This is a very important question that must be answered if we want to be members of the church that the Lord said He would build
(Matthew 16:16-18) says,
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 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.
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.
So are we part of this church that the Lord said He will build…? Is the Church clearly described in the Bible…? Let’s see what the Bible says on the matter regarding the pattern which we are to follow according to the scriptures.
So why is church so important…?
The church was in the mind of God as He allowed His own Son to die on the cross, Isaiah 53:4. In Acts 20:28, it says that Jesus purchased the church with His own blood. The Hebrew writer explains the mental torment Jesus encountered the night He was betray Hebrews 5:7. Listen to the prophet Isaiah describe the appearance of Jesus as He hung on the cross, “Just as there were many who were appalled at him – His appearance was so disfigured beyond human likeness,” Isaiah 52:14. I really cannot see why so many make light of the one true church when they can see that God gave His own Son for it, Ephesians 5:25. Paul the Apostle later states that Jesus promises to save only the church, Ephesians 5:23.
So How Can You Identify the Church of the Bible…?
Any church claiming to follow the scriptures only, should be able to give book, chapter and verse to confirm that they are a member of the church described in the Bible. We have already seen that Jesus purchased the church with His blood which means the church could not have been established prior to His death, which is why we need to rightly divide the word and recognise which covenant we are under today as Christians. After He was raised from the dead, He told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem so that they could be instructed concerning the church and conversion, Luke 24:46-49. On the first Pentecost after He was raised, the apostles began to unfold the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Acts 2:22-36. Those who had earlier cried, “crucify Him” then asked what they could do to be saved, verse 37. Peter the apostle replied, “Repent and be baptised 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,” verse 38. Any church claiming to be the church of the Bible should trace its roots back to the first Pentecost after Jesus’ death and should ask one to respond as Peter did over 2,000 years ago. We see that when we believe, repent, confess Jesus as Lord and are baptised, we are then added to His body by the Lord Jesus in verse 41 which is the church He said He would build.
So once we have been added, what then…?
When the church was first established, the Lord set apostles in the body, they had to be men who had witnessed Jesus’ resurrection, Acts 1:22. They were responsible for introducing the gospel message and information regarding the church. Paul the apostle stated that the church consisted of apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:11. The church in its infancy had apostles and prophets, to protect the hearer’s from false teachers, Ephesians 4:14-16. They were given the ability to perform miracles to confirming their teachings came directly from God, Hebrews 2:3-4. Today, however, we have God’s written word, the Bible, and thus no longer have apostles, prophets or miracles which passed away in the first century, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. The qualifications for the elders (another descriptive term for bishops) is described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. These men assume the responsibility for the souls of the church, Hebrews 13:17 and are instructed to act as a spiritual guide to the Christians, 1 Peter 5:1-4. The deacons serve in physical areas such as benevolence or caring for the elderly as described in Acts Chapter 6:1 and following. Their qualifications are listed in, 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The preacher or evangelist may serve as a pulpit minister or one who shares the gospel in the home or in the local community 2 Timothy 4:2-5. Teachers would of course teach on any age level as described in Titus 2:3-15.
Any church claiming to be the church of the Bible must follow the organization described in God’s Word, as it’s God’s Word that we will be judged by when our time on earth has finished.
God’s Simple Worship Plan we Follow
The Lord has arranged for Christians to meet every Sunday to remember Christ’s death, burial and resurrection by partaking of the Lord’s Supper, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 in which we must examine ourselves before we partake the Lord’s Supper, so as not to be condemned. Many today follow the different doctrines and commandments of men that lead others which are not of the Bible, which is why it’s so important to have book, chapter and verse in order to be right with God. Galatians 1-6-10 tells us what will happen to them if they preach and teach something that is not found in the New Testament. I’ve heard some say that if we take the Lord’s Supper every week, it will cause it to lose its meaning. It makes one wonder how often a person making a statement like this approaches God in prayer when it clearly tells us in scripture that we are to partake of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week and not monthly, quarterly or whenever we feel like it.
In addition to the Lord’s Supper, the assembly met for prayer and singing, 1 Corinthians 14:15-16. Historical research has produced evidence that no instrument was introduced into worship until 900A.D. which is why we do not have any instruments or any unauthorised form of music creep into God’s pattern of worship. Some have argued that it does not say that you can’t worship with any instruments. Nadab and Abihu also used that same argument when they offered fire from a strange source, Leviticus 10:1-2. They changed their minds though – instantly – God’s Word warns us not to go beyond what is written in His Word, 1 Corinthians 4:6.
Also, the Lord’s church says, that members of His body is to give on the first day of the week, which is why we take up a collection from those who are members of the church of Christ. The Lord loves a cheerful giver and it’s a way to show our appreciation for what He has done for us. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Acts 20:7. Our worship doesn’t end after every Sunday we assemble, it continues to serve God throughout the week, Romans 12:1-2. Christians are instructed to go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that we are commanded to do. Matthew 28:18-20.
A Changed Life Style
If a person claims to be a Christian as described in the Bible, there should be a marked change in his attitude and actions, Galatians 5:19-26, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. The church at Colossae was so excited about their new life in Christ that they were sharing the gospel with their lost neighbours, Colossians 1:3-6.
Being A Christian Only
The name “Christian” is proudly worn by those who want to be the church of the Bible, 1 Peter 4:16. Man has since made names that have nothing to do with Christianity and they don’t have God’s approval, 1 Corinthians 1:10-15. Christians are also referred to as saints, 1 Corinthians 1:2, brethren, Galatians 6:1 or children of God, Galatians 3:26.
Descriptive terms for the church are the church of God, Acts 20:28, body of Christ, Colossians 1:18, house of God, 1 Timothy 3:15, or church of Christ Romans 16;16.
So in Conclusion
Is the Ramsey church, the church of the Bible…? Any church claiming to be the church of the Bible must be able to find its identifying characteristics within the pages of God’s Word. Does it follow the teachings of the New Testament…? The answer to this question must be clearly seen and backed up with book, chapter and verse for everything it does. If it doesn’t abide in the teachings then it needs to repent and obey what the scriptures are teaching in order for it to be called the Ramsey church of Christ. However, if the Ramsey church is the church of the Bible that follows the scriptures and worships, preaches the gospel message, the plan of salvation, then this congregation can proudly say, “We are members of the church of Christ that is found in the Bible.”
The Lord’s church is not a denomination, it is the church that Christ said He will build. So if you are here today listening and realise your situation and you want to be saved, then we are here to guide you into being right with God. Just be aware that you cannot join the Lord’s church, you can only be added to the Lord’s Body the church, if you believe, repent, confess Him as Lord and then baptised for the remission of sins in order to become a faithful obedient member of His body.
Just be aware, that we all will be judged one day according to the lives we have lead, and we will have to give an answer for everything we have said and done.
May God continue to bless us Amen.
Message delivered to you by: Bro Robert H Brown
