03/30/2016
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The church did not happen overnight. It was planned, prophesied, and established. The Bible shows all of this clearly.
First, the church existed in the mind of God. Paul says this to the saints at Ephesus: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:3-6). Please note that he is talking to the church at Ephesus. He says God had chosen them before the foundation of the world. That means that God was thinking about the church even before the world was created. That is, He was planning it at that time. It had its beginning in the mind of God. How terrible it is to say that God did not plan the church from the beginning! Second, the church was spoken of in prophecy several times. Isaiah said, "And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it" (Isaiah 2:2-3). Joel stated, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit" (Joel 2:28-29). Then Daniel pointed out, "And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44). Now let us draw some conclusions:
1. The kingdom would be established in the last days.
2. It would be established in the mountains.
3. All nations would flow to it.
4. The Lord would pour out His spirit upon all flesh.
5. It would be established in the days of the fourth world empire.
6. It would consume all other kingdoms and stand forever.
Now, where is all of this fulfilled? Read Acts 2!
Third, the church was promised. John said it was at hand (Matthew 3:2). That means it was nearby, or would soon be established. Christ promised, "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). "Verily I say unto you, There are some here of them that stand by, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God come with power" (Mark 9:1). "And he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:46-49). Now observe these facts:
1. The kingdom was near.
2. Christ promised to build it in spite of death (hades).
3. Some of those who were with Christ would still be living at the time of its establishment.
4. It would come with power.
5. Repentance and remission of sins would be preached in His name among all nations.
6. It would begin in Jerusalem.
7. The apostles would be given power from on high in the city of Jerusalem.
Please keep all these points in mind as we come finally to the establishment of the church and you will see all of this unfold. Turn now to Acts 2. Upon doing so, read it carefully several times. All Bible scholars admit that the church was established at this time. The place was Jerusalem. The time was the last days. These were the days of the kings of the Roman Empire. The power came. Repentance and remission of sins were preached to all nations. The church has been in existence ever since. The church that God had in His mind was established. The prophecies about it were fulfilled. The promises about it were kept.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. True False On the Day of Pentecost the Apostles preached "believe only and you shall be saved."
2. True False Only the nation of Israel was present for the establishment of the church in Acts 2.
3. True False The Apostles were the only ones to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
4. True False Jesus removed the pains of death through his resurrection.
5. True False Christ adds those who repent and are baptized for the remission of their sins to His church.
Choose the correct answer.
1. Who said he would build his church?
2. Who said, "Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins?"
3. When was the Lord's church (kingdom) to be established?
4. In what city was the church (kingdom) to be established?
5. How long would the church (kingdom) stand?
Questions or Comments you may have.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
we noticed from Isaiah 2:2-3, Joel 2:28-29, and Daniel 2:44 that the Lord's kingdom (or church) would be established in the last days. It would begin in Jerusalem, at the coming of the Spirit. All nations would flow into it. It would last forever. Then Christ promised that He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). It would come with power (Mark 9:1) and that repentance and remission of sins would be preached in His name among all nations (Luke 24:46-49). Now, by turning to Acts 2, we will see that in this chapter alone all of these prophecies were fulfilled. All of these promises were kept.
As we read Acts 2, we find that the Apostles were in the city of Jerusalem. "And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language." (Acts 2:1-6). The Bible continues to tell of the many nations that were represented, "And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this? But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:12-17). "And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21).
All that was happening was in fulfillment of the prophecies of old. Peter begins his sermon. He shows how Jesus was a man approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs. God did these by Him among them. Next he tells how Christ had been taken and delivered up to the council. By wicked hands, He had been crucified and killed. Then he points out that God had raised Him up. He had removed the pains of death. To prove this, he quoted David to show that Christ lived, died and had been buried and resurrected. He then ascended into heaven to sit upon the throne at the right hand of God. Continuing, he said, "This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses. Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear. For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized 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. For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:32-41). "Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved" (Acts 2:47).
In the verses just mentioned, the Lord's church was established. You will notice that all of it took place in Jerusalem. The power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles. What took place was in fulfillment of the prophecies of old. Peter plainly said, "but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:16). There can be no doubt about this. The prophets had said these things would happen in the last days. Peter said it was occurring as the prophet had said it would. The church was established in the last days. All nations were present on that day. Repentance and remission of sins were preached, and about 3000 were obedient. They were saved. They were added to the church. Christ established His church in Jerusalem in A.D. 33. It has been in existence ever since.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lesson 4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How would you set out to locate a long lost friend? First, you would gather all of the marks of identification and then begin the search. Only after finding the individual that matched every mark of identification would you accept him as being the one that you were seeking. Likewise, there are many churches in the world. How can one know which is the right one? The genuine one? How can one know which one is Christ's church? You must take all of the marks of identification. Then compare the various churches with these marks of identification. Only after you find the church that matches every mark of identification can you be sure you have found the right church. But what are the marks of identification? Where are they found? The Bible is the answer.
The Bible gives all the true marks of how to identify the church. Therefore, let us turn to it to see what they are:
1. Christ established the church. "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).
2. It had its beginning in Jerusalem. This is seen in Luke 24:45-49 and Acts 2:5.
3. The date of origin was A.D. 33. This is also based on Acts 2. The church was started on the day of Pentecost following Christ's resurrection.
4. The church wore the name of Christ. Speaking of the various congregations, Paul wrote, "...All the churches of Christ salute you" (Romans 16:16). He further says, in speaking to the church at Corinth, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof" (I Corinthians 12:27). But what is the body? It is the church (Ephesians 1:22-23).
5. Its members were called Christians. "...The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28). "but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name" (1 Peter 4:16). And finally, remember, "And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
6. Christ is its only head. "And he is the head of the body, the church..." (Colossians 1:18).
7. There is but one body. "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4). But what is the body? It is the church (Colossians 1:18). There is one body. It is the church. Then there is but one church.
8. There are terms for entering the church. These include belief (Hebrews 11:6), repentance (Acts 17:30), confession of faith (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism (Mark 16:16). When one is saved, he is added to the church (Acts 2:47). Also Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 12:13 teach that one is baptized into Christ and His church. By obeying these commands, one is said to be born into the church or the kingdom (John 3:3-5).
9. The worship of the church is different. Christians are to assemble on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), to sing (Ephesians 5:19), to pray (Acts 2:42), to study (2 Timothy 2;15), to partake of the Lord's supper (1 Corinthians 11), and to give of their money (1 Corinthians 16:2).
10. The teaching of the church is based on the Bible only. The Bible is accepted without addition, subtraction, or substitution (Revelation 22:18-19; Galatians 1:1-11). The Bible is the one and only creed of the church. Additional books or creeds are not accepted.
11. The organization of the church must be according to God's plan. Christ is the head (Ephesians 5:23). Each congregation is to have its own elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). The Lord's church does not have any earthly headquarters. Neither does it have a national or international man-made organization.
12. The mission of the church is three-fold. Its work is to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15-16). It is to help those in need (Galatians 6; James 2). It is to edify (build up) the members (Hebrews 2:12-14).
13. Each Christian must live a faithful Christian life.We cannot love the world (1 John 2:15; James 4:4). We must produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Only the faithful will receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. True False Peter is the head of the church.
2. True False The church had its beginning in Jerusalem.
3. True False To enter the church a person must believe, repent, confess and be baptized.
4. True False Christians are commanded to assemble on Saturday for worship.
5. True False The doctrine (teaching) of the church is based on the Bible and man-made creeds.
Choose the correct answer.
1. Members of Christ's church are called
2. Who is the head of the church?
3. Which one of the following have we NOT been commanded to do in worship to God?
4. The organization of the church must be according to
5. The doctrine (teaching) of the church is based on
