Identifying The Church of the New Testament, Part 2

A. Last week we saw that the church was a part of God’s eternal purpose Eph. 3:10-11,
and Acts 20:28, said, Christ purchased the church with His own blood and stamped it with His
identity. Therefore we are to be able to identify Christ’s church and distinguish it from all
other churches and religious organizations on earth.
1. If I am going to be a member of Christ’s Church I must know how to identify it. Otherwise, I might mistakenly become a part of a church that might claim to be Christ’s church but really is different from the one Christ established.
a. Did you know that the Church Christ established has a specific organizational
pattern? Do you know what that organizational pattern is? That pattern is simple
and we are going to look at it this morning. It’s not hard to find. You can read about it in
the New Testament.
(A) First, Christ is the head of the church. Col. 1:18, says, Jesus is, “...the head of
the body, the church.” That means the church of the New Testament had no
earthly head. Jesus gave was no person, on earth, the power to be the
governing authority to rule over the church. Eph. 1:22-23, says, Jesus is the
only head of the church, listen to what it says, “And He (God) put all things under
His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is
His body, (It’s Christ’s body) the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
(1) Second, In New Testament times, within each local congregation, there
were men known as elders. They were also called shepherds, pastors
(feed), or bishops (overseer, looks after the affairs of another). You can read
about them in Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9. They were men
who met certain important and necessary qualifications. Their purpose was to
be shepherds to the congregation.
(1) The duty of a shepherd is an important work. He tends God’s flock which is a local congregation. A shepherd is not a boss. He is a servant of the sheep. He feeds the flock spiritually and if a sheep becomes spiritually weak or ill, he takes the word of God and love and nurses that spiritually sick back to spiritual health.
(2) When ravenous wolfs attack the flock of God, the work, duty of the shepherd is to fight that wolf and keep him from spiritually destroying the sheep with false doctrine. The shepherd does not run, he does not hide, he does not stand by and do nothing. He attacks the wolf with all his might, he stands firm and he will give his own life protecting the sheep.
(3) Work of an elder is not a political position, power position in the church. It is not the work of bossing people in a congregation. It’s not his congregation it’s the Lord’s and if he abuses that responsibility in any way he will answer in the judgment day. Jesus explained it this way in Matt. 20:24?28. Jesus told the apostles, (they held the highest possession held by man in the church) that they were not bosses, but servants. Their work is to fulfill the needs of the flock.
(2) There was no such thing, in the first century, as a bishop who presided over several
congregations. No such officer, in the first century, as a cardinal over churches of
various nations. There was no such creature, in Bible times, as a Pope who ruled all the church on earth.

(1) There was only one congregation in a locality who had a plurality (more than one) who GUIDED) the congregation in spiritual matters and matters of human judgment. They were called elders, shepherds, overseers. They were older, wiser men grounded in the truth of God’s word. they did the work of shepherds whom people chose to look after their spiritual welfare. They were charged with the oversight of that congregation’s spiritual welfare.
(1) The congregation was to follow their leadership Heb. 13:17, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
(2) The word translated as Rule is “egemoai” it is a verb that means to “lead, guide.” It defines the work of a shepherd. Shepherds are to lead and sheep are to follow. The Bible never uses the word “Kurios” a noun that describes an elder as “one who exercises power.” Never uses the noun “despotes” a despot one who exercises ownership like power.
(3) Elders who drive sheep with absolute power, authority scatter the flock and will give an account to the owner of the flock. The work of elders is always defined in the Verb form showing what they do. They tend sheep. Never in the Noun form to define Who they are. An elder’s work is not Who he is, but in What he is. He is a Servant! A servant is on his knees serving the sheep who belong to his Lord. The elder is a servant and that is the farthest thing from being a Master, Ruler, Boss.
(2) Does your church have a single pastor with a board of deacons that governs the local congregation? Isn’t that a fair and honest question? The Lord established His church and established with it His own plan of organization and functionality. That makes it a divine plan which we cannot ignore.
(1) Isn’t it important that we honor him by following His plan of organization?
(2) Ask the question again. Is the church, where you worship, organized
after the Bible pattern. Is your church ruled by a board of deacons or
by a single “bishop” who exercises authority over several congregations?
(3) Read the Bible, it will tell you, There is a fundamental flaw in that system.
(4) Acts 20:32,

Spur - 05/05/2002 am