BIBLE TEACHINGS MADE PLAIN, part 20
GOD’s CHURCH ON EARTH
In this lesson we will discuss the topic of “CHURCH”. Does God have a church on earth? Do we have to belong to that church? Can we know what the true church of God is? How do we become a member of God’s church? May be too many questions for one lesson, but we will see how far we come in this lesson.
Again we start at the beginning of things and what we know from the beginning in the scriptures. Our first parents, Adam and Eve were created to multiply, Gen.1:27, 28. That means to have children to fill this world. We would call it today a growing and increasing family, which would be the family of God, Adam being the son of God, Luke 3:38. There was direct communication between God and our first parents, Gen.3:8
However because of what they had done they had been in hiding, Gen.3:10 and God came to look for His children. Sin brings separation from God, Isa.59:1, 2.
Then we read in Gen.4:3, 4 that in process of time we find Cain and Abel in an act of worship of God. In the margin we read, which often is the correct translation, in the end of days, which is explained by some Hebrew scholars as at the end of the week, which is the Sabbath. It could have been that Cain and Abel had been in Sabbath worship of God their Creator. However Cain worshipped God from his own works, fruit of the land and Abel worshipped God through an animal sacrifice. Abel understood what we know from Hebr.9:22 that without shedding of blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sin. Blood is God’s gift for our life, Lev.17:11. Adam and Eve must have told their sons about these things. Abel followed the right way and Cain doing it in his way. Abel is accepted and Cain rejected.
From that time forward till the era of Noah we do not know how people worshipped. We learn about Enoch who walked with God, Gen.5:24. We also know that after Abel had been killed by Cain that Adam and Eve had another son, Seth, of whom it is said he was after the image of Adam, Gen.5:3. This may indicate that Seth was a believer. We read in Gen.6:1, 2 that a mingling took place between believers and unbelievers and the influence of the unbelievers was very strong, Gen.6:5 and became so bad that God decided to bring a flood and to save only Noah and his family.
After the flood we find Noah building an altar to worship God, Gen.8:20, corporate worship was still a family affair. The human race from Noah onward multiplied again, but did not worship God as they should. They built a tower. God came to see it and dispersed them around the globe by disturbing their language. Gen.11:5-8.
By the end of Genesis 11 and the beginning of 12 we learn about a man Abram who is called out of his native land to another place with the promise to become a special people with a special Seed, Gen.11:27-32 and 12:1-4. Abram acts as a faithful servant and teacher of God, Gen.18:19; 26:5. He does the same as Noah and builds an altar to worship God, Gen.12:8. Isaac is also a believer and we find him going out in the field to mediate or pray to God, Gen.24:63. Jacob also, in spite of his mistakes, is a true worshipper of God, Gen.28:16-22. He calls the place Bethel, or House of God. Later he comes back to that same place and renewed his allegiance to God with his family, Gen.35:1-5. Still corporate worship is a family activity, which is a good thing even today, but God had something else in mind as well.
Out of Jacod come 12 sons whom we find later in scriptures being the basis for the people of Israel, named after the new name of Jacob, Gen.32:28. They spent more than 400 years in bondage in Egypt. Under leadership of Moses they are delivered from Egypt and spent 40 years in the wilderness. When they arrive at Mount Sinai they receive special instruction regarding how they should worship God. It is all recorded in Exodus 19-32. They are told to erect a tabernacle for God so God could dwell among them, Ex.25:40; 29:45, 46. This would give them a central place where they could come together for daily services, Sabbath services and festivals. It all was typical of the promised coming Seed, Christ the Messiah. Abram, their biological and spiritual father was told about this Seed, Gen.12: 2. 3. Read also Gal.3:16, 29. The many animals sacrificed in this tabernacle or sanctuary would point them to the true Lamb of God, John 1:29, 36. Animals as such could not deliver them from sin and provide atonement and forgiveness, Hebr.10:4; the blood of Christ is needed Eph.1:7; Col.1:14
The nation Israel of the OT failed to recognise Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Seed the Messiah, Christ the Lord and their house was made desolate, Matth.23:38, 39
True Israel continued in the church of the New Testament. Paul wrote in Rom.9:6 they are not all Israel who are of Israel, which means that all those who are biological offspring of Israel do not all truly believe as Israel should. Israel in OT times and in NT times, in both periods of those times must be believers in Christ the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
We learn from Eph.2:20 that the true church of God, that is true Israel of God, is built upon prophets and the apostles, which means the teachings of the OT and the NT both are fundamental for God’s true church. It is also called in Eph.2:19 the household of God or His family. We learn to talk about it as the “Church”, the Greek word is “ecclesia” which means “the called out people” In OT times Israel was called out of Egypt, Hos.11:1. After having been 70 years in Babylonian captivity they were called out of Babylon, Jer.50:8; 51:6, 45. We have to do the same today, 2Cor.6:17 and Rev.18:4. Abram was a called out man, Gen.12:1-4. Israel was also sometimes called the congregation, Ex.12:3 as we call the church sometimes the congregation. We also find the word assembly, Numb.10:2 a word we find for the church in Hebr.12:23.
But the NT church would not remain faithful to God. The apostle Paul warns about that in Acts 20:28-30. Different teachings would come in from within and from without which would cause confusion and apostasy. Apocalyptically this has been portrayed in Revelation 2 and 3 by way of seven letters to the seven different church periods up till our time.
The first church by the name of Ephesus would loose its first love, Rev.2:4. The next church, Smyrna would suffer severe persecution, followed by the Pergamos church where false teachings would enter the church, Rev.2:14. The church period named Thyatira, which represents the dark ages is compared to the time of Jezebel, the wife of wicked king Ahab. The reformation of the 15th and 16th century would bring new life in the church but failed in some way and is called by the name of Sardis and being dead, Rev.3:2.That would take us to the 19th century which is known as the Advent awakening under the name Philadelphia. This is the sixth period in the line of seven church eras in Christian history. The last one is called Laodicea, Rev.3:14-22. The name relates to “judgment” or “people being judged”, this is the last one, after this no more. The people of that church will preach a last day judgment message as we find in Rev.14:6, 7 and they are known as having patience or perseverance, they keep the commandments of God, all ten of them including the fourth one about the Seventh day Sabbath and they have the faith of Jesus, which means they are Christians, Rev.14:12 Because they are the last Christian church group we also find them in Rev.12:17 as a remnant, which means the last and under a severe attack from the dragon, the Devil, Rev.12:9. They are marked as keeping the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy, Rev.19:10. The last day church of God or God’s last day Israel is a Christian church, is a Commandment keeping church and has the Spirit of Prophecy.
The only church which fits this Biblical image out of the many hundreds of churches there are in the world is the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is a Christian church believing in Jesus and His salvation, it keeps the commandments of God, including the fourth one the Seventh-day Sabbath and it has the Spirit of Prophecy (what that means is for a following lesson).
Some people think we can be Christians without being member of a church. This is not possible. We read in Eph.5:25-27 that as the husband is the head of the wife or head of the family so is Christ the Head of the church. Christ the head, the church the body. Based on this comparison we cannot accept Christ and neglect the body, they belong together as head and body belong together. By baptism we enter the body of Christ accepting Christ as our Saviour and Lord, and thus becoming a member of God’s church, the body of Christ and part of His family.
Commitment: Because I love Jesus and have accepted Him as my personal Saviour
I now will seek to become a member of the Church of Jesus, the body of Christ and I will seek such a church which keeps the commandments of God, including the Seventh-day Sabbath and who have and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
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