WHY THE CHURCH MUST NOT CHANGE

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.      Judaism existed for 2,500 years, from Mt. Sinai to the cross of Calvary.

1.        That religion was based upon a pattern given to Moses in the mount (Ex. 25:9, 40, Heb. 8:5).

 

And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount.

 

2.       Because there was a divine pattern to follow, that religion did not change very much during those 2,500 years.

 

B.       The writer of Hebrews tells us that the things found in the Old Covenant “serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb. 8:5).

1.        There was lawgiver in the Old, and there is a Lawgiver in the New.

2.       There was a law in the Old, and there is a law in the New.

3.       There were sacrifices in the Old, and there is a sacrifice in the New.

4.       There was a priesthood in the Old, and there is a priesthood in the New.

5.       There was a temple in the Old, and there is a temple in the New.

6.       There was a nation in the Old, and there is a holy nation in the New.

7.       There was a rest in the Old, and there is a rest in the New.

 

C.      If the Old was built according to a pattern, and if the Old was an example and shadow of heavenly things, then God intended for the things found in the New to stay the same just as He intended the things in the Old to stay the same.

 

D.      This is one evidence that proves the church must not change. 

 

E.      The title of our lesson this morning is:  “Why the church Must Not Change.”  Let’s consider three additional reasons in this lesson.

 

I.                    WE MUST DO ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO HIS AUTHORITY

 

A.      When God established the church, he built it upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:19-20).

 

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.

 

1.        The foundation of the church consists of the teachings of the apostles and prophets that we have recorded for us in the pages of God’s Word.

2.       This teaching is centered upon Jesus Christ the Son of God.  He is the chief cornerstone from which the rest of the foundation is constructed (See 1 Cor. 3:11).

3.       This foundation is strong and mighty.  It will never be destroyed.

a.       Matthew 24:35

 

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

 

b.       1 Peter 1:25a

 

But the word of the Lord endureth forever.

 

B.       Since the first century, the church looks to the Word of God, specifically the New Testament as its blueprint. 

1.        It contains the divine directions for the construction of the church.

2.       Man has been told not to add to or take from the Word of God (Rev. 22:18-19).

 

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

 

3.       NOTE:  If any of the apostles or prophets or faithful members of the first century church were to be raised from the dead today, they would see the church of Christ and immediately recognize it to be the same church of which they were a part two thousand years ago.

a.       They would see the same organizational structure.

b.       They would see the same worship.

c.       They would see the same names being used for God’s people.

d.       They would hear the same preaching as that of the first century.

e.        They would hear the same instructions relative to the gospel plan of salvation.

4.       OBJECTION:  The one objection that some might raise would be that the first century church had miracles and the church today does not.

a.       The inspired writers realized miracles were like the scaffolding around a building while it is under construction.

b.       The first century church did not have the complete revelation of God to man, so miraculous gifts were provided to them so they could function as the church.

c.       The early church knew miraculous gifts were temporary and would only last until the complete written revelation was given (Eph. 4:8-14; 1 Cor. 13:8-13).

1)       Prophecies shall fail.  Tongues shall cease.  Knowledge shall vanish away.

2)      When the perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away.

3)      Then, they saw darkly.  When the written revelation was given, they could see clearly or “face to face.”

 

C.      Today, we continue to live by the authority of God’s Word.

1.        We are not to think of men above that which is written (1 Cor. 4:5).

2.       If any man preaches another gospel unto us, he is to be accursed (Gal. 1:9).

3.       Whatever we do in word or deed, all is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17).

4.       We are to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2).

5.       We are to speak the things that become sound doctrine (Tit. 2:1).

6.       We are to speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11).

7.       We are to continue in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9).

8.       NOTE:  If we will do these things, the church will NOT change.

 

II.                 JESUS PURCHASED IT WITH HIS BLOOD

 

A.      There are some things that are extremely costly in nature.

1.        Homes, tracts of land, jewelry, art, coins, baseball cards, antique furniture, businesses, etc.

2.       When a person purchases something of extreme value, he does not want it manipulated in any way.  He wants it to remain in the same pristine condition as when it was purchased.

a.       Sport cards are kept in airtight packaging.

b.       Valuable jewelry is seldom worn.  Fake pieces are made for the display cases and to be worn.

c.       Laws and regulations are made in order to protect various tracts of land from being destroyed.

 

B.       The church of Christ came with an extremely high price tag.  It was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

1.        Acts 20:28

 

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

 

2.       Ephesians 5:25

 

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

 

3.       Hebrews 9:21-23

 

Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission.  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

 

a.       The blood of animals was sprinkled on the physical tabernacle.

b.       The blood of a better sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, was sprinkled upon the heavenly tabernacle.

 

C.      What Jesus purchased 2,000 years ago, He wants to remain the same. 

1.        It carries the same value today as it did back then.

2.       If it is taken from, added to, or manipulated in any manner, it loses its value.  It is not the same thing.

3.       Example:  Can you imagine a person taking the painting of a famous artist and erasing a portion of it, or, adding a little bit more color to it, or, rearranging the scene or position of a portrait? 

a.       The art no longer continues to be the original.

b.       The value of the art could fall to almost nothing.

c.       LESSON:  The same is true of the church.  If it is turned and twisted and manipulated, it ceases to be the thing for which Jesus shed His blood.

 

III.               DEVIATIONS MAKE WORSHIP VAIN

 

A.      One of the marks of the true church is its worship.

1.        Jesus taught that worship is to be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

 

God is a Spirit:  and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 

2.       The early church engaged in five acts of worship.

a.       Singing (1 Cor. 14:15)

b.       Prayer (1 Cor. 14:15)

c.       The proclamation of the Word of God (1 Cor. 14:3).

d.       Partaking the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:22-29; Acts 20:7).

e.        Giving as one has prospered (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

3.       This was the pattern followed early on in the church (Acts 2:42).

 

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

 

4.       Those elements of worship were taught to the church at Corinth by the apostle Paul.  Now listen to his words in 1 Cor. 4:17.

 

For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

 

a.       There was not one set of worship instructions for Corinth and another for Colossae and another for the churches of Galatia.

b.       What Paul taught in one, he taught in all. 

c.       “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:40).

 

 

B.       There are many people today who are bent on changing the worship services.

1.        Women are no longer silent in the assembly.

2.       Instrumental music has been added in some Lord’s day worship services.

3.       Some are worshiping on Saturday night instead of the first day of the week.

4.       Solid preaching has been replaced with illustrations, stories, and performances.

5.       The contribution is no longer gathered on the first day of the week, it is just sent in by mail or Venmo or PayPal.

6.       During CV19, some ceased gathering together in one place and attempted to assemble virtually online. 

a.       The worshipers often worshiped very sloppily laying on couches, sitting in Lazy Boy chairs, eating breakfast, or doing chores at home.

b.       The children were exempted from the worship at times.

c.       Brethren were not teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

d.       The spiritual edification of brethren gathering and seeing one another was lost.

 

C.      If the church deviates from the Lord’s pattern for worship, worship is empty and vain (Matt. 15:7-9).

 

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 

D.      We need to learn from the examples of those in the past.

1.        Cain’s sacrifice was not respected by God.

2.       Nadab and Abihu were slain by fire from heaven for using a fire that was not authorized.

3.       The Northern Kingdom ceased to worship properly when they changed the object of worship, the place of worship, and the priesthood.

 

E.      Some would have us to believe that true worship is dull and boring. 

The truth is that contemporary worship is vain, empty, and useless. 

Who is man to tell God “how” He should be worshiped?

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.      The Lord’s church was designed as an eternal institution (Eph. 3:8-11).  As such, it was never intended to be changed.

 

B.       If we change the church:

1.        We reject the divine authority of God’s Word.

2.       We cheapen the object for which Jesus shed His blood.

3.       We pervert the worship, thereby making it vain and empty.

 

C.      We should rejoice that we have exactly what they had in the first century. 

1.        It is the beautiful bride of Christ.

2.       It is the pristine temple of God.

3.       It is the glorious body of Jesus Christ.

4.       It is the holy family of God.

5.       It is the luscious vineyard of the Householder.