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The focus of our study this 
morning is about what it means 

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for us to be Christians. 
And here today we are gathered 

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as Christians, and I think a lot
of the time we can take what 

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that means for granted. 
If you've ever been asked what 

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church do you go to? 
What denomination are you a part

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of? 
XYZ questions of that nature. 

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Then this is a study that 
hopefully is helpful in helping 

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us to answer those questions. 
So there are three main 

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questions that we're going to 
answer that are going to be the 

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structure for our study. 
First of all, what about the 

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name? 
Where do we get the name 

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Christian from? 
Secondly, different pasts to the

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same place. 
Is that valid? 

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We'll get a little bit more into
that. 

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I won't explain what that means 
right now, but and then thirdly,

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we'll ask united by what? 
What should we expect 

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Christchurch to be united by? 
What are we and all other 

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Christians in the world united 
by? 

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So first of all, what about the 
name? 

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The name Christian is not one 
that we came up with. 

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It's actually used three times 
in the Bible. 

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And what this means to me is 
that the Holy Spirit inspired 

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these men of faith to write this
down, to write this name down. 

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Meaning that we have a 
scriptural basis for continuing 

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to use this, use this name. 
We have a scriptural basis for 

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calling ourselves Christians. 
In Acts Chapter 11 in the 

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second-half of verse 26, we find
it used for the first time. 

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Says there, and the disciples 
were first called Christians in 

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Antioch. 
Then in Acts chapter 26 verse 

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28, it's used again says Then 
Agrippa said to Paul, you almost

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persuade me to become a 
Christian. 

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What we can learn from this 
verse is that the name Christian

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was widespread enough enough so 
that Paul was easily recognized 

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by this name, even by kings. 
As a Christian, this wasn't some

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confusing term that nobody 
really knew what it truly meant,

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but it was rather a clear 
identifier of someone who 

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followed after Christ. 
And I think it's interesting too

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that Agrippa says to Paul, You 
almost persuade me to become a 

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Christian. 
Becoming Christian is not 

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something that we're forced 
into. 

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It is something that we're 
persuaded to become. 

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And that means that it is 
reasonable. 

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We can reason within ourselves, 
and the faith that we have is 

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not blind, we can reason it, we 
can be persuaded. 

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And then thirdly, in First Peter
chapter 4, verse 16, it says Yet

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if anyone suffers as a 
Christian, let him not be 

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ashamed, but let him glorify 
God. 

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In this matter here we find more
about what it means to be a 

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Christian. 
A Christian is someone who 

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follows Christ even to the point
of suffering because of it. 

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Being called a Christian is not 
representative of some casual 

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connection that we have to 
Jesus, but it is. 

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It is rather a strong inward 
devotion that we are willing to 

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be persecuted for obviously we 
are not seeking after 

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persecution doesn't feel good. 
We don't want to have to endure 

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that. 
But if we're willing to bear the

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name of Christian, we must also 
be willing to suffer for 

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Christ's sake. 
And not only do we endure it, 

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but we rejoice in it. 
Because when we suffer for 

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Christ, we glorify God when we 
let our faith stand up to those 

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who hate us for it. 
So the question that arises is 

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Christian an umbrella term for 
all those who claim to have 

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faith in Jesus Christ, or is it 
a more specific identifier of 

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those who are members of 
Christ's true church? 

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Essentially what we're asking 
is, are denominations supported 

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by Scripture? 
Is it true that those in the 

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denominational world are 
Christians, as the Bible 

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describes a Christian to be? 
What's often said is that 

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denominations are just different
paths to the same place. 

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We're all going about it 
different ways, but we're all 

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going to end up in heaven, 
right? 

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And that's something that can be
easy to, you know, maybe agree 

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with it sounds pleasant. 
But let's see what the Bible has

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to say about denominationalism 
this saying different paths to 

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the same place. 
The most prevalent argument that

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I've heard in favor of 
denominationalism, and maybe 

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you've heard different ones, but
from reading about it and from 

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talking to other people, most of
them go to John, the 15th 

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chapter. 
It says there in verse 5, this 

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is Jesus talking to his 
disciples on the night in which 

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he would be betrayed. 
It says there, Jesus says there 

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I am the vine, you are the 
branches. 

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He who abides in me and I in him
bears much fruit, for without me

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you can do nothing. 
The idea of this argument is 

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that the denominations are the 
branches and Jesus is the vine, 

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and in that way they're all 
connected to Christ. 

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This would mean that the term 
Christian is an umbrella term 

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for anyone who claims to follow 
Christ. 

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I do think that there are a few 
issues with this argument 

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though. 
For one thing, the context of 

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John chapter 15 really does not 
support this conclusion in any 

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way. 
John chapter 15 is in the middle

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of a conversation that Jesus is 
having with his disciples on the

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night in which he was betrayed, 
and he's taking this opportunity

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to prepare them for his absence 
to comfort them. 

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He's telling them I'm going away
and you're going to have to 

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function. 
You're going to have to be 

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Christians when I'm gone. 
And he's comforting them and 

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he's preparing them for this. 
When Jesus is speaking to them, 

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he says you are the branches. 
And it's very important, I 

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think, to notice that he's 
speaking to individuals. 

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He's not speaking to various 
religious organizations. 

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He's not speaking to people who 
would go out and create their 

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own church. 
And if this verse really was a 

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green light to create different 
denominations, why didn't they? 

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Why didn't the disciples that 
Jesus was talking to hear go off

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and create their own churches? 
If this was the green light, why

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don't we have evidence of anyone
taking that opportunity? 

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These early Christians save 
Judas were all members of Christ

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Church as it was established in 
Acts chapter two. 

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I think that this was not 
interpreted then in that way, 

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and these people obviously 
understood the context of this 

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conversation better than maybe 
we could ever hope to. 

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So if they didn't interpret it 
in this way, should we really be

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interpreting it in that way? 
Those in favor of 

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denominationalism also look 
toward John Chapter 3, verse 16.

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This is a very well known verse.
You know, we see this pumped out

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by the world a lot, and it says 
there in John 316 for God so 

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loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son that whoever 

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believes in him should not 
perish but have everlasting 

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life. 
If this was the only verse that 

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we were given in Scripture about
what it means to be a Christian,

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then yes, Christian is an 
umbrella term for anyone who 

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believes in Christ who claims to
have faith in Him. 

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Unfortunately, that's not the 
case. 

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This is not the only verse that 
we're given in Scripture 

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regarding this topic. 
So we have to do some 

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harmonization. 
We have to corroborate. 

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The Bible does not contradict 
itself, so we have to look 

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elsewhere and make sure that 
everything lines up. 

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Everything agrees. 
Yes, it is true that you must 

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believe in Jesus to be a 
Christian, but we know from 

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other places in the Bible that 
we also must repent. 

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We know that we must confess. 
We must be baptized. 

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We must obey God. 
The Bible was not written for us

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to take verses in isolation and 
form doctrines based on them, 

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but rather for us to read and 
understand the Bible so that we 

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have a more complete picture of 
God's will. 

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The point is, there is no real 
biblical support for 

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denominationalism as we see it 
in the world today. 

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So what does the Bible actually 
say about the church? 

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Ephesians Chapter 4. 
We'll just read verse four at 

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first, but it says there there 
is one body and one spirit, just

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as you were called in one hope 
of your calling. 

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So right off the bat, Paul's 
clearing up any misconceptions 

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about multiple paths to the same
destination. 

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Just as we all share the same 
hope, we have a unity of 

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expectation that we will inherit
eternal life in heaven. 

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We are share. 
We share unity in the one body 

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which is the Church, and we can 
know what the one body is 

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because we have the one Spirit 
who revealed that to us. 

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John, chapter 16, Speaking of 
the Spirit, says, However, when 

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he, the Spirit of Truth has 
come, he will guide you into all

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truth. 
For he will not speak on his own

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authority, but whatever he 
hears, he will speak and he will

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tell you things to come. 
The reason why we have the Bible

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today is because we, the early 
church, certain men were given 

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the Spirit, and they were able 
to know God's will and to write 

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it down for us today. 
And because we have that one 

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spirit, we know what the one 
body is, and we know that one 

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hope that we have. 
So Paul says one path, one 

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destination, and he continues to
elaborate on this idea of unity 

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throughout the rest of this 
passage. 

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In verses 5:00 and 6:00 he says 
1 Lord, we have unity of 

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submission as Christians, 1 
Faith. 

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We as Christians have unity of 
information, one baptism. 

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We have unity of salvation, one 
God and Father of all. 

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We as Christians have unity of 
adoration of God the Father who 

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is above all and through all. 
And in you all we are called to 

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be united in this way. 
So it really doesn't make sense 

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to me that it would be in God's 
plan for the church to be 

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divided. 
The plea for unity is a huge 

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theme in the New Testament and 
it completely goes against what 

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we see in the denominational 
world. 

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Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 
says husbands love your wives 

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just as Christ also loved the 
church and gave himself for her.

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The church was extremely 
important to Jesus and we have 

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no right to pervert the very 
thing that he died to establish.

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Jesus died to these, died to 
establish the church. 

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He bought the church with his 
blood, which means it's his 

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church. 
It's not our church to do 

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whatever we want with. 
We have to follow the scriptural

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pattern that we find in the 
Bible. 

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So what should we expect the one
true Church to be united by 

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today? 
I have here three things. 

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The church should be or 
Christians really should be, 

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united in their actions. 
They should be united in 

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doctrine, and Christians should 
be united in salvation. 

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The way in which that we are 
united by our actions is that 

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Christians are all called to 
behave in the same way. 

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This is not to say that we're 
all the same person. 

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God created us all differently, 
with their own unique 

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personalities, interests, 
talents, roles. 

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But the point is, we are united 
in behavior as Christians, in 

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the fact that we are called to 
abstain from the same things and

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we are called to participate in 
the same things. 

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Whether that's coming to church 
every Sunday morning, whether 

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that's not going to drinking 
parties, not using bad language,

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things like this unite us as 
Christians in our behavior. 

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And our behavior is something 
that is very, very important to 

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Jesus in John chapter 14, verses
23 through 24 says There Jesus 

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answered and said to him, if 
anyone loves me, he will keep my

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word and my father will love him
and we will come to him and make

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our home with him. 
He who does not love me does not

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keep my words. 
And the word which you hear is 

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not mine, but the fathers who 
sent me. 

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We see clearly that obedience is
essential in demonstrating our 

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love for Christ. 
And this means that our actions,

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the way that we live our lives, 
needs to reflect the teachings 

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that we find in Scripture. 
These are things that really 

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should set us apart from the 
world when we do them. 

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In fact, it is by these actions,
by the way, that we live our 

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lives, that other people in the 
world know that we truly are 

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followers of Christ. 
Jesus says in John chapter 13, 

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verse 35, By this all will know 
that you are my disciples if you

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have love for one another. 
In this context, Jesus is 

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specifically talking about love.
But I think that we can apply 

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this to the broader scope of 
commands that were given in the 

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Bible. 
When people hear or when people 

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see the love that we 
demonstrate, when people hear 

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the language that we use, they 
see the kindness we show. 

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They can see our commitment to 
Christ. 

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They can recognize us as His 
true followers. 

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In James chapter one, verse 22, 
it says but be doer of doers of 

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the word and not hearers, only 
deceiving yourselves again. 

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The same idea of obedience as 
important as essential to the 

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Christian walk when we fail to 
obey. 

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We fail to love. 
When we fail to obey, we fail to

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show others that we are 
Christians. 

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And when we fail to obey, we 
fail to behave in the way and be

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united in that behavior, in the 
way that the Church was intended

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to. 
We're also united by doctrine, 

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like we read in Ephesians 
chapter four. 

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We are of 1 Faith, and what this
means is that Christians should 

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have a common agreement about 
what the Scriptures teach. 

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Now, this is not to say that 
every single Christian will 

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agree on every single biblical 
nuance you know, but rather that

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we have an agreement on the 
foundational principles that the

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Bible teaches, Whether that's 
worship, whether that's 

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communion, whether that's the 
plan of salvation, XYZ fill in 

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the blank. 
Beyond that, we are united in 

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the pursuit of rightly dividing 
God's Word without the influence

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of outside motivations, outside 
factors or beliefs. 

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We are united and doctrine in 
the sense that we agree that 

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there is absolute truth and that
that truth can only be 

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interpreted in one way, which is
the way that it was intended to 

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be interpreted by God. 
Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 

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16 says all scripture is given 
by inspiration of God and is 

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profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for 

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instruction in righteousness. 
Doctrine is so important, and it

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is so important that we agree 
upon it because it comes from 

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God. 
The Bible is not a book full of 

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opinions from different 
religious fanatics, but it is 

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rather the information that the 
omniscient creator of the 

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universe deemed it necessary for
us to know. 

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Logically, if there's a correct 
way to interpret Scripture, 

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there must be an incorrect way 
in. 

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Second Timothy chapter 4, verses
3 through 4 includes a warning 

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about this. 
It says there for the time will 

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come when they will not endure 
sound doctrine, but according to

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their own desires. 
Because they have itching ears. 

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They will keep up for themselves
teachers, and they will turn 

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their ears away from the truth 
and be turned aside to fables. 

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Paul's writing to Timothy to 
warn him about the very thing 

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that we encounter today. 
False teachers are prevalent 

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often because man's will and 
God's will don't perfectly 

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align. 
We don't always want the same 

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things for ourselves that God 
wants for us. 

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This makes it easy to listen to 
what you want to hear, rather 

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than what you truly need to 
hear. 

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Christ Church needs to always 
remain on the lookout for this 

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kind of teaching, and in order 
to do that, we need to have that

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unity of doctrine. 
We need to have that good 

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understanding of God's word in 
order to guide to guard against 

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false doctrine. 
Thirdly, we are united by our 

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salvation. 
Remember that one baptism that 

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Ephesians chapter 4 talked 
about? 

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This is the baptism for the 
remission of sins and we are 

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united in salvation in the sense
that all Christians have been 

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baptized for the remission of 
sins and the Lord has added them

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to the church. 
Acts chapter 20, Acts chapter 2 

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rather verse 38 says Then Peter 
said to them, repent and let 

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everyone of you be baptized in 
the name of Christ Jesus for the

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remission of sins and you shall 
receive the gift of the Holy 

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Spirit and a little further 
down. 

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I don't have it on the board, 
but in the second-half of verse 

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00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:47,280
47 it says, and the Lord added 
to the Church daily those who 

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are being saved. 
So here we find the reason why 

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we're baptized, and then we also
find one of the effects of 

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baptism. 
We are baptized for the purpose 

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of having our sins washed away. 
But what also happens is that we

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are added to the Church by God. 
So in order to be saved, you 

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must be baptized. 
In order to be in the Church, 

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you must be saved. 
So not only are we united in our

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method of entrance into the 
church, you could say, but we 

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are united in our Excuse me, 
we're not only united in our 

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00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:29,600
method of salvation, but in our 
terms of entrance into the 

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church. 
Baptism is not merely the 

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outward sign of an inward 
change, as many would have you 

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believe, but it is what saves us
and it is what makes us 

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Christians. 
First Peter chapter 3, verse 21 

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00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,640
elaborates on this idea. 
It says there is also an 

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antitype which now saves us 
baptism. 

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Not the removal of the filth of 
the flesh, but the answer of a 

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00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:57,040
good conscience toward God 
through the resurrection of 

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Christ Jesus as clear as day. 
The Bible teaches that baptism 

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00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:08,200
is for salvation. 
Anyone who claims to be saved in

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any other way is unfortunately 
not basing their salvation off 

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what the scriptures teach. 
Paul speaks more about baptism 

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00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:20,760
in Romans chapter 6, says there 
in verses 3 through 8. 

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00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:25,320
Or do you not know that as many 
of us, as we're baptized into 

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00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:29,600
Christ Jesus, we're baptized 
into his death, Therefore we are

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00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:33,360
buried with him through baptism 
into death, the justice Christ 

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00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:35,960
was raised from the dead by the 
glory of the Father. 

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00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:40,760
Even so, we also should walk in 
newness of life, that importance

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00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:42,840
of obedience, that importance of
our actions. 

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Verse 5 For if we have been 
united together in the likeness 

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of his death, certainly we also 
shall be in the likeness of his 

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00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,600
resurrection. 
What I want to draw from this 

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passage is the emphasis on the 
unity that we gain through 

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00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,400
baptism. 
Paul says we're united together 

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00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:07,240
in the likeness of death and 
resurrection as we die to sin 

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00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:12,280
and are made alive in Christ and
Christ is truly what it all 

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00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:17,200
comes down to. 
In John chapter 14 verse 6, 

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00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:21,560
Jesus says There Jesus said to 
him, I am the way, the truth, 

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00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:24,840
and the life. 
No one comes to the Father 

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00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:30,160
except through me. 
So keep that in mind as we move 

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00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,240
on. 
All of the ways in that we've 

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00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,920
just discussed, that we're 
united as Christians point back 

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00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,880
to Jesus. 
And really, this is because 

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00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,040
Jesus is at the center of all of
our lives. 

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Jesus is what we all have in 
common. 

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00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,520
It is only because of Jesus that
we act the way we do. 

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00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,760
It's only because of Christ that
we believe that which we do. 

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00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,360
It is only because of Christ 
that we can have the hope that 

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00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:00,960
we do. 
We're united in our actions, in 

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00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,800
our doctrine, and in our 
salvation, And we're united in 

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00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,480
Jesus, who is the way, the 
truth, and the life. 

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00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,760
The Church of Christ is exactly 
that. 

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00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,400
It is Christ's church. 
The phrase Church of Christ is 

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00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,560
not simply a label that we call 
ourselves, but it is an 

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00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:25,840
identifier of ownership. 
We aren't the Church of Christ 

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00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,520
because we thought the name 
sounded cool or we thought it 

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00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,720
would look good on sign. 
We're the Church of Christ 

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00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:36,920
because Christ bought the church
with his blood and we are united

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00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,240
by him. 
And really that's the 

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00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:45,880
distinction between Christians 
and everyone else. 

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00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:54,280
We are members of Christ Church,
not man's church, First 

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00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:59,560
Corinthians chapter one, verses 
12 through 17 says, Now I say 

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this, that each each of you says
I am of Paul, or I am of 

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00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,560
Apollos, or I'm of Cephas, or I 
am of Christ. 

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00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,240
Is Christ divided? 
Was Paul crucified for you? 

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00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:13,480
Were you baptized in the name of
Paul? 

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00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,720
I thank God that I baptize none 
of you except Christmas. 

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00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,600
And guys, lest anyone should say
that I had baptized in my own 

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00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,000
name, yes, I also baptize the 
household of Stephanus. 

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00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,480
Besides, I do not know whether I
baptize any other, for Christ 

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00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:34,360
did not send me to baptize, but 
to preach the gospel, not with 

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00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:40,360
wisdom of words, lest the cross 
of Christ should be made of no 

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00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,000
effect. 
This is a passage that I think 

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00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,040
many of us are familiar with, 
and we say rather we find the 

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00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:52,200
same idea emphasized. 
We don't follow after Christ. 

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00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,280
We fall, or we don't fall after 
man, rather we follow after 

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00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:00,680
Christ. 
The issue was that in the church

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00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,040
in Corinth, people were dividing
themselves up based on who had 

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00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,080
baptized them, based on what 
preacher they liked. 

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00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,680
You could say I think it's one 
of the most clear pictures that 

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00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,240
we have in the Bible of how God 
feels about denominationalism. 

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00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,080
Simply dividing up the 
congregation based on who 

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00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:22,960
baptized who, I would argue is a
far less significant split than 

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00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:24,680
we see in the religious world 
today. 

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00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,120
But Paul was quick to correct 
this. 

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00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,440
He didn't say no, it's OK that 
you guys are just, you know, as 

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00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,920
long as you guys are still come 
to church every Sunday together.

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00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:39,040
Division is not something that 
God intended to be in his 

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00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,280
church. 
Paul even says that he's glad he

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00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,840
didn't baptize many of them 
because he didn't want to get in

378
00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,640
the way of the unity that all 
Christians need to have, all 

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00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,840
Christians should have in 
Christ. 

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00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:56,200
Verse 17 is really what hit home
with me, though says there, For 

381
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,440
Christ did not send me to 
baptize but to preach the 

382
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:04,680
gospel, not with wisdom of 
words, lest the cross of Christ 

383
00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:10,080
should be made of no effect. 
Paul says that even preaching 

384
00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:15,680
the gospel with wisdom of words 
can take the focus away from 

385
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,920
Jesus. 
The focus of the church, the 

386
00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:23,360
focus of our worship, the focus 
of our preaching is not the 

387
00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:26,240
preacher. 
The focus of this sermon is not 

388
00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:30,760
me. 
The focus of all of this is 

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00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,680
Christ. 
And we, when we allow ourselves 

390
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,640
to get caught up in what Paul 
calls the this wisdom of words, 

391
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,760
this show we display. 
It's all about me. 

392
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,000
I'm such a great preacher. 
I'm such a great singer. 

393
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:48,480
Whatever it is, the cross of 
Christ is made of no effect. 

394
00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:53,040
That's a powerful statement. 
And that's what happens when we 

395
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:57,240
take the glory away from God, 
and when we give it to man. 

396
00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:03,360
We tie the hands of Christ and 
pervert the church that he died 

397
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:08,880
to establish. 
So to briefly summarize, what 

398
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,840
about the name? 
The name Christian belongs to an

399
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:16,440
individual who is a member of 
Christ's one church and is 

400
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,840
devoted to Christ, even to the 
point of enduring persecution. 

401
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:22,960
Secondly, different paths to the
same place. 

402
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,640
The biblical plea for unity 
proves that divisions such as 

403
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,280
though as those seen in the 
denominational world are 

404
00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:34,440
unscriptural and they are not a 
plan, are not a part of God's 

405
00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,000
plan for the church. 
And finally, united by what 

406
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,320
Christians are united in a 
shared devotion toward Christ 

407
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:48,080
and the pursuit of His will in 
all things, we are Christians, 

408
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,720
we are assembled here today as 
Christians, and there is 

409
00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:56,280
beautiful simplicity in that we 
are Christians. 

410
00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,600
We are nothing more. 
We are nothing less. 

411
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:03,640
That concludes my thoughts for 
this morning. 

412
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,520
But we never want to close 
without offering the invitation.

413
00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,400
And this isn't my invitation. 
This isn't the congregation 

414
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,000
here, this invitation. 
You know, we just talked about 

415
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,360
how it's all about Christ. 
And this is Christ's invitation 

416
00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,080
to you. 
And he died so that you would 

417
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,440
have the opportunity to accept 
that. 

418
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,760
And what that means is that you 
have heard the word of God. 

419
00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,280
You believe that Jesus is the 
Son of God. 

420
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,040
You repented of your sins, you 
confess that Jesus is the Son of

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00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:34,280
God, and you are baptized for 
the remission of sins if there's

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00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,680
one who has taken those steps. 
But maybe you sinned in a public

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00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,520
nature or you would like to 
request the prayers of the 

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00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,160
Church on your behalf. 
We invite one of either case to 

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00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:44,600
come while we stand and sing a 
song. 

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00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,160
We thank you for listening to 
our podcast put on by The Church

427
00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,640
of Christ at 2215 Plans Rd. in 
Bakersfield. 

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00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,800
If you would like any additional
information or you would like to

429
00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,760
receive a free Bible 
correspondence course by mail, 

430
00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:06,800
please e-mail us at 
info@churchofchristbakersfield.com.

431
00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:12,760
Our service times are Sundays at
10:30 AM and 5:00 PM and 

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00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:17,200
Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. 
Please make plans to join us. 

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00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,840
We would love for you to be our 
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