E-mail usIN SEARCH OF THE CHURCH
To find the true church, let’s begin where the word ‘church’ first appears in Scripture. Matthew 16:18, Jesus told His disciples there, “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates (powers) of hell shall not prevail against it. “ (Satan can never defeat it!)
Jesus has a church! And that’s the one we’re searching for in Scripture, and interested in learning about!
In the very next verse, Matthew 16:19 Jesus said this to Peter, “And I will give unto thee the keys to the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven “. Jesus is telling Peter, ‘I’m giving to you, Peter, the keys to the kingdom. And whatever you say, all of heaven will stand behind it’!
Were these literal keys? No, they were the words of instruction to any and all who wished to enter the kingdom, (or the church).
Now, all we have to do is follow the trail of Peter, and listen carefully to his words!
So, Jesus has promised to build HIS church.
When, where and how did this come about?
Let’s join Jesus and His follower’s just hours before He ascended into heaven. This is the last time Jesus will talk to them (in person) here on this earth.
Luke 24, beginning in verse 45, “Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. 46. And He said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day: 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48. And ye are witnesses of these things. 49. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Notice here, Jesus is sending these followers to Jerusalem to await the coming of ‘power from on high ‘ into their lives. Luke, who wrote this gospel, also wrote the book of Acts; he continues this story there. In Acts 1, we read, (beginning at verse 12), “Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day journey. 13. And when they were come in, they went into an upper room, where abode both Peter and James, and John, and Andrew, Phillip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14. All these continued in one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.”
They waited prayerfully for the coming of the power of God from heaven upon them.
It happened!
Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost (the fiftieth day after the feast of the Passover) was/idly come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues (split tongues, or languages...they had their own language, and now another unlearned language also) like as of fire, (Notice, ‘it was like as of fire’ it wasn’t a literal fire, but they spoke this new language in a fiery manner), and sat upon each of them. 4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues (other languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance (as the Holy Ghost gave them the supernatural ability to speak in an unlearned language).”
This is what Jesus promised them would happen! And this was the birth of His church!
Remember, Jesus told Peter that He would have the keys (be the spokesman) for this church. As the Holy Ghost fell in Jerusalem that day, crowds gathered around to witness the sight. Verse 14 of Acts 2, “But Peter standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken unto my voice. Peter proceeded to preach to the crowds that day. His preaching about Jesus whom they had crucified, stirred their hearts! Verse 37, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked (stirred) in their hearts, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?” (How can we have what those in the upper room have received?)
Have you ever wondered what to do to receive the Holy Ghost and be in Jesus’ church?
The ‘man with the keys’ told them what to do! Verse 38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent (confess your sins before the Lord, and ask His forgiveness), and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins (the removal of both the guilt and the penalty of your sins), and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Who was this for? Just those on that day? Or is it for us too? Verse 39, “For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call”!
We’re all in there somewhere!
So, the man with the keys told us all to: Repent, be baptized in Jesus name, (Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved. “) Then, we too could receive this glorious gift of God’s Spirit into our hearts and be in Jesus’ church!
Here in Acts 2, Peter is addressing the Jews. Fortunately this great gospel is not limited to the Jews! We know that because in Acts 10, he preaches to the Gentiles (non-Jews). His message does not vary! Once again, the ‘man with the keys’ preaches about Jesus! Beginning in verse 44 we read, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell upon all them that heard the word. “45. “And they of the circumcision (Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
How did they know that the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Gentiles? 46. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. (Just as the Jews had on the day of Pentecost!). Then answered Peter; 47. Can any man forbid water; that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48. And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they prayed him tarry certain days. “Acts 10 contains the same instruction that Peter gave in the 2nd chapter!
2 Corinthians 13:1 says, “... in the mouth of two or three witness shall every word be established. “We have heard twice from Peter, can we independently confirm his words with those of another Apostle?
Yes, we can! Apostle Paul was converted after years of fighting against the church. He said in Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. “.
Listen now to
him in Acts 19:1. 1. And it came to pass, that,
while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came
to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2. He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy
Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye
baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him
which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5. When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus.
6. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied..
What do we see here?
We see some religious men who were believers, but paul ask them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? When they said that they had not, Paul began to reason what it was that might have kept them from this glorious experience. When he asked, the particulars of their baptism, he found that they had not been baptized in Jesus’ name.
Once they were re-baptized to take on the name of Jesus, Paul prayed with them, and the Holy Ghost fell upon them and, just as those in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and those of Cornelius household, in Acts 10, they spoke with tongues too! Paul’s words were consistent with those of Peter!
Paul later founded a church in Galatia. After his departure, however, they drifted away from his teachings. He wrote back to them in Galatians 1:6, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into grace unto another gospel. 7. Which is not another but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than what we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than what ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Those are strong words, but they show just how strongly Paul felt about the true gospel which puts in the true church
Jesus said in John 3:5, “...except a man be born again of the water (Baptism) and of the Spirit (Holy Ghost), he cannot enter into the kingdom (church).”
Have you had this experience?
Would you like to?
May we pray together?
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