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| July 17, 2009 |
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Richmond, IN |
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TBD |
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| March 1, 2009 |
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| February 22, 2009 |
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Sermon by Marty Suddeth |
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Smith's Bible Dictionary |
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| February 4, 2009 |
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The Apostles |
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Armor Of God |
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Twelve Spies |
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Days of Creation |
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Ten Commandments |
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Plagues of Egypt |
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The Judges |
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Miracles of Jesus |
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What Is The Church? |
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What Is The Church Of Christ? |
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| Let us begin our study by examining
the church of Christ as mentioned in Old Testament prophecy. As we
can see, the KINGDOM of Old Testament prophecy is the CHURCH in the
New Testament fulfillment (Matt. 16:18-19). Consider the following
amazing prophecies that were made hundreds of years before their
realization. Truly, the Bible is inspired by God! |
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The Church In Bible Prophecy |
| 760 BC |
Kingdom to Go to ALL Nations |
(Isaiah 2:2-3) |
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| 710 BC |
Word of the Lord to Go to ALL Nations |
(Micah 4:1-2) |
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| 600 BC |
Established During the 4th World Kingdom |
(Daniel 2:32-44) |
| 1) Babylonians |
2) Persians |
3) Macedonians |
4) Romans! |
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| 425 BC |
John the Baptist to Come and Prepare for
the
Coming Kingdom! |
(Malachi: 3:1;
Malachi
4:5-6) |
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1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have
enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the
Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should
follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but
unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto
you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look
into.
Hebrews 12:28-29 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming
fire. |
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The Origin Of The Church |
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Next, we need to take a look at the origin of the church. Because of
sin, mankind needed a Savior - a way to be made righteous and
justified in the sight of God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was
offered up as the perfect sacrifice, that through His shed blood,
all mankind might have the opportunity to have their sins remitted.
The church is composed of those who, by faith, have obeyed the
gospel of Jesus. One is added to the church by God Himself after
being washed with the blood of the Lamb by being baptized for
remission of sins! |
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Jesus Christ |
| 1) Builder |
(Matt 16:18) |
| 2) Buyer |
(Acts 20:28) |
| 3) Owner |
(Matt 16:18) |
| 4) Foundation |
(1 Pet 2:6) |
| 5) Head |
(Eph 1:22-23) |
| 6) Savior |
(Eph 5:23) |
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As we have seen in the Old Testament prophecies, there would be a
time and place that the church of Christ, of the Kingdom of God,
would be established by its founder, Jesus Christ. After Jesus'
perfect life, His betrayal, His suffering and death where His
cleansing blood was shed, and His resurrection and ascension to His
throne at the right hand of God, the church was then established in
Jerusalem at the day of Pentecost in approximately 33 AD. |
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The Origin Of The Church |
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Acts 2 |
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Previous to Pentecost
The Bible speaks of the Kingdom in the
FUTURE TENSE |
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After Pentecost
The Bible speaks of the Kingdom in the PAST
TENSE |
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See the Following Passages:
Dan 2:44, Dan 7:13-14
Matt 3:1-2, Mark 1:14-15
Matt 16:18-19, Mark 9:1
Luke 24:46-49, Acts 1:8 |
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See the Following Passages:
Acts 2:47, Acts 5:11
Acts 8:1, Acts 11:22
Acts 13:1, Acts 14:27
Col 1:13, Rev 1:9 |
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This spiritual kingdom, the body of Christ, will remain until Jesus
comes again to deliver it to the Father in Heaven. |
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Church/Ekklesia
(Ecclesia) |
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Now that we know that Jesus established the church, we must answer
the question what is the meaning of the word "church?" The
definition is shown below: |
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"Church" Means: That Which Is Called Out |
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If the word "church" means "called out," from what are they called
out? Children of God are called out from among the world to put on
Christ and walk in newness of life, no longer slaves to sin! Please
see the following verses that demonstrates 1) what calls us and 2)
the purity of the church. |
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Attributes Of The Church: |
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2 Thessalonians 2:14: Whereunto he called you by our
gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish. |
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Scriptural Names For The
Church |
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If our goal is to find the church of the Bible amid all of the
religious confusion in the world today, we must make up our minds to
search for and accept only the teachings about the church that we
can read about in the Bible. Take, for example, the NAME of the
church. If we were going to buy a Chevy, we would not purchase a car
with a Ford emblem, and visa versa. If we are looking for the New
Testament church, we would not look at a church whose name is
foreign to the Bible. We would search for the names God Himself has
chosen, not a name that honors some man. Below you can see some of
the Scriptural names we find in the Bible for the church. Does your
church wear a name from God, or from man? |
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| 1) The Church |
(At least 65 times) |
| 2) Church of God |
(Acts 20:28) |
| 3) House of God |
(1 Tim 3:15) |
| 4) Church of the Living God |
(1 Tim 3:15) |
| 5) Church of the Firstborn |
(Heb 12:23) |
| 6) Church of Christ |
(Rom 16:16) |
| 7) Body of Christ |
(1 Cor 12) |
| 8) Kingdom of God |
(Col 1:13) |
| 9) Temple of God |
(Eph 2:19-22) |
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The Government Of The Church |
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Continuing our search for the church of the Bible, let us now turn
our attention to the government of the church. Just as God has
called His church by certain names, so also He has established a
form of government for the church. Please see the chart below for
the proper organization of the church as God would have it. Is your
church organized as God has designated, or do you have special
conventions, councils and other additions of men? |
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Christ (ALL Authority)
Matt 28:18; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18 |
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▼ |
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Elders (Oversee the Flock)
Do NOT Legislate!
1 Tim 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5
(Deacons to assist the elders &
congregation) |
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▼ |
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Members of the Body
1 Corinthians 12, Acts 2:41-47 |
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The Worship Of The Church |
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Another identifying mark of the New Testament church can be seen in
how God is worshipped. The issue really is, does God care how I
worship him? The answer, as seen in the two passages listed below is
a resounding "YES!" This being so, please also notice in the chart
below the acts of worship that the first century church engaged in: |
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Our Worship IS Governed |
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John 4:24 "God
is spirit, and those who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth"
Matthew 15:9 "But in vain do
they worship me, teaching as doctrines the
precepts of men" |
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The Form (Pattern) Of Lord's Day Worship |
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1)
Prayer (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 2:8)
2) Edification
(Acts 2:42; Matt. 28:18-20)
3) Singing
(Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16)
4) Lord's Supper
(1 Cor 11:17-34; Acts 20:7)
5) Giving (1
Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:6-8) |
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Please notice that things that are entertaining to man, such as
special choirs, instruments of music, and using carnal means to draw
a crowd, are not found in the worship of God. Does your church
worship according to the Will of God, or men? |
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The Work Of The Church |
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Next, let's notice the work of the church. Just as in name,
government, and worship, God has expressed His divine will
concerning how the church does its work. The church is a SPIRITUAL
KINGDOM, and has the responsibility to carry out the work that Jesus
has authorized. The church is not in the business of entertainment,
nor is it a global "Red Cross" type relief organization. The church
simply and humbly serves God in the way that God desires. Please see
the chart below to learn more about the God-given work of the
church: |
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Our Work IS Governed |
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Col. 3:17 And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God and the Father by him.
1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak,
let him speak as the oracles of God; if any
man minister, let him do it as of the
ability which God giveth: that God in all
things may be glorified through Jesus
Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen.
2 Tim. 2:5 And if a man also
strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully. |
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The Form (Pattern) Of The Work Of The Church |
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1)
Benevolence (1 Cor. 16:1-3, Acts
6:1-6)
2) Evangelism
(2 Tim 2:2, Acts 8:4)
3) Edification
(Acts 2:42) |
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The Doctrine Of Christ's
Church |
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The last of the identifying marks of the church of Christ, the
church of the Bible, that we will examine is doctrine, or teaching.
You may have noticed that many churches utilize creeds and
constitutions in addition to the Bible. The church we read of in the
Bible uses only the one faith, the one truth, the one gospel - God's
revealed will as recorded in our Bibles: |
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Ephes. 4:5 One
Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave
all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, it was needful for me to
write unto you, and exhort you that ye
should earnestly contend for the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints.
Galatians 1:8-9 But though we,
or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As
we said before, so say I now again, If any
man preach any other gospel unto you than
that ye have received, let him be accursed.
2 John 1:9 Whosoever
transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that
abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath
both the Father and the Son.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap. |
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No Corruption! |
Just
God's Will! |
No Creeds! |
| No Doctrines of Men! |
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No Cults! |
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Does your church follow the will of God as in the
Bible, or something else? |
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By this point in our study
you may have noticed there are many things
that are different and possibly unique about
the Lord's church, the church of Christ. You
may be thinking this "denomination" really
tries to follow the Bible and the Bible
only. While we do try to love Jesus more and
more everyday, and our obedience to Christ
is a fruit of that love and of a growing
faith, it needs to made very clear that. |
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We mean no personal offense
in making this matter clear, but we also
desire not to be misunderstood on this
point. The church of Christ, the body of
Christ, is the very church that Jesus built
in the Bible! |
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Remember the identifying marks of the church? We noticed the church
in the Bible was established by Jesus Christ in approximately 33 AD.
Therefore, any church established AFTER 33 AD is, quite frankly,
ANOTHER CHURCH. Let's quickly take a look at the various origins of
some of the popular denominational churches of our day and compare
them to Jesus' church that we read about in the Bible: |
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The Kingdom of Christ (the church of Christ)
came with POWER in 33 AD
In what year was the. |
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"Baptist church"
started?
"Methodist church"
started?
"Presbyterian church"
started?
"Catholic church"
started?
"Pentecostal church"
started?
"Lutheran church"
started?
"Episcopal church"
started?
"Mormon church"
started? |
1607
AD
1739 AD
1536 AD
606 AD
1914 AD
1520 AD
1534 AD
1830 AD |
1574
years TOO LATE!
1706 years TOO LATE!
1503 years TOO LATE!
573 years TOO LATE!
1881 years TOO LATE!
1487 years TOO LATE!
1501 years TOO LATE!
1797 years TOO LATE! |
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Please notice these organizations, no matter how honest or sincere
they may be, are not the church of the Bible! |
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Please do not take our word
for it. Examine these matters for yourself.
Open your Bible and compare your church with
the church you see in the scriptures.
Remember to take a close look at the
signature features: |
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The Name of the Church
(1 Tim 3:15, Rom 16:16) |
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The Government of the Church (1 Tim
3, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Pet 5) |
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The Worship of the Church
(John 4:24, Matt 15:8-9) |
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The Origin of the Church (Acts
2) |
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The Doctrine of the Church (2
John 9-11, Gal 1:8-9) |
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Jesus tells us of a wide way and a narrow way (Matt 7:13-17). The
wide way is the way that many people have chosen to take. The
problem is, this way leads to eternal destruction. Jesus said to
beware of the false prophets that will lead you down this wide,
alluring, yet treacherous path. Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus, and
He will show you the narrow path that leads to eternal life! Resolve
to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and be ever grateful that by
the grace and mercy of God we have the opportunity to be redeemed
and justified in the sight of God by the precious blood of Jesus
Christ! However, after this realization, you then must ask yourself,
"How do I contact the blood of Christ that my sins may be washed
away? How can I be made clean and spotless in the sight of God?"
Please follow the stair-steps up on the next chart to understand
how: |
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To Become A Christian One Must: |
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Saved!
Sins Forgiven! Added To The
Church By The Lord
Acts 2:41,47; Col 1:13 |
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Be
Baptized
Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38 |
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Confess
Jesus Christ
Acts 8:37, Rom 10:9-10, Matt
10:32-33 |
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Repent
Of Your Sins
Luke 13:3, Acts 17:30, Acts
3:9 |
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Believe
In Jesus
John 8:24, John 3:16, Heb
11:1 |
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Hear
The Gospel Of Christ
Rom 10:17, Acts 8:5-6, Acts
16:31-32 |
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Lost! A Sinner
Without Hope
John 3:36,
Rom 6:23, Ephes 2:12 |
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If you are not a New Testament Christian, then you have
a very serious matter to which you need to correct. You
are still in your sins. However, if you realize that by
submitting to Christ, as Lord, and thereby putting away
all self pride, you can have remission of sins this
very day. Why not obey God this very hour? The
Christians here at the Richmond congregation stand
ready to assist you with your questions and needs.
Please do not be afraid to request a Bible study or ask
for further information. Our desire is to serve God in
His way. |
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You may be asking, besides remission of sins (which is HUGE!), what
other blessings are there for me by being added to the church of
Christ by God through obedience to the gospel? Since God tells us
that we must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him
(Hebrews 11:6), we joyfully list some of the blessings that are
available ONLY in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3) |
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Blessings In Christ |
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1)
Prayer to God Through Jesus!
(Romans 8:34: Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1)
2) Remission of Sins Committed AFTER
obeying the Gospel! (Acts 8:22-24; 1 John
1:9)
3) Spiritual Fellowship with those of
Like-Faith!
(Acts 2:42)
4) Victory in Jesus Over Death and Satan!
(1 Cor 15:54-57)
5) The Hope of Walking With Our Perfect
and Loving God Throughout All Eternity!
(Rom 8:18, 23-25; 2 Tim 4:7-8; John 14:1-3;
Rev 21:1-7) |
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The saints in Richmond would like to express our sincerest gratitude
for your interest in spiritual matters. |
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