The New Testament Church

Introduction

This is really the last in the series of five different lessons in which we’ve been talking about the church. What really is the church as prophesied by God hundreds of years before it was established, as built by Jesus Christ, and as changed by men. Therefore, many different kinds of churches today exist. But then to raise the question, can the church really exist today as it was first established nearly 2,000 years ago? I think the obvious fact is that the different kind of churches, the many different kinds of churches in the religious world today, has only encouraged division and discouraged some from even looking at the gospel of Christ and obey. I say it as encouraged division on the one hand, because there comes more and more the attitude, well, it really doesn’t matter what you believe.

And I said the devil never invented a better slogan than that one. Because if it doesn’t make any difference what you believe, any passage of the Bible you don’t like, just take your scissors and cut it out. It doesn’t matter. You see the conclusion of that very philosophy. But on the other hand, if it does matter then what you believe, how can you account for the different churches that teach conflicting and contradicting doctrines? Even people in the world who know very little or if anything about the Bible would say, hey, if you people can’t get it together, why should I try? And there are those who just simply turn away without even looking further into the gospel of Christ. Indeed, when Jesus prayed in John 17, verses 20 through 23, he prayed that all who believe on him might be one, even as he and the Father were one, united is the idea.

And the scripture says, in fact, in verse 21, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. One of the purposes for unity is to encourage and influence unbelievers to look into the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But today, it’s common to hear professed believers describe themselves as different kind of Christians. There may be some who say, well, you know, I’m a I’m a Catholic kind of Christian or a Baptist kind of Christian or various different other titles. And all this really portrays is that there is division, not unity. That there are different kinds of attitudes in approaching the Word of God. Well, our lesson really is to approach the question, what is right? Can I find the right church? If Jesus built only one, what which one is the right one?

And as we spoke in our lesson this morning, the simple answer that is the right one is the one you refine revealed in the New Testament. But then, of course, that raises the next question. Well, can that exist today? Can the one you read about in the New Testament exist today when we’re nearly 2,000 years this side of the cross of Christ? And I’m convinced that the answer to that question is yes, yes, yes. On what basis somebody says. Well, the basis is from a biblical description. And I use this chart in which I notice many of you have in hand, and if you don’t, you can pick one up as you go out. There are a lot of the verses that are on this, and I know many of you, certainly the back, probably cannot even read it, but you can at least get the concept.

That when Jesus, when he taught the parable of the soar in Luke chapter 8, he described the seed that is sown in different types of soil. And when he began to explain the parable, he said, the seed is the word of God. Indeed, even the New Testament in 1 Peter chapter 2 speaks about how that we are born again of the incorruptible seed, the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. So the Bible, the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed described by the Lord as seed, as incorruptible seed. But the Lord has set forth even from creation a very vital principle about seed. In the physical realm, seed reproduces after its own kind. Likewise, spiritual seed reproduces after its own kind.

When you plant seed, you can expect to know what you’re going to get, what’ll come from that seed. And so it is spiritually. I said this morning, in fact, there are those who sometimes do not like for you to talk about how that there are different churches that had their beginning later from instead of at the at the time of Acts chapter 2. And you can say, well, in the 1500s or 1600s, or even as early as the 1900s, some denominations have had their beginning. Some people don’t like for you to say that, and they say, oh, well, the church of Christ, it’s just really started by Alexander Campbell, wasn’t it? And through the years there have been those who charge from some of my brethren of being Campbellites.

And my answer to that is that that’s not true. While there was a man named Alexander Campbell who lived nearly 200 years ago or came to the States about 200 years ago, and it was a very powerful speaker. When he planted seed, it didn’t come up as Campbellites. I mean, if you go and plant corn and and uh uh let’s just say Brooks goes and plants some garden this year, I don’t know that he ever would, but let’s say if he did, if it corn comes up, you don’t call it Martin Knights, do you? You know that he planted seed, and if it’s corn seed, it’ll come up as corn. And so it is when the word of God is planted, what is the product is a Christian.

Or the church, it it isn’t named after the man who may have planted it. And so it is when the seed, the word of God is planted. What will be the result? I suggest unto you the result will be the New Testament church. The church built by Jesus Christ. And it has various descriptions, of course. It may be called the body of the Lord. It may be called the family or the house of God. It may be called the temple of the Lord, or the kingdom of his dear son, the church of God, or even the churches of Christ. It has many different descriptions in the New Testament. But at least let’s wear a description that is identified through the Word of God. And in fact, knowing that the Bible is our only creed that we speak where the Bible speaks and we’re silent where it’s silent, you can sort of test the fruit.

I mean, if you were to plant seed, let’s say, you know, you’re going to grow a tree, uh a tree that has uh grapefruit on it. There are two different basic varieties at least. I happen to have a tree in our yard that has the white meat on the inside. I really rather like the kind of grapefruit that has the pink interior. But you go you plant seed, and after a few years it comes up, and finally there’s a nice, luscious grapefruit, and it gets ripe, and you you take it and you cut it open, you want the pink grapefruit, and you cut it open and it’s white meat. What do you know? Well, you know you got the wrong seed, didn’t you? It’s a grapefruit, all right, but it’s not the one you planted or intended to plant, because if it came from the tree with the pink meat in it, you know that’s the kind that will be reproduced.

The truth is there are a lot of different churches today, some of which have some of the right characteristics. You may call them churches. But do they have in every part the identifying characteristic of the New Testament church? And here’s where we really have to begin to say, wait a minute. I’m a member of a church, is it like the one in the New Testament in every degree, in every characteristic? And it ought to be our desire that that’s what I’m looking for. And if I can find in every characteristic, just like it was in New Testament times, then that’s the church of which I want to be a member. But if it is not in any one of these areas, then I need to try to do something about it.

First of all, as we said this morning, if there’s something that in our congregation that we’ve preach or that we practice that’s not in the New Testament, then what should we do? Well, quit preaching it and practicing it, right? If it’s not in the New Testament, we don’t want to add to the Bible. But on the other hand, if there’s something in the Bible that we’re not doing, what should we do? Well, to start doing it, shouldn’t we? And that’s how it is that you’re able to have the church that Jesus built as he built it. So tonight let’s take a look, really. Understanding that there’s a warning about God’s plant. In Matthew chapter 15 and verse 13, after Jesus had talked to the Pharisees of his own day in verses 7 and 8 and call them hypocrites, when he said that you draw nigh with a mouth and honor with your lip, but your heart is far from me.

For in vain do you worship me, teaching for doctrine commandments of men. And then in that same chapter in verse 13, he said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Understanding that it’s possible to be religious but wrong. Possible to worship God and praise Him with their lips, but do so in vain. Understanding that men may plant some plants, spiritual plants that God will root up. In fact, as Jesus said in Matthew 7, 21, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. With that kind of understanding, let’s take a look at the different characteristics of the New Testament church. And while I’m not going to leave this chart up because I know many of you cannot read it, at least you have the concept that the plan of God is that which we ought to be searching for and seeking to be a member of.

1. Only the New Testament as Its Creed

And that in every way we need to try to speak where the Bible speaks and be silent, where the Bible is silent. Well, let’s look at it from this point of view and testing each of these characteristics as we look at the Word of God. When we talk about the New Testament church, we studied this morning. It’s the kind of church that has only the New Testament as its creed. And I’ve kind of put in contrast here. The church that’s reproduced by God’s word, on the one hand, from the seed, the New Testament will be its guide, its only creed. But there are some that are planted by men that will be rooted up. And when you find different kinds of creed books, you know they’re filled with opinions of men.

Everything in creed books of different denominations that’s in the Bible, you’d say is good. But what makes one creed book different from the other? Because they all have something that’s not in the Bible. When you find a church that gets together in their council or synod or have their conventions and they determine this is what our church is going to teach, or that’s what your church is going to practice, there come differences that are based upon opinions of men, not upon the word of God. So everything that’s not in the word of God needs to be discarded. That would be simply putting away human creed books. And really, when we talk about the name of the Lord’s people, let’s simply use the name that you find in the Bible.

2. Its Organization: Christ the Head, Churches Independent

We’re called Christians, and not different kinds of Christians. They were simply called Christians. They were simply members of the Lord’s church. The only one you read about in the New Testament. Let’s use Bible terminology when we’re talking about Bible things. But then when we talk about the organization, if you’re going to describe the character of the New Testament church, you’ve got to talk about how it’s organized. Who’s the head? Well, with with the seeds of men, plants by men, you’re going to find that they’re earthly headquarters in various different kinds of churches. That’s why in our among our Catholic friends, they have a Pope who’s the head of the church on earth. But we don’t read about that in the Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 28 and verse 18, All authority has been given unto me, both in heaven and in earth.

He is head over all things of the church, Ephesians chapter 12. How is it that he controls the church? Through the creed, the New Testament, through His Word. And when we follow what He says without addition, without subtraction, that makes him the one with all authority. Man doesn’t have the right to change that. That’s how simple that is, really. And yet, on the other hand, it seems rather complex to some people because they think, well, you know, we’ve lived a long time this side of the cross, and we’ve come in modern times, and we need to be able to make some changes. And what really they’re saying about that is, we’re going to let public opinion determine what this church preaches or practice or does. But public opinion, what’s popular today, doesn’t make it right.

Jesus had himself said that there’s a way that seemeth right unto man. Uh I’m quoting Proverbs there. The way it seems right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14, 23. Jesus did say enter in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in there at. The public opinion, the majority, would be lost. We need to take what do the scriptures say about it. And so, why have headquarters on earth? But you know, in nearly every denomination has some headquarters on earth. And when you start looking at the different churches, you find a different kind of arrangement and organization. Really, hardly a denomination today has the identical pattern of the New Testament church.

I don’t know of one, really. Even there are some churches of Christ. We have a group known as the Boston Church. It has as its elders, sort of the tier group over various different churches throughout the world. And there has to be some kind of oversight by the elders of that church. What’s wrong with it? It’s got the wrong kind of headquarters in it. Has the wrong concept. It’s sort of like what has come to be known as Catholicism. As I said this morning, just because it has Church of Christ on the door or calls itself a church of Christ, doesn’t mean that it’s really the New Testament church. We have to examine. What about its leadership. Frankly, in the New Testament, we read where there were elders in every church, Acts 14, 23.

In a local congregation, and that’s the only organization you can read about in the New Testament. In Philippians chapter 1, he addressed the church of Philippi with the bishops and deacons with the saints there. That’s what made up a local congregation. But you know what? While there were elders as overseers, where there were deacons as special servants, and all the congregation as saints or Christians making up that local body, they were autonomous. It’s a word sometimes we’d have to stop and define. The word autonomous means self-governing. One church did not have authority over another church. It may have been larger. It may have had better educated people, more wealthy people, but it didn’t make it over another congregation. Every church is independent. Some of my own brethren, even churches of Christ, though, have in recent years talked about some kind of centralized oversight, and they try to have brotherhood works.

We’ll let one eldership sponsor a work for several churches of Christ. That’s not in the scripture. You never find elders in one locality overseeing the work of several churches. But each congregation independent could do its own work under the oversight of its own elders. And any change from that pattern is a change in the seed that God has given to us, the word of God. Let’s simply go back to New Testament way of oversight. Local congregations self-governing. Aren’t you thankful that we don’t have any board that says, look, it’s out bumba, you better preach this, or else we’ll think you’re an unfaithful church? Aren’t you thankful the Lord’s our only judge, and we can say, Look, the Bible says this, and that’s what we’ll preach here, and that’s all we’re practice here.

We’re not trying to be anything different than that. I’ll tell you, I’ve talked to several people in the denominational world who are rather frustrated and have been over the past few years because their headquarters have sent down certain things that they must practice, or where they’ve got to send a certain amount of money to fund some kind of project. And there have been a lot of people frustrated over these last few years in various denominations. But when you have Christ as the only head, the Bible is the only creed, and local churches independent, you don’t have to worry about some overruling body telling you what you must believe and practice here. You simply have the Bible as the guide. But then when we look at the church also, we we must talk about worship.

3. How Does It Worship?

How does it worship? You know, when you talk about worship, probably every church I know about gets together and prays. Prayer was one item of worship in the New Testament. The disciples continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. And in prayer. Acts 2 and verse 42. But as I said a moment ago, there may be a lot of characteristics of different churches that are like the New Testament church. But how about all of its characteristics? What makes the church of the Lord different today? Or denominations different? You have to stop and say, Well, wait a minute. Good, sincere people have met today in the United States, haven’t they? Many different denominations have met for worship, and there’s been prayer. Good. You suppose that all of them though met as we did today and took of the Lord’s Supper?

I find some visitors to our services are rather amazed that every time they come on the first day of the week, we’re serving the Lord’s Supper. They wonder why is that? Because where they attend, they don’t have the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week. In fact, sometimes they just do it once a month at best. Or once every three months, quarterly. Or in some churches, once a year on Easter, and that’s the only time. Yet, while we read in the New Testament, the disciples met on the first day of the week, Acts 20 and verse 7. And just as often as the first day of the week comes, that’s how often disciples met. Because that was the day that Jesus arose from the grave.

We keep in remembrance and the Lord’s Supper, his body that was given for us. His blood that was shed for the remission of sins. And so on the first day of the week, we partake of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine as a memorial, a remembrance. Because that’s what Christ instituted. Now there are some who made changes in that. Our Mormon friends, just south of us here, you know what they use when they have the Lord’s Supper? Water and white bread, loaf bread. Because their prophet Joseph Smith had some kind of revelation saying that was alright. Would you think that’s all right? Joseph Smith nor any other man has no right to change what the Lord took as unleavened bread, Luke 22 and verse 1.

And he took the fruit of the vine. And these were the elements that he used to institute the Lord’s Supper. Would you be opposed to having water next Lord’s day weekend? Would you be opposed to having white bread as you eat at the table for food? On what basis? Well, you I hope you’ll say because there’s just no Bible authority for it. That if we’re going to speak where the Bible speaks, that’d say, let’s do what they did and the way they did it on the day they did it. We have no right to do it on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, on the first day of the week with unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. But when we talk about worship, you know, we talked about singing.

We’ve come together singing. Brother Banning last Sunday night talked about instrumental music and why it is that there are some who say, Well, why don’t you have music in churches of Christ? And he very ably said, you know, we do have music, don’t we? We were singing. That’s music. There are basically two kinds of music. There’s the vocal, like we were doing, and then there’s playing. But in the New Testament times, the singing was something that would come from the heart. Singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord, Colossians 3 16. Singing and making melody in your heart, Ephesians 5 19. Something you must do yourself if you’re going to worship. You know, we can hire some professional singer here, couldn’t we? We can have a grand performance here and be very entertaining to you.

But is that worship? No, you hadn’t come to be entertained, I hope. You’ve come to worship God, and therefore you would sing and from your heart praise God. And that’s what singing is about. It’s something that comes from your heart with favor and praise in your heart, grace in your heart unto the Lord. I said, Well, but you know, the Bible doesn’t say thou shalt not use instrumental music. Well, that’s a valid point. It doesn’t say thou shalt not. But a moment ago I asked you, would you have any opposition to water for the Lord’s Supper or white bread for the Lord’s Supper? And I could tell you, you know, the Bible doesn’t say thou should not use water. It doesn’t say thou should not use white bread.

Would you be opposed to it? Why? Well, it wasn’t hard to answer that while ago, was it? Because you’d say, if the Bible said do it this way, that’s what we’ll do without changes. And so it is with music in worshiping God. Let’s not change, though men have for many years now been doing it. You know how long ago. I think most people are surprised that really the use of instrumental music in worship is relatively new. Over 200 years ago, it was very, very rare. Just 200 years ago, that’s a long time, right? 200 years ago? You can’t remember past that, can you? But when you think Christ instituted the Lord’s church nearly 2,000 years ago, what’s 200 years? Very short period of time. But it’s a change that man has made to add this to a kind of worship.

In fact, even the giving, the matter of contribution. Some people are rather surprised that we don’t pass the plate every time we meet. There’s some churches every time they meet, they pass the collection plate. But we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 2, if on the first day of the week, let everyone be laid by him in stores, God has prospered him. And we we purpose in our heart. It’s not a matter that you’ve been uh been done for a certain amount of money that you made a pledge for, had you? It’s free will offering. We haven’t even said, now you better tithe, understanding that tithing was an old testament covenant under the law of Moses. Giving a tenth. Now I I’m not trying to say that’s wrong to give at least a tenth.

I would in fact courage encourage Christians that that ought to be a good starting point, and if possible, even to give more than a tenth to the Lord. But it’s not a New Testament commandment. There’s free will offering in the New Testament. As every man purposeth in his own heart, let him give bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9, verses 6 and 7. And those who sow sparingly shall reap sparingly. So there are some principles about the matter of giving, but it’s on the first day of the week, free will. But you know, a lot of denominations don’t do it that way. It’s a change, it’s a plant of man. It’s by the opinion of man as to how often to give and how much to give, rather than what the New Testament says about it.

4. Its Mission Is a Spiritual Mission

In fact, when we look at the church and we talk about its mission, that too is important. What is the mission? What’s the purpose of the church? If Christ purchased it with his own blood, that within itself says something about its purpose. He purchased the church with his blood. Whatever he purchased the church with his blood, whatever his blood was shed for should say that’s within the scope of its mission. I mean, did he Christ die for basketball teams, you think? You think Christ really shed his blood or some of the social activities that we find many churches sponsoring these days. In fact, what we read in the New Testament is that it has a spiritual mission. First Peter chapter 2 and verse 5, ye also as living stones are built up into a spiritual house to offer a spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Christ Jesus.

You just don’t read that the church had as its responsibility social activities or recreational activities. Now these things are proper in in our home life. They have a place. Christians ought to enjoy being with one another. And there’s certainly a lot of activities that we do as a family. Just as our family, we we may be involved in the business, for that matter, making income to help provide for our family. But it’s not the church’s responsibility to go into business, is it? We know there’s a difference between what we do as a family or as an individual and what we do as a congregation of God’s people. It has a unique place, the church does. It has a unique function. It is described in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15 as the pillar and ground of truth.

And we must keep distinct what its real mission is. We are a people who have been saved by the blood of Christ. And our main responsibility ought to be to help save other people. To save ourselves, to keep saved, but also to preach the gospel. Jesus, in fact, described to his apostles their responsibility. When he said in Matthew 28 in verse 19 and 20, go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But listen, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I’m with you always at the end of the world. So I’ll simply put it as edification. The church has that responsibility to build itself up by preaching the gospel that men might be saved, but then to build up the members that they may stay saved, teaching them to observe.

And you know, the church itself can do that work. We just don’t find any authority for the church having a missionary society, something separate and apart from the church, but funded by churches. You don’t read about in the Bible having some other kind of institution to do the work of the churches. Missionary societies have as its focus to preach the gospel. And the concept really was well, we’ll centralize this work of evangelism worldwide. But the missionary society becomes a separate institution with its own president and its own uh uh uh funds and it and its own treasury, I was trying to say. Here it is as a completely separate organization, but let’s look to churches to give us the funds. You may send your delegates, but it’s not a local church at work.

The church can do the work God gave it to do. We do not need to build super or human institutions to do the work for churches. And with that same concept, we can talk about edifying its members. The church as such has no right to build and maintain colleges for that matter. Now, as individuals, we often talk about even Florida College here. We have about five or six of our young people attending there, and as individuals, some of you help may support it, and and yet, as a church, not a not a cent comes out of our treasury to support that. We don’t build it, we don’t maintain it. It’s a separate body for teaching the word, for teaching sciences as well. But it’s something done as a business, really, as individuals may build it.

The church is not involved in that business as such. When it comes to benevolence, same principle. We find in New Testament times that that indeed the church often helped its own needy members. Indeed, it has a responsibility to help those who are in need. And as Christians, as individuals, even as Brother Duncan read this morning from James 1 and verse 27, pure religion and undefied before God and the Father’s is to visit or to care for the widows and the orphans. And to keep oneself unspotted from the world. But the church, while it has some responsibility for taking care, do we go out and build another institution to do the work for churches? There’s just no authority for it. Really that would say did God give the church work to do that it cannot do.

You know, that that begs the question. I say to you, the simple answer is that whatever is the work for the church to do, God gave it an organization with elders and deacons that it can accomplish its own work. He didn’t set up something separate. Back in Acts chapter 6, when there were widows that were neglected in the daily ministration, what did they do? They selected seven men to take care of them. It was a local church at work. And a local church can do whatever is its work to do. But some of my brethren even have come along and said, oh, well, we need to build and maintain and support a human institution. A business chartered as such. Something different from a local church. It may have a purpose that’s noble, like the missionary society has.

5. Terms of Admission: How Do You Become a Member?

It may have a purpose that’s noble, like colleges may have. But my friends, the church has no business maintaining and supporting what is not another church. It is not the purpose of the church to build and maintain human institutions as such. Let’s keep the church as God designed it. A spiritual institution, able to do its own work within the confines of the organization God established. Plants of men have come along and changed that pattern. But finally, how do you become a member of the church? Terms of admission. How do you become a member? You know, you hear the world today often say, well, just accept Christ as your Savior and then join the church of your choice. Well, that in itself says something about an attitude, doesn’t it?

That there are many different kinds of churches, and you can just join whichever one you like. But that is not what the scriptures ever say. In fact, the scriptures never even say, in order to be saved, just say the sinner’s prayer or just accept Christ. That’s not in the New Testament. What you find in example after example is that men are taught to hear the gospel. For in Romans 10 17, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And men upon hearing the word of God to believe in Jesus as a Son of God, for Jesus himself said in John 8 24, Except you believe that I am He, you’ll die in your sins. But the kind of faith that saves is a kind of faith that obeys, and so believers, true believers, are taught to repent of their sins.

In fact, in Acts 17 and verse 30, at one time God overlooked ignorance, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. And confession, to be able to say not only with our mouth, but of course as also with our lives, that we truly believe in Jesus. For the heart man believeth unto righteousness. For the mouth confession that’s made unto salvation, Romans 10 and verse 10. But upon now, as a believer who’s heard the gospel, willing to repent of sins, confessing Jesus as the Son of God, there’s a step of being admitted into the fellowship with Christ. Being baptized into Him. Galatians 3, 26 and 7 says, You’re the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Baptism? Because it puts us into the death of Christ, whereby his blood may wash away our sins. But you know what that also says? If you’re baptized into Christ, does that not make you a part of his body? In fellowship with him? Isn’t that what the church is? And the Lord adds to the church such as should be saved. When you were born, you didn’t get up to a little finally a time you say, Well, I’m going to join whichever family I like. Let me look around. You didn’t do it that way, did you? You were added to your family. You became a member of your family as you were born. And when you’re born again, you’re added by the Lord into his family. You should wear the name Christian to identify yourself as a member of his family.

Conclusion

You know what that really says is? That if we’re going to reproduce the church by God’s word, the seed, then we’re going to be able to speak where the Bible speaks in every single characteristic. Not just some of them. I’ve heard people say, Well, you know where I go? I don’t agree with everything they do, but they do a lot of things I agree with. I’ve often said to people, you know what rat poison is made of? Only three percent poison. But it’ll kill. Now, what our attitude ought to be is I want the truth, the whole truth. And no addition, no subtraction. If I find even three percent that’s not right, I want to be making some changes about it. I won’t follow what the Bible says without addition, without subtraction.

And I hope that’d be your attitude as well. That as you look very carefully at the Word of God and you find something in it that maybe we need to change, bring it to the attention of our elders. We have no higher board to tell us we can’t do it. We’ll do what the Bible says. May that always be your attitude, with an open Bible and an open mind. Simply to speak as the oracles of God and to practice it in your life. God help us to that end. But perhaps tonight there’s someone here who has never become just a Christian. And we’d like to encourage you to do that. If you believe Jesus to be the Son of God, you’re willing to repent of your sins, confess your faith in him, and be immersed into his death.

We bid you to obey just that simple plan of salvation. And the Lord will add you to his church. We’ll be glad to accept you into the fellowship of this local congregation as you turn to him in obedience. If you’re subject to that invitation, won’t you come even now while we stand, while we sing?