Attacking The Church's Foundation / The Apostolic Age (Forerunners of the Faith - Lesson # 1)

All right, so this will be lesson number one in the book forerunners of the faith. Lesson number one is on the Apostolic age if you notice on the side it says as this picture I guess of a temple and The foundation of our faith or the foundation of the church is what?

Right Jesus Christ and The apostolic witness to him, let's just turn to Ephesians chapter 2 for a moment. This isn't in your book, but it's I think helpful to see this. So Jesus is described as the chief cornerstone.

Typically we would say yes, he's the foundation. No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is in Christ Jesus. That's 1st Corinthians 3 11. I believe. But look at Ephesians 2 20.

Because as I like to remind everyone nobody knows anything that Jesus said or did except that which is written By the Apostles in the New Testament. This is this is the thing that gets me about people who I don't like Paul or I don't follow any man.

Or I don't listen well. I just followed Jesus. Well great Paul said follow me as I follow Christ. It's another story, but you wouldn't know Jesus never wrote a book. You wouldn't know anything about Jesus except that.

Which is written in the New Testament, so look at Ephesians 2 20. What does it say. Well? Let's go back to verse 19 now. Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God.

Having been built on the foundation of who or what? Right the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. So the foundation is Jesus and the Apostles and the Prophets.

And again, we don't know anything about Jesus except what they wrote, okay? So the foundation is Jesus Christ and the apostolic witness to him. One doctrinal pillar. Do you guys have the same thing in your book?

I know at the teachers guys, okay? The first pillar of The church is the doctrinal pillar the Word of God. The second doctrinal pillar is the work of God and the third doctrinal pillar is the worship of God.

And then it goes through the different ages, so we're looking at the first age the apostolic age. It says number one picturing the church as a Building. One of the New Testament metaphors for the church is that of a building?

Jesus himself promised to build his church and guaranteed that it would not fail. Matthew 16 verse 18 Scripture points to Christ and the truth about him as the foundation on which the church is built.

And then it lists a few verses. Do I have a volunteer to read 1st Corinthians 3 9 through 11? If not, okay, I can read them. I don't mind. Okay. All right. Ray is gonna read that Ephesians 2 19 and Through 22.

We just read that and Marcus 1st Peter 2 4 and 5. Okay, Ray go ahead. Well let me just read Ephesians 2 19 through 22 again, so then you are no longer strangers in aliens. And who's he talking to. He's talking about Gentile?

Believers. Right because Gentiles are not part of the family of God. That's the way it was seen that that was for the nation of Israel. But we are brought near through faith in Christ, and then he says you know it's built on the chief Cornerstone Jesus and the Apostles and prophets.

Okay, right go ahead.

Okay.

All right. So 1st Corinthians 3 9 through 11 he makes this Analogy about God's field and God's building and Paul refers to himself as a wise Master builder. The foundation he was laying was Christ Marcus 1st Peter 2 4 and 5.

And coming to him as to a living stone Which has been rejected by men, but his choice and precious in the sight of God You also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.

Okay, and Peter continues in verses 6 through 8 to explain that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. The foundation stone on which the church is built now. Does anyone Disagree with this. Have you heard anyone teach something different.

I've heard someone teach something different. They say that the church was not built on Christ the church was built on. Who?

Peter.

Peter is the rock on which the church is built and Peter was the first Pope so it's really The papacy the church is built on that rock of the papacy. You know what that makes the the papacy don't you?

It makes the papacy An imitation Christ a false Christ. That's why all the Reformers. I'm kind of taking a hard right turn here on this already. But the Protestant Reformers whether is Martin Luther John Calvin later on John Wesley Charles Haddon Spurgeon right up until today with John MacArthur.

They all viewed the papacy as the seat of Antichrist. Because if the church is built on Christ, which is clearly what the scripture says and they say no it's built on Peter and It's the Pope. Well, you either have Jesus or this false Jesus who walks around?

The world that has people bowing to him and calling him. Holy Father. It's yeah as Mark said in a sense he takes the place of Almighty God. And you need to listen to him and it was taught for centuries.

There is no Salvation to those who are not in subjection to the Roman pontiff now, it's something that modern Christians don't hear much about and it's sort of frowned upon to even say this. Because the devil wants to keep this secret, you know, he doesn't want people talking about this, but it's it's true.

It has to be. Jesus has to be the scripture not tradition and he's going to get into tradition.

Okay, you had and it's interesting to me because the place where we're Christ said to Peter on This rock I will build my church. And of course the rock was his Profession of faith that he was the first one to say that Christ is that but the place where it happened Caesarea Philippi.

It's a huge Rock, it's a huge stone face much larger than Golgotha already. And that's why I guess Jesus chose that spot, but that spot I Don't know what I would say probably Throughout time. I mean has been a very evil place.

There's a large cave there where Children were sacrificed in the fire. There's all kinds of carvings of false gods there and and.

So.

It's interesting that the Lord would choose that place, but that that's why he chose it is because it's a huge rock.

And.

Where they've excavated Jerusalem down to the main street the foundation stone of the of the original Temple is the size of a bus of rock the size of a bus. Anyways, yeah. Now that I'm in Chester, I have to drive by all these grave and images and yeah.

So you're just being divisive now. This is what I you say. Well, you know, you shouldn't talk about other but we need to talk about the the truth and you brought this up now. I can't help myself. Okay, so the TV show The Chosen People or I only saw a clip of this their new season they're doing.

The section where Jesus Matthew 16 Caesarea Philippi confession and they're at the place called the gates of hell. Which is apparently this site where there's this large rock like where you were talking about and they said we're actually here.

We're at the gates of hell. Now. Here's what I don't like about that. Here's why I can't help but.

Share this.

Maybe Jesus maybe that's place was called the gates of hell and maybe Jesus was doing sort of like a play on words Using that to talk about but it left the impression With followers that the gates of hell is this place here out in the desert now.

Hell is a real place and I don't I have not heard them really emphasize that. Maybe they have. But we need to let people know this isn't just symbolic that the gates of hell is some random place out in the Middle East.

No, this is this is real and I'm not saying they're trying to contradict that but I just had to get that off my chest. Yeah, and I always say that because I know that locally now it's being accepted that hell is sort of.

Well, it's symbolic. It's not literal, you know, and hell is just the fact that you have Bad relationships with people. That's hell, you know, and that it's not. It's not like what you were taught. So we need to Counteract some of the things that are being said and the impressions that are being left on people.

Larry you had.

Referring to help. Like that is Hades is the place of the dead.

So until.

After the Millennial Kingdom and the sheep and goats are divided. You know then that's where. The place of well, I guess the the place of the dead you take a paradise with Christ. Sure, the place of the dead torment it is.

Not quite a little bit close. But anyway, it's getting back to Antichrist. I've always had the thought of.

You know this in the.

Tribulation time. Yeah. But any body that preaches another gospel is From the spirit of Antichrist. Yeah of the devil. So a false teacher whether locally or anywhere in the world is an Antichrist. Anybody that is against Christ is an Antichrist, right?

Yeah, second John right. Second John says that he calls the false teachers that but. As far as what we're looking at the church is built on Jesus. And you know, there's all sorts of distractions. Where people are inclined to follow after tradition or listen to men?

And we just need to keep the first thing first and focus in on Jesus. Well, how do you know about Jesus? You need to you need to read the Bible. You need to look at what Scripture says. So Peter continues to explain Jesus is the cornerstone.

The you. Now it gets into another thing. The universal church consists of believers Who have embraced the Lord Jesus in saving faith? They have built their lives on the foundation of Christ and his word as Jesus himself explained in the Sermon on the Mount.

And of course, that's Matthew 7 24 through 25. It says therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock and. The rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house.

And yet it did not fall or it had been founded on.

The rock.

So we need to build the church and build our lives on the foundation of Christ and his word. Okay, so the universal church. What is the universal church? Some people call it the invisible Church, what is that?

Yeah, it's made up of all believers all over the world from the entire church age. Now I do I do believe there is a universal church. I would point out that if we're really going to base everything off The Bible the Bible never uses the term this doesn't prove anything, but the Bible doesn't use the term universal Church.

Universal as you probably know means Catholic. So of course the papacy will say yeah, that's us. We are the universal. We are the Catholic Church. But I would argue the emphasis in Scripture and our concern primarily should be about the local Church because while we are part of that Bride of Christ that spiritual organism that's all over the world.

We have this connection with all true believers from all nations. That's true. But you know, we don't know what's going on and all the other churches we get bits and pieces. We can't assemble with ninety nine point nine percent of other Christian.

Our emphasis has to be on the churches or on the local church because we're not going to all be assembled. Until we're in heaven. Let's turn to first Corinthians 3 for a moment. Because Paul is writing to who is Paul writing to the universal church.

Yeah, it's not writing to the universal church, I mean it's for all believers all believers may read first Corinthians actually, I'm sure not all do but Paul's writing to a local assembly, right? So as far as the church as a building we got to focus on the local assembly.

And we want to make sure our true. This is this is key. This is why I'm emphasizing this. We need to make sure our church is built on the rock. We need we need to make sure Morris Corner Church is Built on Christ.

We can't do anything about all these other churches and home churches. You know, we can speak about it and make appeal to people but we can't really do much about it. We can do something about this. All right, first Corinthians 3.

Let's just read some of these verses again Verse 9 for we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's what? Building now is actually talking about the church building made of stone. No talking about the people according to the grace of God, which is given to me as a wise master builder.

I have laid the foundation and another builds on it, but let each one take heed. How he builds on it for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Christ Jesus now. If anyone builds on this foundation with gold silver precious stones.

Wood hay or straw each one's work will become clear for the day. We'll declare it because it will be revealed by fire in the fire. We'll test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures he will receive a reward.

If anyone's work is burned He will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved yet. So as through fire do you not know that you are the temple of God and That the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone defiles the temple of God God will destroy him and that's where The book it's going to get into this is a reference to the false teachers who are trying to create Disunity by teaching false doctrine in the local church, okay.

So flip the page. This is the discussion question. Read 1st Corinthians 3 16 through 17. Which we basically just did here's the question, how does Paul's description of the Corinthian congregation? Fit with the metaphor of a building.

What are the consequences for false teachers who would try to destroy? The church.

Okay.

How does Paul's description of the Corinthian congregation fit with the metaphor of a Building. Do we understand the metaphor? He's not talking about the building it's the building up of the house of God.

Peter said you are what you are a living stone. So I'm a stone you're a stone. We're all built up into God's house and the church is the people got it. And Christ is the chief cornerstone, right? He's he's that foundation.

So who are these people trying to destroy? God's building who are these people trying to destroy the church? What are they. False teachers. So what are the consequences for false teachers who would try to destroy the church?

What does Paul say look at? 16 and 17 again. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Okay, that's a question. You see a question mark on the end of that and that's probably not in the Greek the question mark.

But it is a question. So, do you know that let me ask you do you know that? Yes, okay, if anyone defiles the temple, which is what? Does that mean they come in and they spray paint the place and just do do things within the sanctuary?

No, that's not defiling the temple. You're the temple, right? If anyone defiles the temple of God God will do what to them destroy them. Why because the temple of God is holy which temple you are. So here's what you have to realize about False teachers they are looking to destroy your faith.

That's what they're doing. This is the probably this is one of the great things about the day and age we live in we have this thing called the internet. And you can upload. Well, this is big going to be uploaded to YouTube later on and you can get all sorts of sound teaching.

From the internet and from YouTube, but guess what? You can get a lot of Garbage from YouTube because the false teachers use these platforms to just as you know, the Bible Printing press we got the Bible out to people.

Well that the false teachers use the printing press, too. So why does the devil so confusion? It's like we were talking about this Before Sunday school started about hey, here's the truth of what the scripture teaches.

But there's you just know no matter what truth there is. There's always someone out there saying the opposite. I could get up and say the most what's the most true thing that you know. The just to say the Bible is the Word of God.

I mean what more basic thing could you get? Well, what's a false teacher gonna do? Well, if they get up and say the Bible is not the Word of God. Well, then they're not.

Yeah.

Yes, see if you let's. Here's a lesson on taking people out of context. Did did I utter the words. The Bible is not the Word of God. Did I say those words. But didn't I say other people said that. I didn't say that.

But you could cut out that part and make it seem like I'm.

Okay.

You probably knew that anyways. How you can take people out of context. What was my point here? Where was where was I going to that?

Okay.

So if a false teacher comes out and says the Bible is not true It is not the Word of God is he or she gonna convince Christians about that. By saying that no, you're gonna immediately tune them out, but Satan is a little more subtle than that.

Said well, yeah, so on on the one hand, they'll affirm all this stuff in Scripture. I mean first Corinthians 13 is just That is the Word of God. This is these are the words of God and then over here. They'll be like well This isn't true and then they'll have some clever argument just so seeds of doubt in your mind.

So that it's the false teachers want to destroy your faith by sowing seeds of doubt. Okay, so they are trying to do that and God has said according to first Corinthians 3. What will God do to the false teachers?

Destroy them. Okay, when when though when does he does he allow false teachers to operate in the church?

Yes.

You could base that off of statement in Deuteronomy that God Allows this to test his people to see whether or not you really believe. Okay, it could be a test. It could also be a judgment on the modern church, which has become so worldly and so anti-doctrinal that this is the judgment of God that this guy is most famous pastor in the country like.

You know and you'll have to just figure who I'm talking about when I say this guy. Joel Osteen, you know or whoever. Stephen Furtick. Yeah. Yes, sorry, I'll try to be more careful but God will destroy that and he might not do it in this life.

But Jesus talks about that in the Sermon on the Mount if you kept reading Beware of false prophets. What does he go on to say on that day? Many will say to me Lord Lord, you know I preached in your name.

But what will he say to them depart from me. I never knew you so. This is the warning because the church has always had to deal with this so God is building up his church if you will and The devil's most clever trick is to if it if a true church is built on one side of the street the devil will set up his church on the other side of the street and That creates confusion because the average person.

Well, how do I know? How do I know that that's his strategy number two? Three doctrinal pillars. Following you know another Strategy is to a kind of affirm like the seven fundamentals. Well, I believe Jesus is the Son of God.

The Bible is the Word of God and of a sound statement of faith where I believe these seven or ten essential things. But everything else is open to conversation.

Well.

Over here. They'll say they believe the right things. But what they're preaching is undermining. The right that's another thing you got to watch out for. Okay, I got us. I got to start staying on track here.

Marcus you started it you got me off track. But I'm glad you did because these are important things. Number two three doctrinal pillars. Following the metaphor of a building. We might ask what are the essential doctrinal pillars that define biblical orthodoxy and characterize the true church?

Okay, the New Testament identifies three of these doctrinal pillars. The true church is characterized by its commitment to number one The supremacy of the Word of God. Number two the sufficiency of the Word of God and number three the sanctity of The Word of God.

And I'll repeat those because this is one of those sections that you you're supposed to fill in, right? Okay. Number one the supremacy of the Word of God. The true church looks to Scripture as its final authority for doctrine.

That is what to believe and practice how to live. Followers of Jesus submit to him by submitting to his word John 1027. Okay, so the true church looks to Scripture as its final authority. We all agree with that.

Okay, what are some other authorities people try to appeal to. Tradition is you know and tradition isn't always bad, but Tradition, you know what the pastor says. Right this that could be good. It could be bad depending on what he's saying, but some churches are just they're following along with whatever said from the pulpit.

That's only good if it's based on the scripture taken in context. So that's the supremacy of the Word of God. Number two the sufficiency of the work of God. I might have said the Word of God the first times the sufficiency of the work of God.

You got that work not word. Okay, the true church Understands that the redemptive work of Christ accomplished everything necessary for salvation. Sinners are justified by God's grace through faith in Christ apart from their own merits.

Or.

Works.

And of course, this was the divide during the Protestant Reformation. The Protestants said it was grace alone. This is how they kind of shortened it grace alone faith alone in Christ alone, right? You hear me repeat that that's the gospel grace alone faith alone Christ alone.

And the Catholic Church said no it's faith plus Works and that was very clearly established dividing line. Today we still have that there are churches That teach works. We teach that salvation is by faith alone.

So you can't do enough good deed. You shouldn't do good deeds. We should be zealous for good deeds. But you can give all the money to charity you want and help little old ladies across the street and be kind and friendly.

That's not what determines whether or not a person goes to heaven. It's are they putting their full trust in The person and work of Jesus Christ, that's the Christian gospel. Marcus.

How can a person be a Concept and he really is so when it comes to truth. This is I guess by a lot of them. A lot of the Bible Translations put his words in red. Yeah, he is truth itself. It's like God is love.

Itself.

Yeah, amen.

Right anyone else. Okay, so we looked at the supremacy of the Word of God the Sufficiency of the work of God and now three the sanctity of the worship of God. The true church worships the triune God Father Son and Holy Spirit.

In spirit that is purity of devotion and in truth purity of doctrine. It rejects false forms of worship and Repudiates anything that might distort or distract from its sincere devotion to God. So worship is to be done and remember Jesus was at John 4.

Worship is to be done in spirit. And in what? Truth it needs to be from the heart because you can go through the motions, right? Well, hey, listen, I'm sitting here aren't I you know, isn't that good enough?

Well, I'm glad you're here or I'm glad someone's watching but you know, that's not really the I worship is an expression of the heart and You're doing it because you love God. So we need to do it from the heart and it needs to be in accordance with truth.

Which is kind of what we're talking about here.

So.

The true church worships the triune God in spirit and in truth. Notice that the triune God.

Okay.

There's some people who deny the Trinity. So these are the cults. That's typically I and by the way, I didn't make this up. I have this video on YouTube that's got a lot of views and there well Who are you to say that the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult?

Who do you think you are? It's like I didn't make this up. This is standard Protestant evangelical doctrine and it has been ever since these churches were established, but they're not really New Testament churches.

They're what I Don't know who came up with the term cult, but you know, that's what they're called. Why because they don't worship the triune God they worship a God who is. Yeah, the Mormons worship a God who is once a human being like not God in the sense that we believe in God.

And then the Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Christ that they don't believe in the Trinity. So it has to be the right God in accordance with the truth. Okay. Any questions or comments on that? Yes.

So the part that says repudiates anything that might distort or distract from a severe devotion to God. I'm wondering like how far that goes. Like hobbies or reading of other things other than the Bible.

Like I don't know, that's something I've been wondering in my daily life. Like how much should I be reading the Bible versus another book, you know? I'm just wondering if you're allowed to like.

Yeah.

Yeah, you know the typical response would be follow the Spirit's leading. The danger is there could be a a teacher a pastor who put so much Of a burden on you that you feel guilty if you're not at home reading your Bible all day or something like that.

That's that's way out of balance. Now should you read the Word of God should Christians go to church and they pray. Every Christian knows that so you need to follow The Spirit's leading if you feel like hey, I watched that movie for two hours and there were stuff in there.

That's not glorifying and you know, your conscience bothers you. That's the Spirit of God. I would listen to that voice, but no, of course. You can have hobbies and I would say if you sat if you did nothing but read the Bible and pray all day every day.

That probably wouldn't be good, right? I mean, this is what monks do right they they go into seclusion and they lock themselves up in this place and they just do. But even they have chores to do. So keep it in balance follow the leading of the Spirit, but Yeah, it is an interesting question exactly.

You know, how far do you go with some of that? But as far as worship, that's what it's talking about. The sanctity of worship. I just want to keep that focused on Sunday. Let's talk because when's the day that every New Testament Church gathers for worship?

Sunday.

More specifically Sunday morning. So anything that would distract From the worship of God is what? To say not good. Well, I can't go to church today the football games on at 12 I go to church. I'm going to miss kickoff.

Okay.

So some would take you know, that's idolatry others would say come on don't make a big deal about that. But again, you have to follow the leading of the Spirit because there's I mean, there's a million things that distract.

And again, just because someone's sitting in the pew they're in the building for the church. Or that doesn't mean they're paying attention. That doesn't mean their heart is in it. So, you know, you have to kind of look at this from all angles.

Okay, any any points of clarification? Yes. Yeah, yeah, it's an overall spirit that you have your attitude. Your daily walk. It's not just Sunday because then you know, there's people who do all this stuff on Sunday.

But Monday through Saturday, they're living like whatever. So these are things that distort. I think he's focusing on false teaching that is. Distorting and distracting from the sincere devotion to God.

By contrast the New Testament Confronts and condemns those who would number one undermine the authority of Scripture. Number two add works to the gospel of grace and number three contaminate the undefiled worship.

That God requires. Okay, so undermining the authority of Scripture. Typically, I get like I said, this is done subtly. It's not done. Normally, it's not done. Hey, the Bible is not true. Like I said, if you say that in a church or if a pastor tries saying that it's just not gonna.

It's not gonna win over the the believer who has the Holy Spirit. So some ways undermining the Scripture. I think the biggest way I've seen this among evangelicals and I know that I used to. Without even it's not that I did this on purpose.

But this to me, this is the the biggest flaw within so-called evangelical Christianity. You have what the Bible says you have what the world says and let's try it. Okay, let's try to find some middle ground here, you know and try to try to make it fit and it doesn't fit most of the time.

I mean, no, so you can't do this compromise, but that's what that's what is often done adding works to the gospel. That should be obvious and contaminating the undefiled worship that God requires. I would argue bringing secular music into the worship of God on Sunday morning.

Well, it's not worship of God, but there's churches. One mega church pastor put on a Led Zeppelin concert. Listen, if you like Led Zeppelin, that's that's a whole other issue. I'm just saying he had a Led Zeppelin concert to start off the church service.

And they didn't they weren't changing the words to make them like Christian ish or something. I mean that is I believe defiling God's house in this lesson. We develop these points from the Bible. These three pillars provide a doctrinal grid through which we can evaluate church history.

Okay, do you think that's defiling God's house? What's another way to defile, you know, bringing idols into the house of God too is is a big problem. I realize that there's places that they have statues and not everyone is bowing to the statue.

But there's something about statues, you know, they make people feel very religious, you know. And the inclination is to focus then on the graven image and bow down. That would be another way to defile worship to bring idols into the house of God.

Any other ideas of how this is done? Any other examples in making application, right? Because knowing that it's done in theory, okay, it happens. The Bible says it happens. Okay, great. But how is it happening now?

That's what we need to kind of watch out for. Mark, did you have?

Bringing an interfaith prayer group, having yourself a Muslim and a Buddhist and a Catholic priest.

Yeah, interfaith prayer meetings, right, right. There was a story, some of you saw this. Beth Moore used to be one of the most popular female, well, I don't know, was she a teacher? Women's ministry, that was big for 10, 15 years.

She was the most popular woman other than Joyce Meyer. But anyways, she said she joined an Anglican church and that Anglican church had a Muslim imam Come into the sanctuary and basically he was preaching from the pulpit.

And they called it interfaith dialogue. That type of thing is very, very normal these days. And for a church to do, I don't know, this has never happened, it's not going to happen. What if, okay, what if this Sunday I'm not doing the sermon and I invited the local Hindu priest or whatever.

Wouldn't you guys be like, hey, what is going on? Well, he's going to bring the sermon today, he's going to talk about his view of God. Don't worry, it's just interfaith dialogue. What would you do?

Go down to the north level of a Sunday school.

Well, why would you react negatively? Because you've been taught. And now you say, well, the Holy Spirit would tell me, yes. But really, if you sit in a church where that kind of thing is normal for 10 years, it's going to seem normal.

So you just have to look out for all these different ways that false teachers are trying to subvert and defile God's house.