You might hear things like this… Do I have to be a member of a church to be saved? Surely churches don’t save you. I can worship at the seaside on my own without going to your church. I can join any church I like as long as I believe in God. I know it doesn’t make any difference where I go to church. They might say that they are a Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Jehovah Witness or even a Jew. I belong to a denomination. They all believe in the same God. My church is as good as your church. I can go whenever I feel like it. I don’t need to go to the church you talk about…
Oh how sad it is when you wake up in eternity realising you had rejected a fellowship of believers who had been purchased by the blood of Christ! Paul the Apostle said, “Take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).
It must really hurt Jesus when He hears one say, “Oh, I know accepting Jesus is important, but you don’t need to belong to a church.”
Man’s Sin Problem
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If one dies in sin, he will pay the penalty of death for his sins because he earns eternal punishment (Revelation 21:8). Paul the Apostle said, “For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23). Why is it fair?
Jesus Paid for Our Sins
Isaiah said that God had laid on Jesus the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:6) The incarnate Jesus, who is God manifest in the flesh (1 John 1:1-14) voluntarily took care of our sin problem (Romans 5:8). Then the third day God raised Him (Acts 2:22-24). Now He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for Christians (Hebrews 7:25) and He promises to come back for those in Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Those in the family of God are in the church (1 Thessalonians 1:1).
How Does One Get Into Christ?
Those who heard the message of Christ’s death and resurrection asked what to do to be saved (Acts 2:37). “Peter said unto them, Repent ye and be immersed every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” When one repents, there is to be a change of mind which means we give up the right to rule our own lives and let Christ’s will be done. When one demonstrates a trusting faith in His death, burial and resurrection through immersion in water (Romans 6:3-4), God forgives him of his past sins (Acts 22:16).
The Church and Salvation
How does the church fit into man’s response to become a Christian? On the birthday of the church we find 3,000 were immersed and were added to the church (Acts 2:41). For a long time many of us thought that one joined the church as we might do in any other organisation, but God says that He adds us obedient believers to the church (Acts 5;14; 1 Corinthians 12;18) when they obey the gospel (Romans 6:17-18). Why do we have the church? God wanted sons and daughters (Hebrews 2:10-12) but because we all sin, someone had to pay the penalty of our sin and this was planned before the world was created (1 Peter 1:18-20).
The Church in the Mind of God
Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Ephesians tells of the mystery (hidden to previous generations) concerning the church and that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs through the gospel (Ephesians 3:1-11). Even angels and the prophets desired to look into this mystery (1 Peter 1:10-12), but had to await Jesus’ statement, “Upon this rock I will build My church” (Matthew 16-18). Matthew continues to quote Jesus, “I will give unto thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven” as He tells Peter. You will be the first to unlock this mystery by opening the door through the gospel message. Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Peter shares the good news of His crucifixion and resurrection, and then how to accept Jesus as Lord (Acts 2:22-41).
The Church – God’s Family
When we bring children into a human family, God expects us as parents to raise these little ones, providing all the physical and spiritual needs necessary to proper development.
The same thing is true in God’s family, the church which is His Body. He first tells the church leaders (bishops, elders and deacons to feed the flock (members of the body) (1 Peter 5:1-3). Special times we may call Bible study lessons are normally provided to meet this needs in God’s church assembly. Instructions to new Christians are to desire the sincere milk of the word to help them grow (1 Peter 1:1-2). And since the Lord instructs all Christians to study His word (2 Timothy 2:15), faithful leaders will be responsible to provide this need to grow in knowledge and understanding of the scriptures as we learn how to please Almighty God in all things that pertain to life and godliness.
Fellowship So Important
I will need the strength and encouragement of fellow Christians which I get in the assembly, and when I am with the saints on other occasions. The early church sensed this need as we see in Acts 2:42, 46. Note the beauty and validity of the statement recorded in Hebrews 10:24, “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works.” The only way to accomplish this is to be with our brethren. (See Hebrews 3:12-15) The Hebrew writer continues in verse 25, “not forsaking our own assembling together as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day drawing nigh.” Note the word “assembling” rather than assembly.” This simply says that whenever God’s people meet together, we need to be with the saints – that would even include a mid-week Bible study where we can build up one another in a better understanding and knowledge of what God wants from us.
Can I Miss “Church”
A person who tries to do as little as he can to serve God, normally does not remain faithful to Him and returns to the world. Peter said of such a person: “For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” See 2 Peter 2:20-22; Hebrews 10:26-31.
When one deliberately misses the assembly, it becomes impossible to worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24). God asks His people to remember the sacrifice His Son made by partaking of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20-34) each Sunday (Acts 20:7). Preaching Acts 20:7), praying and singing (1 Corinthians 14:15); as well as giving to help preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), all constitute God’s design in worship.
His organisation includes elders and deacons (Philippians 1:1). If every Christian decided to forsake the assembly, God’s organisation for the church is instantly dissolved. Yes, God expects Christians to meet together just as He expects any family unit to be together.
Will Those Outside the Church Be Saved?
God has set the members in the body as it pleases Him (1 Corinthians 12:18). Paul said concerning Jesus Our Lord, “He is the Saviour of the body” (Ephesians 5:23). The Lord has never promised to save any one outside of His church or body, nor has He endorsed the many denominational churches in existence today which are the deception of Satan at work deceiving many today and continue to miss guide those who remain in an unsaved condition. In fact, if a person had lived 2,000 years ago, he would not have had the difficult task of searching for the true church as described in the Bible, for only one existed (1 Corinthians 12:20, Matthew 16:18). It is my prayer that those who hear and read this sermon, will search for the church of Christ in their local community or visit us here in Ramsey. If you live far away from Ramsey, then please contact us maybe we can help you establish a church of Christ in your area if there’s not a church near to where you live.
So in Conclusion
It’s essential for you to attend a local church of Christ in order to learn how to be saved. There is only one true faith, one true body known as the church of Christ. You cannot afford to continue to not find out what the clearly teaches in order to be right with God. Only those who obey the New Testament gospel message will be saved. And yes it’s vitally important that you find out the truth and attend the right body of faithful brethren if you want to be saved. This is your golden opportunity to see how important it is to believe, repent, confess Jesus as Lord and to be baptised into Christ for the remission of your sins and then to remain faithful unto when you pass from this life into the next. May God continue to bless you always.
Amen
Lesson delivered to you by: Bro Robert H Brown
