Quarterly Publication

Transcription

1 Quarterly Publication But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7) Volume 1 Number 4 Summer 2013

2 Contents Editorial.. 3 The One Church Selected Thoughts... 6 Must I Be Baptized To Be Saved?..7 1,586 Religions in America.. 8 Johnie Edwards Home and Family Which Church is Right? Andy Alexander 4202 North Garfield Avenue Loveland, CO (970) Evangelist/Editor richard@thetfordcountry.com Website: A friendly WELCOME Awaits You! SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday Bible Study...9:30 A.M. Morning Worship...10:30 A.M. Afternoon Worship...2:00 P.M. Evangelist I invite you to attend the services of the Poudre Valley church of Christ. You will be greeted in a very friendly manner because we sincerely care about your soul. We want you to come and learn what the Bible teaches concerning your salvation and living your life for God. Walking in the Light Quarterly Publication If you would like to receive this publication each quarter, please your name and address to richard@thetfordcountry.com and each quarterly edition will be mailed to you. 2 Walking in the Light Summer 2013

3 Editorial T his issue of Walking in the Light deals with an important question. Is one church just as good as another? There are numerous so called Christian denominations today, and the notion that one church is as good as another has given way to the contemptuous view that churches as a whole are unnecessary. In various denominational churches, the ecumenical movement is popular. Unity in diversity is the basic principle of ecumenism. According to this view, the various groups which profess Christianity are more alike than they are different, and since they have so much in common, they can have unity despite their disagreements. Many have long believed it does not matter which church one belongs to, as long as one is sincere. Popular evangelists advise people to join the church of your choice. The common view is: If one needs a church, any church will do. One is pretty much as good as another. Churches are like vitamin tablets in a bottle it matters that you take one, but it does not matter which one. When it comes to churches, they are interchangeable for all practical purposes. Using Common Sense Indifference is usually the forerunner of cynicism. When one (in the name of open-mindedness) gets too lazy to make up his mind about which side he is on, he often tries to flatter himself that he is above the fray altogether. Mark it down, the person who says, Any church will do, is likely to be a person who, deep down, thinks all churches are pretty much irrelevant to real life. If it does not matter what one believes, can it matter whether one believes at all? We should have the attitude of the Bereans in that they searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so (Acts 17:11). Overlooking a Basic Point Christ does not acknowledge just any church that professes Him. Churches that go beyond the doctrine of Christ forfeit the right to wear His name (2 John 9-11). If we ask whether one has to be a member of the church of Christ to be saved, we are probably missing a crucial point. The Lord s church is not the one correct denomination that one must find to be saved. The church of the Lord consists simply of Christians, those who have been added to the Lord (Acts 11:24; 2:47). The Lord s disciples are not members of any denomination. They cease to be the Lord s disciples if they attach themselves to any congregation or organization operating outside the boundaries of Christ s authority (Luke 6:46). It needs to be recognized that, if one is in any denomination at all, he is in something that came along many years after the Lord s church began. The person who has genuinely obeyed the gospel of Christ will want to submit to the Lord s will concerning which congregation of the Lord s church to join themselves to, not which denomination to join themselves to. (Colossians 3:17; 1 John 1:3-4). Walking in the Light Summer

4 The ONE Church 4 Walking in the Light Summer 2013 W e only have to open the telephone directory and look at all the different churches that are listed to wonder "what church is the right church?" There are many books that are written about various churches, and most claim to be spiritually and doctrinally correct. In these books, all kinds of things are being taught such as praying to Mary, baptizing babies, and the social work of the church, Some say that priests can marry; while others say that they cannot. Some teach that life after death is a reality; while others teach that life after death does not exist. How can we know which church is the church that Jesus built? I Will Build MY Church Jesus said: "...I will build my church..." (Matthew 16:18). Jesus stated this way back in 30 A.D. Therefore, the church that Christ built was built almost 2,000 years ago. Every denomination that is in existence today was built long after Jesus said "I will build my church". Most are proud to tell you the exact date that their church was established and the creed that it was established upon. Since Jesus said "I will build my church," that must mean that the church that Jesus built belongs to Him. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:22-23: "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Here we can clearly see that HIS BODY = HIS CHURCH. In Colossians 1:18, it is pointed out that Christ is "the head of the body, the church". Since Christ is the head, He decides, controls, and guides His church. There Is ONE The word ONE is mentioned several times in the New Testament. Let's look at a few references to this. In Ephesians 4:4-6, we can read where "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Here we can plainly read that there is just ONE of each. Yet, while most will acknowledge there is ONE God, they recognize several churches. Paul said that we should be unified (1 Corinthians 1:10). Only when we're doing all things exactly as God has stipulated can we truly be ONE. Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:27). In John 10:16, we can read that there is ONE fold and ONE shepherd. Therefore, in the New Testament (the testament we are under today), we see that there was only ONE CHURCH.

5 The ONE Church (continued from page 4) Doctrines Of Men The Bible is very plain on Christ's teaching about His church. However, many still want to preach and teach that there is more than ONE church. They teach that there are other ways of doing things that are in direct violation of God's teachings in His Word! Jesus condemned man for teaching his own ideas and doctrines (Mark 7:7-9). Because man did change the teachings of Jesus, we now have denominations. Some denominationalists teach that denominations are simply branches of Jesus' church. This cannot be so, for in the Bible we read, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:5-6). Disciples are the branches, not churches. In Mark 16:16, Jesus said: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Some say, "He that believes and is not baptized shall be saved." Whom shall we believe the teaching of Jesus, or the teaching of men? We cannot pollute the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11). When Christ's doctrine is polluted with the doctrine of men, man's worship of God becomes empty of any value, it is vain! Are you simply following the traditions and doctrines of men, or are you striving to abide in the doctrine of Jesus Christ? Too Busy to Study Your Bible? The 23rd Channel The TV is my Shepherd. My spiritual growth shall want. It maketh me to sit down and do nothing for his name's sake because it requires all my spare time. It keepeth me from doing my duty as a Christian because it presenteth so many good shows that I must see. It restoreth my knowledge of the things of the world, and keepeth me from the study of God's word. It leadeth me in the paths of apathy and doing nothing in the Kingdom of God. Yea, though I live to be a hundred, I shall keep on viewing my TV as long as it will work, for it is my closest companion. Its sound and its picture, they comfort me. It presenteth entertainment before me, and keepeth me from doing important things with my family. It filleth my head with ideas which differ from those set forth in the word of God. Surely no good thing will come to my life, because my TV leaveth me so little time to do the will of God. Thus, I will dwell in the house of idleness and sloth forever. Walking in the Light Summer

6 Selected Thoughts What Kind of Church Was It? A lady approached a business man and asked for a donation for a church building. Yes, I will give $100, replied the man, if you will erect a sign saying, This is a church of Christ. Oh, no! We couldn t do that because it is not a church of Christ, answered the woman. Very well, replied the man, I will still give you $100 if you will put up a sign saying, This is not a church of Christ. Oh, no, sir. You know we could not do that because it is a church of Christ. Wonder what kind of church it was? This illustrates the confusion that exists when people think in denominational terms. People reject the Lord s name for man s and then still claim to be His. church of Christ is not a denominational title, but a description of Christ. Incidentally, see what some churches who call themselves of Christ are practicing and teaching. This will lead us to wonder: what kind of church is it? THINK. Faith and Works An old Scotchman operated a small rowboat for transporting passengers across one of the little lakes in Scotland. One day, as they were crossing the lake, a passenger noticed that he had carved on one oar the word "Faith", and on the other "Works". Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of this. The old man said: I will show you. He lifted "Works" out of the water and put it into the boat and proceeded to row with "Faith" only. They just went around in circles. Then he switched the oars. He put "Faith" in the boat and began rowing only with "Works". Again they went around in circles, only this time in the opposite direction. After this demonstration, the old man picked up both "Faith" and "Works", and rowing with both oars together, sped swiftly over the water, explaining to his inquiring passenger: "You see, that is the way it is in the Christian life. "Faith" cannot do without "Works", and "Works" cannot do without "Faith". For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) The proper use of life is to spend it for something good that will outlast it. Multitudes are making a good living, but not good lives. A smile is a curve that can help set things straight. 6 Walking in the Light Summer 2013

7 Must I Be Baptized To Be Saved? S o often we hear people say that they don t feel that baptism is essential for salvation. However, we can clearly see in the Bible s many passages that baptism is essential to our salvation. Those individuals that say I don t feel that it is necessary, are often the ones that have never opened up the Word of God and taken the time to read what is required for their salvation. One of the greatest examples, proving that baptism is essential, is found in the book of Acts, chapter eight. Here, starting in the 26th verse, we can read about an angel of the Lord who spoke to Philip saying: Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. The Lord had a mission for Philip to do, and He sent His angel to tell Philip what He wanted him to do. Philip met an Ethiopian Eunuch who had come to Jerusalem to worship (Vs 27). When Philip joined the chariot, he noticed that the Eunuch was reading from the book of Isaiah. The Eunuch did not really understand what he was reading, and Philip began from the passage that was being read and preached Jesus to him (Vs 35). The Eunuch understood enough to KNOW that he needed to be baptized to be saved (Vs 36). At this point, Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may The Eunuch answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Vs 37). Then, in verse 38, the action which resulted from the Eunuch s belief in Jesus was accomplished. It says: And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. The Eunuch never FELT saved until he was baptized. And the fact of the matter is, he was NOT saved until he was baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). Have you been baptized into Christ? If not, you are not saved in accordance with New Testament teaching. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Have you obeyed Jesus? If you lift others up, you must be on a higher plane. He who can live contented with little possesses much. If love can be bought it is not worth taking home. The person who has a sound reason needs no alibi. You will never develop eye strain by looking at the bright side. Walking in the Light Summer

8 T he 1,586 Religions in America Johnie Edwards March 1980 Good Housekeeping reported a study by Mr. J. Gordon Melton as to the number of religious faiths in America. At that time, Mr. Melton reported about 1200 religions in America. According to an article in the Saturday, November 26, 1988 Port Arthur News entitled "Research Indicates New Faiths Growing," Mr. J. Gordon Melton of Santa Barbara, California said 835 new religions have been formed since Mr. Melton is director of the Institute for the Study of American Religions and editor of the Encyclopedia of American Religions. Melton is a United Methodist. A new edition of the Religious Encyclopedia to be published in December of this year will list 1,586 United States faiths according to Mr. Melton. There seems to be no end to the starting of new religions. As we read such reports of the formation of new religious bodies, one is surely made to stop and ask, "Does the Word of God authorize the formation of all these religious bodies?" Old Testament Prophets Foretold One Church One would think that the Old Testament is full of prophecies concerning the establishing of many religious bodies, as we see so many in existence today. But this is not the case. The prophets wrote by inspiration and told of the coming of only one religious body. The Lord said through the prophet Zechariah, "Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem" (Zechariah 1:16). Here Zechariah saw the coming of only "my house" - one house. The Lord's house is the Lord's church. Paul told Timothy, "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). Isaiah saw the establishing of only one religion. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:2-3). "The Lord's House" (singular) is predicted in the words of Isaiah! Remember the Lord's house is the Lord's church (1 Timothy 3:15). This religious body was to have its beginning in the city of Jerusalem, in the last days as all nations flowed unto it, according to Isaiah. 8 Walking in the Light Summer 2013

9 1,586 Religions in America (continued from page 8) The New Testament Reveals Only One Religious Body As we leave the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the establishment of the Lord's House and look into the New Testament to find its establishment, we find that only one church was established. The church foretold in the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. Acts 2 records the beginning of the Lord's house, the church. It is on the day of Pentecost, the first day of the week (Leviticus 23:15-16) about 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning as the Holy Spirit guided the apostles of our Lord to preach the truth in its fullness for the first time. On this occasion the gospel was preached to the Jews. "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:5). This event took place in "the last days" (Acts 2:16-17) just as the prophets had said (Joel 2:28-29; Isaiah 2:2-3). The gospel was preached, men heard it and the preaching of the gospel convicted the sinners of their sins as the word pricked their hearts. As a result of this preaching, they asked, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" As believers, they were told to "repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). About three thousand were baptized and Acts 2:47 says, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Did you notice the phrase, "the church" which means only one? The Lord Established Only One Church The simplest way to see that there is only one church revealed in the New Testament is to notice what the Bible teaches about the body. Paul said "there is one body" (Ephesians 4:4) and he told the Colossians "for his body's sake, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24). There is one body and the body is the church, so there is only one church established by the Lord; if not, why not? There Is One Faith Paul wrote the Ephesians and said, "There is one faith" (Ephesians 4:5). Mr. Melton reports there are 1,586 faiths in the United States. There is quite a difference in what the Bible says and what actually exists. The word "faith" in Ephesians 4:5 refers to a body of truth, the gospel. Galatians 1:23 says that Paul "preacheth the faith" while Paul told the Corinthians that he preached "the gospel" (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). To preach the faith is to preach the gospel and to preach the gospel is to preach the faith. Jude said, "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). Jude refers to "the faith" and that means only one faith! By the way, all of it has been delivered and there are no new revelations. You cannot walk with God while you are running with the devil. Walking in the Light Summer

10 I Don t Love Her Anymore A forty some year old man, suffering from the classic mid-life crisis, sat down to talk to a preacher about his problems. He explained how his marriage of twenty years was no longer satisfying or fulfilling. Finally, he reached the bottom line. I just don t love her anymore, he said. What can I do? After a brief moment of reflection, the preacher said decisively, As I see it, you have only one option. The man perked up with anticipation. Was the preacher going to suggest a divorce? Would he be free to pursue the thrilling lifestyle of the younger generation that he had come to admire? Would this be his chance to regain his fleeing youth? What was the preacher s advice? Seems to me that the only thing left for you to do is repent and start loving her again. So often we hear of married couples who complain that they have fallen out of love. (That s bad, but it happens) The real issue is: What do you do when you realize that such a situation exists? The Bible still says the same thing that it has always said. Husbands love your wives (Ephesians 5:25), and wives are to love their husbands (Titus 2:4). Please note that these are not just suggestions. They are commands. To fail to love your mate is to commit sin. And sin always requires repentance if there is to be forgiveness. Be careful. Do not confuse commanded love with silly infatuation that soon fades. It is far more than that. It is sacrificial love that seeks the interest of the one loved more than self. It is the kind of love Jesus has shown to us (Ephesians 5:2). A friendly welcome awaits you at the Poudre Valley church of Christ We are located at 4202 North Garfield Avenue You may betray Christ by your speech or by your silence! Please visit us! We are a non-denominational, non-institutional, non-instrumental, newly formed congregation of Christians striving to practice only that which is authorized in the New Testament 10 Walking in the Light Summer 2013

11 Which Church Is Right? W hich church is right? The answer is simple: the one that follows the Bible completely. The Bible is the complete word of God and furnishes us with everything we need to serve him (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). There is no additional revelation from God to man. God, through the Holy Spirit, delivered his will to man in the first century and that will has been recorded and providentially preserved for all mankind (John 16:13; Jude 3; 1 Peter 1:25). Andy Alexander The Bible teaches that Christ only has one church (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23; Matthew 16:18). When we confess our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, repent of our sins, and are baptized in water for the remission of our sins, then the Lord adds us to his church (Romans 10:10; Acts 2:38; 2:47). There is just one church and the person who obeys the Lord's commands becomes a part of that body. He can then wear the name Christian, because then and only then is he truly a follower of Christ (Acts 11:26). Must Be Right On Worship After obeying the conditions given by the Lord, we must worship him as he has commanded. Since there is only one church, we must find the right one so that we can continue to please God. His word plainly teaches that it is possible to worship him in vain (Matthew 15:8-9). The acts of worship that we read about in the Bible consist of prayer, singing, giving of our means, teaching and being taught, and eating the Lord's Supper on a weekly basis (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 5:19; 1 Corinthians. 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). We are commanded not to go beyond the doctrine of Christ and not to participate with those who do, so it is imperative that we find the right church and worship with that body (Galatians 1:8-9; 2 John 9-11). When a group calling itself the church adds the instrument to their service or takes the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper from their service, then on that point they are wrong. They are not the church we read about in the Bible. We must take our Bibles and find the right church. Walking in the Light Summer

12 cut along the dotted line and mail in MAIL TO: Poudre Valley church of Christ 4202 North Garfield Avenue Loveland, CO Now you can learn the Bible in your own home, with this FREE mail-in study course! Have you ever tried to read or study the Bible, but been confused or frustrated? Would you be interested to see for yourself what the Bible says, rather than blindly accepting the opinions of others? Find out the true message of the Bible. There s a message there for you. Or maybe you just want to refresh your knowledge challenging yourself to a greater understanding! 12 Walking in the Light Summer 2013