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Volume 1

Simply from the Scriptures


Special Issue

What Is The
Church of
Christ?
Welcome to the Richmond area. We invite you to come worship with us. But
first, an introduction. Please take a little time to learn more about us.

As you read this bulletin we hope you recongize us to be the New Testament
church found in the Bible. We do not have any confusing denominational
structures or additions of men. Do you desire to be a Christian and only a
Christian, without having to wear a prefix or suffix? If so, please read on!

Come where Visitors are Always


Welcome!
Let us begin our study by examing the church of Christ as mentioned in Old Testament
prophecy. As we can see, the KINGDOM of Old Testament prophecy is the CHURCH in
the New Testament fulfillment (Matt. 16:18-19). Consider the following amazing
prophecies that were made hundreds of years before their realization. Truly, the Bible is
inspired by God!

The Church in Bible Prophecy


760 BC Kingdom to Go to ALL Nations (Isaiah 2:2-3)

710 BC Word of the Lord to Go to ALL Nations (Micah 4:1-2)

600 BC Established During the 4th World Kingdom


(Daniel 2:32-44)
1) Babylonians 2) Persians 3) Macedonians 4) Romans!

425 BC John the Baptist to Come and Prepare for the


Coming Kingdom! (Malachi: 3:1; 4:5-6)

1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and


searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in
them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the
glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto
themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported
unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy
Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be


moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
The Origin Of The Church
Next, we need to take a look at the origin of the church. Because of sin, mankind needed a
Savior - a way to be made righteous and justified in the sight of God. Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, was offered up as the perfect sacrifice, that through His shed blood, all mankind
might have the opportunity to have their sins remitted. The church is composed of those
who, by faith, have obeyed the gospel of Jesus. One is added to the church by God Himself
after being washed with the blood of the Lamb by being baptized for remission of sins!

Jesus Christ
1) Builder (Matt 16:18)
2) Buyer (Acts 20:28)
3) Owner (Matt 16:18)
4) Foundation
(1 Pet 2:6)
5) Head (Eph 1:22-23)
6) Savior (Eph 5:23)

As we have seen in the Old Testament prophecies, there would be a time and place that the
church of Christ, of the Kingdom of God, would be established by its founder, Jesus Christ.
After Jesus’ perfect life, His betrayal, His suffering and death where His cleansing blood was
shed, and His resurrection and ascension to His throne at the right hand of God, the church
was then established in Jerusalem at the day of Pentecost in approximately 33 AD.
The Origin Of The Church
-----------Acts 2----------
Previous to After
Pentecost Pentecost
The Bible speaks The Bible speaks
of the Kingdom in of the Kingdom in
the FUTURE the PAST TENSE
TENSE

See the See the


Following Following
Passages: Passages:
Dan 2:44, Dan 7:13-14 Acts 2:47, Acts 5:11
Matt 3:1-2, Mark 1:14- Acts 8:1, Acts 11:22
15 Acts 13:1, Acts 14:27
Matt 16:18-19, Mark 9:1 Col 1:13, Rev 1:9
Luke 24:46-49, Acts 1:8
This spiritual kingdom, the body of Christ, will remain until Jesus comes again to deliver it to the
Father in Heaven.

Church/Ekklesia/Εκκλησια
Now that we know that Jesus established the church, we must answer the question what is the
meaning of the word “church?” The definition is shown below:

"Church" Means: That which is Called Out


If the word “church” means “called out,” from what are they called out? Children of God are
called out from among the world to put on Christ and walk in newness of life, no longer
slaves to sin! Please see the following verses that demonstrates 1) what calls us and 2) the
purity of the church:

Attributes of the Church:


2 Thessalonians 2:14: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish.

Scriptural Names For The Church


If our goal is to find the church of the Bible amid all of the religious confusion in the world
today, we must make up our minds to search for and accept only the teachings about the
church that we can read about in the Bible. Take, for example, the NAME of the church. If we
were going to buy a Chevy, we would not purchase a car with a Ford emblem, and visa
versa. If we are looking for the New Testament church, we would not look at a church whose
name is foreign to the Bible. We would search for the names God Himself has chosen, not a
name that honors some man. Below you can see some of the Scriptural names we find in
the Bible for the church. Does your church wear a name from God, or from man?

1) The Church (At least 65 times)


2) Church of God (Acts 20:28)
3) House of God (1 Tim 3:15)
4) Church of the Living God (1 Tim 3:15)
5) Church of the Firstborn (Heb 12:23)
6) Church of Christ (Rom 16:16)
7) Body of Christ (1 Cor 12)
8) Kingdom of God (Col 1:13)
9) Temple of God (Eph 2:19-22)
The Government Of The Church
Continuing our search for the church of the Bible, let us now turn our attention to
the government of the church. Just as God has called His church by certain
names, so also He has established a form of government for the church. Please
see the chart below for the proper organization of the church as God would have
it. Is your church organized as God has designated, or do you have special
conventions, councils and other additions of men?

Christ (ALL Authority)


Matt 28:18; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18
T
Elders (Oversee the Flock)
Do NOT Legislate!
1 Tim 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5
(Deacons to assist the elders & congregation)
T
Members of the Body
1 Corinthians 12, Acts 2:41-47
The Worship Of The Church
Another identifying mark of the New Testament church can be seen in how God is
worshipped. The issue really is, does God care how I worship him? The answer, as seen
in the two passages listed below is a resounding “YES!” This being so, please also
notice in the chart below the acts of worship that the first century church engaged in:

Our worship IS Governed


John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth”
Matthew 15:9 “But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the
precepts of men”

THE FORM (PATTERN) OF Lord’S DAY WORSHIP


1) Prayer
(Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 2:8)
2) Edification
(Acts 2:42; Matt. 28:18-20)
3) Singing
(Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16)
4) Lord’s Supper
(1 Cor 11:17-34; Acts 20:7)
5) Giving
(1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:6-8)
Please notice that things that are entertaining to man, such as special choirs,
instruments of music, and using carnal means to draw a crowd, are not found in the
worship of God. Does your church worship according to the Will of God, or men?
The Work Of The Church
Next, let’s notice the work of the church. Just as in name, government, and worship, God has
expressed His divine will concerning how the church does its work. The church is a
SPIRITUAL KINGDOM, and has the responsibility to carry out the work that Jesus has
authorized. The church is not in the business of entertainment, nor is it a global “Red Cross”
type relief organization. The church simply and humbly serves God in the way that God
desires. Please see the chart below to learn more about the God-given work of the church:

OUR WORK IS GOVERNED


Col. 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by him.
1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let
him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus
Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
2 Tim. 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive
lawfully.

THE FORM (PATTERN) OF THE WORK OF THE CHURCH


1) Benevolence (1 Cor. 16:1-3, Acts 6:1-6)
2) Evangelism (2 Tim 2:2, Acts 8:4)
3) Edification (Acts 2:42)

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST’S CHURCH


The last of the identifying marks of the church of Christ, the church of the Bible, that we will
examine is doctrine, or teaching. You may have noticed that many churches utilize creeds
and constitutions in addition to the Bible. The church we read of in the Bible uses only the
one faith, the one truth, the one gospel - God’s revealed will as recorded in our Bibles:
Ephes. 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Jude 1:3 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.
Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth
the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

No Corruption! Just God’s Will! No Creeds!


No Doctrines of Men! No Cults!
Does your church follow the will of God as in the Bible, or something else?

By this point in our study you may have noticed there are many things that are different and possibly
unique about the Lord’s church, the church of Christ. You may be thinking this “denomination” really
tries to follow the Bible and the Bible only. While we do try to love Jesus more and more everyday,
and our obedience to Christ is a fruit of that love and of a growing faith, it needs to made very clear
that…
The Church is NOT:

We mean no personal offense in making this matter clear, but we also desire not to be misunderstood on
this point. The church of Christ, the body of Christ, is the very church that Jesus built in the Bible!

Remember the identifying marks of the church? We noticed the church in the Bible was established by
Jesus Christ in approximately 33 AD. Therefore, any church established AFTER 33 AD is, quite frankly,
ANOTHER CHURCH. Let’s quickly take a look at the various origins of some of the popular
denominational churches of our day and compare them to Jesus’ church that we read about in the
Bible:
The Kingdom of Christ (the church of Christ) came with
POWER in 33 AD
In what year was the…
“Baptist church” started? 1607 AD 1574 years TOO LATE!
“Methodist church” started? 1739 AD 1706 years TOO LATE!
“Presbyterian church” started? 1536 AD 1503 years TOO LATE!
“Catholic church” started? 606 AD 573 years TOO LATE!
“Pentecostal church” started? 1914 AD 1881 years TOO LATE!
“Lutheran church” started? 1520 AD 1487 years TOO LATE!
“Episcopal church” started? 1534 AD 1501 years TOO LATE!
“Mormon church” started? 1830 AD 1797 years TOO LATE!
Please notice these organizations, no matter how honest or sincere they may be, are not the
church of the Bible!
Please do not take our word for it. Examine these matters for yourself. Open your Bible and
compare your church with the church you see in the scriptures. Remember to take a close
look at the signature features:

✔ The Name of the Church (1 Tim 3:15, Rom 16:16)


✔ The Gov't of the Church (1 Tim 3, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Pet 5)
✔ The Worship of the Church (John 4:24, Matt 15:8-9)
✔ The Origin of the Church (Acts 2)
✔ The Doctrine of the Church (2 John 9-11, Gal 1:8-9)
Jesus tells us of a wide way and a narrow way (Matt 7:13-17). The wide way is the way that
many people have chosen to take. The problem is, this way leads to eternal destruction.
Jesus said to beware of the false prophets that will lead you down this wide, alluring, yet
treacherous path. Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus, and He will show you the narrow path that
leads to eternal life! Resolve to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and be ever grateful that
by the grace and mercy of God we have the opportunity to be redeemed and justified in the
sight of God by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! However, after this realization, you then
must ask yourself, “How do I contact the blood of Christ that my sins may be washed away?
How can I be made clean and spotless in the sight of God?” Please follow the stair-steps up
on the next chart to understand how:
You may be asking, besides remission of sins (which is HUGE!), what other blessings are there for me
by being added to the church of Christ by God through obedience to the gospel? Since God tells us
that we must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), we joyfully list
some of the blessings that are available ONLY in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3)

Blessings in Christ
1) Prayer to God Through Jesus!
(Romans 8:34: Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1)
2) Remission of Sins Committed AFTER
obeying the Gospel! (Acts 8:22-24; 1 John 1:9)
3) Spiritual Fellowship with those of Like-Faith!
(Acts 2:42)
4) Victory in Jesus Over Death and Satan!
(1 Cor 15:54-57)
5) The Hope of Walking With Our Perfect and Loving
God Throughout All Eternity!
(Rom 8:18, 23-25; 2 Tim 4:7-8; John 14:1-3; Rev 21:1-7)
The saints in Richmond would like to express our sincerest gratitude for your interest in spiritual
matters.
Please
Come
visit us
anytime!
You are
Always
Welcome!

The Church of Christ


1835 Gaar Road
Richmond Indiana 47374
(765-935-2911)
Bibleanswers2@Juno.com

Schedule of Services:
Sundays:
Bible Study 9:30 A.M.
Worship Service 10:30 A.M.
Worship Service 6:00 P.M.
Wednesdays:
Bible Study 7:00 P.M.

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