Let's Go Back to the Bible

13 Things Every Teen Needs to Know (#7)

I hope you’ve been truly contemplating the notes so far and that you’re examining these things for yourself.  You must make up your own mind about God and His will for you.  I have something else that I hope you will truly consider, take to heart and keep with you for the rest of your life.

Lock this in your heart:  There really is only one church that belongs to Christ and is acceptable to Him! I know that might sound harsh or mean or maybe even arrogant, but that’s only because we’ve been conditioned to see things through man’s eyes instead of through God’s eyes.  Consider this from God’s perspective (through the words of the Bible).

Truth: God planned for His church from eternity! The church was not an afterthought or a take-it-or-leave-it club membership.  The Lord’s church was an integral part of His masterful, “eternal purpose” (Eph. 3:9-11).

Truth: God prophesied the coming of His church! Throughout the pages of the Old Testament, God repeatedly foretold of the coming of His kingdom (Dan. 2:44; Matt. 16:18-19) and His house (Isa. 2:2-4; 1 Tim. 3:15), which is the church.  He kept telling the world, “It’s coming.  It’s coming.”

Truth: Jesus promised to build His church! When God became flesh on this earth, He continued to predict the coming kingdom (Matt. 4:17) and He promised that He would build it (i.e., the church/kingdom) Himself (Matt. 16:18-19).

Truth: Jesus purchased His church for Himself and to Himself! The church was such a vital part of God’s plan that Jesus sacrificed Himself and paid for it with His own blood (Acts 20:28).  Reconciliation to God is only possible in His body, and His body is only possible through His blood (Eph. 2:14-18).

Truth: Jesus planted His church in Acts 2 and propagated it throughout the New Testament era! The church we read about in the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament is His church—the one He prepared, promised and provided!

Truth: God purposed for there to be only one church, He proclaimed there was only one church and He permits only one to be called His church! Every Biblical proclamation speaks of the  church as singular in nature.  God said, “There is one body,” which is “the church” (Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23), and Jesus warned a congregation of His church that He could remove their status as His church (Rev. 2:5; cf. 1:20).  He only has one church!

Truth: God placed the church in His plan of salvation! The blood of Jesus that saves us from our sins (Rev. 1:5) is the blood of Jesus that saves the church (Eph. 5:23).  One cannot be saved and go to heaven outside His church (1 Cor. 15:24).

The Lord’s church is not optional!  It is essential!