Speaker Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text   MS Word Bobby Stafford What Is The Church of Christ?

What Is the Church of Christ?

Introduction:

What do we mean by the expression “church of Christ”?  The same thing Jesus meant in Matthew 16:18.  “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.” NKJV  But does His church exist today and how can I recognize it?

Body:

I.  It Was Planned from the Beginning. 

(Ephesians 3:8-11) “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, to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,” NKJV  The church was even prophesied about in the Old Testament.  (Isaiah 2:2-3) “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.  Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’  For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” NKJV  (I Timothy 3:15) “but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” NKJV  The church was in the preparation stage during the ministry of John the Baptist.  (Luke 16:16) “The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” NKJV  Christ made it a reality.

II.  It Was Established in the First Century. 

When?  On the first Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection.  Proof?  The kingdom is the church.  (Matthew 16:18-19) “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.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” NKJV  The kingdom of God was to come when the power came.  (Mark 9:1) “And He said to them ‘Assuredly I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.’ ” NKJV  The power was to come when the Holy Spirit came.  (Acts 2:1-4) “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” NKJV 

Thus the church was fully established on that day.  Also the Scriptures always use “church” in a future sense before Pentecost and past tense after Pentecost.

III.  It Was Purchased by the Blood of Christ. 

What was the price of the church?  It cost Jesus His life and His blood.  (Ephesians 5:25) “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” NKJV  (Acts 20:28) “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.” NKJV  How can we today reap the benefits of that precious blood?  By entering into what it bought, the church.

IV.  It Is Singular. 

There is only one true church.  See Ephesians 1:22-23.  “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fells all in all.” NKJV  (Ephesians 5:23) “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” NKJV  How many bodies does Jesus have?  Only one!  The church of Christ is the entire group of those who are saved.  (Acts 2:47) “praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” NKJV  Therefore the church is not a denomination, a division.

V.  It Is Scriptural in Its Worship. 

We must only do what is authorized by God.  (Colossians 3:17) “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” NKJV  “In word” means what we say and teach and “in deed” means what we do and practice.  Doing anything “in Jesus’ name” means doing it by His authority.  (Acts 4:7-10) “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, ‘By what power or by what name have you done this?’  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:  If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.’ ” NKJV  So what does God in His Word authorize in worship?

·  Singing  (Ephesians 5:19) “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” NKJV

·  Praying  (Acts 2:42) “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” NKJV

·  Teaching  (Acts 20:7) “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” NKJV

·  Weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper  (Acts 20:7)

·  Giving of our financial means  (I Corinthians 16:1-2) “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:  On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” NKJV  That is all that is authorized in the Bible.

VI.  It Has A Biblical Designation. 

It is named for Christ.  (Romans 16:16) “Greet one another with a holy kiss.  The churches of Christ greet you.” NKJV  The church is not called after mere men.  Individual members are called Christians.  (Acts 11:26) “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.  And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” NKJV  This name was prophesied by Isaiah.  (Isaiah 62:2) “The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory.  You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the Lord will name.” NKJV

VII.  It Is Essential to Salvation. 

Salvation is in Christ.  (II Timothy 2:10) “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” NKJV  But being in Christ [His body] also means you are in the church.  (Colossians 1:24) “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,” NKJV  Therefore one must be in the church to be saved.

Distinctive Marks of the True Church of Christ

I.  A body, or community, not built on the foundation which God laid,  is not the community which the Lord calls “my church.”

II.  A community not founded and established in the right place, is not the Church of Christ.

III.  A community not founded at the right time, is not the kingdom of Christ.

IV.  No church can be the true Church not founded by the proper persons, Christ and the apostles.

V.  A kingdom, with any other law than the one given by the head of the Church, is not the kingdom of Christ.

VI.  Any community labeled with a foreign name, or a name not found to designate the body of Christ, in the New Testament, is not the kingdom of God.

Benjamin (Ben) Franklin (1812 – 1878) preached a powerful sermon on  “The Church – Its Identity” in which he stated, “There is a community called,  in the New Testament, “the Church of the living God.”  [Goodpasture and Moore, 342]

Franklin, Benjamin (1954), Biographies and Sermons of Pioneers,  B. C. Goodpasture and W. T. Moore, Editors (Nashville, TN:  B. C. Goodpasture)

Invitation:

As we have seen, the church is produced by the Word of God.  If the Word is taught in its pure, original form, it will produce in the 21^st Century exactly what it produced in the 1^st Century – undenominational Christians.  What did they do in the 1^st Century?  Hearing the gospel produced faith in the risen Savior.  This faith led them to repent of their sins, confess Jesus as Lord, and be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins. 

Bobby Stafford 

June 24, 2018