How To Establish Religious Authority #4
Last week, In this series of lessons on How To EstablishReligious
Authority we discussed one of the concepts, or methods of
reasoning, that people use to justify what they do in religion.
And because they do not understand the Biblical concept of religious
authority. Many believe you can govern all things by the concept
of democracy. And that includes governing of Christs Church.
Democracy is a system by which the voice of the people is expressed.
It is a majority rule by which we decide our needs and how they
will be met.
1. Most people want to carry this concept over into the religious
world and say, In religious matters, we ought to have the
right to take a vote to decide what we will believe and what we
will practice, and God will put His stamp of approval on whatever
we decide to do. We saw how the Baptist churches do it as
we read their procedure from The Standard Manual for Baptist
Churches by Edward Hiscox. Another great idea from the pages
of the human mind. There is only one thing wrong with it. It will
not work. Why? The church is not a democracy. The Church is a
Theocratic Kingdom. It has over it, a sovereign ruler named Jesus
Christ who is its King, its only King, and He is God.
Jesus never said you and I could vote people in to His Church.
a. Jesus told the apostles that He would build His Church, Matt.
16:18. He then told them they
would receive specific instructions about how to build that church.
In Jno. 16:12-15. Jesus sent
the Holy Spirit to the apostles to guide them into all religious
and spiritual truth. Mk. 13:10?11, The gospel must first
be preached to all nations. (Thats the great commission
we read about in
Matt. 28:18-20.) Whenever you are arrested and brought to
trial, do not worry beforehand about
what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it
is not you speaking, but the Holy
Spirit. Do you know what that is? Its inspiration.
God spoke to mankind by the Holy Spirit
speaking directly to the apostles, and New Testament prophets,
telling them what to say when
they went through-out the world preaching the Gospel and establishing
the Church.
(1) What was the purpose of this inspired teaching? To teach people
how to become Christians (Members of Christs Church). Religious
authority was established by the Holy Spirit who told the apostles
what to teach people so they could get into fellowship with God.
He was telling the lost world how to come to God and how to worship
Him in spirit and in truth. Immediately after His resurrection
Jesus gathered the apostles and gave them the first instructions
about how to build His church, Matt. 28:18-20. (It is a Theocratic
Kingdom in which He is sole authority)
(2) Just before His ascension back into heaven, Lk. 24:45?49.
What had He promised? The Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is
the one who would, ...guide them into all truth.
(1) Acts 2:1-47. That day, at that place, the Church of Jesus
Christ was established by
the preaching of the Gospel message and the apostles began to
guide the people who
entered the church into the all truth that was the authority (Inspired
teaching) that
told people how to get into Christs New Testament Church
and how it was to be
governed.
(a) On that day the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit
to teach all the world
how to become Christians and how to enter the kingdom of Jesus.
Vs. 4.
(1) Why would the Church devote themselves to the apostles doctrine?
Because It was Christs authoritative doctrine given by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit to the apostles. It would have been rebellion,
insurrection, mutiny, treasonous to reject, change, replace, or
ignore any part of the Holy Spirits inspired doctrine for
the church.
(2) 1 Jno. 2:1. Why is John writing? To teach us how to live as
Christians who are not condemned by sin. How is John teaching
us to live without sin? By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
1 Jno. 5:13. What is John telling us? Telling us to be strong
and full of courage because we have eternal life. How is John
telling us that? By being inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal
that truth to every Christian.
(1) Thats the same message Paul give us in 2 Tim. 3:16?17.
You dont need anything except the inspired word of God.
(2) We are not to change it, add to it, remove from it. The Holy
Spirit tells through the pen of the apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 4:6.
Why? Because we have written what has been given to us by the
Holy Spirit of God. 2 Peter 1:10?11, Brethren, be very sure
to make your call and election sure, (Dont loose your salvation.)
for if you do these things you will never stumble (Do what things?
The things I have taught you by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.)
Vs. 11, So an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly
into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(3) Then he says, in, Vs. 12-15. I taught you the truth of Gods
Word that will enable you to be saved. Im going to die soon
and I wont be able to able to keep you from going astray.
So Im writing down what the Spirit has told me so after
Im gone you will have a written record of how to worship
God in Spirit and in truth. If you have a question you will have
the answer in black and white. You can check it out.
(1) Guess what? The New Testament is the Holy Spirit inspired
written manual for Christs Church in all generations. Vs.
16-21. The apostles and New Testament prophets were moved by the
Holy Spirit to write what we have in this book we call the New
Testament.
(2) God has providentially, and supernaturally preserved it so
that every person in every generation who wants to find God can
do so. They can find God and they can know how to worship Him
in Spirit and Truth.
(3) You can read it, hear it, believe it, obey it and be saved.
You can the joy and confidence of knowing you have eternal life.
Thats why I encourage you after each lesson with these words
from this Holy Spirit inspired book in Acts 20:32.
Spur - 03/02/03 am
|