Identifying The Church of the New Testament, Part 3

A. In the past weeks we have seen the New Testament Church can be identified. It exists and it can be found. That’s true because Jesus told His disciples that He would establish His Church. That Church began on Sunday which was the day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2.
1. We learned last week that the Church was part of God’s eternal purpose in saving mankind.
a. The church has a specific organizational pattern. Christ is the Head and Christians
are individual members of that Body. The organizational pattern includes a group of
specially qualified men who are responsible for the care, protection and feeding of the local
congregation where they are members. They serve in that capacity only in the one
congregation where they are members. They are designated as older men of high
spiritual character who are charged with overseeing the spiritual growth of each individual
member. They are likened to shepherds who look after God’s flock.
Then there is the matter of worship. We worship the God who created us --- But, we don’t worship God in just any old way. God has stated that if you worship Him, it must be “In spirit and in truth,” Jno. 4:23-24. Study that more closely.
(1) There is a specific pattern of worship. Question? What is the worship
procedure, or pattern, in the church of which you are a member? A study of
the New Testament reveals that several different acts were engaged in whenever
the church met on the Lord’s day (The first day of every week) to worship God.
(a) Acts 20:7, tells us that New Testament Christians “...met together on the
first day of the week to break bread.” Matt. 26:26-29.
Paul gives instructions concerning this Covenant Meal in 1 Cor. 11:18-29. Those scriptures inform us that the first century Christians assembled themselves together on the first day of the week – Which is every Lord’s day. 1 Cor. 16:2, says, they came together on the first day of the week and they did that for the purpose of partaking of the communion Supper. The Lord’s Supper involved eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine. That’s the pattern Jesus established in Matt. 26, and it’s the pattern the apostles and New Testament Christians followed in Acts 20:7 and 1 Cor. 11, and 1 Cor. 16.
Does the church where you are a member meet each Lord’s day for the
purpose of honoring Christ by observing this covenant meal? Or are you
identified with a group that observes the Lord’s Supper quarterly, or semi-
annually, or even only yearly? I know of one does it on Thursday night.
If that’s the case, I must tell you with compassion and kindness, that just does not conform to the biblical pattern we just read about.
(2) When we come together, we pray according to the example of Jesus’ teaching Jesus taught his disciples to pray to God in Matt. 6:5-13. After his ascension back into heaven those disciples continued in this practice of speaking to God in prayer, Acts 2:42.
(1) Jesus never taught His disciples to pray to anyone other than God or to Himself. When we pray, it is to, “Our father who is in heaven...”
(2) We pray to God and we can also pray to Jesus and He will answer our prayers. Jno. 14:13?14, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

(3) We do not pray to Mary, the Mother of Jesus or to some saint who ain’t. Mary neither answers our prayers nor Mediates between us and God. The Bible plainly states, 1 Tim 2:5?6, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all.” Notice what that says. There is only one Mediator and that Mediator is a man and that man’s name is Jesus.
(1) That eliminates Mary on three counts. Number one, she is a woman and Number two, her name is not Jesus. Number three, she did not give herself as a ransom for our sins. Three strikes and you’re out.
(2) If your church offers prayers to those other than God or Jesus your prayers are not effective. Christ’s church prays only as He has instructed.
(4) Prayer is the most intimate and revealing aspect of a Christian’s life. Prayer reveals the depth of your faith and the reality of your commitment to God. How you pray and what you pray for declares the real you.
(1) The example of prayer is and the need for prayer was set by Jesus in Luke 5:16, that says, “Jesus often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”
(1) Prayer is not for trying to impress God with your greatness, holiness and how good you are and therefore God should be grateful for you. That was the situation expressed in Lk. 18:10?14.
(2) Using prayer as a means of soliciting other people’s praise and adoration is nothing short of worshiping yourself instead of God = Matt. 6:5-8.
(2) Having told us how to pray, Jesus and the inspired apostles tell us who and what we should be praying for: “Those who persecute you, Workers in the kingdom, That you not enter into temptation, Pray for forgiveness, Love may abound, Without ceasing, and for One another, For all people and those in governmental authority.” Matt 9:37?38; 26:41; Acts 8:22; 2 Cor. 13:7?9; Phip. 1:9; 1 Thess. 5:17; Jas. 5:16; 1 Tim. 2:1?2.
(1) Why is prayer important? God commanded it. Purpose? Col. 4:12, says, “It helps us stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
(2) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 05/12/2002 am