There Is But One Church
Let's Call A Spade A Spade • Sermon • Submitted
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· 61 viewsToday the Lord's church is considered to be one voice among many and one path among several. What does the Bible mean whent it says, "One?"
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings: Thank you to the men of the church for putting on such a wonderful lectureship on this weekend, it is my honor to be able to present God’s Word twice today.
I appreciate the hard work and effort that it takes to do such a thing as this and thank you to everyone that is here as well for coming and encouraging this lectureship
I appreciate the hard work and effort that it takes to do such a thing as this and thank you to everyone that is here as well for coming and encouraging this lectureship
I hope, this morning, to stir awake a deeper understanding of the lesson on “There Is But One Church.”
As I saw when I would be preaching today, 9:15 am and 3:00 pm, I realized quickly it was my job to “wake you up” and then “keep you away.”
Thank you to everyone that is here as well for coming and encouraging this lectureship
You see, the mind of God, which is the word of God (), was not written to be complicated.
The same God that who is not the author of confusion, pertaining to worship (), is not the author of confusion concerning His Word.
It’s simple really, God clearly states in we can “rightly handle the word of truth.”
Jesus also declared in that we can “know the truth” and in that truth is the “Word of God.”
Why, because we can “rightly handle the word of truth” () and “know the Word” (; ).
Why is this significant, what does this have to do with the idea that “There Is But One?”
Far too many in the realm of “Christendom” make it sound like God has made His Word something that only a select few can understand.
Although it’s amazing how it’s always the ones professing this nonsense that teach it.
This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth as Peter explained...
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20
God’s Word isn’t for the few but for everyone and our holy, amazing, awe inspiring God is able to give His mind in written form in such a way that everyone can understand it.
So, if there is no “private interpretation” and God isn’t the “author of confusion” than why have so many come to the conclusion and believed the lie of Satan that “There Is NOT But One” church but “many churches?”
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
One of the main reasons for this, outside of the simple ignorance so many have of the Word, is that people don’t allow the Bible to define itself.
The Hebrew word “יוֹם” or “yom” can mean “24 hour day” or “unspecified time” depending on the context.
First most people have no idea how to study the Bible.
They look at it like it’s some mystical book and all common sense must be thrown out the window to understand it.
However, out of the 2,269 times it’s found in the O.T. every single time we find it with a number “outside of ” or words “evening or morning” no argues it means a unit in 24 hour periods i.e. 324 days or fourth day.
Second
Though the Bible clearly defines itself and tells us how the word is used people simply say “ignore the facts and listen to me…I know more.”
Then you get weird “theistic evolution” doctrines that make no sense.
Today we are going to let the “Bible define itself” as it pertains to our topic at hand “There Is But One Church.”
The Church
The Church
Defining the word church.
Defining the word church.
The Greek word translated church is found 114 times in the New Testament.
In the ESV it is translated “church” 108 times, “assembly” 4 times, and “congregation” twice.
Because we have an hour for this lesson we are going to look at all 114 times it’s in the…just kidding.
If we were to go through each and every one of these, we would discover facts that have been lost concerning the defining of this word.
First, the word church is never used to describe a place of worship.
It is the saved that are “the church.”
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
In we read of Ananias and Sapphira who die but notice the churches reaction in verse 11.
11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
In we read of this one named Saul who was persecuting the church in Jerusalem but notice what the church did in response.
Acts 8:
1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
If the church is the saved that can fear and flee it isn’t a “place we go” but “who we are.”
Second, the church isn’t always called “the church.”
It’s called a kingdom.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Rev 1:
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
It’s called the body.
Eph
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
The church, the kingdom of Christ, and the body of Christ are all the same group of people, the saved.
Third, the church is Jesus’ church.
Jesus said He would build the church.
Mt
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Jesus paid for and built His church with His blood.
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Ac 20:
23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.
1 Cor
Jesus is the king of His church.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus is the head of His church.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Eph
The church belongs to Jesus.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
All this clearly defines the church as Jesus’ church or the church of Christ.
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Fourth, there is only one church in the New Testament.
As we have already discovered “the body” and “the church” are synonymous.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Paul, clearly defines the church as Jesus’ body and then just a few chapters later says this.
Eph
Eph 4:1-6
1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
If the church is the body and the body is the church then Paul is saying “there is one church.”
Summery
Summery
When we let the Bible define itself we come away with a clear understanding of God’s Word and in this case we learn...
All the saved belong to “the body of Christ” which is “the church of Christ.”
So, how can we take this knowledge and use it?
We do so by helping everyone in the denominational world understand...
Everyone But The Church Isn’t The Church
Everyone But The Church Isn’t The Church
Denominationalism isn’t the church.
Denominationalism isn’t the church.
I know when I say this “most,” not all, will say, we know this.
Yet, we say “we know” and then turn around talk about the Methodist church, Baptist church, Pentecostal church, etc...
The Methodist, Baptist, Mormon, and every other denominational and non-denominational denomination have well intended people that all have drank the poisonous lies of Satan.
Most of them sincerely and firmly believe they are “one of many churches” that are a part of the “body of Christ” but we cannot perpetuate this lie by calling them churches when they simply are not the church Jesus gave His life for, purchased with His blood with, and sits on His throne as head over.
We cannot perpetuate this lie by calling them churches when they simply are not.
This is confusing and it drags “the church,” as defined by God through the proverbial mud.
The church is only made up of two types of people which we will discuss more in my next lesson.
God’s babe’s that are seeking maturity and God’s children that are Christians.
Now don’t leave here today and say “Brother Rowell told us we could bash our friends in these denominations” because I didn’t say that.
Christians make up the church.
Christians make up the church.
What I said was we cannot keep perpetuating this lie and confusing them, instead we must go to them in love and show them the church Jesus gave His life for.
Summery
Summery
Now with this said there are only two groups of the saved that make up the church.
As stewards of God’s Word and ambassadors for Christ we must boldly proclaim the truth with “love incorruptible” as Paul would declare it ().
Conclusion
Conclusion
Denomination comes from the same root word as denominator in fractions which means to divide.
The one church was never supposed to be divided in anything.
10 Now I plead with 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 in the same judgment.
Invitation
Romans
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.