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The bible reveals the church as it existed in the past, but what does it say about its present and its future? I’m glad we have a few minutes today to study one of the greatest themes in the history of mankind: the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we conclude a series on the church that Jesus established when He left earth for glory, two-thousand years ago.
So far, we’ve spent much of our time looking at the historical picture of the church. But today, we want to look ahead. It’s one thing to look at the New Testament and see the church as it existed then but two-thousand years have passed and there is a lot of theological water under the bridge, so to speak. What of the church today and looking toward the future? Should we concern ourselves with patterning ourselves today after the church so long ago? Is that church still relevant in this modern age? Or should we expect the church to evolve through time and its practices and even its message reflect the present culture as opposed to the picture we find in the New Testament?
Some predict the ancient church cannot exist in a modern world; that if it does not evolve and change, it will die. They contend that restoring the ancient order is not only misguided but futile. Was that Christ’s vision for His church? Jesus said nothing (not even death) would prevent Him from building His church in Matthew 16:18, but what are its prospects for the future, however long that may be?
In the 12th chapter of Hebrews, the inspired writer speaks of a time of great upheaval and transition coming in these Jewish Christians’ lives. He is urging them to remain faithful to Jesus; not to leave Christianity and return to the sacrifices of the Jewish temple. Some were tempted to do so because from their vantage point, the future looked bleak for the church of Christ. Persecution and opposition were closing in and they could very well lose their lives because of they followed Jesus and were numbered among His church. But the Hebrew writer says this in chapter 12, beginning in verse 23 and reading through verse 28: “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO HEAVEN.” Now this, “YET ONCE MORE,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
To put it simply, the temporal city of Jerusalem and the temple within it (including its ordinances and sacrifices) would soon pass away with the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, but Christ and His kingdom would remain unshaken. He says, we have received a KINGDOM which cannot be moved. The church may be threatened by different forces throughout time, but its future is sure. The church is a bedrock and a constant in this shifting and changing world. And today, as we conclude our series on The New Testament Church, I want to make some observations about the FUTURE OF THE CHURCH.
When Jesus said, “Upon this rock, I will build my church”, perhaps his disciples did not understand the real impact of what Jesus would build. And maybe that’s because they didn’t yet really understand the “rock” that the church would be built upon. That rock was Jesus, the Christ. And just as death would not hold him prisoner in Joseph’s tomb… but He would burst forth from that cold and musty grave to live forevermore… truly – death – or the gates of Hades – would not prevail over Him. Even death would not keep Him from doing as He said and building His church. Little did His band of bewildered disciples know at that time the impact that Jesus Christ would have upon the history and future of the world. Little did they then comprehend that they would be the foundation of a movement that would literally sweep the earth and transform it.
When the prophet Daniel prophesied to King Nebuchadnezzar of the establishment of the church in Daniel 2:44, he said: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” No other kingdom would overtake it nor destroy it. No power on earth nor hell beneath would bring it to ruin. It would stand and it WILL stand as long as time remains. When you consider the fierce and vicious assault that was unleashed against it from its very inception, it’s remarkable that it survived. But it did. Not only the world without but forces from within have tried to lead it astray through false teaching, human doctrine and tradition, and apostasy. Men have tried to improve upon it and dress it up to be more accommodating and palatable with the world around it and all of this has led to the confusing, disillusioning, and discouraging state that the community that calls itself the church finds itself in today. But my friend, I want you to know the truth still exists – the truth has not changed – and the church can still know that truth and follow it – and it must if we want to be the Lord’s church. You can be a member of the same church revealed in the New Testament and so can I. That church still means to Christ what it did when He established it. It is His bride. He is still the Savior of it. AND He is still the HEAD of it. The true church is still loyal and subject to the will of Christ.
Many are led to believe today that church is waning. That it is quickly fading and will soon vanish. We’re told there’s really nothing to the archaic and outdated precepts of New Testament Christianity. And that if we want the church to have any place in a modern world, we must learn to row with the current and assimilate to the prevailing voices of the majority. Thousands of years have passed, history has unfolded, and we are where we are, and we should just accept the present reality and move forward from there. Therefore, many, at the very least scoff and even oppose the idea of restoring the ancient order and insisting that we do bible things in bible ways. Some tell us that the New Testament church was never intended to be a pattern or model for the church in future generations. They believe that the church was supposed to evolve and change, and it is silly to want to go back and model ourselves after something so ancient. Well, I believe that the picture of the church revealed in the New Testament scriptures is more than just historically interesting. It is there to serve as a paradigm for the church that is dedicated to following Christ today.
The church of the first century was under the direct oversight of Christ’s apostles. They instructed them in how to serve and worship God and they corrected them when they strayed from the truth. Those instructions and admonitions are for us today as well. For one thing, the bible tells us that the faith was delivered once and for all time to the first century saints. Jude said in Jude verse 3 “…I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” You see, the faith is not some progressive and ever evolving thing. It is the whole body of truth delivered to the church through the apostles to believe and to follow. Some believe in what is called apostolic succession. That is to say: there is a long and unbroken line of authority in the church that started with the apostles and has continued down through the generation until today. Therefore, the traditions that have developed over time bear the same weight in the church today as scripture. That’s not the case, though. Jude says “the faith” was “once for all” delivered to the saints.
Not only that, but the apostles also expected the church to maintain and keep the traditions they originally gave the church to follow. For example, Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:1-2, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.” First, Paul says there are traditions the church is to keep. Some translations say “ordinances”. There are ordinances or traditions the church is to maintain. Second, they are not just any traditions, they are the ordinances or traditions received from Paul, the apostle. Paul had taught them how to worship, how to organize the church, how to govern and conduct the work of the church. Remember that Paul told Timothy that he had written to Him as well that he might know “how to conduct yourself in the house of God…” (1 Timothy 3:15). Paul had instructed the church at Corinth as he did others and as the other apostles had instructed the churches they preached and wrote to. You see, Paul is saying that keeping the ordinances the apostles of Christ delivered to the church is not an option, it’s a command. God expects us to follow their teachings. Third, Paul said those traditions were to be followed AS he delivered them. They had no right to change them or to do them in whatever way they saw fit. Friend, that alone should tell us that the approved practices of the New Testament church serve as a pattern.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, he said, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” Here, by traditions, he simply means all of the things the apostles had taught them concerning the belief and practice of the Christian faith. 1 Corinthians 4:6 says: “…that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written…” The scriptures, in other words, furnish us with the only knowledge and pattern we need to follow Christ and please Him. And furthermore, the apostles intended that their teachings and instructions be passed down to generations beyond the one to whom they originally wrote. 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” You see the teachings of the apostles were intended to be preserved and passed along. And if we’re free to set aside some of the examples of the New Testament, why not all? And if we are no longer bound to follow the specific teachings of the apostles and the examples of the church under their direction, when did that change? At what point did God say, “alright, it doesn’t matter anymore. Do as you please.”?
Friend, either we follow the scriptures, or we don’t. And if we don’t follow the scriptures, what do we follow? And how far are we willing to follow it? It’s interesting that there are those who are lamenting the direction churches are going in some things but readily embrace change and innovation in others. Again, friend, either the church is to be governed by the words of Christ and the apostles or it isn’t. We can’t choose to be same as the church of the New Testament in some things but not others. And if we are not trying to be the church of the New Testament, what church are we trying to be?
I believe the plea to restore the ancient order and be what the New Testament church was in faith and in practice is not only possible, but also a worthy plea and it is a biblical plea. And the only that plea becomes more than a platitude is if the scriptures are our authority in what we preach and what we practice. We only practice those things for which we have scriptural authority. We speak as the bible speaks and we do bible things in bible ways. The bible hasn’t changed. We still have the record of the church in the New Testament. We don’t have to wonder about the things the scriptures reveal about the church; what it looked like, how it was structured, how it was organized and governed, how it worshipped, what it was called, what it preached, how to become a member of it, all those things are seen in the New Testament. My question is, why can’t we follow those examples and imitate those things? We can. It’s simply a matter of “will we?” It may not be popular. It may not be cutting edge and in keeping with the times. But friend, what is cutting edge today will be old hat tomorrow. Isn’t it better to let the scriptures be the only guide? The church does not depend upon your ingenuity or mine to keep it alive. The word of God will never pass away, Jesus said. And His church will endure through the ages of time, and it will be here when Christ Jesus returns for His bride. When the smoke of life’s conflict is cleared away, the church will be standing. When the earth and that is therein is burned with fire – the church will with Jesus to live in glory and triumph forever more.
Friend, would you like to be a member of the New Testament church? You can be. You don’t join it. You don’t sign up for it. You don’t name yourself part of it. You don’t ask some man or group of men to write your name on its roll. The Lord adds you to it when you become obedient to the gospel. That’s where this quest to restore the New Testament church in your own heart and life must begin. Contrary to what the majority says today, Acts 2:38 says “Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, FOR the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Verse 41 says “They that gladly received Peter’s word were baptized and the same day there were ADDED unto them some 3,000 souls.” Added unto who… unto what? Verse 47: “Praising God and having favor with all of the people. The Lord added unto the church daily such as should be saved.” Paul would say in 1 Corinthians 12:13; “For by one Spirit (that is led by the Spirit of God through the gospel He revealed – brought to faith and taught to do so by Him) are we all baptized into one body.” Colossians 1:18 says Christ’s body is His church. He says there is ONE BODY… the one He built – the one HE is head over – the one that follows His will and teachings – the one that worships Him in spirit and in truth. Are you a member of it?
Have you TRULY obeyed the gospel of Christ? You must believe His word (John 3:16), but that’s not all… faith that saves is faith that obeys. You must turn to Him in repentance from your sins… Luke 13:3 or else you’ll be lost. You must be willing to publicly identify with Him by confessing His name as the Son of God before others or else He’ll deny you (Matthew 10:32-33) and if those things be the case, then you’re ready to be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness or remission of your sins. And when you do that – the Lord, because of His grace and mercy will write your name in the book of life and you’ll be added to His glorious church. And you can identify with a local church that follows the New Testament in all matters of faith and practice and faithfully worship and serve Him until the day He comes for His bride and takes you home to live with Him in glory. If we can help you to seek the New Testament church which Jesus built so long ago, we’ll be so happy to assist you, including helping you to obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus and letting Him add you to His church.
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