Sunday Sermons
Back to the Bible
Many religious people would commend the effort to “get back to the Bible”. In fact, when we talk to them about restoring the New Testament Church, simply being the Church you can find in the Bible, and having Bible authority for all that we teach and practice, they often feel on the same wavelength with us.
What “Back to the Bible” Includes
When people in the denominational world talk about getting back to the Bible, the usual topics they initially think of often include: The restoration of the husband as the head and spiritual leader of his family, the Bible being the infallible Word of God, teaching biblical standards of morality, and opposing such things as homosexuality and living together arrangements, or opposing any attempt to harmonize the theory of Evolution with the early chapters of Genesis. All these are certainly “getting back to the Bible” and are worthy of restoration. Yet we need to inform our zealous religious neighbors that when we talk about getting back to the Bible, we are talking about a far deeper restoration than just those topics. A number of people today would agree that all is not right in the denominational world---the Bible tells us the same thing.
According to Scripture a major doctrinal apostasy would hit and did hit the early church: This was a falling away that would involve some of the spiritual leaders in the church (Acts 20:28-30) Teachers in this departure from the truth would be numerous (2 Timothy 4:3 “will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires”). Many, not just a few professing Christians, would get caught up in this false teaching (2 Peter 2:1-2 “And many will follow their sensuality...”). (e) In addition, the seeds to this deviation from the truth were already being sown even before the end of the First Century (2 Thess. 2:7 “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work...” 1 John 4:3 “and now it is already in the world”). This apostasy happened in the first century when the doctrines associated with it began being advocated (1 Timothy 4:3 “men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining for foods”.) It would probably surprise most people to learn how many doctrinal corruptions exist among the popular religious groups, which profess to be Christian, and perhaps even more surprised that God cares about such corruption.
Not Just a Better Church
One writer noted, “It is important to remember that the claim of churches of Christ is not that they are the best denomination, or even a better denomination. Our determination is not to be a denomination at all. Indeed, we urge dissolution of all denominations with the aim of all believers simply being Christians” (The Spiritual Sword. 10-94, p. 9). Returning to the original teaching in the Bible is not about being a "better" church, or simply carving out some territory in the religious marketplace. One reason I say this is because some people view their own denomination or congregation as filling a particular need in the community. This is based on the popular concept that each denomination is a part or segment of the true church. People have sought to justify the existence of all these denominations on the assumption that each group has a specific role to play in carrying out the will of God. Yet this does not square with Scripture, which insists that the body of Christ is composed of individual Christians (Romans 12:5), and not entire denominations. We can see this from the fact that individuals have particular gifts and talents (12:6-8), not entire religious groups (1 Corinthians 12:13-27 “Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it”) One of the most destructive aspects of denominationalism is that it gives people the impression they have a choice as to what "brand" of Christianity they can chose. Churches will even advertize using such words as "traditional", "contemporary", "spirit-filled", or "casual". As if man is allowed to customize and adjust the church to his own particular personality. Getting back to the Bible and restoring the New Testament Church is all about being the Church that Jesus founded (Matthew 16:18 “I will build My church”). This statement makes it clear that the Church was Divinely designed to include everyone (Ephesians 2:19). “The Lord's church is big enough to include all Christians; there is no need for different churches for different people. If both Jew and Gentile could be reconciled to God in the one church…so can all men...Therefore, all denominational churches are wholly unnecessary” (Guardian of Truth Magazine/8-6-92/ p. 2). Thus instead of having our own "brand" of Christianity based on personal preference (i.e. I want a church that is more intellectual or I want one that is more emotional), we must instead find and maintain a Christianity that is no more and no less emotional or intellectual than that revealed in the New Testament.
God’s View of Religious Division
Even in the First Century we find human attempts at modifying the Church. An element in the early Church desired to add just some of the requirements found in the Old Testament (Acts 15:1-4), yet even adding one extra requirement, i.e. circumcision, was severely condemned (Galatians 1:6-9; 5:2 “if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you”). The Jews had made the same mistake concerning the Law of Moses. They tried to create their own brand, and in order to do this human rules, subtractions or additions needed to be added (Matthew 15:8-9; Matthew 7:6-13). Jesus commented very clearly on this, and He noted that such human rules will invalidate our claim to a right relationship with God.
Honest Unity
Even the world can see through the argument that all denominations are actually “one body”. God requires a far more honest form of unity, He requires “one body” (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23), and we should find this refreshing. For example: (1) it truly satisfies Jesus' prayer for unity among His followers (John 17:20-21). (2) It makes us all equal before God (Galatians 3:26-28). (3) It restores true fellowship, for if a person is a Christian then they are fully accepted as a Christian by all believers. In contrast, the denominational world that tries to have it both ways (many bodies, yet claiming to have unity) ends up falling way short of the above concepts. Inter-denominational get-togethers do not establish the unity of 1 Corinthians 1:10 or 11:16. Denominationalism does not establish fellowship, for certain religious bodies are made to feel like second-class citizens. Not everyone is viewed as equal in denominational circles, because while the religious world claims that everyone is on the same road to heaven, they also claim that their "church" is really the place where people should attend, or their own particular brand, is a little bit superior to others.
Restoration Premises
A. God's Plan When His People Get Off Track:
What plan of action are we to follow when we wake up and realize that what is publicly portrayed as Christianity has become corrupted by human traditions, false doctrines and doctrinal subtractions? (1) In the Old Testament the people of God often deviated from the truth, and when they did, God did not give them a new set of rules that would fit comfortably to the type of lifestyle that they now wished to live. Rather, God through the prophets admonished them to come back to what God had said in the first place (Deuteronomy 30:2 “Return and obey Him...according to all that I command you today”). God’s people were always expected to return to the original command. (2) In the Old Testament we find a couple of “Restoration Movements”. These movements included first removing whatever human innovations had crept in (Judges 6:25; 2 Kings 23:4-15), and then going back and obeying the original command from God, which had been neglected (2 Kings 23:3 “To carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book”. 23:21 “Celebrate the Passover...as it is written in this book of the covenant”, that is, do it just like the Bible says to do it. (3) The prophets preached the same message: Jeremiah 6:16 “As for the ancient paths…walk in it”.
B. The Bible Contains The Timeless Standard:
Another major premise underlying the concept of restoring the New Testament Church is the belief that the New Testament is the final authority for all living since the death of Christ until the end of time. Its teachings and practices are not modified by time or culture; these are teachings and practices that God commands of all Christians. As proof of this assertion I would point out: (1) the words Jesus spoke while on the earth will judge all at the last day (John 12:48). (2) God’s moral standards revealed in the First Century are still binding at the end of time (1 Corinthians 6:9; Revelation 21:8). (3) What the Apostles delivered as mandatory, is viewed as mandatory in heaven (Matthew 18:18), that is, they didn't deliver "cultural truth", but eternal truth. (4) The Apostles were guided into all truth (John 16:13), inferring that no new truth would be added later, which means all truth, for all people, for all time, is found in their writings. (5) Since God condemns doctrinal deviations from the gospel which they delivered (Galatians 1:6-9), even those coming in the future (Acts 20:29-30), infers that God had no plans of modifying His will because of changing times.
C. There is a Pattern:
This concept is inherently linked with the above. If the New Testament is binding upon all Christians for all time, then it gives us a pattern or blueprint concerning every aspect of the Church. Now most people would have to agree, and even most denominations use it as such---but in a limited way. Even denominational writers consider Ephesians 5:22-33 to be a binding and current blueprint concerning the marriage relationship and Romans 13:1-7 is the blueprint concerning how Christians are to respond to the laws of the land. What we are saying is, let’s be consistent. Let's apply the same thinking to the plan of salvation (Mark 16:16); the qualifications of elders (1 Tim. 3:1ff; 3:15); church government (1 Peter 5:2-3); the worship services (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23ff); the frequency of the Lord's Supper; the music in the services (Ephesians 5:19); and so on. Every time anyone appeals to Scripture, they are admitting that a pattern exists; they are admitting that some things do not change, and in this, they are right.
