Discover how the Church of Jesus Christ can be identified and found today by examining biblical scripture and teachings. In this episode, Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour takes us through a detailed exploration of what distinguishes the Church of Christ from other religious institutions. Through a deep dive into relevant scriptures and historical contexts, listeners will learn about the criteria and markers that define the authentic Church as it was established by Christ and the apostles. Listeners are encouraged to delve into Bible study with free resources offered through the program, emphasizing the importance of adhering to God’s
Can the Church of Jesus Christ be identified and found today? Indeed it can, friends, and let’s see how from the Scriptures and from our studies here at International Gospel Hour. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. We’re so glad you’ve decided to listen to our program today. In a world of challenges, we need God’s Word to help us face those challenges. Thank you for joining us in this period of Bible study with our speaker Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, a broadcast of the Churches of Christ. So let’s listen today. Here’s Jeff.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, greetings, everyone. Thank you for being with us once again for our studies from the International Gospel Hour. A very special thank you for joining us, and a thank you to our J-Web for his kind words. Hey, friends, I want to remind you, International Gospel Hour can be found on social media. At Facebook, just look up International Gospel Hour. on Instagram, International Gospel Hour, and at X, formerly known as Twitter, at our, H-O-U-R underscore gospel. Please follow us at any or all of these social media sites to keep up with the good things going on with International Gospel Hour. Matthew 16 and verse 18 says, And I say unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This is the Lord’s direct statement to Peter after his confession that Jesus was the Son of God. It is obvious Christ would build the church and it would be His. Ephesians 5, 25 and 26 says, Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. Paul was not referring to just a church, but the church. If one is interested in finding a church, that is easy. But what about finding the church? How can that church be identified? Coming up, friends, let’s talk about the church, its identity. But first, a few words from our Jay Webb.
SPEAKER 01 :
The best way to reach us is our toll-free number at 855-444-6988. You can request free Bible study courses, ask a question or make a comment. The number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That number again is 855-444-6988. If you can, give us a quick call and let us know where you hear International Gospel Hour. Tell us what city and what radio station. Thanks and keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
If one is interested in finding a church, well, again, friends, that is easy. But what about finding the church? How can that church be identified? Well, the church is called the Church of God in Acts 20 and verse 28. The pillar and ground of the truth in 1 Timothy 3.15. It’s called God’s building in 1 Corinthians 3.9. His temple in 1 Corinthians 3.16. The household of faith in Galatians 6 and verse 10. The house of God again 1 Timothy 3.15. The kingdom of God in Matthew 6 and verse 10 and Mark 9 verse 1. The kingdom of heaven in Matthew 3 and verse 2 and Matthew 4, 17. And when referring to several congregations, it’s called the churches of Christ, Romans 16, 16. So, friends, how can that church be identified? Can it be? Well, the answer is yes. Even if it does not, it can exist. Now, we are not seeking something resembling the church, very much like the church, or something more than the church. We want the church of the Bible. How can it be identified? Well, friends, let’s go to the Bible, because it existed in apostolic days. I mean, we know the apostles preached the church. People became members of the church. They were added to the church. Churches were established, visited, and existed. The Lord’s church came into existence on the first Pentecost after the Lord’s ascension in the city of Jerusalem, Acts 2. Any religious institution whose history is exhausted before you go back to the days of the apostles, the day of Pentecost, cannot be the church of Christ. The Mormon church began in 1830 by Joseph Smith. The Methodist began in 1729 by John and Charles Wesley. The Baptist church started in 1608 in Holland and 1639 in America by Roger Williams. Baptists once tried to trace a line of succession back to the apostolic days, but most have abandoned such an effort because it is impossible. The Presbyterian Church began in 1535 by John Calvin, the Episcopal Church began in 1534 by Henry VIII, the Catholic Church had its first pope in 606, and no council until 325, with a vast array of doctrine unknown in the church of the apostolic days. And as you go back past the confusion of Protestantism, the apostasy of Romanism, and back to the record of the New Testament, the Bible, you find the church Christ built. So let’s look at its beginning and its early history, established in A.D. 33 in Jerusalem on Pentecost as the prophets had foretold. Any religious body established at any other time or place cannot be the church, and we have no reason to find or defend any other. The church is governed by the Word of God, the New Testament. There are no manuals, disciplines, council edicts, catechisms, synods, popes, prayer books, confessionals, general assemblies, etc. Folks such were unknown in the New Testament.” The church is governed exclusively by the Bible. Amen. We have the same seed, that being the Word of God, and can produce the same product, the same church. Friends, the church did not originate in the days of what is called the American Restoration Movement. That movement was to restore, not start something new. When we think about matters to be restored, we can take the scriptures and show how prophecy was fulfilled when the church was established on Pentecost. We can see the teaching for unity, oneness, and the singularity of the church, not many denominations. We can learn what is the authorized work of the church, the worship offered by the church, the terms of entrance into the church, the names of the church, and every element about the church, for the Bible teaches us such things. We must abide by that. Friends, there have been other lessons presented on almost every phase, element, and composition of the church here from International Gospel Hour. This brief study is designed simply to assert with complete confidence that the church does exist. It has identifying marks, and these marks can be detected so that people can recognize the church of Christ as So let us resolve to study these things and learn them. We would also refer you to a previous broadcast that we had here on International Gospel Hour that dealt with the church having the right name. You can always find our programming at internationalgospelhour.com. And dear friends, might I add with this lesson today that you can… See many of these wonderful stories, wonderful lessons rather, at aburningfire.net. It has been a blessing for the past few broadcasts to bring forth studies about the church we read of in the New Testament and other great material through the website aburningfire.net. But specifically… We have shared with you programs and studies and articles from our friend, Brother James W. Boyd, who is the author of A Burning Fire, Volume 19. And again, this broadcast today is from that recently released Volume 19 of A Burning Fire. And yes, friends, that means there are 18 other A Burning Fires to research and study. And if you go to aburningfire.net, the website of Brother James Boyd, you have a lot of great material there awaiting. We are grateful for Brother Boyd’s permission to use his work here and present it from the International Gospel Hour. We make certain that when we share with you material from International Gospel Hour, that the material is biblically based, it is scripture filled, and we’re grateful for men such as Brother Boyd that we can share his material from time to time. We also want to share with you our well-received Bible study course by mail. Well, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m going to allow our J-Web to pick up and tell you a little bit about that Bible course that we would love to send to you today. And I’ll come back with a few additional words for the cause here from International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
Our well-received Bible study course by mail is available to everyone absolutely free. Would you like to try it? All you do is call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say, Home Study. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Home Study in the message box. At your own pace, you can study the Bible in your own home. Again, it’s free. Give it a try. And it’s from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, again, friends, we do appreciate our J-Web and his comments throughout our broadcast to share with you the things that we offer absolutely free from International Gospel Hour. We’re thankful to talk about the church we read of in the New Testament. And we hope that you find our studies from the Word of God refreshing and helpful. And friends, if they prompt you to think about things, we simply ask that you take your Bible, research these things, and make sure that what we’re saying is true. Don’t reach out to another so-called authority. Allow God’s Word to be the authority. Again, if we can be of help to you, our toll-free number is 855-444-6988. As a matter of fact, when the broadcast goes off, if you wouldn’t mind giving us a call and just tell us where you’re listening to our broadcast. Where you’re listening to us from, we’d love to hear from you. And if you’d like to send us a message at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and let us know. We appreciate all of our listeners worldwide, all of our viewers worldwide, and we’re grateful for all that God has done for us, and we give Him the glory. We look forward to further studies with you here from International Gospel Hour. We look forward to taking the Word of God and studying together, and we’ll do that at another time. But for now, thank you for joining me today for the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening today. May this study prompt your search of God’s word for his will in your life. To assist you in your study or to listen to our other programs, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com. To God be the glory. God be with you till we meet again.
