Identifying the Church of the New Testament, Part 1

A. Is it possible to rediscover the church of the New Testament in today’s world? Many
sincere people have never considered that possibility. “Church is church and one church is
as good as another. After all, we all worship the same God in our own way, and that’s
all that matters.” But, is that, almost universal assumption, really true?
In 2001, the national news was dominated by the story of Shandra Levi’s affair with Congressman Gary Condit and her mysterious disappearance. Over and over again, her physical description was published. Photographs – her height, hair color, eye color, and
distinguishing characteristics. By virtue of that detailed description, there was hope that if
someone should see her, she could be identified and brought home to her worried family.
a. Every day in our lives we encounter occasions in which we have to identify certain
objects. We go to the mall and we return to the parking lot, we have to identify the
particular vehicle that belongs to us. If a mother gets separated from her child at the
mall she can provide an identifying description to enable the child to be found.
(A) The most important application of that principle is this: Is it essential that we be
able to identify the church of the New Testament? The one that God planned, and
the one that Jesus purchased by the shedding of his blood. Is it important that we
be able to identify that spiritual body? Yes! Can it be found in today’s world?
Many sincere religious people operate on the assumption that it really doesn’t make any difference what church one belongs to, so long as it is under the general umbrella of “Christendom.” But is that a valid premise upon which you can safely rest your soul?
(a) If the church is something important in the mind of God – and it is, the
Bible says, in Eph. 3:10-11, “It was a part of the divine plan from eternity.”
And because Christ shed his blood to purchase that church, as stated in
Acts 20:28. Then it is important enough to need appropriate identification.
One doesn’t just haphazardly run around picking a church as if playing the children’s game of pin the tail on the donkey. Rather, the conscientious person wants to know, intellectually and biblically: “What is the church of the Bible? Where is it? Am I a member of it, or am I not a member of it?”
Example: Suppose one is asked to identify a mammal. What is a mammal? Look in a scientific dictionary. Mammal is a creature characterized by certain physiological traits. It has hair. It is warm?blooded. Mammals nurse their young. The English word “mammal” derives from a Latin word, mamma, which is the term for breast, having to do with the suckling of the offspring.
A dog is a mammal. A dog has hair, is warm?blooded, and suckles its
young. A cat is a mammal. Human beings are mammals – according to
this definition a bird is not a mammal. A bird is warm?blooded, it does not
have hair, and it does not nurse its young. A caterpillar is not a mammal.
A caterpillar has hair, but does not nurse its young.
What’s the point of the analogy? There are many churches in our community which have some of the traits of the New Testament church. But just as a mammal is not a mammal unless it has all of the qualities that are mammalian, even so, a church is not the church of the Bible unless it consists of folks who have done precisely what God requires in becoming a Christian, as stated in the Bible.
(2) Moreover, to have Heaven’s sustained approval, a group of Christians must

attempt to conform to those particular qualities that characterized the church as it
functioned under the guiding hand of the inspired leaders of the first century.
(1) It is obvious that any desire to be a Christians will make us want to think very
seriously about this matter. I want you to look into your heart, look into your life,
look into your personal history, your experiences – and answer this question: “Am
I a member of Christ’s church? Or am I simply a member of a church?”
(1) First of all, I would raise this issue. When was the church of Christ
established? It was established 50 days after the death of Jesus. The
record of this is found in the book of Acts 2:1-42. The time is specifically
identified as the day of Pentecost. At that point in history, the power of the
Holy Spirit was poured out supernaturally upon the apostles.
(2) And for the very first time, in all of history, they began to proclaim the basic facts of the gospel message. And that message was threefold: 1) That Jesus had been crucified for the sins of humanity and He had been buried in a tomb. (2) That on the third day, he arose from that tomb. 3) forty days later He ascended back into heaven to be at the right hand of God.
The apostle Peter, stated a true fact, that those assembled in the city, the Jews, were responsible for having put Christ to death and, therefore, they were guilty of sin. He then said to them in Acts 2:38, Vs. 41.
(a) From that time on, in the book of Acts, we read that the church is in
existence. Prior to that time, all references to the church are in the
future tense. Jesus said in Matt. 16:18, “I will build my church.”
That was about six months before he died. But from Acts chapter 2 onward, the church is in existence.
(3) We conclude that the church was established at that time. The year is
approximately A.D. 30. The day was Sunday. They became the church
by obeying the gospel message. Those who attempt to become Christians
in any other fashion are not members of Christ’s spiritual body.
(1) Now, what about the church of which you are a member? Was your church established in the city of Rome, several centuries after the New Testament was completed? Was your church established in Germany in the 1500's or England, or somewhere in Europe in the 1600’s or 1700’s or in America? If so, it is not the church of the New Testament.
(2) The church of Jesus Christ traces its origin to the events recorded in Acts chapter 2 – twenty centuries ago.
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 04/28/2002 am