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 Christ’s 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 it’s King, it’s 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. (That’s 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? It’s 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 Christ’s 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 Christ’s 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 Christ’s 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 Spirit’s 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) That’s the same message Paul give us in 2 Tim. 3:16?17. You don’t 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, (Don’t 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 God’s Word that will enable you to be saved. I’m going to die soon and I won’t be able to able to keep you from going astray. So I’m writing down what the Spirit has told me so after I’m 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 Christ’s 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. That’s 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