Church: Do You Believe Jesus Built Only One Church

Do You Believe… That Jesus Built Only One Church?

I. How Do We KNOW Jesus Built One Church?

A. He Promised One Church (Matthew 16:18) “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell [hades] shall not prevail against it.”

B. He Prayed for the unity of believers (John 17:20-23)

C. He Purposed One Church (Ephesians 1:9-11; 3:3-6)

D. He Purchased One Church (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23-25; 4:4)

E. He Reigns over One Church (Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:32-36)

F. He Nurtures One Church (Ephesians 5:24-32)

G. He will Present One Church to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24-25)

II. Does God accept one UNIVERSAL Church, and many DENOMINATIONS within it?

A. Definitions:

1. “Denomination” = “A religious group usually including many local churches often larger than a sect” (Webster’s Dictionary)

2. “Denominational” = 1. “of or pertaining to a denomination or denominations. 2. Founded, sponsored, or controlled by a particular religious denomination or sect: 3. Limited, conditioned, originating in, or influenced by the beliefs, attitudes, or interests of a religious sect…” (Webster’s Dictionary)

3. “Denominationalism” = “Denominational or sectarian spirit or policy; the tendency to divide into denominations or sects” (Webster’s Dictionary)

B. To “denominate” means to DIVIDE

1. DIVIDED Plans of Salvation

2. DIVIDED Types of Worship

3. DIVIDED Organizations of Religious Bodies

4. DIVIDED Names and Creeds

C. Does God accept denomination of the One Church?

1. Jesus Prayed for unity (John 17:20-23)

2. Religious Division is Condemned (1 Corinthians 1:10-18)

3. Those that CAUSE division are to be AVOIDED (Romans 16:17) (2)

III. How Can We Be ONE Church?

A. RESTORE the Pattern

1. If we saw a board, use that board as a pattern to saw another, then use the third one as a pattern……..measurement gets OFF! We need the original pattern, a measure, to guide the church.

B. EXAMPLE of Restoration:

1. In 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 8) Jerusalem being rebuilt

a. They READ the law (vs. 8)

b. They found a NEGLECTED command (vs. 14,15)

c. They OBEYED the command (vs. 16,17) ----The command was about 1,000 years old at the time

2. Had they started something NEW? NO! They had RESTORED a command of God to Israel that had been neglected.

Conclusion: ------ Today we can RESTORE the one church that Jesus built by keeping the commands Jesus gave, by simply being Christians! ------ Jesus built ONE Church, and it is DISTINCTIVE…let us be members of THAT Church ONLY!