Church Of Christ Facts

Is the church building that has the name Church of Christ hanging above the door the only group of Christians going to heaven?

1) Church of Christ saints are not the only ones who respect the Bible as God’s Book. It is true that many do not believe the Bible is inspired. These reject the Creation story and the miracles. Some religionists are surprised when pressure is exerted to learn that their own preachers deny the inspiration of the Bible.

2 Pet. 1:20,21 – “but know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

I Thess. 2:13 – “and for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the Word of God’s message you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

They make no apology for believing that the inspired writers gave us what God intended them to write. They know that the apostles believed that the words they were writing came from God. This is one of the basic beliefs of the church of Christ. However… there are other groups who do believe the Bible, so we are not “the only ones.” Evolution and humanism are being opposed by conservative preachers in some denominations. Some are trying to oust the modernists from their theological schools and are leading fights in the creation/evolution battles, so this point alone is not what makes us different.

2) They are not the only ones who recognize distinctions between the Old Testament and the New Testament. What is that distinction?

A. Jeremiah 31:31-34

31* “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

32* not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.

33* “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34* “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

– God promised a new covenant. The New Testament reveals that it has come, John 1:17 – “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

B. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. Hebrews 8:7-13; 9:15-17 Heb. 8:7ff direct quote from Jer. 31:31ff 7

8* For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH;

9* NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD.

10* “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

11* “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM.

12* “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

13* When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

Romans 15:4 – “for whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

We must still study the O.T. and learn from its examples but we look to Christ in the New Testament for Salvation.

Hebrews 1:1,2

1* God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2* in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

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 church of Christ congregations are not “the only ones” who understand this, however. Look at the percentage of other religious groups who meet on the first day of the week rather than the Sabbath day for worship and who reject animal sacrifices, polygamy, incense, Passover, etc. There are some others who apparently have believed Col. 2:14 which says, “Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of degrees against us and which was hostile to us; And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

3) They are not the only ones who worship without the use of instruments of music. True, this does make them different. But there is a basic reason for it. Every passage in the New Testament referring to church music identifies it as acapella, which is a Latin term meaning, “as in church.” In all the Bible there are only nine verses that speak about church music.

Matt. 26:30 – After the institution of the Lords Supper, the disciples sang a hymn.

Mark 14:26 – Parallel to Mt. 26:30

Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas in prison were singing

Romans 15:9 – Mentions singing

I Cor. 14:15 – The early church was to sing with the Spirit

Eph. 5:19 – “singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord.”

Col. 3:16 – “teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Heb. 2:12 – Mentions singing in the midst of the congregation.

James 5:13 – “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.”

The reason the church of Christ do not use instruments of music in their worship is, they were not used by the apostles, they were not used by the New Testament church, they were not used by the church for several hundred years after the church was established.

To make such an addition is to presume what God desires, and man has no right to presume what God desires, he must obey what he has revealed. The fact that instruments were available, but were left out of the New Testament worship holds a significance often overlooked. Old Testament sacrifices and worship involved outward ceremony that became routine. It ceased to be from the heart. A child of God was such by birth, not conviction. He had to be taught who God was. Their worship opportunities became chores and duties that they did not put themselves into (Malachi 1:7-14). Worship became a burden to them. As a Christian, one learns of God and loves him before becoming his child (see again Jeremiah 31:31ff), his worship is to be from the heart, his life is a sacrifice, and instead of some mechanical substitute, the Christian, by singing, gives of himself in worship. However… the church of Christ brotherhood are not the only ones who reject the instrument. Throughout history there have been groups that have realized the importance of worship according to the New Testament design, rather than according to the traditions of men.

4) They are not the only ones who include in worship the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. WHY DO THEY DO THIS?

Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper and placed it in the church for regular observance; Paul said in I Cor. 11 that he delivered to them what he had received of the Lord so that “as often” as they observed it, they could show his death until he comes again. As a memorial the Lord’s Supper has beauty and purpose. It provides an opening to teach small children as they grow up. Some say that the Lord’s supper was not taken on a weekly basis by the church in the N.T. but Scriptures reveal that it was, Acts 20:7 – “and on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…” The terminology we use identifies frequency. If I say my birthday is March 1st, you do not ask, “Which March 1st?” March 1st pinpoints it as a yearly event since each year has a March 1st. If your boss were to tell you that you were to be paid on the 1st & 15th, you would not say “which month?” Each week has a first day, and it was known that the disciples came together on that day to break bread. However… there are other religious groups that observe something which they regard as the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis, so at least, on this point, they are not the only ones.

5) They are not the only ones who teach and practice the matter of baptism as they do. They stress that baptism should be immersion because that’s the definition of the original Greek word, and passages like:

Matthew 3:16 – “and after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove.”

Acts 8:36-40 – this passage shows that baptism is to be by immersion.

Romans 6:3-5 (READ) – this passage shows that baptism is to be by immersion.

Col. 2:12 – “Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God…”

However… we all know of some other religious groups that also teach that baptism is by immersion rather than sprinkling or pouring. They teach that baptism should be “for the forgiveness of sins (or the remission of sins) because of passages like:

Acts 2:38 – “for the forgiveness of sins” (little Greek word used here “ace” (for), always prospective in application, this shows the purpose of Baptism). Means “in order to receive.”

Mark 16:15,16 – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

Acts 22:16 “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.”

Gal. 3:26,27 – “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

I Pet. 3:21 – “and corresponding to that, baptism now saves you… “

Baptism is essential to salvation, as the Bible clearly demonstrates… but there are some other religious groups who teach and practice baptism as essential for salvation, so the church of Christ are not “the only ones” who at least include it as a command from God that stands between the accountable sinner and salvation.

6) To save time, let me illustrate this matter further, but more rapidly.

Church of Christ stress a congregational type of church Government. Christ, not Peter is the head of the church

Col.1:18 “He is also the Head of the Body the church”

Eph. 1:22,23 “He gave him to be head over all things, to the church, which is his body…”

Phil. 1:1,2 – there Paul addresses the “deacons and elders.”)

However… there are many others who do not accept Peter as having been the head of the church. So we are not the only ones who follow the kind of government given to us by God in the Scriptures.

7) They stress that the Bible makes use of the name “Christian,” and terms such as “church of God,” “church of Christ.” These are the Scriptural names:

Acts 11:26 – “the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.”

Acts 20:28 – the “church of God” is mentioned

Romans 16:16 – “church of Christ”

However, they admit that they are not the only ones who use these Biblical terms to identify the church.

8) They stress that the Bible teaches godliness, holiness, and abstinence from the world.

Titus 2:11-12 – “for the grace of God has appeared, instructing us to deny … .

Heb. 12:14 – “pursue peace, and the sanctification without which no one will see God.”

I Tim. 4:12 – “prove yourself to be an example… “

I Thess. 5:22 – “abstain from every form of evil…”

But they are not the only ones who teach this, and to be honest, they admit that there may be some who show more dedication to the goal than many of their own!

9) They stress the importance of benevolent work and evangelistic work to relieve human suffering and share the gospel with the lost.

Gal. 6:10 – “so then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of Faith.”

I Tim. 5:16 – exhorts us to help dependent widows

Acts 8:4 – people preached even when they were prosecuted.

Mark 16:15,16 – We are to go into all the world.

But… they admit that there are other religious groups who are active in benevolent work, and there are many who may be supporting missionaries to preach their doctrine with a greater per capita level of giving than they have. They do not endorse the plan of salvation being taught by all other groups, but thay do note that they believe in evangelism to teach what they do believe.

1) Are not the only ones who respect the Bible as God’s Book.

2) Are not the only ones who recognize distinctions between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

3) Are not the only ones who worship without the use of instruments of music.

4) Are not the only ones who include in worship the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis.

5) Are not the only ones who teach and practice baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.

6) Are not the only ones who believe that the New Testament teaches a congregational type of church Government.

7) Are not the only ones who stress that the Bible makes use of the name “Christian.”

8) Are not the only ones who stress that the Bible teaches godliness, holiness, and abstinence from the world.

9) Are not the only ones who stress the importance of benevolent work and evangelistic work to relieve human suffering and share the gospel with the lost.

These nine examples are enough to illustrate the point: The church of Christ are not “the only ones” involved in these key points of practice identified in the Scriptures.

Is there any sense in which the church of Christ is different? Any sense in which it is truly “the only one?” Even though in each case we have studied there are some other religious group's who teach and practice the same basic things we have studied,

THERE IS ONE BIG DIFFERENCE; IT IS ONLY IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST THAT ONE MAY BELIEVE AND PRACTICE ALL OF THESE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME! Let me illustrate. You may find that church “A” believes in baptism by immersion, but does not baptize for the remission of sins; church “B” may baptize for the remission of sins, but does not worship without adding instruments; church “C” may wear a Scriptural name, but does not take the Lord’s Supper each week, and so on.

Other churches may have a mixture of one or two of these cardinal matters of faith and practice, but omit the rest. You may find a dozen groups practicing tid-bits of truth, but who do you find besides the church of Christ making the plea that we get back to the Bible on all points of doctrine at the same time?

The plea of the restoration movement is that we be Christians, and Christians only, that we speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent, that we return completely to the New Testament for our authority in matters of faith and practice. That we speak the Truth, and nothing but the Truth (John 17:17). We do not apologize for saying, “We must follow God and not Man.” Our plea to all is that we all unite under the unity of the Scriptures. When this is done, human traditions will fade into insignificance.

Source:

What Do Scriptures Say?

Is Jesus Church a Denomination?

"Substitute Christianity podcast"

JESUS' one Church

(text version)

Jesus said, “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.” Matt. 16:18

Ask yourself this one question; If Jesus established His one church around 33 A.D. and in the Bible (Daniel 2:44) God declares that His last Kingdom (the church) would be Eternal, meaning that it's been on the earth ever since Jesus established it on the Day of Pentecost (Acts, Chapter 2).

Why would you want to belong to any man-made Denomination, rather than the doctrinally sound church that Jesus established in the first century? Sure denominations can help people learn the Bible, but they are still a very, very, serious enemy against the “unity” that Jesus prayed for in John 17:22-23 which He said then and says now:

“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

You see, these denominations actually assist the devil's joy of dividing Christ. They're all man made and their doctrines can easily be proven False by using many scriptures within the Bible.

The Alliance denomination only exists because of its  . . . Alliance DOCTRINE

The Baptist denomination only exists because of its  . . . Baptist DOCTRINE

The Catholic denomination only exists because of its  . . . Catholic DOCTRINE

The ICOC (Boston C of C) only exists because of its  . . . ICOC works DOCTRINE

The Jehovah's Witness denomination only exists because of its . . . J.W. DOCTRINE

The Lutheran denomination only exists because of its . . . Lutheran DOCTRINE

The Mormon denomination only exists because of its . . . Mormon DOCTRINE

The Pentecostal denomination only exists because of its . . . Pentecostal DOCTRINE

The Presbyterian denomination only exists because of its . . . Presbyterian DOCTRINE

The Seventh Day Adventist denomination only exists because of its . . . SDA DOCTRINE

Etc.  etc. etc.

Have you ever wondered why God created monkeys?  Especially when they give so much power to atheists and their theories of evolution? Because God is the "ultimate" God of fairness.  He gives every possible means to non-believers so that they can have their way if they want.  Without monkeys on the earth, atheistic theories would be at a great disadvantage.

Well God has also given every person many different possible Doctrines to choose from.  He could have written His word so cut and dried and so plainly that there would be absolutely no question whatsoever regarding Doctrine.  But He didn't, He wrote the Bible in such a way that gives every person the ability to choose their Doctrine.

And it just so happens that only one Doctrine fits  ALL  scripture, and all other Doctrines only fit  "some"  scriptures. And then God goes and says in 1 Timothy 4:16, Watch your Doctrine; persevere in it because it will save both you and those who hear you.

* * Important Note * *

The word church is simply the Greek word for assembly or called out. And every church can only exist because of whatever Doctrine it embraces.

False Doctrine is one of Satan’s most sinister schemes because with it he is able to promote Denominations which hinder those who are searching for Truth.  Who are searching for the church that Jesus established back on the Day of Pentecost (33 A.D.). False Doctrine is rampant in the religious world today.

1 Timothy 6:3, if anyone teaches False Doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing.

Surely you would think that any empathetic human being would pursue unity in light of the torture that Jesus went through, Right?  Well NOT so.  Many religious people would much rather just follow their own feelings rather than God's True Doctrine.  And by doing so they support Denominations and division based upon false man-made Doctrines. (Just like Paul prophesied would happen.)

Acts 20:30, Men will arise and distort the Truth in order to draw away their own followers.

According to Acts 20:30, Jesus did NOT endure excruciating pain in order to build Denominations. God's church is called to refute False Doctrines.

Titus 1:9, Encourage others with sound Doctrine and refute those who oppose it. So, those who refuse to abandon False teachings are actually saying to Jesus, "We know that your crucifixion may have been a bit uncomfortable but we just don't see a real need to pursue True Doctrine, but thanks anyway."

And Yet, get this;

Society would never accept a police force that did not pursue truth. Society would never accept a school system where teachers teach that 2+2=5. So why is it, as we're compelled to ask you? That only in the realm of religion, is man so willing to accept so many teachings that fall short of Truth? Perhaps it was even prophesied.

2 Timothy 4:3, For the time will come when men will not put up with SOUND DOCTRINE. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

God's church does not have a Name. It can't, it's the church... God's vessel of salvation from the cross on is just like Noah's ark.  The church is God's last and Eternal Kingdom, prophesied 600 years before Christ, in Isaiah 9:7 and Daniel 2:44

God refers to His ONE church using four different terms;

1. The church of the Living God

2. The church of God

3. The church of the Firstborn, and

4. The church of Christ

These are not meant to be Names of denominations; they are only references that God uses concerning His Body.

Characteristics of God’s church

1. God’s one church was prophesied to be God's last reigning Kingdom, an Eternal Kingdom, one that would last forever. - Daniel 2:44, Isaiah 9:7

2. God’s church was NOT founded by any man or woman, but rather by Jesus Christ who is its only Founder and its only Foundation. - 1 Corinthians 3:11

3. God’s church was started by Jesus, He began its construction in the first century, it was born on the day of Pentecost and on that day the church grew by 3,000 souls. - Acts 2:41

4. God’s church is made up of repentant sinners, not buildings, etc. and only God Himself adds believers to His one Body.  This happens when they choose to accept His Word and obey His ONE Plan of Salvation. - Acts 2:38,47

5. God’s church will be rivaled against by False Doctrines and the False Teachers who promote them. - Acts 20:30   

6. God’s church is DEFINED by its one Doctrine, the Doctrine of Christ's New Covenant.  God's church is NOT a Denomination, it can't be.  Denominations are False Divisions that break off of God’s church. - Titus 1:9  Acts 20:30

MOST IMPORTANT FACT

The majority of Denominations do not baptize sinners into the Body of Christ, for the forgiveness of a person's sins and to receive the gift (the indwelling seal) of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3 - Galatians 3:27 - 1 Peter 3:21

Were you added to God's Body by God Himself, or by man?

Acts 2:47, The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Were you added to Christ's Body according to the Doctrine of His New Covenant?

Acts 2:38 says, Repent and be Baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. By the sounds of this next scripture, God doesn't like man made teachings.

Matthew 15:9 says, They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.

Contemplate what the world would be like with no Denominations. Just one church around the world perfectly united in mind and thought, exactly like what Paul and God plead for.

1 Corinthians 1:10 says, I plead with you brothers, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be  "no divisions"  among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. Imagine non-Christians seeing ONE church. How powerful would that be!!

Indeed the unbelieving world would then in their hearts say, "Wow, God really must have sent His Son."

Well this is exactly what Jesus prayed for.

John 17:22, I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and You in me.  May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

But now the world only rightfully mocks saying, "Those religious wackos can't even get that Bible of theirs to agree, let alone persuade us to believe."

Denominations do nothing more than bring doubt to the minds of unbelievers. Denominations (those who refuse to abandon false teachings, not the innocent folks who are in them searching for Truth) are nothing more than a disgrace towards God's Word, and they fuel Satan’s war on Truth.  Denominations actually enable Satan, in a most sinister way, to spit in Jesus' face.

Pursue God's True Doctrine,   Not Denominations

What is the church of Christ

Hello friend. On this Lords day, we would like to share with you what the New Testament of Gods Word in the Bible describes as the church He established by His son Jesus Christ death and resurrection nearly 2000 years ago. This brief introduction will be helpful in guiding the seeker and skeptic to identify Jesus' one church in today's overcrowded population of church and religious movements. This presentation doesn't cover every aspect of the Lord's church but it does cover the essentials to get one started on the road to true worship and fellowship with God and His disciples as we read in the New Testament.

For more details and information, this web-space has within it numerous lessons to help one learn about the global church of Christ. Simply review and select from the many "Quik-Links" we have provided for your education and edification...

                 

Video Lesson

               

"Acts 13 podcast on the Purpose of the Church - click"

Charts courtesy Barnes Bible Charts

Do You Love the Church... Which One?

This One?

Or This One?

This is a short introduction of the Lords church that can help you understand a little more of what Christ's church is. The Church is it’s People wherever they meet on the Lords day Sunday, where they gather to worship and honor Jesus, worshiping God in spirit and in truth as he so richly deserves, and commands. The church was bought at a great price in the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross through His obedience to the Father to the last breath. Then on the historical third day as written in His Word, Jesus raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit of God so you might have a chance to become a new citizen of His one and only church, the one he built with His blood that he spoke about in Matthew 16:13-18 of the New Testament.

Jesus said:

“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 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.”

The church, the one that Jesus built as he stated in the above scripture some 2000 years ago still stands today with no threat of Hades in sight!

Is "the church" a building, a place of worship, you know, something physical without personality or a beating heart? Or is it people, a local gathering of God worshiping souls who collectively make up a diversity of talents, needs and heartfelt caring for others all in the name of Jesus Christ? The scripture below (Ephesians 3:9-11) speaks about a "manifold wisdom" of God within the church that is a source of Gods light in the world that is perceived as a fellowshiping mystery to those without light. And the Apostle Paul wrote by the Holy Spirit:

"To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I am often amused yet concerned to hear people refer to the church as a physical place having no real sense of what Jesus was referring to when He said he would build it. Jesus is talking about the heart of man in that His church would live within the heart and mind among the fellowship of believers, not the wood and mortar of a structure! And "the Rock" is not Peter. Its Jesus Deity and authority. You see, it is the heart where God resides in redeemed men and women which makes up His one and only church. Jesus never spoke of multiple churches, just one - "I will build My church." In other words, the unity of saved believers that have been baptized into Him (Acts 2:41, Galatians 3:27).

We love many things and people in our lives on this planet called earth. But this is a temporary place, a place that can only reach so far in filling our deepest desires in life. The Lords church being a living organism with eternal qualities provides much more to the feeding of our inner souls through the presence of Christ in His church body, the saved, that we ought to truly be in love with the church membership no matter with its problems and hypocrisies. What did Jesus say about His purpose for coming and establishing His church?

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Luke 5:31-32.

And...

"Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:9-10.

If you think the church of the redeemed, the ones that will inherit the kingdom, the prize of heaven are supposed to be without faults or sin, that they have to be perfect for you to worship with them, I must remind you of what the Master says,

"He who is without sin, cast the first stone." John 8:7

And...

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:4-5.

The church is a spiritual hospital in which its members help each other with all their differences and shortcomings – to get to Heaven! But you’ve got to be there to get and give help in the name of Jesus.

Friend, there is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian. It is too often true that churches are not living up to the call of Jesus Christ. Some churches do not teach the Bible at all, and other churches favor their traditions over what the Bible teaches. Too many other churches teach the truths of the Bible and yet do not show the love and community that God desires. Do these difficulties, however, mean that we can or should be Christians without being part of a church? The witness of the Scriptures is clear: God expects Christians to work together in a local church. Love for one another, encouragement to continue in the faith, and accountability are all learned in the environment of the local church. We cannot grow to be the type of Christians that please God if we attempt to do so on our own!

Yes, it is unfortunately true that too often local churches are not representing God's intentions very well. Too many churches encourage too much passive behavior and do not challenge their members to represent the community that God expects the local church to be. Just because many churches fail to live up to God's desires does not mean that we are "off the hook" of the local church. God established local churches in His wisdom for our benefit. If God desired to have "maverick Christians," He could easily have done so. He recognizes, however, that we are too weak to defeat Satan by ourselves. Christians need opportunities to assemble with one another, to show love to one another, building one another up, and encouraging and exhorting each other to continue to serve God according to His will.

Can Man Worship As He Pleases?

by Steve Dewhirst

Historical evidence abounds that man can, indeed, worship as he pleases. As creatures of choice, God affords us the privilege of opting for His guidance or striking out on our own. The real question, however, is whether or not humanly-designed worship will be acceptable to Him. The very nature of the term worship demands careful attention to the instructions of God. Worship denotes reverence or obeisance (bowing down). One can hardly “bow down” reverently before the Creator, while ignoring His divine will. So much has been introduced into modern worship, not because of biblical instruction, but because of human tastes and preferences. It is the height of presumptuousness to assume that God will be pleased simply because we are pleased. “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). Not only does that principle apply to man’s general course of life, it also has application to our public expressions of worship and devotion to God.

At the core of this issue lies not the matter of “forms” or “acts of worship,” but the matter of love and dedication to the God of heaven. Even correctly-executed public worship can be an abomination to Jehovah, if congregants offer it as mere routine. “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” begins the plaintive cry of God in Isaiah 1:11-15. The lack of genuine devotion makes worship a sham. To serve God with less than “the whole heart” is to fail to serve Him (see Jer. 3:10). By contrast, God directed Jeremiah toward a day when He would give His people “a heart to know me…I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart” (Jer. 24:7).

The incongruity of worshiping God without the whole heart surfaces again in the New Testament. Jesus’ famous interview with the Samaritan woman at the well illustrates the human preoccupation with form over reality. When she states, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship,” Jesus doesn’t debate the issue with her. Instead, he strikes at the very heart of Samaritan misunderstanding. “You worship what you do not know…” (Jn. 4:22). Certainly the Samaritans were in error for violating God’s instructions for Old Testament worship, but theirs was a more fundamental problem: they had no real knowledge of the God they purported to honor. The Samaritans were ignorant because they rejected most of the Old Testament scriptures, and apart from divine revelation, man can know neither the person nor the will of Deity. By contrast, Jesus taught that “true worshipers” in every age “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). In other words, true worshipers worship with their spirits (their whole hearts) and, therefore, worship God in reality.

We can never claim to worship or reverence a God whose will we ignore. Genuine faith in God establishes His will as our rule of life and conduct (Rom. 3:31). No aspect of human life is exempt from the sovereign rule of Christ, and particularly not the public expressions of our devotion to Him. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?” (Lk. 6:46).

Why, indeed? If the term Lord implies rule and authority, our only logical response is to understand and implement His will. Disciples have eternal life by virtue of faith in Christ, and are to live by faith (Rom. 1:16-17). But what we do, as a matter of faith in Christ, is governed by principles found in God’s word, for “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). We cease to “live by faith” when we base our convictions and practices on human desire, however well-intentioned. Jesus exposed this spirit in the Pharisees by quoting the prophet Isaiah. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9). Jesus wasn’t condemning their worship practices; He condemned their self-service that rendered worship meaningless. That same spirit thrives today.

When men say, “I want to worship God in my own way,” it ceases to be the way of God. When one decides that he must employ his “special talent” in the public worship of God, public worship becomes a showcase of talent, rather than a demonstration of reverence for God and His word. And it must also be stated that human egos lie at the heart of much sensationalism in modern worship, coupled with the assembly’s desire for entertainment.

Authorized Worship in the Assembly

We eat the Lord’s Supper, Sing, Pray, and Teach in our worship assemblies because God’s word shows those same practices by first century Christians under the direction of the apostles (see Acts 20:7-12; 1 Cor. 11:17-34; 1 Cor. 14). We Contribute Funds to the furtherance of God’s work because God’s word so orders (1 Cor. 16:1-4). Moreover, we limit the day of eating the supper and giving of our means to Sundays, because that seems to be the clear of import of our Bible examples. By faith, we employ the same practices as revealed in God’s word. But outside of divine revelation, we have no basis for faith or religious action. If we are discontent with Bible-directed worship, we can certainly introduce our own preferences as creatures of free choice. But we’d best not expect our actions to have the approval of heaven.

It’s wonderful to fellowship with the set apart saints of the Lord, there is no other place we should want to be right now, tomorrow and the rest of our days on planet earth. Do you love the church, the people who are the church? Then deal with the differences and just Love one another. Or are you a seeking soul looking for a perfect congregation of followers of Christ? Let me inform you, there is no such thing as congregational perfection. The perfection comes to each individual Christian through the shed blood of Christ before the throne of God. This is the true perfection I hope you who are reading this will come to repentance and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are a wayward Christian that needs to come home, my prayer is for you to truly lay your issues aside and just come to the Lord and return back to church where you belong. Church is where Jesus is for you, church is where He is present in His body, the assembly of the saints.

Chart courtesy Barnes Bible Charts

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Blessings...