2.  There’s a great deal of confusion concerning the establishment of the church.  Some claim the church was established:  In the times of the Old Testament, or  by John the Baptist.  Each of these claims is falsified by Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16:18: “…I will build My church.”  Absolutely critical to understand the truth about the establishment of Christ’s church to identify the one true church and eliminate imposters. 2

3. The New Testament Church

4.  Dispensationalists claim the Jews rejected Jesus and His kingdom (Plan A).  In response, God initiated Plan B, the church.  Kingdom yet to come with 1,000 yr. earthly reign.  One problem: not true!  Church is “the fullness” of Christ: Eph. 1:22-23  Salvation is only “in Christ”: Rom. 3:24; 2 Tim. 2:10  Jesus “is the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23; 4:4). 4 Establishment of the Church To be “in Christ” and to be in His church are synonymous; whatever the Bible says about one is perfectly applicable to the other.

5.  Note what Paul says concerning salvation “in Christ”:  Salvation “in Christ” was determined before creation: Gen. 3:15; Eph. 1:3-12  But, the church is “according to the eternal purpose” of God “which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10-12).  The church is not an “afterthought,” not Plan B.  This salvation was a “mystery” to be revealed: Eph. 1:4; 3:12; 1:9-10; Col. 1:26 5 Establishment of the Church

6.  House of God/Church: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2)  “mountain of the Lord’s house”: the exaltation of God’s rule over His people.  “all nations” flowing into “the house of the God” is descriptive of the church: 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:5; Eph. 2:19  Church is for “all nations”: Eph. 2:14-19; Gal. 3:28  God’s rule: Psa. 2:6-9  Acts 2:25; 13:33; Psa. 110:1- 5  Acts 2:32-33 6 Establishment of the Church

7.  Last days: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2)  Peter associates the “last days” with the events on that first Pentecost: Acts 2:16-17; Joel 2:28-29  Events of Pentecost were the “beginning”: Acts 11:15  “last days” describe an “age.”  The dispensation of the Messiah began at Pentecost and ends at His second coming in judgment.  Law of Moses no longer separates mankind: Gal. 3:24; Eph. 2:14-15; Col. 2:14  The “beginning” of the church on Pentecost signaled the coming of the new covenant; the “beginning” of a new age: Matt. 26:26-28; Heb. 9:14-15; 12:24 7 Establishment of the Church

8.  Last days: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2)  When the Messiah returns to judge the world it will be the “last day”: Jn. 6:44; Acts 17:31  All the dead will be raised, given an immortal body and judged: Jn. 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 51-55; Acts 17:31  On the “last day” the heavens and earth will be destroyed, the saints will meet the Lord “in the air”; the kingdom delivered back to the Father, and “then cometh the end”; time will be no more: 2 Pet. 3:9-10; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:24; Matt. 25:41 8 Establishment of the Church

9.  Last days: Isa. 2:2-3 (Micah 4:1-2)  The “last days” are the present age, the age of the Messiah:  Age in which God speaks by His Son: Heb. 1:1-2  Peter identifies the events of Pentecost as occurring in the “last days”: Acts 2:16-17; 1 Pet. 1:18-20  The Hebrew writer said the Messiah appeared “at the end of the ages…to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”: Heb. 9:26 9 Establishment of the Church The “last days” are the days Isaiah announced—the days Christ would come, offer Himself as a perfect sacrifice, and purchase the church with His blood (Acts 20:28).

10.  Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28  Daniel speaks of the church as a “kingdom”; the same body of people purchased with Christ’s blood: Rev. 5:9-10; Col. 1:13  Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: Dan. 2:26-45  Image with a golden head, arms/breasts of silver, belly/ thighs of bronze, legs/feet of iron and clay.  Also, a stone “cut out without hands”: Dan. 2:34; Heb. 8:2 10 Establishment of the Church

11. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image  Daniel 2:26-45 Gold Silver Bronze Iron Iron/Clay

12. ”after you [Babylon] shall arise another [kingdom]…then another”, etc. (v. 39)  Daniel 2:26-45 Gold Silver Bronze Iron Iron/Clay ”you are this head of gold” (v. 38) Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image

13.  Daniel 2:26-45 Gold Silver Bronze Iron Iron/Clay Babylonian Roman ”in the days of these kings” (v. 44) Medo- Persian Greek Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Image

14.  Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28  Times of the New Testament fits this time sequence: in the times “of these kings” (i.e., Roman): Lk. 3:1-3  Time agrees with preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus: Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17  John and Jesus both said “kingdom” was “at hand”; how close? Mk. 9:1  Some living when Jesus preached would see “the kingdom come with power.” 14 Establishment of the Church

15.  Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28  How was the kingdom to come? Lk. 24:47-49  Apostles to receive “the promise of my Father” in Jerusalem; when they were “endued with power from on high”; same as the kingdom coming “with power.” 15 Establishment of the Church

16.  Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28  How was the kingdom to come? Lk. 24:47-49  In Acts 1:4-8 we see Isaiah 2, Daniel 2, Luke 24 and Mark 9:1 coming together.  The “power”: “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”; one and the same as “the Promise of the Father” (cf. Jn. 14, 15, 16).  Thus, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles was when they “receive[d] power”; received “the Promise of the Father” and “the kingdom of God come with power” (Mk. 9:1). 16 Establishment of the Church

17.  Days of the Roman Empire: Dan. 2:28  How was the kingdom to come? Lk. 24:47-49  When did the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles? Acts 2:1-4  Now the prophecies of Isaiah 2, Daniel 2, Luke 24, and Mark 9:1 are fulfilled; the kingdom/church has come! 17 Establishment of the Church

18. 18 Luke 24Isaiah 2/Daniel 2/Mark 9 “repentance and remission of sins should be preached…among all nations” “all nations shall flow to it” “beginning at Jerusalem” “For out of Zion…from Jerusalem” “preached in His name” “shall go forth the law, and the word of the L ORD ” “I send the promise of My Father…tarry ye in…Jerusalem” The right place for establish- ment of “the Lord’s house” and reception of “the Promise of My Father” (cf. Jn. 14, 15, 16)

19. 19 Luke 24Isaiah 2/Daniel 2/Mark 9 Right time! In the days of the Roman empire (Lk. 3:1-3) “in the days of these kings” when “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” Apostles to receive “power from on high” Kingdom of God “at hand” would come “some standing here…will not taste of death” and would come “with power” When the apostles received “power from on high” (i.e., the Holy Spirit) THEN the kingdom of God would come “with power”! “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19 (NASU)

20. 20 Acts 1:4-8Isaiah 2/Luke 24 Apostles are in the right place: “not to depart from Jerusalem” (v. 4) “out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3); “tarry in the city of Jerusalem” (Lk. 24:49) Apostles: “you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (v. 5) “I send the Promise of My Father upon you” (Lk. 24:49); “He will teach us His ways…out of Zion shall go forth the law” (Isa. 2:3; Jn. 14-16) Apostles: “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (v. 9) “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49) All of these events converge at one point!

21. Acts 2 All of these events are converging at one point. The Church: Its Establishment “…I will build My church…” Matthew 16:18 ? ”promise of the Father” or the ”power from on high” was the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles Events to take place in Jerusalem in ”latter days” (cf. Acts 2:16-17) Some still alive ”not taste of death…till…see kingdom of God…come with power” ”in the days of these kings” ”the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” Rome Rules Kingdom of God or house of God, the church to be established!

22. 22 Right time in historyRome rules the world Apostles are in the right placeJerusalem Apostles receive the “promise of the Father” with “power” the baptism of the Holy Spirit vv. 1-4: “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” Peter identifies the time of these events “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days’” (vv. 16- 17) Right message “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v. 21)

23. 23 Jesus is sitting on God’s throne, ruling His kingdom “This Jesus…being exalted to the right hand of God…has made this Jesus…both Lord and Christ” (vv. 29-33; cf. Acts 1:9- 11; Dan. 7:13-14) Church Jesus promised to build is now in existence (Matt. 16:18) “the Lord added to the church…those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47) Those obeying Christ enter His kingdom; His church “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13; Acts 2:47)

24.  Before Pentecost kingdom and church anticipated (Mk. 1:14-15; Matt. 16:18); after Pentecost kingdom and church a reality; Pentecost was the “beginning”: Acts 2:47; Col. 1:13; Acts 11:15  The Bible clearly teaches Jesus established only one church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4).  Recall the 33,000+ denominations: are any of them the church Jesus promised to build?  This is no trivial matter! Heb. 8:2; Psa. 127:1; Matt. 15:13  If any of them are the one true church they should pass these simple tests: 1) established by the right person, 2) at the right time, and 3) at the right place. 24 Establishment of the Church

25. 25 ChurchTimePlaceFounder Roman Catholic606 ADRomeBoniface III Episcopal1520 ADEnglandHenry VIII Presbyterian1536 ADSwitzerlandJohn Calvin Congregational1550 ADEnglandRobert Browne Baptist1607 ADHollandJohn Smythe Methodist1739 ADEnglandJohn Wesley Mormon1830 ADAmericaJoseph Smith 7 th Day Adventist1830 ADAmericaWilliam Miller Christian Scientist1866 ADAmericaMary Baker Eddy Jehovah’s Witness1872 ADAmericaCharles T. Russell “Unless the L ORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Psalm 127:1