#01 – The Church And The Churches

“I Will Build My Church”

(Matthew 16:18)

    Our New Series is entitled "The Church And The Churches." Jesus the Son of God said that he would build his church and furthermore, the gates of hell (hades) would not prevail against it. What the Son of God said he was going to do, he did do, for all power (authority) in Heaven and on earth was given him by God the Father.

      A simple fact or two accepted at this point will be the basis for much understanding for later truths necessary for unity among brethren and an effective propagation of the Gospel.

      First, most of us understand the role of the owner, architect, engineer and actual builder’s roles in the construction of any material building of any size and importance. As a young man I was employed by a contractor / builder who worked in one category of construction. We were not the owner, architect, engineer and only a sub-contractor responsible for only one part of the structure. When we were asked to bid on a projected structure we were given – note – “plans and specs” (specifications) – of the structure to be built.

Jesus’ church is unique among all things built that will ever be built. He and He alone is owner, architect/designer, engineer/safety and quality control, and, the actual builder. While some of these terms are not in the Scriptures, please acquiesce for now so that we may emphasize the absolute authority and control of the ekklesia that He said He was going to build.

      Jesus’ ekklesia is material only as it consists of flesh and blood humans as they are now able to be taught, recognize the presence of sin committed, and accept the power of the Gospel when heard and obeyed. It is spiritual in that it consists of the eternal souls / spirits of those that constitute the ekklesia (church) who will be with God through eternity. Even Jesus, the very son of Almighty God partook of “flesh and blood” for a short while. Hebrews records: “ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he (Jesus) also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil (Heb 2:14). But note: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1Co 15:50). John records Jesus speaking to the Father in prayer, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (17:3, nas95). (Study Luk 17:20,21; Rom 14:17; etc.) “Flesh and blood” was not given mankind for eternal life.

      The examples and metaphors chosen by the Holy Spirit are very meaning. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul states, “In this work, we work with God, and that means that you are a field under God’s cultivation, or, if you like, a house being built to his plan” (1Co 3:9). And again, “We know, for instance, that if our earthly dwelling were taken down, like a tent, we have a permanent house in Heaven, made, not by man, but by God” (2Co 5:1).

Eph 2:19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22 Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit” (NLT).

      Now you and I can build (begin, create, organize, establish) any kind of religious entity as countless thousands have done, put Christ’s name on a sign out front, but we cannot call its recognized membership “a church of Christ” and find such in the Scriptures. My judgment is that men will continue to do this more and more as we imitate the mighty Roman Catholic Church and others of similar structure. We concede that many of these groups may well (and hopefully) contain dedicated disciples of Christ, and of course the Lord – and not you or I – “knoweth those that His” (2Ti 2:19).

      Jesus said to Peter, “I (note Jesus saying that ‘he’) will build.” We accept the obvious fact that only Jesus could be the owner, architect, engineer and builder of his church. He said he was going to build “his” church and we dare not question his role in any of the above roles. He is the sum of all that makes his church a reality. Without Jesus there would be no church of Jesus the Christ, because there could not be. Without a Savior there would be no saved ones. Without the Holy Spirit there could be no spiritual body consisting of saved souls. (Study carefully Romans 8:1-9.) Being “his” church, we easily can conclude that there the honor lies, the authority exists, the recognition must identify, etc. It seems to me that we are going more and more into the honoring of congregational leaders, those that seek to control the sheep. It is astonishing to me the “honor, authority and recognition” that is given to local church officers (mostly pulpit preachers) while at the same time the Christ, the Holy Spirit and brotherhood of the family of God is too often denigrated.

      We can learn many valuable and relevant lessons from the preaching of the apostles in those early days. From Acts 4 we read:

1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. . . . 5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. . . .

Remember this list of the hierarchy of Israel at this time, those entrusted by God to teach the coming of the Messiah and the present preservation of His people.

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, . . . 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, . . . 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

      The esteemed scholar John Gill points out that “the priests, elders, and Scribes; who were fond of being called builders, but made miserable work of it; despising and rejecting the stone of Israel, and instead of him as a foundation, built themselves, and others, on the traditions of the elders, and their own righteousness:” Would it be too critical to suggest that men have built every imaginable religious institution (church?) and still the world is split up into innumerable groups (Churches?) with incredible “builders” and commercial-like organization! There is no doubt that Christ was rejected by them (the leaders), both in person and in doctrine, and was disgracefully treated, yet he was raised from the dead, and exalted at the right hand of God; and is now and will ever be the stone. Later Peter is to write,

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Note that these referenced are not the builder(s), but the stones of which Christ is using to build his house. As stones they are “acceptable to God,” but not as “builders.” They are the spiritual “stones” that have been and are being used to construct the house of God, being build by Jesus.

      Secondly, we need to comprehend, and accept, the supremacy of the spirit in the Lord’s ekklesia, the called of God. Body, soul and spirit, yes, but the spiritual part is dominant.

      We do remember in the selection of David as the new king of Israel Samuel states plainly,

“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1Sa 16:7).

Does any intelligent person think that the good Lord (Joh 5:22) is going to “look on the outward appearance” and not “on the heart” come final judgment day?

      I’ve often heard someone say that “there are too many hypocrites in the church.” I ask sincerely and not flippantly, “Are there really any hypocrites in the church that Jesus is building to carry with him at the endtime?? Can anyone be a “hypocrite” (phoney, fraudulent, deceitful, dishonest, etc.) and be among the collection of saints that will spend eternal life with the God of Heaven? Think! What does the Word say about such?

      Jesus said to Peter, “I (note Jesus saying that he) will build.” We accept the obvious fact that only Jesus could be the owner, architect, engineer and builder of his church. He said he was going to build “his” church and we dare not question his role in any of the above roles. He is the sum of all that makes his church a reality. Without Jesus there would be no church of Jesus the Christ, because there could not be. Without a Savior there would be no saved ones. Without the Holy Spirit there could be no spiritual body consisting of saved souls. (Study carefully Romans 8:1-9.) Being “his” church, we easily can conclude that there the honor lies, the authority exists, the recognition must identify, etc. It seems to me that we are going more and more into the honoring of congregational leaders, those that seek to control the sheep. It is astonishing to me the “honor, authority and recognition” that is given to local church officers (mostly pulpit preachers) while at the same time the Christ, the Holy Spirit and brotherhood of the family of God is diminished.

      Thirdly, all that anyone can know about that first collection (gathering, community) of baptized believers – all of Jesus’ church at that time – is based on the first century historical account recorded in Acts 2 and subsequent writings in other books by inspired writers. We will emphasize in our series the fact that Acts is inspired history, and therefore obviously accurate in every detail as far as the beginning of the building that Jesus had promised to build. I have heard all my adult life of “the law of first usage,” that is, when an author uses a word or phrase “early on” in his article, subsequent uses would naturally follow the same line of thought or use. The Record of Acts is heart and core of the beginning and early building of the church that Jesus said he was going to build. You can’t have one without the other!

      Question? Has the primary reasons for preaching the Gospel to sinful mankind changed since Pentecost? Has the anticipated and hoped-for responses to the preaching changed since then? Has the forgiveness of sins, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and the subsequent unity, love and fellowship of brethren, changed since then? If so, what changes are taught? A “brilliant” (very high IQ) sister in Christ once told me that “you would have us all riding camels!”

No, not at all. But I would have every disciple dedicated and obedient to Christ, and loving and sharing with brethren, and going everywhere preaching the Gospel as opportunity presented itself. And, negatively, learning the lesson that when you sin you must repent or perish. (Ananias & Sapphira)

      What was the heartset of those who became “pricked” after hearing Peter’s words? Was it not (1) a recognition that Jesus really was what he had claimed to be, i.e., the Christ and Son of God? The writer of Hebrews is later to write that “without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (11:6). Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees and others, while teaching in the Temple, “. . . for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (Jno 8:24). At that first encounter on Pentecost the apostle Peter convinced the large group gathered that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, Christ and Lord, they were guilty of sin in taking his life, and needed to repent. And, to indicate their belief and repentance from disbelief they needed to be baptized for the remission of their sin.

This is the most flagrant shortcoming in the preaching that I hear today. We have special events of all kinds, most often on “how to build up the church,” meaning mostly our congregation, and do not emphasize the most important aspects of all, the repentance (turning away from) of sins and the expression of faith in Jesus as Christ and Lord.

Concepts & Philosophies:

      The word “church” in our English language is possibly the most often spoken and written word in all religious communication, and this is saying a lot! Many significant words, but my guess is that the word church is spoken, discussed, written and preached about, more than any other word in the New Covenant Scriptures. My judgment of why it is so popular is simply that we – teachers and preachers and lazy disciples – have permitted church “builders” to twist and corrupt the original word spoken by Jesus, and historian Luke, until we will never fully understand it until and unless we go back and let the Scriptures be the only source of constitutional authority. (A careful analysis of the status of Jesus’ church today will easily prove that this is unlikely.)

      I am not a scholar, but a student, a learner. Jesus never called his people to be scholars, but learners. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls,” he told those who would listen (Mat 11:29). Most of the apostles were relatively unschooled “blue collar” men. Paul was an exception but even he, concerning debatable matters told the Corinthians, “. . . that by us (he and Apollos) you may learn not to esteem teachers above what has been written, that no one of you may, on account of one teacher, be puffed up against another” (1Co 4:6, LO). God’s evangelism plan? Paul to Timothy (2:2), “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Could there be a better one?

      There is an old saying, “You cannot teach what you do not know; you cannot lead where you cannot go.” James records, “Many of you, my brothers, should avoid becoming teachers, because you know that we teachers are going to be judged with stricter judgment than other people” (Jam 3:1, Wms). So, are we being told that we should teach others or that we should not teach? The apostle Peter wrote to the “strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,” “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1Pe 1:1,2, 3:15). I cannot believe that a disciple of Christ would not teach any alien sinner what that sinner needed to know, any time, any place, and under any circumstances, if he had the opportunity. How could a disciple of Christ not do this??? The conflict arises when we (any disciple of Christ and child of God) will not go to the inspired Word and teach the Word (Gospel) but presume to teach our version of the Word and the merits of the new saint having to “join our church!” I judge this last charge to be one of the (if not the main one) main reasons we have not converted more of the world to Christ.

      All of us today have unbelievable resources that most of those in previous generations did not have. It would be inexcusable for any of us today, who speak with conviction, to not have our convictions well documented. We are in the “computer age,” and the search engines available make possible information that many of our parents, teachers and congregational leaders never dreamed of. It is a matter of whether we will use the truths of Jesus taught the apostles, and the apostles’ demonstrations of these teachings as the building of His church began on Pentecost, or, continue to accept many of the evolved ideas that many present-day church builders are “planting” all over the world. I am convinced that too too many of the present day “church builders” of Jesus’ church seem to be more interested in re-writing the Scriptures to accommodate and validate their own church “buildings” than to build according to the plan of Jesus.

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