Recognizing the Church
Jesus promised to build only one church. Matthew 16:18, “and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Jesus shed His blood and died for only one church. Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it“, [Singular]. Christ only purchased one church with His blood, Acts 20:28, “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” And Christ is the head of and the savior of only one church. Ephesians 5:22-24, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” The body of Christ is the church. Since Christ only built, bled for, died for, rules and saves one church then doesn’t it make sense that we must be a part of that church and no other?
OK, so if I am not a follower of Christ and I want to be, then how do I find one? Or, am I trying to live for Christ and I want to know if the one I am associated with now is the church Jesus built, bled for, died for, rules and saves? How do I recognize it when I see it? What does it look like? Where can I find it? How do I join it? The purpose of this lesson is to help us and others who may not know, learn to determine what the Lord’s church is and how to determine if it is a genuine, authentic new testament church.
The short answer to this question is that it needs to look just like the church Jesus built, bled for, died for, rules and saves as it appears in the new testament. It makes perfect sense that if we are a member of the new testament church that worshiped, lived, taught and believed as it appears in the scripture then we will be in the church that Jesus built, bled for, died for, rules and saves. In short, a church that looks and acts just like the church of the new testament must be the church of the new testament. A church which looks and acts just like the church that Jesus built, bled for, died for, rules and saves must be the church of Jesus Christ.
Not only does this make perfect sense, it is also a Biblical way of approaching this. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13-14 Paul wrote, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.” The church in Thessalonica patterned itself after the churches in Judea and Paul was thankful for that and he praised them for it. The application for us is that we can do the same thing by examining the church of the new testament and using it, we can imitate it in the same fashion and know beyond any doubt whatsoever that we are in the church Jesus built, bled for, died for, rules and saves.
What is the New Testament church?
The Bible was written in a language known today as Koine Greek. In the first century, this was the language of the common man on the street in this period of history. The Greek word for ‘church’ is pronounced ‘Ekklesia’. This word has two distinct meanings depending on the context in which it is used. The word ‘Ekklesia’ does not automatically have a religious association at all. This word is used to describe a mob of people who were upset with Paul’s teachings in Acts 19, verses 32, 39 and 41. In this context, the word Ekklesia is translated as an assembly in KJV. Therefore the word carries the meaning of an assembly of people in some contexts. It can mean as assembly of Christians or just a general assembly of people for any given reason. In Romans 16:16 we have an example of this word being used to represent individual assemblies of Christians. “…The churches of Christ greet you” (NKJV).
This word is also used in scripture to represent the one universal body of Christ. In Colossians 1:24, Paul wrote, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body [singular], which is the church [Ekklesia]” There is only one body of Christ, or church [Ekklesia] and individual assemblies of the one church are also called churches [Ekklesia]. The context is used to determine which meaning of the word applies.
This teaches us that the church is a people and not a physical thing. The word Ekklesia was never used to describe anything physical in the new testament. The church is not a building, it’s not a temple, it’s not a place or a location. An Ekklesia is a group or assembly of people regardless of whether it was for a religious purpose or not. The church is not the building, rather it’s the assembly of people within. We are the assembly therefore we are the church.
How did the New Testament church Worship?
One can tell a lot by how a church worships. The worship period is when the local body has assembled to offer worship to God. Regarding worship, Jesus said in Matthew 15:9, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” From this we learn that it is possible to worship God in a manner which is vain or worthless. In Colossians 2:22-23, Paul wrote, “Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” The NKJV translated “will worship” as “self imposed” worship. Paul connects this with the commandments and doctrines of men in V22 and he he said all who did such things were going to perish. Jesus said it was vain. So “vain worship” and “will worship” or “self imposed worship” according to the commandments and doctrine of men are no only vain, it is condemned. So if one is worshipping God in such a manner that cannot be observed in scripture then it had to come from the mind of men and therefore results in that worship being rejected by God.
Scripture mentions the kind of worship that is acceptable to God. Jesus declared in John 4:23-24, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” So we have vain worshipper and we have well worshippers who worship according to the commandments and doctrine of men. And on the other side of the fence, we have true worshippers who worship in Spirit, meaning from the heart, and in truth, meaning in accordance or agreement with God’s word. God’s word is truth, (John 17:17). So we know that the new testament church was required to worship in spirit and in truth. So with that said, let’s have a look at how they worshipped when they assembled.
The new testament church met on the first day of every week
We know from scripture that the new testament church assembled to offer organized worship to God. Paul gave explicit instructions for them to follow in numerous places such as 1 Corinthians chapters 11 through 14. These chapters are devoted wholly to the conduct of Christians in the assembly. James made reference to conduct in these assemblies in chapter 2:2-3. In Philemon we learn that the church assembled in his house. In Colossians 4:14 we read of another church that assembled in someone’s home so we know that the church gathered into local assemblies on a regular basis.
Acts 20 verse seven teaches us this this regular assembly took place on the first day of the week; “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together..” In 1 Corinthians 16:2-3 Paul wrote, “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” In the original language it really means the “the first day of every week”. The Greek word “Kata” is in the original language it means “every” The NASB translates this verse correctly, “On the first day of every week“. So we know that the new testament church assembled on the first day of every week to offer worship to God. And we know from 1 Thessalonians 2:14 that we can imitate this practice today and be sure that we are assembling in accordance with God’s will.
The new testament Christians prayed to God in their assemblies
The new testament Christians prayed at all times, both good and bad, (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). Prayer is requested by Paul on his own behalf on several occasions, and he prayed for his brethren always. We are told to “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Paul desired that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). 1 Timothy 2:8 is an example of instructions on prayer in the assembly, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting”. So we know from these verses that prayer was a part of the first day of the week assemblies of the new testament church. And we know from 1 Thessalonians 2:14 that we can imitate this practice today and be sure that we are worshipping in accordance with God’s will.
The new testament Christians sang praises to God in their assemblies
Christians were given explicit instructions to sing in the assembly in Hebrews 2:12, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You“. Paul gave instructions to the Ephesians and the Colossians regarding their singing, Ephesians 5:19, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” and in Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Verse 17 goes on to say , “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” The scriptures never ever said to play anything during new testament worship. And Paul went on to say right after he commanded singing that whatsoever we do should be backed up by the authority of Jesus. The scriptures never authorize manmade musical instruments in worship and secular history proves that they were never used for centuries after the new testament church was established. We also know from scripture that is forbidden to go beyond what is written in 1 Corinthians 4:6 and 2 John 9. With all this in mind, we know that if we simply sing in our worship to God, we are absolutely assured of our worship being both in spirit and in truth. Let’s keep in mind that Jesus said our worship MUST be in spirit and in truth. We must be sure on this. Adding manmade musical instruments is a violation of God’s word to refrain from going beyond what is written.
The new testament church sang and we know from 1 Thessalonians 2:14 that we can imitate this practice today and be sure that we are worshipping in accordance with God’s will.
The new testament Christians partook of the Lord’s supper every first day of the week
The Lord’s supper is the memorial Christ established to commemorate his death. Matthew 26:26-29, “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” New Testament Christians assembled every first day of the week to remember this and to “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 gives instructions regarding the observance of that feast in the assembly, and Acts 20:7 sets the time of its observance to be the first day of the week. Acts 20:7, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”
The new testament Church had preaching in their assemblies
One of the primary purposes of assembly is to edify the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ“. Paul came to Troas, and in the assembly, “spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” (Acts 20:7). Preaching is an important part of the worship.
The new testament church had preaching in their Lord’s day assemblies and we know from 1 Thessalonians 2:14 that we can imitate this practice today and be sure that we are worshipping in accordance with God’s will.
The new testament Christians gave of their means on the first day of every week
Paul established the first day of the week contribution as something Christians “must do” 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper so that there will be no collecting when I come.”
Christians are instructed to “give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Giving is a rewarding and necessary part of Christian worship. The new testament church gave in their Lord’s day assemblies and we know from 1 Thessalonians 2:14 that we can imitate this practice today and be sure that we are worshipping in accordance with God’s will.
That is all we are authorized to do in scripture in the Lord’s day assemblies that pertains to worship. Anything more than this is a violation of the commands not to exceed what is written and add to the word of God. Anything more than this had to come from the mind of man and is a commandment and doctrine of men. Anything less is a violation of the command not to leave anything out. By doing these five things and only these five things in worship we can be sure that we have fully obeyed all of what God’s will is on the worship we offer. We need to remember that God is the object of our worship. It is directed towards Him and He directs how it is to be done.
The new testament Christians did not worship in temples
Many people today think God must be worshipped in a large magnificent building. That is not how new testament Christians often worshipped. Sometimes then met in homes sometimes, they met in other places. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” In Acts 17:23-25, “Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything” God says He does not dwell in manmade temples nor is He worshipped in or with things made by men’s hands. We can worship God anywhere we want as long as we do it in spirit and in truth. We can gather in a home and with nothing more than our hearts, voices and the word of God offer acceptable worship to God and be sure that He is pleased with it.
The new testament church taught and practiced the Biblical way of salvation.
Following the principle of not adding anything to or taking anything away from scripture we can know how new testament Christians were saved. New testament Christians were required to believe in Christ.
The new testament church taught and practiced that we must believe in Christ
John 3:16-19, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
But it doesn’t stop there. If we stop there, we have left something out of the word of God. We can’t do that if we want to be sure of our salvation.
The new testament church believed and practiced that Christians must confess Jesus Christ before men
Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Paul wrote in Romans 10:9-11, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Paul says right there that confessing Jesus is a part of one’s salvation.
The new testament church baptized believers for the remission of sins
Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” After Paul was confronted on the road to Damascus, Ananias told him in Acts 22:16, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
The new testament church believed that baptism placed the believer “into Jesus Christ”
Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Romans 6:3-4, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
The new testament church believed that baptism was essential to salvation
Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” 1 Peter 3:21, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”
The new testament church believed that members were added to the church by God
Acts 2:47, “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” No one votes on church membership. Anyone who is saved is a member of the church by the operation of God. Man has nothing to do with it.
The new testament church believed that one had to remain faithful until death to be saved
Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved“. Revelation 2:10, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
In part 1 of this lesson we saw how scripture teaches us that we can be sure of our salvation. We can know beyond any doubt that we have God. We can have that confidence through knowing the word of God and being obedient to it. We must be obedient to the gospel. Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”
Eternity is a long time. We only get one chance to get it right. When we pass from this existence, all that will matter then is whether or not we lived in accordance to God’s will. The stakes are high, the rewards or punishments are for ever. We must be sure. And John made it crystal clear in 1 John 2:3-5 that our assurance comes from obedience to His commands: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”
In conclusion, let’s look at a verse we read earlier and let’s make an application to it.
1 Thessalonians 2:14, “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.” We can do the same thing and be sure that we are right with God. That’s how they did it in Thessalonica and we can do it today. If we study the new testament church and believe what it believed, teach what it taught, practice what it practiced and be what it was, then we can be sure that we are part of the one body of Christ. The one church that Jesus established, bled for, died for, rules and saves.
We can be sure. We must be sure. And the Bible tells us exactly how to do it.