YOU are a sinner in the sight of God, and because of your sinful condition YOU deserve to be thrown “into the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone” – forever. I make no exceptions for your church membership, your sweet nature, your obedience or anything else. There are so many scriptures which declare your sinfulness that I could fill up my thirty minutes just quoting them. In many churches those verses are quoted so often that they flow over our souls like water off a duck’s back. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” Absolutely no one. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way….” “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” Parents need to look at their new born babies and remind themselves that they have brought another sinner into the world – another just like themselves. Oh, how I wish that just as the shadow of Peter falling upon sick people healed them, those words which I have just quoted were taken by the Holy Spirit, and everyone who heard them were absolutely and thoroughly convinced of their sinful condition. Oh, how I wish that this place was like Ninevah under the preaching of the prophet Jonah. There have been instances like that in this country, but that was a long, long time ago.
Can anything be done about this accursed condition? This Hell-deserving sinful condition of sinners like us? The Bible clearly says, over and over again, that there is a solution – there is a salvation from sin. It is found in the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of God – the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” “Christ was once offered (like a sacrificial lamb) to bear the sins of many.” “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” He “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity…” We are all worthless sinners, but there is a Saviour – there is deliverance from that sin – the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.
To some degree, more or less, most of the basic sects of Christendom, believe what I have just said. How can anyone who has a modicum of respect for the Bible, say anything else? The children of Adam are all sinners, worthy of eternal death. But the Son of God has been sent from Heaven to become an atoning sacrifice, a vicarious substitute for the sinner – paying the price for our sin with His own precious blood. Most of Christendom believes these things in their own particular way – sometimes correctly, but often very incorrectly. But then after these truths, the question which is so highly debated between the sects of Christendom is –
HOW can the sinner ACCESS that salvation of God?
Obviously, the sinner must somehow become associated with Christ – who is the Saviour. Of course some things have changed over the 2,000 years since Matthew 10. For example, Christ is no longer walking the paths and trails of planet earth. We can no longer leave our fishing boats, custom houses and mothers and fathers to literally follow Christ from place to place. We can no longer become exactly like the twelve men mentioned in this scripture, because the circumstances are different today. We might want to go to be where Christ is at this moment and to follow the Lord around streets of gold and through gates of pearl. But that doesn’t work either, because we’d have to be cleansed of our sins first. Without possessing holiness, no man shall see God. Our imperfect, human righteousness is not armor shiny enough to walk with Christ in glory. We must be enrobed with His perfect & absolute righteousness first before fellowshipping with Him.
Despite a hundred more scriptures, religious humanity, at the urging of Satan, has come up with some really foreign ideas on how to solve the sin problem. For example, just like my parents and my grandparents before them, when I was young I was sprinkled with a little water and declared to be a child of God. Without a single Bible verse to justify it, my parents were told that because I had been christened, I had been cleansed of my sins. Countless millions of parents and children have been fed that lie, and the vast majority of those people have died in that false faith. It comes in a Protestant version which is remarkably similar to the Roman Catholic version. There are variations of the same thing found among some of the various sects and cults of Christendom. Some of them permit this rite upon tiny children, but others restrict it to adults. Sometimes, as with the Orthodox churches and others, there must be full immersion – but others are satisfied with pouring or sprinkling a little water. But no matter what form it takes, this is still heresy, because baptism, sprinkling, and christening by any other name is not to be found in the Bible as a means of salvation – washing away sins.
It is to be noted that some of these false teachers say that what they are doing in their version of baptism is to bring that wet soul into the membership of their church. While some say that baptism directly saves from sin…. others say that it only brings that person into association with the Saviour. In other words, through baptism, sinners enter the church where they are saved by Christ. While I believe that baptism does bring people into association with Christ, I do not intend it to mean that through water sinners are washed clean from their sins.
Baptism is supposed to be an illustration a union – a union which already exists at the time of baptism. Immersion in water is an illustration of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and of that believer’s identification with what Jesus did for that his salvation. That person too has died, but now he is going to live a new, resurrected life in Christ. Baptism is a part of the believer’s testimony, and in the light of that testimony, the former sinner becomes a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the twelve disciples were all baptized by John the Baptist, believers today are commanded to be baptized and to become a part of one of Jesus’ churches.
Now with that in mind, I’d like to make a 90% turn, before making a second 90% to return to this same spot.
WHEN did the first CHURCH of Christ BEGIN?
There are millions of people who believe that it started during the days of the Old Testament. Those people usually identify the church with the nation of Israel. Some of them take the church back much farther to people like Abraham, Noah, or even Adam. I challenge those people find the word “church,” or any form of that word, in the Old Testament. It is not there. There is a difference between the church and Israel – they are not synonymous, or even closely linked.
After those folk there are even more millions who believe that the church started on the Day of Pentecost of which we read in Acts 2. There are at least a dozen reasons to toss that idea aside – along with the Israel/church theory. For example, all of the essential characteristics of a New Testament church were in place before that Pentecost. They are not in the Old Testament, but they are found during the earthly days of the Lord Jesus. Jesus established them. As I just said, the twelve disciples, of whom we read here in our text, were all baptized – immersed. They were a called out assembly lead by their pastor – Jesus Christ. Picking up something which Paul will say, and even after Jesus’ crucifixion, Christ was their Head – the Head of their church. They had both ordinances before Pentecost – baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Those disciples had their responsibilities and their commission to preach the gospel. Obviously, they possessed the gospel, in fact they had been preaching it for a couple of years before Pentecost. The church had a business meeting in Acts 1 prior to Pentecost, and they had prayer meetings. There was organization within that church with leaders under Christ and even a treasurer. How could several thousand people be “added” to the Lord’s church on the day of Pentecost, if the church wasn’t already in existence? Christ Jesus used the word translated “church” long before He died and long before Pentecost. And when He did, if His disciples hadn’t fully understood what He meant it would have been silly. When members of Christ’s churches sin and bring shame to the name of the Lord, they should be disciplined, according to principles which Jesus laid down in Matthew 18. They should be confronted privately and then they should be semi-privately counseled to repent. “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” There are all kinds of arguments to say that the Lord established a church prior to Pentecost. I particularly like the one found in Hebrews 2:9-12 – “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain (arkaygos) of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” The Bible records Christ singing on only one occasion – after the celebration of supper with the eleven just prior to His crucifixion.
There is no doubt in my mind that Christ started His church prior to the Book of Acts. And the statement of Matthew 16:18 does not make me doubt my position – “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Christ started His church – not Abraham, not Moses, not John the Baptist – and not the Holy Spirit. He started it during his earthly ministry, and He is still building His church and churches.
But as to the precise moment when the Lord’s church began is a bit more difficult. It is hard to be dogmatic on this question, but that doesn’t keep me from my opinion. It appears to me that our scripture from Matthew 10 may be that moment, but it may have been earlier. This moment is described again by Mark & Luke in essentially the same words as those of Matthew 10. And there is one word in particular in these scriptures which strengthens my doctrinal resolve. The word translated “church” in our Bibles is “ecclesia” which is the combined form of “ek” and “kaleo.” “Ecclesia” means “a called out assembly.” It refers to a particular group of people which have been called out of a larger body and which assemble together for some specific purpose. That is precisely what we see in this scripture and in its cousins in Mark and Luke. When the Lord Jesus “called unto him” these twelve He used a derivative of “kaleo.” I believe that He called them out from among the rest of the mediocre disciples – to form His church. And then He gave them their commission to evangelize other with the message of the gospel. Those disciples were member of the first Baptistic Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I’m going to turn another 90% in order to return to where we began.
ASSOCIATION with Christ, and association with a church, HAS NEVER SAVED ANYONE.
There was one man – a member of the Lord’s first church – who was not a Christian – a child of God. Verse 4 – “Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” I have read and listened to people who tried to say that Judas was a misguided fool, who only wanted to force Christ into taking the throne of the Messiah. I have tried, but I cannot get that idea settled in my head – it doesn’t fit.
Judas was a self-centered tool of Satan, who sold Christ Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. “And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.” Then Peter added, “Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” I have a hard time believing that Judas was a Christian, despite being a member of the Lord’s church. I have a hard time believe that Judas was a Christian, despite being associated with Christ.
Just because you, or any one else, is a member of a good church, that membership and that kind of association with Christ has not saved your soul from Hell. Salvation from sin is a not a by-product of church membership. Salvation isn’t an automatic result of knowing all the things that the Book of Matthew might teach. It doesn’t come by knowing about Jesus and all his miracles, His teachings and even knowing about His death. We may know that we have been delivered from the penalty of our sins when we are assured that we have repented before God and when our faith for salvation is in the person of Christ.
You must be BORN AGAIN. No one has been born again through baptism – even baptism administered by John Baptist. No one has been cleansed of his sins by becoming a member of one of the Lord’s churches. You must personally repent before God – with an heart broken through the operation of the Holy Spirit – you must realize and acknowledge that you are a worthless, wicked sinner. And by faith you must look to what Christ Jesus did on the cross – trusting Him to cleanse your soul. You must realize and believe that Jesus died, shedding His blood, in order to cover your sins. His was not a general death for your family, your group, your church or your nation. If Jesus did not die specifically for you, then you don’t have a Saviour. You must trust and believe that Christ took your place in death to meet the demands of the law against you and your sin.
You may be a good church member, like Judas, and still be dead in your trespasses and sins. Don’t let what was said of Judas be said of you. Repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.