THE CHURCH OF THE LORDS CHOICE

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THE CHURCH OF THE LORDS CHOICE

• Join the Church
• of your choice

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WHY JOIN A CHURCHOF YOUR CHOICE?

• For the benefits?
• If one joins a church of their choice for the
  benefits, then would he not miss the benefits of
  all the other churches that he did not choose to
  join?
• Why not join them all to receive the benefits of
  all?
• Wouldnt it make sense that if there are benefits
  in all churches, that we should join them all to
  receive all the benefits?

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

• Some say that one can be saved without joining
  their church.
• Nothing in their church necessary to mans
  salvation.
• Why have them at all?
• It is useless as far as salvation is concerned.

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WHERE IS THE AUTHORITYFOR JOINING THE CHURCH OF
YOUR CHOICE?

• And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in
  the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God
  the Father through Him (Colossians 317).
• In the name of by the authority of.
• Matthew 2818 all authority has been given to
  Me in heaven and on earth.
• WHERE HAS JESUS GIVEN US AUTHORITY TO JOIN THE
  CHURCH OF OUR CHOICE?

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MATTHEW 1618

• And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on
  this rock I will build My church, and the gates
  of Hades shall not prevail against it.
• Fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
• And the Lord added to the church daily those
  who were being saved (Acts 247).
• WHAT CHURCH DID THE LORD ADD THEM TO?
• HIS CHURCH.
• No other in existence.
• No denomination existed.

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ACTS 238

• repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in
  the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
  sins
• The people on Pentecost day were added to the
  Lords church by the Lord Himself, when they
  obeyed Peters instructions!

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COLOSSIANS 118

•  And He is the head of the body, the church, who
  is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
  that in all things He may have the preeminence.
• The body is the church.
• The body of Christ is the church of Christ.

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1 CORINTHIANS 1218

• But now God has set the members, each one of
  them, in the body just as He pleased.
• Who are the members? Individual Christians.
• Where were they set? In the body (church).
• Who set the members in the body? God.
• Not an act of the members themselves.
• If you join the church of your choice thats
  something YOU do.
• If the Lord adds you to His church, thats
  something HE does.

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WHO DOES GOD SET IN THE CHURCH? WHO DOES THE LORD
ADD?

• Acts 241 "Then those who gladly received his
  word were baptized and that day about three
  thousand souls were added to them."
• Acts 247 And the Lord added to the church
  daily those who were being saved."
• Those who were baptized those who were being
  saved.
• (1 Corinthians 1218) "just as He pleased."

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1 Corinthians 1218

• But now God has set the members, each one of
  them, in the body just as He pleased.
• Each memberset in the body (church).
• Each person who is saved is set in the church of
  Christ by God.
• You cant join the church Gods sets you in it
  You are added by the Lord (Acts 247).

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WHAT MUST YOU DO TO BE SET INTHE BODY ADDED TO
THE CHURCH?

• Hear the Gospel.
• (Romans 1017) So then faith comes through
  hearing, and hearing from the word of God.
• Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
• (John 824) Therefore I said to you that you will
  die in your sins for if you do not believe that
  I am He, you will die in your sins."

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WHAT MUST YOU DO TO BE SET INTHE BODY ADDED TO
THE CHURCH?

• Repent of your sin.
• (2 Corinthians 710) For godly sorrow produces
  repentance leading to salvation, not to be
  regretted but the sorrow of the world produces
  death.
• (Luke 133) I tell you, no but unless you repent
  you will all likewise perish.

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WHAT MUST YOU DO TO BE SET INTHE BODY ADDED TO
THE CHURCH?

• Confess your faith.
• (Matthew 1032-33) Therefore whoever confesses Me
  before men, him I will also confess before My
  Father who is in heaven..
• (Romans 109-10) ...that if you confess with your
  mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart
  that God has raised Him from the dead, you will
  be saved. For with the heart one believes unto
  righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
  made unto salvation.
• (Acts 837) Then Philip said, "If you believe
  with all your heart, you may." And he answered
  and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
  of God."

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WHAT MUST YOU DO TO BE SET INTHE BODY ADDED TO
THE CHURCH?

• Be baptized (immersed).
• (Mark 1616) He who believes and is baptized will
  be saved but he who does not believe will be
  condemned.
• (Acts 238) Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and
  let every one of you be baptized in the name of
  Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..
• (1 Peter 321) There is also an antitype which
  now saves us baptism (not the removal of the
  filth of the flesh, but the answer of (appeal
  for) a good conscience toward God), through the
  resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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THOSE WHO ARE SET IN THE BODY ADDED TO THE
CHURCH

• ARE THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN THESE STEPS TO BE SAVED
• Hear the Gospel.
• Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
• Repent of sins.
• Confess Jesus before men.
• Baptized into Christ for the remission of sins.

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CAN ONE BE SAVEDOUTSIDE OF CHRIST?

• Every believer will answer NO!
• Every accountable person is either

• IN CHRIST
• Forgiveness of Sins
• Salvation
• All spiritual blessings

• OUTSIDE OF CHRIST
• Lost
• Without Hope
• In sin

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TWO PASSAGES TELL US HOW TO ENTER INTO CHRIST?

• Romans 63-4 Or do you not know that as many of
  us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were
  baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried
  with Him through baptism into death, that just as
  Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
  the Father, even so we also should walk in
  newness of life.
• Galatians 326-27 For you are all sons of God
  through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you
  as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

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HOW DOES ONE ENTERINTO CHRIST?

• Into - passing from the outside to the inside.
• Before one is baptized into Christ he is outside
  of Christ.
• Illustration Outside the building.
• There was something you had to do in order to
  ENTER INTO the building.
• There was a point when you ENTERED INTO the
  building.

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HOW DOES ONE ENTERINTO CHRIST?

• There is a point when we ENTER INTO Christ.
• Paul says that point is when we are baptized INTO
  Christ.
• It is at the point of baptism where we contact
  the death of Christ where He shed His blood
  (Romans 61-4) and have our sins forgiven. (Acts
  238 baptizedfor the remission of sins) that
  we enter INTO Christ.

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HOW DOES ONE ENTERINTO THE CHURCH?

• 1 Corinthians 1213, For by one Spirit are we all
  baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
  Gentiles, whether we be bond or free and have
  been all made to drink into one Spirit.
• It is at the point of baptism that we enter into
  the body or church of Christ.
• It is at the point of baptism that we are set in
  the church or added to the church by the Lord.
• We enter into Christ and the church at the SAME
  POINT when we are BAPTIZED!

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BUT PEOPLE DO JOIN CHURCHES

• Where do they come from?
• From people.
• People established them.
• People built them.
• People control them.
• People have the say as to who will join them.
• Not true of the church of Christ.
• Established by Christ.
• Directed and controlled by Christ.
• HE adds people to His church.

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CHRISTS ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS CHURCH

• (Acts 2028) Therefore take heed to yourselves
  and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit
  has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
  God which He purchased with His own blood.
• (Ephesians 525-27) Husbands, love your wives,
  just as Christ also loved the church and gave
  Himself for her, that He might sanctify and
  cleanse her with the washing of water by the
  word, that He might present her to Himself a
  glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
  any such thing, but that she should be holy and
  without blemish.

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WILL YOU BECOME A MEMBEROF THE CHURCH OF THE
LORDS CHOICE?