How To Identify the Lord's Church

Introduction:

1. By "the church" we have in mind the church of which Jesus is the builder (Matt. 16:18), purchaser (Acts 20:28), and Savior
   (Eph. 5:23).
2. By "church" (from Ecciesia) we refer to "the called out" - those called by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14). Hence, when you think
   "church" you think people - people redeemed by the blood of Christ (Eph. 1:7), and who stand related to each other by reason
   of the fact that they are members of God's family (I Tim. 3:15).

Discussion:
I. Establish Two Facts:

   A. The Lord's church did exist in the first century.
      1. Matt. 16:18.
      2. Acts2:47; Acts 8:3; Acts 12:5; Eph. 1:22,23; Eph. 5:23-25.
   B. Religious Division is Contrary to the will of God.
      1. John 17:20,21.
      2. I Cor. 1:10.
      3. Eph. 2:16; Eph. 4:1-6.

II. Question: Is It Possible for the Lord's Church to exist today as it did in New Testament Times?

   A. Facts One: Seed produces after its own kind.
      1. Gen. 1:11,12.
      2. Wheat seed in 1999 will produce exactly what wheat seed would produce in A.D. 33.
   B. Facts Two: The word of God is likened unto Seed.
      1. Luke8:9,11; I Cor.4:15; Jas. 1:18; I Pet. 1:23.
      2. The word of God, if not mixed with the doctrines and commandments of men, will produce today what it produced in the
          first century.
      3. As long as the word of God (the Bible) exists the church has a potential existence.

III. In a Day of Religious Division How does one Identify the Lord's Family, or Church?

   A. In the same way you can identify your own self
      1. You have marks of identity which are peculiar to you.
      2. Illustrate with a dog - small white poodle that answers to name of "Sugarplum."
         a. Your dog wanders off, gets lost, can not make his way home. You put an ad in the paper with a reward offer. Someone
             comes to your door a couple of days later with a huge black Labrador Retriever and says, I found your dog, and I want
             the reward." What will you say? Why?
         b. Surely if God made your dog so that it can be identified, He would have made His church, His family, the body of the
             saved, so that it could be identified!
   B. Before stating the identifying marks of the Lord's church, let us first observe how "church" is used in the New Testament.
      1. The Universal sense - Matt. 16:18.
         a. The aggregate of the saved, the complete number of the redeemed. All who belong to and have fellowship with Christ.
             Does not consist of denominations or congregations, but of saved people. cf. John 15:5,6.
         b. The universal church has no earthly organization, no local address, no phone number. Can not be written to; can not
             receive a letter from.
      2. Local Sense - I Cor. 1:1,2; Rev. 1:10,11.
   C. Marks of Identity of a Local Church, or family of God's People.
      1. Creed - 2 Tim.3:16,17; 2 Pet. 1:3; 2 John 9; Rev. 22:18,19.
         a. The Lord's church does not have a human creed, manual, discipline, or catechism. Its one creed is the Bible - not the
             Bible plus creed books which originated in the mind of men! The Bible rightly divided (2 Tim. 2:15), not perverted
             (Gal. 1:6-9), neither added to nor subtracted from (Rev. 22:18,19).
      2. "Name" or Designation.
         a. "The church" - Acts 2:47; Acts 8:1,3, etc.
         b. Body-Eph. 1:22,23.
         c. Temple of God - I Cor. 3:16.
         d. Church of God - I Cor. 1:1,2.
         e. Church of Christ - Rom. 16:16.
      3. Description of the Members.
         a. Brethren - Gal. 6:1; Jas. 5:19,20.
         b. Saints - I Cor. 1:1,2.
         c. Disciples - Acts 11:26.
         d. Christians - Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28.
            Note: "Brethren" denotes their relationship to each other;  "saints" denotes their relationship to the world, "Disciples"
            shows that they are students, learners, or followers of the One Whose Name their wear, and "Christians" denotes their
            relationship to Christ.
      4. Organization.
         a. Bishops, Deacons, and Saints - Phil. 1:1;
            Acts 14:23; I Pet. 5:1,2.
            Note: The church is only organized in the local sense; it has no universal church organization; it has no earthly
            headquarters. Its head is Christ (Col. 1:18), Who is quartered in heaven (I Pet. 3:21,22); hence, headquarters is heaven
            where the head is quartered.
      5. Worship.
         a. Prayer - I Thess. 5:17; Acts 2:42.
         b. Communion - I Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7.
         c. Singing - Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19.
         d. Giving - I Cor. 16:1,2.
         e. Teaching - Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7.
      6. It's Mission.
         a. Benevolence - Acts 6:1-6.
         b. Edification - Matt. 26:19,20; Eph. 4:12-16.
         c. Evangelism - I Tim. 3:15; 1 Thess 1 7,8
      7. It's Terms of Admission.
         a. Hear - Rom. 10:17.
         b. Believe - Mark 16:16.
         c. Repent - Acts 2:38.
         d. Confession - Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:37.
         e. Baptism - Gal. 3:27; I Cor. 12:13.

Conclusion: