[an error occurred while processing this directive] Why I Am A Member of The Church of Christ:  Lesson 6 LESSON 6

Why I am a Member of the Church of Christ

"BECAUSE OF THE SCRIPTURAL TIME IT WAS FOUNDED"

by Bill Cantrell

Introduction
The Church was in the Eternal Purpose of God
Proofs to show Pentecost as the birthday of the Church
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION:

1. The Church of Christ you read about in the New Testament was established on the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

2. Any Church not founded on Pentecost could not be the Church Jesus built.

3. The time element is one way to determine whether a Church is a true Church or counterfeit.

4. Thus far we have seen that identifying the New Testament requires recognizing that:

A. It was built by Christ.

B. It was built upon the deity of Christ.

C. It was founded in Jerusalem.

5. In this lesson we will notice another mark by which it can be identified, the day of Pentecost as the time of it's establishment.

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I. THE CHURCH WAS IN THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD.

A. Eph 3:9   And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:  10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,  11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: (KJV)

*Note that the Church and it's making known the manifold wisdom of God was according to God's eternal purpose.

B. Salvation is in the Church.

Eph 5:23   For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. (KJV)

1. Salvation is according to God's eternal plan.

Eph 1:4    According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (KJV)

2Tim 1:9    Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (KJV)

2. Salvation is in the Church.

3. Thus: The Church is according to God's eternal plan.

C.      1. Christ died to purchase the Church. 

Acts 20:28    Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (KJV)

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (KJV)

2. His dying was according to God's plan.

Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (KJV)

3. Thus: The Church was according to God's eternal plan.

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II. PROOFS TO SHOW PENTECOST AS THE BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH.

A. The establishment of the Lord's house.

Isaiah 2:2   And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.   3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (KJV)

Which is the Church of God....

1Tim 3:15   But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (KJV)

Micah 4:1   But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.  2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (KJV)

1. The Prophecy:

a. It will be in the last days.

b. It will be in Jerusalem.

c. All nations will be admitted.

d. The teaching of his ways will occur.

2. The fulfillment:   Acts 2:

a. It will be in the last days.

Acts 2:17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out 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:  (KJV)

b. It will be in Jerusalem.

Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (KJV)

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: (KJV)

c. All nations will be admitted.

Acts 2:5   And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (KJV)

Acts 2:39   For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (KJV)

d. The teaching of his ways.

Acts 2:14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:  15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.  16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;   17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out 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:  18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:  19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:   20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:  21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:  23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:        24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.  25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:       26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:  27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  28 Thou hast made known to me the  ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.   29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.     32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.    34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,  35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.   36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (KJV)

B.   1. The kingdom would begin when the law went forth from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.    3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (KJV)

2. The law went forth from Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.  (Acts 2:14-36)

3. Therefore, the kingdom began on Pentecost.

C.       1. The kingdom was to come with power.

Mark 9:1   And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. (KJV)

2. The power was to come with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (KJV)

3. The Holy Ghost came on Pentecost.

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.   3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.   4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (KJV)

4. Thus: The kingdom came on Pentecost.

D.      1. Before the day of Pentecost the kingdom is spoken of as future.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (KJV)

Matt 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (KJV)

Luke 10:9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. (KJV)

Matt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye:   Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.   10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (KJV)

Matt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV)

Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. (KJV)

Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. (KJV)

Luke 19:11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. (KJV)

Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (KJV)

2. After Acts chapter two the Church is always spoken of as being in existence.

Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.   (KJV)

Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.  (KJV)

Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death.   And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. (KJV)

Acts 11:22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas,   that he should go as far as Antioch.  (KJV)

Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (KJV)

Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. (KJV)

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (KJV)

Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (KJV)

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CONCLUSION:

1. The Church of the New Testament was established on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A. Any Church built before Pentecost was built too early.

B. Any Church built after Pentecost was built too late.

2. To properly identify the New Testament Church one must recognize the time of it's beginning.


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