by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Ephesians 4:4-6<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. How do we measure “right”? <\/p>\n
A. We must settle on a standard.<\/p>\n
B. If God is the only God and the Bible is His teachings<\/p>\n 1. Then truth and error are as distinct as light and dark – I John 1:5; James\n1:17-18\n 2. The same source tells us that we will face our God in judgment – Romans\n2:6\n C. Can we then decide what parts of God’s teaching are relevant and which can be\nsafely ignored?\n
1. Who is making the decision?<\/p>\n
a. There are many people and each person makes different choices<\/p>\n b. Truth becomes relative to the individual. “My truth is not your\ntruth.”\n
2. Who can advise God? – Romans 11:33-36<\/p>\n
a. Who among men has the wisdom?<\/p>\n
b. Who can decide what God intends?<\/p>\n
c. Jeremiah 10:23 – We cannot guide our own steps<\/p>\n
d. Isaiah 55:8-9 – We don’t think the way God thinks<\/p>\n
3. Did God give any non-essential command?<\/p>\n
a. Did He tell people to do things that are not necessary?<\/p>\n
b. God knows what He is doing – Proverbs 30:5-6<\/p>\n
c. God has spoken and said it will not change – Jude 3<\/p>\n D. Thus, for the followers of God, the only standard is the Bible. Works of men will\nnot settle the question of which church is right\n
II. What is the purpose of the church?<\/p>\n A. Does it exist to entertain and please men? If so, men would chose the church that\nsuits them.\n
1. It is why Paul warned Timothy – II Timothy 4:1-5<\/p>\n
2. The Son of God is the head of His church – Colossians 1:18<\/p>\n
3. Christ hold all authority – Matthew 28:18-20<\/p>\n
B. The church exists to reveal God’s manifold wisdom – Ephesians 3:10<\/p>\n
1. In this God gets the glory and not man<\/p>\n 2. It should even be reflect in the name His people wear and the name of the\nchurch they belong to – Ephesians 3:14-15\n
3. The church is the pillar and support of the truth – I Timothy 3:15<\/p>\n
C. Jesus said he founded one church – Matthew 16:18<\/p>\n
1. Satan cannot keep Jesus’ church from raiding his world<\/p>\n 2. Thus, the church exists to teach the message that saves people – Romans\n1:16\n
3. It cannot be an altered message because such will not save<\/p>\n 4. Related to this, the church educates its members so that it can uphold that\nteaching – Ephesians 4:11-16\n a. Notice there is an organization established by Christ: apostles,\nprophets, evangelists, and teachers\n
D. The church worships the God who established it<\/p>\n
III. There is only one true church<\/p>\n
A. Jesus founded his church (singular) – Matthew 16:18<\/p>\n
1. Thus, he is it head and king – Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22-23<\/p>\n
B. Jesus expected his followers to be united – John 17:20-21<\/p>\n
1. He is not the author of confusion – I Corinthians 14:33<\/p>\n
C. It was established on the day of Pentecost following Jesus’ crucifixion<\/p>\n
1. Mark 9:1 – It was promised in his audiences lifetime<\/p>\n 2. Acts 1:3-8 – Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until the appointed\ntime\n 3. Then in Act 2, power comes upon the apostles and the first sermon was\npreached. People were baptized – Acts 2:37-40\n
4. The church was established – Acts 2:47<\/p>\n D. Anyone can claim to belong to the true church, but a claim is not enough –\nMatthew 7:21-23\n 1. The question is whether what is being practiced matches what was taught\nin the Bible\n 2. This means it will take effort to find Christians who belong to the true\nchurch\n a. You have to know what the true church is supposed to do, which\nmeans you have to know your Bible, especially the New Testament\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:4-6 I. How do we measure “right”? A. We must settle on a standard. B. If God is the only God and the Bible is His teachings 1. Then truth and error are as distinct as light and dark – I John 1:5; James 1:17-18 2. The same source tells us that we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32],"tags":[78,448,456],"class_list":["post-70599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-authority","tag-church","tag-unity"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52393,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-a-church-right-because-it-calls-itself-a-church-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":70599,"position":0},"title":"Is a church right because it calls itself a church of Christ?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How do you know if a church is the right church? Is it because they bear the name \"church of Christ\"? Isn't it possible that a church might also be a Bible-believing church but might not have a \"church of Christ\" attached to their church? Or is the name\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33483,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/church-autonomy\/","url_meta":{"origin":70599,"position":1},"title":"Church Autonomy","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Robert Turner \"Autonomy\" is a compound word, composed of autos, meaning \"self,\" and nomos, meaning \"law.\" An ordinary dictionary will tell us the word means \"self-ruled,\" so that an autonomous church is \"self-governed, without outside control.\" There are those who reject the concept of God and revelation, saying ultimate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22947,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-know-which-church-is-the-right-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":70599,"position":2},"title":"How do I know which church is the right one?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I am a struggling 24-year-old who has been struggling with what church to go to and what kind it should be. The reason for this is because I have been to four different churches and everyone claims that their church or religion is the right one. How would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14844,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-wrong-with-the-baptists-methodists-etc\/","url_meta":{"origin":70599,"position":3},"title":"What is wrong with the Baptists, Methodists, etc.?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 28, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I think my main concern is: \"Is the Church of Christ the only way?\" What is wrong with the Baptists, Methodists, etc...? Am I going in the right direction to get to Heaven? I know I have a lot of doubts and questions. Answer: The question, \"Is the Church\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59347,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-right-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":70599,"position":4},"title":"The “Right” Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Robert F. Turner A brother told me his friend asked if the church of which he was a member was the true church. The brother is an honest, conscientious man, and he said he couldn't tell his friend the church of which he was a member was perfect. He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27508,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-right-for-a-church-to-raise-money-for-a-preacher-school-or-to-have-leaders-instead-of-elders\/","url_meta":{"origin":70599,"position":5},"title":"Is it right for a church to raise money for a preacher school or to have leaders instead of elders?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 21, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a concern over a recent request from a brethren who is a church leader of the congregation where I was baptized years before. 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