2. Identity of the Lord’s Church (2) In our last lesson, we noticed that God had His own design for the church. Christ said He was going to “build my church”! O.T. prophets spoke of the kingdom being established “in the last days”, and Christ said His kingdom, the church, would be established in fulfillment to those prophecies in Jerusalem, and told the apostles to wait for it, with the power. In Acts 2, we saw that fulfillment of prophecy, as the apostles acquired the power promised by Jesus, and the church was born on the day of Pentecost. Today, we look at other identifying marks of the Lord’s church, designed by His Father.

3. By the Plan of Salvation: Notice how people became members of the church of the Lord, Acts 2:36-41. They heard the gospel, they believed, then repented of their sin, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord then saved them and added them to His church. As we continue to read, in Acts, we find this was always the pattern, Acts 8:5,12. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

4. By the Plan of Salvation: Notice how people became members of the church of the Lord, Acts 2:36-41. They heard the gospel, they believed, then repented of their sin, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord then saved them and added them to His church. Paul and Silas preached to the jailer at Philippi, Acts 16:33,34. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

5. By the Plan of Salvation: Notice how people became members of the church of the Lord, Acts 2:36-41. They heard the gospel, they believed, then repented of their sin, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord then saved them and added them to His church. Paul and Silas preached to the jailer at Philippi, Acts 16:33,34. When the Lord sent Ananias to Saul, it was to tell him, “arise and be baptized, and wash away they sins, calling on His name”, Acts 22:16. That was always the way the Lord’s church led people to be saved. That simply echoed what Jesus had promised, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,…” Mk. 16:16.

6. By the Plan of Salvation: Notice how people became members of the church of the Lord, Acts 2:36-41. They heard the gospel, they believed, then repented of their sin, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The Lord then saved them and added them to His church. Paul writes how we are saved, Rom. 5:1,8-10; and 6:3. 1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Notice that baptism is “into Christ” and also “into His death”. It is “by faith”, Mk. 16:16, that we are baptized into Christ and into His death. When we have done that, the Lord saves us from our sins and adds us to His church, Acts 2:38,41,47. Any church that offers salvation on some other basis than what we have just read in the Scriptures is a counterfeit church.

7. By Her Worship Jesus said, “God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth”, Jn. 4:24. Two things are involved in this: “spirit and truth”. The truth is easily identified, for Jesus prayed to His Father, “Sanctify them with the truth, Thy Word is truth”, Jn. 17:17. So, we must worship God according to the truth of God. But, our worship must also be from the heart, as Jesus pointed out to the Jews; “This people honoreth Me with their lips; But their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”, Mt. 15:8,9. Thus, we worship by our spirit. The church of our Lord, 2000 years ago, met on “the first day of the week to break bread”, Acts 20:7. The Lord’s church does the same today. Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper with the apostles: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Mt. 26:26-28. The worship of the church of the Lord, as we read in the Scriptures, was really very simple. They ate the Lord’s supper each first day of the week, and on that day, they “lay by in store as God prospered” them, 1 Cor.16: 1,2.*

8. By Her Worship Jesus said, “God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth”, Jn. 4:24. The church of our Lord, 2000 years ago, met on “the first day of the week to break bread”, Acts 20:7. The Lord’s church does the same today. The worship of the church of the Lord, as we read in the Scriptures, was really very simple. They ate the Lord’s supper each first day of the week, and on that day, they “lay by in store as God prospered” them, 1 Cor.16: 1,2.* They met together for study in the Word of God, they sang and prayed: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 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.” Col. 3:16,17. –The language is most descriptive in Eph. 5:19. “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” They didn’t have to have a band or any mechanical instruments of music, they made melody with their hearts to the Lord. –Historians all confirm that for six hundred years after Christ, the church of the Lord did not use instruments in worship. –Look around at the churches you see. God Word hasn’t changed, and the worship of His church hasn’t changed. Other churches may “jazz” things up with instruments and other types of modern hoopla, but the church of the Lord has worship that is simple, from the heart and according to the Word of God.

9. His Pattern God still expects us to “make all things according to the pattern”. If you can’t find it in the Word of the Lord, it doesn’t belong in the church of the Lord. That is simple, but true. Our lived and our worship must be ordered according to the authority of the Word of God. Many suppose that they can worship God any way they want, and He will accept it. But that is just not true. Look at what the Bible says about that. “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.” 1 Cor. 6:4. Also, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:” Rev. 22:18. And again, “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.” 2 Jn. 9.

10. Conclusion Wherever and whenever God’s Word is taught and accepted in the lives of people, the church of the Lord exists. For, when people respond to the teaching of the gospel – believing in Jesus as the Christ and being baptized into Him – the Lord saves them and adds them to His church, Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:47. You don’t have to be a member of any denomination to please the Lord. In fact, He prayed that there would never be any denomination, Jn. 17:20,21, but we would all be “one body”, Eph. 4:4, Rom. 12:5. 20 ¶ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Jesus made it simple, and gave it to us in His Holy Word. Why complicate matters by adding the words and creeds of men?