Which church is the right church?

 

 

HUGH'S NEWS & VIEWS

 

WHAT I AM AND AM NOT RELIGIOUSLY

 

It is hard for some to grasp the biblical concept of Christianity. The Christians of whom we read in the New Testament were not a sect or a denomination. There was but one body of believers in New Testament times (Ephesians 4:4), and that is all there still is in God's sight today!

 

Read carefully and reflectively the following. Remove your denominational spectacles and seek to see the one body of Christ (the church) as it is depicted in the New Testament.

 

I am a member of the church of God, but I am not member of the Church of God denomination.

 

I am a disciple (learner/follower) of Christ, but I am not a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination.

 

I am a Christian, but I am not a member of what is known as the Christian Church.

 

I am a follower of the Nazarene, but I am not a member of the Nazarene denomination.

 

I am a member of the church that began on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Act 2, but I am not a member of the Pentecostal denomination.

 

I am a member of Jesus' catholic (universal) church, but I am not a member of the Catholic denomination.

 

I am a member of Christ's universal church (see the previous point), but I am not a member of the Universalist denomination.

 

I am a baptist (one who has baptized/immersed many people), but I am not a member of the Baptist denomination. (Note: John was called the Baptist because he baptized people, not because he was a member of the Baptist Church).

 

I am a member of a church that follows Bible methods in carrying out the Lord's will, but I am not a member of the Methodist denomination.

I am a member of a church that has presbyters/elders/bishops/pastors (all of these terms refer to one and the same function) in local congregations, but I am not a member of the Presbyterian denomination.

 

I am a member of a church that has a plurality of bishops (from the Greek episkopos; see the preceding statement) over local congregations, but I am not a member of the Episcopal denomination.

 

I am a member of a church that adheres to congregational autonomy, but I am not a member of the Congregational denomination.

 

I am a member of the church of which Christ is the chief cornerstone, but I am not a member of the Cornerstone Community Church (or any of the other multiplicity of Community or so-called independent churches that dot the religious landscape today).

 

I am a member of the church of Christ, but I am not a member of some denomination that calls itself or thinks of itself as the Church of Christ Church or the Church of Christ segment of the universal body of Christ. (Note: I am not a "Church of Christ" as one may be a Baptist, or Methodist, or Presbyterian, etc. Question: Did the members of Christ's church in the first century speak in these ways about their religious affiliation? Did any of them ever say, "I'm Church of Christ"? Read through your New Testament and see how they did speak of themselves, and then ask yourself, can we be today what they were then? If not, why not?).

 

I am a Christian and a Christian only, a Christian who has never joined any denomination. I am what the early disciples were called first at Antioch (Acts 11:26) and what King Agrippa was almost persuaded to be (Acts 26:28). I did what they did (or could have done) to become a Christian.

 

When I was saved from my sins by obedience to the gospel, the Lord added me to the one church of which we read in the Bible, THE church, the LORD'S church (Acts 2:47; I Corinthians 12:13). This church was not and is not a denomination or a confederation of denominations. This church was established by Christ, not by any man or group of men somewhere this side of the New Testament (Matthew 16:18).

 

Christ purchased this church with His blood (Acts 20:28). He is the one and only head of this church, and it needs no earthly head or headquarters (Colossians 1:18). He is the one and only foundation of this church (I Corinthians 3:11). This church is not man's or of man; it is of Christ and belongs to Him.

 

This church is the spiritual body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), and there is but one body, and therefore there is but one church (Ephesians 4:4).

 

It is this body/church that Christ will save eternally (Ephesians 5:23).

 

Hugh Fulford

Easter Sermon There They Crucified Him

 

There They Crucified Him

 

So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. There they crucified Him. . .(John 19:16-18) 

There is a beautiful song that proclaims, "God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive: He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives, Because He lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone, Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives." 

Paul tells us in Romans 5:8-9 that God has demonstrated his love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us, much more being justified by his blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him (John 3:16, Colossians 1:12-14, Hebrews 5:8-9). Through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John we are able to follow Christ the Lord as he walks this pathway of life seeking to save the lost (Luke 19:10, Matthew 18:11). Through words of divine inspiration, we sit at his feet and listen to the greatest sermon ever spoken (Matthew 5, 6 and 7). As we follow him from place to place, we watch as time after time he heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, causes the lame to walk, the deaf to hear and even raises the dead back to life. All too soon we follow him into the garden of Gethsemane and witness the agony that grips him (Luke 22:39-44, Hebrews 5:7). We watch as he is led from the garden to be put on trial for his life. We see him as he is beaten, spat on, mocked, and humiliated in every way possible. Finally, we follow to the Place of a skull and watch as he is crucified (Luke 23:33). We hear him as he cries out, "It is finished" (John 19:30). He is taken down from the cross, placed in a tomb that is sealed with a big rock. Finally, it is over, but is it? Luke 24:1-5, early on the first day of the week, certain women came to the tomb where Jesus had been laid and found the stone rolled away. As they stood there wondering what had happened, two men in dazzling clothing asked them why they were seeking the living among the dead. He is not here, but he has risen. Man put the Son of God to death, man placed him in a tomb but God raised him from the dead and he walked out of that tomb alive (Acts 2:22-24, Acts 10:38-41, 1 Peter 1:3-5). The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation upon which our faith and hope in God stands (1 Peter 1:18-21). It is the very basis for living this earthly life as a child of God (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). Realizing that all who have ever lived, including ourselves, will be resurrected (1John 5:28-29, 1 Cor. 15:19-23) why is it that so many people will live, yea are living as if there will be no resurrection. How many people who are heard to say, I know I should do this or that as it relates to saving their souls and then say, one day I am going to do it but not just right now. Some people are so preoccupied with the pursuit of physical and material things of the world they simply neglect the salvation of their soul (James 4:17, Luke 12:15, Hebrews 2:1-3, Mark 8:36-37).

 Our hearts should be overflowing with praise, rejoicing and thankfulness because Jesus walked out of that tomb alive. Because he lives you and I as faithful children of God live today with the hope and expectation of one day flying away to live forever in a dwelling place were all things are made new (Psalms 90:10, Revelation 21:5). To God belongs  glory and dominion forever and ever.

 

Charles Hicks