A Biblical New Testament Church

A Biblical New Testament Church:??

Text:?I Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou mightest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living god, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Introduction:

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said: …I will build my church. The word for church is?ekklesia, or a called-out assembly. It is a group of people called out or called apart. It is not a building. It is not a governmental or ecclesiastical organization, but a group of believers called apart to carry out the great commission, which includes presenting the gospel for salvation to others and discipleship, building the believers into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.?

Notice that the church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. He had asked his disciples who men said that he was. They answered: Some John the Baptist, some Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked the disciples who they said that He was, and Peter stated that He was the Messiah (the Christ), the Son of the living God. Jesus stated that the church would be built on this rock (Jesus Himself is the rock (Petrus is a small stone; Petra is a feminine noun referring to a great rock). He is the foundation and the head of the church.

Note that Jesus Himself promised to build the church – not the disciples, or any man. This is a promise of God the Son, who has all authority and power. We are to work under His direction, but He builds. He will build HIS church. It is not our church, but HIS.

When did the church begin? There are a number of different ideas about when the church actually began. One of the most popular is that it began at Pentecost. However, we see that the church is mentioned in Matthew 18:15-17 in the framework of church discipline. It is mentioned in such a way that it appears to be already existing. So others, including our Pastor Clarence Sexton, conclude that the church began with Jesus and His disciples, and was empowered at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit manifested His power in a new way.

A saved membership:

Notice what happened after Peter preached his sermon on Pentecost.?Acts 2:41-42 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.?Notice that those who believed the gospel were baptized directly and added to the church.?

Later, baptism was considered a rite which was a saving sacrament. Soon infants were being “baptized” so that they would be saved. Many individuals never believed, and the church became filled with a “mixed multitude” with large numbers of unbelievers. The lives of unbelievers weakened the testimony of the church, and the true doctrine of faith was diluted by the acceptance of false teachings.?

When Paul was saved, he professed Christ and was baptized. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the group of believers. They were terrified that he was still a persecutor, but Barnabas testified to his changed life. We too should join a Bible-believing church, and our lifestyle should be such that it glorifies Christ. The local church has the authority to baptize believers. Notice this command of Jesus before leaving the earth. I believe that this authority and responsibility to baptize is given to the church, and not confined to the disciples.?Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The New Testament Church has Christ as the head:

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead: that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.?The head is Jesus Christ Himself. At the time of Colossians, Jesus had already ascended into heaven where he is today. Even though he is not physically present, he is the head. No man or man-made organization has been entrusted with the church. No pope, no bishop, no denomination, no ecclesiastical authority, and no state or king is the head of the church. Jesus Christ is the head. The entire scripture points to him. He has authenticated scripture by his word and his life. We find men adding traditions to scripture, and also watering down or adulterating the commands of God. Jesus never does this. And HE is the head.?

The New Testament Church is the pillar and ground of the truth:

Pilate asked Jesus: What is truth? Since that time, many have asked the same question. The world’s ideas of truth are constantly changing. In today’s post-modern world, the world system really denies ultimate truth. Jude recognized that we need an anchor and wrote his book contending for the truth:?Jude 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 (idea is – once for all delivered…) delivered to the saints.

Our Pastor, Clarence Sexton, has said that the one place that God wants the truth to be proclaimed especially is in the church, which is the pillar and ground of the truth. What is especially sad is the way that many today change the teaching of God’s Word to accommodate popular thinking. If we cannot hear the truth of God’s Word in the church, then where will we hear it?

The New Testament Churches were Independent:

Although the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to help at Antioch, notice that Barnabas independently sought out Saul to help. Later, the leadership increased to five members, and while they were praying, the Holy Spirit separated out Saul and Barnabas. Then we find two statements. Saul and Barnabas were sent out by the Holy Spirit, and they were sent out by the church.??Which is true? Both are true statements. The Antioch church did not have to check with Jerusalem to see if they could start a missionary movement. So, each church is ultimately responsible to the Lord, not to a denomination or an ecclesiastical organization or state. The churches which were started by such missionaries as Paul were autonomous, self-governing, self-supporting and in many cases self-propagating.?

This is not to say that churches cannot come together voluntarily to work together to accomplish common goals. But the New Testament churches were not controlling other churches nor were they under the control of another church, a state, or an organization.

The New Testament Church is responsible for world evangelism:

World evangelism is not just the responsibility of a single individual. It is far too much for him. Nor is it the responsibility of an organization, even a mission organization. It is ultimately given to the church. We saw the example of the church of Antioch in particular, who developed a world vision. Each individual church has this responsibility and should do what it can to reach others for Christ. Each should focus on it immediate area (Jerusalem), and then extend further as it is able. The Holy Spirit, who is the agent for world evangelism, will guide each church and each individual to the appropriate area as each of us yields to his leadership. Again, the church in Antioch serves as a great example.

What about missionary boards? Missionary boards should work with the local churches. They can provide a concentration of specialized resources to help organize, train, and send missionaries to various countries. However, they are not the primary organization delegated by the Lord. The churches are. They should work with the churches. The mission boards can greatly enhance the effectiveness of churches as they work together as a team.

The New Testament church was pastor-led:

The church was to be led by a pastor, a shepherd of the sheep. It appears that words for bishop and elder basically refer to the same individual as the shepherd, but in his multiple roles. The elder speaks of godly wisdom which the Lord will give him as he seeks the Lord’s face. The bishop speaks of his ability to see a vision for the church ministry and oversee the direction of the church to move forward, and to solve problems as they arise. Each church needs a godly pastor who will feed the sheep the word of God, lead them where they must go, and protect them against the wiles of the devil. God will also raise up helpers (deacons) who assist and serve the church and the pastor, carrying some of the load for him.?