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Church Perpetuity-What is a New Testament Church
Acts 7:38 Church in the wilderness
1. As the nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, the tabernacle was referred to as the church in the wilderness.
Hebrews 8:1-5 who serve unto the example
1. The tabernacle was an example for the New Testament church
2. It is a type and picture for a New Testament church
3. It teaches how to worship, how to serve, where to go.
Exodus 25:8-9 God desired a place to dwell with man
1. The tabernacle was not man’s, but was God’s
2. Man did not build the tabernacle and then invite God.
3. God told man to build it, how to build it, and then invited man to it.
Exodus 29:42-46 God spoke to man from the tabernacle
1. If man was to speak with God, he had to go to the tabernacle.
2. The tabernacle was sanctified by the glory of God, not of man.
Leviticus 1:1-2 God speaks
1. Through the tabernacle to man, concerning his will
Revelation 22:14, 16-17 God speaks
1. Through his New Testament Church concerning his will to mankind
2. God does not lead man outside of his own house!
Exodus 31:1-3 Bezaleel filled with knowledge
1. God told Moses who would build the tabernacle.
2. Bezaleel was filled with the Spirit of God. Could you say the Spirit of God led him?
3. So could just anyone build this tabernacle?
Exodus 40:1-4 God sets order for the tabernacle.
1. The tabernacle had to be erected just as God had said
2. The order could not be set just how ever man desired
Exodus 40:34-38 God fills the tabernacle with his glory
1. The Spirit of God fills the tabernacle
2. If man desired to speak to God or to know which direction to go in life, where did he have to go?
• If you had another tabernacle built exactly the same, striving for the same goal, right next door, even built by the same people, would it be the same?
1 Kings 12:25-33 another tabernacle is built
1. Jeroboam makes another tabernacle
2. Does God accept it?
Exodus 35:14 Candlestick for light
1.Within the tabernacle was the candlestick. The candlestick was the only light for man to see.
2. The oil represents the Holy Spirit of God.
3. Just as oil brings life to the flame, the Holy Spirit brings life to His church.
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp
Proverbs 6:23 Commandment is a lamp
1. Reproofs of instruction
Revelation 1:4, 11-20 Seven golden candlesticks
1. Each candlestick represents a New Testament Church
2. Christ is in the midst of these seven candlesticks
3. What makes this church different from all other churches?
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Angels of light
1. What does religion base itself on?
Isaiah 64:1-5 I am holier than though
2 Corinthians 11:1-2 espoused you to one husband
1. Those who are faithful, according to the scriptures, in a local New Testament church are the Bride.
2. If I’m away from my wife, shall I spend the night with another woman because she looks like and acts like my wife?
3. If it is not of God then it is of the Devil
1 Corinthians 10:16, 20-22 would not that you have fellowship with devils
1. Spiritual fornication is to try and worship the Lord in any way other than in a scriptural New Testament church.
1 John 2:18-21 antichrist, those who walk away from the truth of Christ
• In order for any church to be a New Testament church, three things must be met.
1. What does it teach?
2. What does it practice?
3. Where does it come from?
• In order to be a New Testament church it must have a lineage started by Jesus Christ during his personal ministry with an unbroken chain down to today.
• Not everything in this world that claims to be a church is of God.
1. John 4:1 Believe not every Spirit
1. How can a person see the Holy Spirit of God within a church?
2. We must try or prove the spirits. If a church doesn’t teach and practice the truths found in God’s word, it is not of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Satan himself transformed in a minister of light
1. Mankind gets too caught up into the seemingly good things that religion does, that they do not look into the scriptures to see if what they are practicing is of God.
2. Too many churches are a social club, not to God
3. Religion and all these different Bibles have done nothing but confuse man.
1 Corinthians 14:33 God is not the author of confusion
1. Would God start or lead man to do something that would cause confusion?
• The church that Jesus Christ started has never gone out of existence. Why? Because God said it wouldn’t.
Matthew 28:16-20 with you always, even unto the end of the world
1. Christ speaking to his New Testament church.
2. Even unto the end of the world.
1 Corinthians 12:28 Apostles first in the New Testament church
Luke 6:12, 13 Apostles chosen during Christ’s personal ministry
Matthew 26: 26-30 Lord’s Supper instituted to a New Testament church
1. Same group of men as were with the Lord during Matthew 28:18-20
Hebrews 2:12 Christ sings in His church
(Matthew 28:18-20) (Unto the end)
Matthew 16:18
1. If the church that Christ started went out existence, God’s word is a lie.
Acts 20:28 Christ purchased His church with His own blood
Ephesians 3:21 Unto Him be glory in the church
1. Christ will receive glory only in His New Testament church
2. God cannot be glorified in a non-existent institution. Therefore, the New Testament church must perpetuate until the end.
John 15:26, 27 Comforter comes from the Father
John 16:7, 13 Comforter guides His New Testament church
1. Worldly religion does not have the Comforter
2. Therefore, no Holy Spirit guiding them
John 14:26 Comforter which is the Holy Spirit
John 14:16, 17 I pray the Father/Comforter abide with you forever.
1. Speaking of His New Testament church
2. Comforter is the office of the Holy Spirit in His New Testament church
• (Satan) Man throughout the ages has tried and failed to remove what God has started.
John 5:41 Receive not honor from men
1. Anything man has had a role in starting, God receives no honor from
Acts 5:33-39 if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved
1. It is man’s responsibility to search the truths of God’s Word
2. It is man’s responsibility to serve God, not where you feel most comfortable, but where he commands you.
3. The reason man does not feel comfortable is because of sin and man’s need for the Lord to forgive him.
1 Timothy 2:4 All be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth
1 Timothy 3:15 Christ’s church is the pillar and ground of the truth
Isaiah 55:8, 9 Man is to search and look for the Lord’s ways
1. Am I serving God according to what His Word teaches me?
Matthew 16:18-19 I will build my church
1. Christ built His church
2. The rock is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4)
3. The word “will” is past, present, and future
Definition of a New Testament Church:
A local, visible, called-out assembly of scripturally baptized believers covenanted together under New Testament law for the purpose of carrying out the Great Commission with the Holy Spirit dwelling in their midst with the unbroken lineage to the time of Christ until today.
• The New Testament church was instituted by Jesus Christ during his personal ministry on the earth.
• The material for the New Testament church was prepared by John the Baptist
Isaiah 40:3 the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness
Malachi 3:1 I will send my messenger.
Mark 1:1-11 John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ.
1. John the Baptist was to prepare the people for the Lord Jesus Christ
2. The word “for” means because of. John the Baptist baptized those because their sins were forgiven, not to forgive their sins.
3. Baptist was not John’s name. He was called that because of what he did.
John 1:6-8, 19-23, 29-34 John the Baptist, the forerunner for Jesus Christ.
1. John was sent from God—received his authority from God.
2. Christ came and called those who were prepared by John.
Matthew 3:13-17 Baptism of Jesus Christ
1. Christ sought out John for baptism. John was sent by God.
2. Christ is all God and all man.
3. Jesus was not baptized to become the Son of God, but to manifest that he is the Son of God (Son means relationship, not descendant).
Matthew 4:1-11 Tempting of Jesus forty days
* The Lord’s church was started on the sea shores of Galilee.
Matthew 4:12-22 Christ calls His disciples along Galilee.
1. Those Christ called were first prepared by John the Baptist.
2. They were all saved and scripturally baptized.
3. From that point on, they gave their lives to the ministry of the Lord through a scriptural New Testament church.
• Service to God needs to be our way of life.
• The pattern that was followed and is still followed is found in the tabernacle.
Exodus 25:8, 9 let them make me a sanctuary
1. Where does God dwell?
2. Can you worship God just anywhere?
Psalm 77:13 they way O God is in the sanctuary
1. Why have a places of worship?
2. To praise and bring God glory
3. God desires for man to have a place on earth where man can be around God and His ways.
Psalm 150:1 Praise God in His sanctuary
1. Cannot please God in just any sanctuary; it must be His.
Psalm 63:1-3 to see thy power and they glory.
1. Where is the power and glory of God?
Acts 7:37, 38 the church in the wilderness
1. Israel, as they wandered in the wilderness, were referred to as the church in the wilderness.
Hebrews 8:2-6 of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man.
1. Moses built the tabernacle. The tabernacle is a type and picture of the true New Testament church.
2. The Lord brought a better covenant, not made with hands. The Lord built, not man
Matthew 16:18 I will build my church
The Commission is given to the Lord’s New Testament church.
Matthew 28:18-20 Church commanded to go
1. Preach the need to be saved
2. Need of baptism
3. All things, service, lifestyles, bridal relationship, etc…
• Do we believe that churches should start other churches?
Hebrews 8:5 after the pattern, churches starting churches.
Acts 11:20-22 Jerusalem sent out Saul and Barnabas
1. God commanded that the church send out Barnabas and Saul
2. The church sent them out, verse 3. The church ordained them, recognized them and sent them to do the work God called them to do.
Acts 14 :26-28 Reporting back to Antioch
1. After their journey, they reported back to Antioch all that happened.
Acts 15:1-5 Paul and Barnabas sent to Jerusalem
1. Not “missionary work,” but the church (verse 3) sent them to Jerusalem to speak to another church
2. If it doesn’t make a difference what a sister church does, why did Antioch send them?
Acts 15:22-27 Jerusalem sends brother
1. Jerusalem wanted to clear up this false teaching.
2. Great efforts were made to let their sister churches know how they felt.
Acts 8:5-17 Apostles come from Jerusalem
1. If you don’t need authority to start a New Testament church, why did the apostles have to come from Jerusalem to start the church in Samaria?
2. They didn’t baptize them. Their baptism was good. They delivered the candlestick (Comforter).
Acts 19:1-7 Paul at Ephesus
1. These individual’s baptism was no good.
2. Paul taught them, baptized them, and then they became a New Testament church
3. If it didn’t matter who baptized, why weren’t they a church? When did they become a church? What makes them scriptural?
4. What church started this church?
Ephesians 2:19-22 built upon the foundation
1. It is Christ’s foundation, Christ’s teachings; Christ is the one that established
Colossians 1:17-18, 22-23 Grounded in the faith
1. If it is of man, Christ did not establish it.
2. In order to be Christ’s, it must go back to the time of Christ
