to the clear teachings of Christ, then no. Maybe in the eyes of man, but not in the eyes of God.

The Bible teaches there’s only ONE Church

One Church, not hundreds. And the way to evaluate whether or not an assembly is valid in the eyes of God it to test it against scripture!

So that’s what I want to do this morning. I want us to LOOK at what the BIBLE says… about the Church.

There Is A Need For The Church

Genesis 3:15 “15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.””

It establishes the hope of a Redeemer who would be a “seed” of Adam & Eve!

The seed was mentioned to Abraham, David, the Prophets… and was born to the Virgin Mary 2000 years ago

It establishes the parameters of how God will redeem His people from sin!

God could have destroyed Adam & Eve due to their failing to obey their covenant… He would have been JUST!

But from that moment of initial sin… mankind has been LOST with NO way to draw near unto God as before in the Garden… until, The seed came, and established His kingdom, establishing peace between the enmity.

“He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

God’s method of grace is costly.

The heel of the savior would be bruised

Clearly this is a metaphor that contrasts the blow that serpent would receive (the crushing of his head)… to atonement provided through the substitutionary shed blood of Christ! “and you shall bruise his heel”

Blood needs to be shed for sin to be forgiven

It’s possible that that is what is implied from Adam and Eve covering their nakedness with animal skins… because it’s a picture of the blood that would need to be shed to cover our multitude of sins

It now should be clear to us why the Hebrew writer says: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness”

3. It establishes a principle of victory

The kingdom of God over the kingdom of darkness that was established at the beginning

Daniel 2:44 “44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”

Isaiah 2:2–3 “2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

Ephesians 1:4–5 “4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,”

There Is A Founder Of The Church

It is a fact that no building or institution can be stronger than the foundation on which it rests. The strength of the house is dependednt on how firm a foundation was laid! The Church is no exception… it’s stability and benefits rest on its foundation

Every religious group has a beginning. And where that body of people began says EVERYTHING about who that group is.

We have THOUSANDS of denominations, all different in their ORIGIN / DOCTRINE / PRACTICE. And thereby are either a SCRIPTURAL group or and UNSCRIPTURAL group.

In plain English, I hope you get this… If a religious group is FOUNDED upon a MAN, and his beliefs, then it CAN NOT be the Church we read of in our Bible!

UNLESS that group be FOUNDED by CHRIST… then it’s worship is in vain, it’s doctrine is defective, and it’s faith is corrupt.

Peter had just made the confession to Jesus in Mat 16 that “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”… and Jesus replied in verse 17:

Matthew 16:17–19 (NASB95)

17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Upon this rock / foundation / confession that “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” … I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.

The Church was BUILT, on the fact that JESUS is the Messiah, and the Son of God in the flesh.

Other passages speak to this:

1 Corinthians 3:11 “11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 2:20 “20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,”

Acts 4:11 “11 “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.”

The Church of the Bible was founded by Christ

A Church CANNOT be scriptural if it was not founded by Christ!

Not by John Calvin!

Not by John Wesley!

Not by Martin Luther!

Not by Henry 8th!

We are the Church of our Lord Jesus the CHRIST!!

Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus is the head, the builder, foundation, savior of the church!

The Church Began in Jerusalem

Acts 2.

Luke 24:47 “47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

No denominations / division

Divisions: should we not seek the authentic church?

Their institutions are founded upon the sad. Their foundations are weak and will ultimately fall.

Jesus in speaking to the Pharisees about their traditions:

Matthew 15:13 “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.”

In looking for the Church of the Bible, look no further than to the Church that is built by Christ; built on Christ; built in Jerusalem; built on Pentecost. Any church that does not bear theses marks is not the Church Jesus promised to build.

There Is A Picture Of The Church

The question we must ALL be able to answer, is: “Where Can I Find The Church I Read About In My Bible?” Well I have good news for you! You CAN! And this morning I want to spend a few short moments, to persuade you with the scriptures and lead you to SEE and answer with crystal clarity, “Am I… in the Church… I read about in the Bible?”

The Identity of the Church:

Added by the Lord

Acts 2:47 “47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

A Christian only

Acts 11:26 “26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

Christ is it’s hope of salvation

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.””

The Bible is it’s standard

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

The Worship of the Church:

Singing

Colossians 3:16 “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

we don’t use mechanical instruments in our worship. Why? Simply because God didn’t command it! He didn’t give us the authority to choose on the matter.

Every single New Testament passage on church music refers to singing: Acts 16:25 says they were praying and singing hymns to God Romans 15:9 says I will SING to your name 1 Corinthians 14:15 says I will sing praise with my spirit, and sing praise with my mind Ephesians 5:19 says to address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

All of these passages and MANY more talking about how the instrument we use to worship God is our heart. That’s how we praise him, that’s how he wants us to worship him. In spirit, and in truth

Praying

1 Timothy 2:1 “1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,”

Preaching

2 Timothy 4:2 “2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Giving

1 Corinthians 16:2 “2 On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.”

Communion… we take communion on every Lord’s day, or every Sunday, because that was the practice of the early church

Acts 20:7 “7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread”

Something I found interesting is that over time, Bible scholars have for the most part, always agreed that the early church had weekly communion:

John Calvin: “We ought always to provide that no meeting of the church is held without the word, prayer, the dispensation of the Supper, and alms. We may gather from Paul that this was the order observed by the Corinthians, and it is certain that this was the practice many ages after”. Adam Clarke, Methodist: “Inferring from this, that they were accustomed to receive the holy sacrament on each Lord’s Day.” A. C. Hervey, Church of England: “This is also an important example of weekly communion as the practice of the first Christians”. Albert Barnes, Presbyterian: “It is probable that the apostles and early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper on every Lord’s Day”.

The Beliefs of the Church:

It only has one creed (The Bible)… creeds exist because of division

It is undenominational.

It is scriptural in name / organization

It gives scriptural answers to the question: “What must I do to be saved”

2 Timothy 3:14–17 “14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Saved by the blood of Christ

Hear.. “faith comes by hearing” — Rom 10:17.

Believe.. “without faith it is impossible to please Him” — Heb 11:6.

Repent.. “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” — Acts 17:30.

Confess.. “with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” — Rom 10:10.

Baptism.. “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” — Mark 16:16.

Remain Faithful.. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” — Rev 2:10.

Finally:

So what do we make of all the Churches we see in town? Are they the Church?

The only way to know, is to test what they believe with scripture.

There are 3 institutions: Family, State, Church

All 3 are necessary… the Bible commands submission to all 3

The Family bears the rod

The State bears the sword

The Church holds the keys

But only one of these 3 institutions will last forever.

Properly understood, the Church of Christ is...

The one Body of Christ, the church Made up of disciples, called Christians Who work and worship together in local churches Abiding in the apostles' doctrine Honoring Jesus' prayer for unity Deploring religious division in all its forms, including denominationalism

A church, following after God in spirit and in truth, with no creeds no traditions, only the sole word of God as our compass. THAT’s why I’m in the church of Christ.