CHURCH SHOPPING

“We are shopping for a church,” he said when I invited him to worship. With hundreds in Fort Worth, he could “shop” the rest of his life!

If anyone is looking for the church Jesus built (Mt 16:18), note these identifying marks.

NAME. See Rom 16:16: “The churches of Christ send greetings.” He bought it with His blood. Jesus called it “my church” (Mt 16:18).

BEGINNING. Before AD 33 it was predicted and promised; after Acts chapter 2 it was spoken of as in existence. Many letters in the New Testament are records of letters written to them in various cities. For dates of beginning of denominations of men that came later, contact the address below

CREED. Its creed is Christ, the Son of the loving God. (Mt 3:16-17; 17:5; 26:63-64; Acts 8:36-38)

TERMS OF DESIGNATION. “Church” is a Greek word meaning a “called out” body of people (Eph 2:5; Col 1:13, 18).

NATURE. It is a ‘body” of believers, God’s “building” (I Cor 12:27; Col 1:18) and is entered by a “new birth” (Jn 3:3-5) a “burial in water and spirit” (Ro 6:3-4). “All spiritual blessings” are locate in it (Eph 1:3).

ORGANIZATION. Jesus is the head (Col 1:18) and elders oversee in each local congregation (Ac 20:28f; I Pet 5:1-3).

MUSIC. Singing, no instruments (Col 3:16; Eph 5:19).

LORD’S SUPPER. Each Sunday (Ac 20:7).

TERMS OF ENTRANCE. Faith, repentance and immersion (Ac 2:38; Jn 3:5) Ask for free book: The Church of Christ.Paper Pulpit book of 391 sermons, $7 ppd.