1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,000 I'm going to read two passages of scripture tonight for an 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,400 introduction to our lesson. The first one is from the 16th 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:13,800 chapter of Matthew and will notice beginning with verse 13, 4 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:19,300 where the Bible says, when Jesus came into the coasts of caesarea 5 00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:24,200 Philippi, he asked his disciples saying whom do men say that? 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,700 I the son of man a.m. and they said some say that thou art John 7 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:32,700 the Baptist, so Some Elijah others, Jeremiah? 8 00:00:32,700 --> 00:00:37,500 Or one of the prophets he says unto them but whom say ye that I 9 00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:42,500 am and Simon Peter answered and said, Thou Art the Christ, the 10 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:46,600 son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him. 11 00:00:46,900 --> 00:00:50,000 Blessed art, thou Simon bar-jonah for Flesh and Blood 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,300 hath. Not revealed it unto thee but my 13 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:56,000 Father which is in heaven and I say also unto thee that thou art 14 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,300 Peter and Upon This Rock, I will build my church and the gates of 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,600 Hell shall not Prevail against it and I will give unto thee the 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,200 Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever. 17 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,200 Thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven and 18 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,700 whatsoever. Thou shalt loose on Earth shall 19 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:15,500 be loosed in heaven. Another passage that we want to 20 00:01:15,500 --> 00:01:19,500 notice just briefly is found in the second chapter of Acts and 21 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:23,300 verse 47. The Bible says in this place 22 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:28,500 that having favor with all the praising God, and having favor 23 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:33,000 with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily. 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:38,200 Such as should be saved. Those are the two passages that 25 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:39,800 will introduce our thoughts tonight. 26 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:44,700 As we consider this question, what happened to the church that 27 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:49,300 began on the day of Pentecost? Before we speak, we certainly 28 00:01:49,300 --> 00:01:52,500 feel disposed to pray. And so at this time, let us 29 00:01:52,500 --> 00:01:56,200 humble ourselves while the one selected direct separated in our 30 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,100 Study last evening, we studied about the Old Testament prophets 31 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:03,100 and They predicted the establishment of a kingdom, 32 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:08,000 which we identified as the kingdom of heaven, or the Lord's 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,800 church and the church spoken of that we read about in Matthew, 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,700 16, and 18, and also in Acts 2:47 is the very same 35 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:21,000 institution. It had the promise of Jesus 36 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,900 presence for he said, and giving the Great Commission lo I Am 37 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:29,300 With You Always even to the end of the world and it was 38 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:32,800 conditioned upon On the fact that they would teach all he 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,400 said, teaching them to continue to observe all things 40 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,400 whatsoever. I have commanded, you know, 41 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:45,000 group falling short of, this can claim the presence of the Lord 42 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,800 Jesus Christ. Now, it was comprised. 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:53,100 First of the 12, the Bible says that there were added unto them 44 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:56,100 that day about three thousand Souls. 45 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:01,600 It was not to be in Jerusalem, only, however, for Matthew 16 46 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,200 and verse 15. Jesus said unto them, go preach 47 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,400 the gospel to Every Creature. He that believeth and is 48 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,100 baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be 49 00:03:12,100 --> 00:03:14,700 damned again. In Matthew, the twenty-eighth 50 00:03:14,700 --> 00:03:18,700 chapter and verse 19, he said go ye therefore and teach All 51 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:21,200 Nations. Baptizing them in the name of 52 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,300 the father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them 53 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:26,700 to observe all things whatsoever. 54 00:03:26,700 --> 00:03:31,200 I have commanded you in Luke 24, and Verse 46. 55 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,200 He said, thus it is written. It doesn't behoove Christ to 56 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,000 suffer from the day to suffer and to rise from the dead. 57 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,700 The third day that repentance and remission of sins should be 58 00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:44,600 preached in his name, among all nations. 59 00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:50,000 Beginning at Jerusalem, what our question tonight is, what became 60 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,600 of this church. First of all, let's notice what 61 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,100 became of it under Apostolic leadership. 62 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:02,400 I like to point out that the church multiply Numerically, the 63 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:07,600 verse 47 said, having favor with all the people and the Lord 64 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:13,000 added to the church daily, such as should be saved again, in 65 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,800 Acts 4 and 4. It says howbeit. 66 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,700 Many of them, which heard the word believed, and the number of 67 00:04:19,700 --> 00:04:25,200 the men was about 5,000. Again, an x 4 and verse 32. 68 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,700 The scripture says the multitude of them that believed were of 69 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:32,600 one heart and of one. A soul neither said any of them 70 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,100 that are out of the things, which he possessed was his own, 71 00:04:36,300 --> 00:04:40,900 but they had all things common. Again, in Acts 6 and verse 7, 72 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,900 the scripture says the word of God increased and the number of 73 00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:49,000 disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and listen to 74 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,400 this. A great company of the priests 75 00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:56,700 were obedient to the faith. It was reaching, not only the 76 00:04:56,700 --> 00:05:00,200 common people, but also the priests of the Jews. 77 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:05,200 People were affected by the gospel of Christ, but it didn't 78 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,900 continue. Simply in the city of Jerusalem 79 00:05:08,100 --> 00:05:10,300 in Acts the 8th chapter and verse 5. 80 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,600 The Bible says, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and 81 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,700 preached Christ. Unto them in verse 12 of the 82 00:05:16,700 --> 00:05:20,000 same chapter says, when they believed Philip preaching, the 83 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:25,300 things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus 84 00:05:25,300 --> 00:05:28,400 Christ. They were baptized both men and 85 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,500 women. We also read and how that Peter 86 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:35,900 went to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10 and how that the 87 00:05:35,900 --> 00:05:40,300 upshot of that was he commanded them to be baptized in the name 88 00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:44,800 of the Lord Jesus in. Also in Antioch, the Bible says 89 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:49,100 in Acts 11 and verse 21, the hand of the Lord was with them 90 00:05:49,300 --> 00:05:53,500 and a great number believe and turned unto the Lord. 91 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,500 We see the church. Also as a result of the Gospel 92 00:05:57,500 --> 00:06:00,100 being preached in Antioch in pisidia. 93 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:05,800 Iconium, Derby, lystra, pamphylia, purga Europe, 94 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,900 according to acts 16. And then in thessalonica, for 95 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:17,400 Nisha Syria, Athens, Greece, and Rome, the gospel increase 96 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:22,100 influential, e, rocking, entire communities and countries. 97 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:26,500 And so, we're not surprised to read that the Lord added to the 98 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:29,800 church daily. Such as should be saved. 99 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:32,000 Back there in the city of Jerusalem. 100 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,900 We read in Acts 5 and verse 28, that the authorities became 101 00:06:36,900 --> 00:06:41,500 alarmed and they forbade the apostles to preach the gospel, I 102 00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:44,400 saying, did not lie. Straightly command you that ye 103 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,500 should not teach in this name and behold. 104 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,000 You fail, Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intend to bring 105 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,000 this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other 106 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,700 Apostles answered and said we ought to obey God, rather than 107 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:02,600 men. When the gospel was preached. 108 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,200 In thessalonica, we read in Acts 17 and 6. 109 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,900 And when they found them, not they drew Jason and certain 110 00:07:09,900 --> 00:07:12,500 Brethren unto the rulers of the city crying. 111 00:07:12,700 --> 00:07:15,700 These that have turned the world upside down. 112 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:19,600 Are come hither. Also, someone has commented that 113 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,400 the world was already upside down and the apostles preaching. 114 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,000 The gospel were simply turn trying to turn it right side up 115 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,700 again. In Ephesus, the Bible says, in 116 00:07:29,700 --> 00:07:35,100 Acts 17, 19 and 17 that there were Sons seven sons of Siva. 117 00:07:35,100 --> 00:07:41,600 Now, these people were sort of had been magicians and so they 118 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,300 saw the success of the Apostles, they tried to emulate that and 119 00:07:45,300 --> 00:07:48,800 we're going around trying to cast out demons in the name of 120 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:53,500 Jesus whom Paul preaches. Well, they came to a certain man 121 00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:57,800 who was possessed of a demon, and when they tried this on him, 122 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,800 he said, well, Jesus I know and Paul's Well, I know, but who are 123 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:06,100 ye in the man fell on these sons of Siva and strip them of their 124 00:08:06,100 --> 00:08:09,500 raiment and cause them to flee from the house naked. 125 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:15,000 And the Bible says in Acts 19 and 17, this was known to all 126 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,600 the Jews and Greeks, also dwelling at Ephesus and fear 127 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:23,600 fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 128 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,100 There was also a riot in the city of Ephesus by the 129 00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:31,900 silversmiths because Paul preached that there was One God 130 00:08:31,900 --> 00:08:35,600 and of course, that made all the idolaters angry and threatened 131 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,400 their business. And the Bible says in Acts 19, 132 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,200 and verse 23, the same time. There are rows. 133 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,200 No small stir about that way. That's the Bible way of saying 134 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,300 that there was a great, right? And confusion. 135 00:08:52,300 --> 00:08:56,000 As a consequence of the Apostles, preaching verse 29 136 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 says, the whole city was filled with confusion. 137 00:09:00,100 --> 00:09:04,200 Some He said that when the early church preached everywhere, they 138 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,600 went, there was either a right or Revival. 139 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:12,300 Today we have a meeting sometimes and we report to the 140 00:09:12,300 --> 00:09:18,600 paper that no additions and we hope no harm was done. 141 00:09:18,700 --> 00:09:21,800 But I want to tell you when the apostles preached there was an 142 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:26,700 explosion, there was a revolution, there was a Revival 143 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,400 of interest in the cause of Christ. 144 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,400 In fact, I want I point out that the most amazing spectacle of 145 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,600 history from the human standpoint, the most 146 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:41,400 inexplicable accomplishment of all time was the tribe and the 147 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,100 growth of this early church, think about it for ends. 148 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:50,800 It was a small group despised uneducated at least in the eyes 149 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,000 of the world. They were on endowed materially. 150 00:09:54,300 --> 00:09:56,700 Most of them were something like fisherman. 151 00:09:57,900 --> 00:10:01,900 Tax Collectors, people from the common walks of life and yet 152 00:10:01,900 --> 00:10:06,300 they went out and in twenty eight short years, they could 153 00:10:06,300 --> 00:10:12,000 say that the whole world had heard the gospel, what became of 154 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,900 that church historically, you know, we can read it being in 155 00:10:16,900 --> 00:10:21,300 all of those places in God's holy book, but some of my 156 00:10:21,300 --> 00:10:24,400 brethren have made trips to Rome. 157 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:31,600 To thessalonica to Jerusalem to those places and they tell me 158 00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:35,700 that you don't find the Lord's Church there today. 159 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:39,700 But we know it was there. What happened to it? 160 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:44,200 Well after the death of the Apostles, so long as the church 161 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:48,100 was strictly adhering to their teaching, it remained. 162 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:52,000 Exactly the same. We read there in Acts 2:42, the 163 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:55,400 Bible says, they continued steadfastly in the fossils 164 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,000 Doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread. 165 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,200 And in prayers again in Acts, 20, and 7. 166 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,000 We read upon the first day of the week when the disciples came 167 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,100 together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. 168 00:11:08,300 --> 00:11:11,600 And First Corinthians 11 verses 23 through 26. 169 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,200 We find the Apostle Paul setting forth, the exact demands for the 170 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:21,700 communion that Jesus left there. When he observed it in the last 171 00:11:21,700 --> 00:11:26,400 night of his life here upon this Earth that Does it mean that man 172 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,200 didn't attempt to change and defile? 173 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:32,500 The Church of God? In fact, Peter warned and second 174 00:11:32,500 --> 00:11:35,600 Peter 2 and 1. But there were false prophets 175 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,600 also among the people even as there shall be false teachers 176 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,800 among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies. 177 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,200 Even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon 178 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:51,300 themselves, Swift destruction. Now listen to this and many 179 00:11:51,500 --> 00:11:56,100 shall follow their pernicious Ways by None of whom the way of 180 00:11:56,100 --> 00:12:00,500 truth shall be evil. Spoken of false teachers coming 181 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:05,600 in going away disciples again and second John, the seventh 182 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,700 verse. We hear John saying for many 183 00:12:08,700 --> 00:12:12,700 deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that. 184 00:12:12,700 --> 00:12:17,000 Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, this is a deceiver and an 185 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:21,200 antichrist, look to yourselves that we lose not those things, 186 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,900 which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward who 187 00:12:25,100 --> 00:12:28,500 Everett transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of 188 00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:30,700 Christ hath. Not God. 189 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,400 He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath, both the father, 190 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,300 and the son. And so serious, is this matter. 191 00:12:37,300 --> 00:12:41,200 He said, if there come any unto you and bring, not this 192 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,100 Doctrine, receive him not into your house. 193 00:12:44,100 --> 00:12:47,400 Neither bid him, God speed for, he that biddeth him. 194 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:52,500 God speed is partaker of his evil Deeds, Jude warns and Jude 195 00:12:52,500 --> 00:12:55,700 the first chapter and verse 3, the Beloved. 196 00:12:55,700 --> 00:12:58,400 When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common 197 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,900 salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you 198 00:13:03,100 --> 00:13:07,500 that ye should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once 199 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:12,800 delivered to the Saints. However, those warnings it seems 200 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:20,400 fell on many deaf ears, and departures began to occur in the 201 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,100 body of Christ. You know, I'm told that at one, 202 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,800 at one point, there may have been two million disciples at 203 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,200 this point in time in the Roman Empire. 204 00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:35,800 You think about that starting from that little nucleus of 205 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:42,200 twelve disciples, 2 million, who claimed Jesus Christ as their 206 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,800 savior. But soon departures began. 207 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,200 You see. It was the Lord's plan back 208 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:53,100 Yonder in Apostolic times. For congregations to be 209 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:56,700 established in every place and that's the reason the apostles 210 00:13:56,700 --> 00:14:00,700 preached as they did. And in every congregation as we 211 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:04,300 pointed out the other evening, in our study, on the eldership, 212 00:14:04,700 --> 00:14:11,000 there was to be elders. And deacons and Saints. 213 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,000 That's the organization of the church. 214 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,200 You don't read about any other government. 215 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,700 Except that somebody say, well, what about Bishop? 216 00:14:17,700 --> 00:14:20,800 That's the same offices Elders. What about pastors? 217 00:14:21,100 --> 00:14:24,000 Same offices Elders. What about presbyters? 218 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,700 That's the same office. This is the only office is that 219 00:14:27,700 --> 00:14:31,200 you read of in the New Testament for the local congregation 220 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,700 Elders. Deacons Saints. 221 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:38,200 Philippians 1 and verse 1. But you see pretty soon. 222 00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:41,300 Somebody got the idea. Well, let's start another church 223 00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:46,600 over here and let's let these Elders 10 to that one, as well. 224 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:54,400 And pretty soon when another church was established maybe and 225 00:14:54,400 --> 00:15:01,500 another one we had one over all of these as the bishop and of 226 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:06,400 course after a while it was divided into six different 227 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,800 groups and one man was put at the head of it all. 228 00:15:11,500 --> 00:15:16,600 In fact, some tried to Fashion the church after the government 229 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:21,900 of the Roman Empire, You see with the emperor at the Apex of 230 00:15:21,900 --> 00:15:25,900 that and that's the way some wanted the church to be 231 00:15:25,900 --> 00:15:28,300 designed. And I'm going to tell you what, 232 00:15:28,500 --> 00:15:31,100 there's the danger of tangents today. 233 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:36,400 Each congregation has the Lord conceived, it was independent 234 00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:41,400 and autonomous self-governing if you will, and there was no 235 00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:46,400 government organization beyond that local congregation. 236 00:15:47,100 --> 00:15:50,900 Well, of course, that Developed as we pointed out into a 237 00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:55,400 government unknown to the scriptures, the actual apostasy 238 00:15:55,400 --> 00:16:01,600 began with the Nicene Creed in ad 323 with the uniting of 239 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:07,600 church and state in 325 ad. The pope was declared the head 240 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:14,000 in 533, and by 666. The first Universal bishop or 241 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:20,100 Pope was announced and that Completed the apostasy. 242 00:16:20,500 --> 00:16:23,400 This was a going out from the church. 243 00:16:23,700 --> 00:16:28,600 This was a deviation from God's original plan and so we read in 244 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:34,400 first John 2:19, John said they went out from us but they were 245 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:39,000 not of us for if they had been of us, they no doubt would have 246 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,400 continued with us, but they went out that they might be made 247 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:45,700 manifest. That what they were, not. 248 00:16:45,700 --> 00:16:48,000 All of us. What? 249 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,900 What happened to cause this division, you know the Apostle 250 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:56,800 Paul before he died. He visited the church over a 251 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:01,200 Ephesus and worship there at troas you man you remember? 252 00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:05,500 And he called the elders to him and this is what he said. 253 00:17:05,900 --> 00:17:10,500 Verse 28 of Acts, 20, take heed, therefore unto yourselves, do 254 00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:13,099 all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you 255 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:16,900 overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased 256 00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:20,099 with his own blood. You four are know this. 257 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:24,000 That after my departure, shall Grievous, wolves, enter in among 258 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,099 you not sparing. The flock, that's part of the 259 00:17:27,099 --> 00:17:31,300 reason that you don't find those churches in Jerusalem in 260 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:37,500 Antioch, in thessalonica, in Rome, in Athens and other places 261 00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:40,300 where our Brethren have been and found. 262 00:17:40,300 --> 00:17:43,500 No churches. They're like, we know the Bible 263 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,100 teaches. He said, Grievous wolves, enter 264 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:51,200 in the not sparing the flock, but then there's another reason 265 00:17:51,500 --> 00:17:54,500 he said, also of your own selves shall men. 266 00:17:54,500 --> 00:17:59,500 Arise speaking perverse, things to draw away disciples after 267 00:17:59,500 --> 00:18:02,200 them. That's another reason that 268 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,000 existed. Well, of course this continued 269 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:10,100 until that period known to history students as the Dark 270 00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:15,800 Ages occurred that lasted from about, Years after the 271 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:21,500 establishment of the church to about 1400 ad and during that 272 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:25,300 period of time, let me tell you that the Bible was forbidden to 273 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:29,600 the people, many things that are unknown to the scriptures 274 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:35,200 occurred and through it all. I believe the remnant Church 275 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:44,200 existed In Revelation 12, we have the picture, I believe of 276 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:49,600 the church. In the first verse of 277 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:54,800 Revelation, I'll, I should say Revelation 12 and 13. 278 00:18:55,100 --> 00:19:00,100 It says, and when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth, 279 00:19:00,300 --> 00:19:04,400 he persecuted the woman which brought forth The Man Child and 280 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,900 to, the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle, that she 281 00:19:07,900 --> 00:19:10,900 might fly into the Wilderness into her place where she is 282 00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:15,500 nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of 283 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:20,300 the a serpent. I believe the the passage and 284 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,200 consideration here refers to Jesus as the man child because 285 00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:30,200 it said that he rules with a rod of iron and Psalm 2 predicted 286 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,600 that God son would rule with a rod of Iron by that. 287 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:38,600 He means the inflexible Commandments that were given in 288 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:43,000 the word of God. Again, the woman described their 289 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:47,300 I believe refers to the church but not just the church. 290 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:53,400 The community from which Jesus Christ came that sacred 291 00:19:53,500 --> 00:19:56,800 community of both the Old Testament and the new. 292 00:19:57,100 --> 00:20:00,800 And then I believe the dragon is very clear because the Bible 293 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,900 describes him as Satan or the devil. 294 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,800 So, notice now, the dragon was cast unto the Earth and he 295 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,700 persecuted the woman which brought forth The Man Child. 296 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,600 I like to point out that during the history of the church. 297 00:20:17,700 --> 00:20:22,000 Church terrific persecution occurred against God's people. 298 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,300 In the early church. It was the Roman government that 299 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:31,000 caused that persecution. They were put to death for their 300 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,700 faith. Many were forced to recant and 301 00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:39,200 to deny the Lord Jesus Christ if it were possible to make them do 302 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,800 so many many gave their lives rather than recant upon their 303 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,700 confession of Jesus Christ, as the son of God. 304 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,000 On someone has said that the blood of the martyrs was the 305 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:56,200 seed of the kingdom and the kingdom grew by Leaps and Bounds 306 00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:00,900 but now it goes into the Wilderness and next was the 307 00:21:00,900 --> 00:21:05,400 period of reformation, you know, I think that it must have been a 308 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:12,000 happy day for the people of God when the church was able to 309 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:16,900 worship without fear early in the 4th Century, something 310 00:21:16,900 --> 00:21:19,500 happened that changed. Change the balance of power. 311 00:21:20,700 --> 00:21:24,000 In the Roman government tradition claims that 312 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,800 Constantine who succeeded his father, as the Roman Emperor and 313 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:32,700 306 ad saw the sign of the cross in the heavens whether that's 314 00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:35,800 true or not. We do know that he defeated, 315 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:43,200 Augustus maxentius in battle in 312 ad and gave that as as his 316 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:49,300 reason for his success and made Christianity, legal in 313 ad 317 00:21:49,500 --> 00:21:52,300 and 10 years. Later he made Christianity the 318 00:21:52,300 --> 00:21:55,700 state religion. Now, as we pointed out when that 319 00:21:55,700 --> 00:21:58,700 happened it must have been a happy day. 320 00:21:59,300 --> 00:22:04,500 But it was also a day of great danger to the people of God and 321 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:09,800 to the church because the union of church and state, ultimately 322 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:14,200 produced unhappy results, the Unholy marriage of church and 323 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:18,000 state brought forth Offspring and the forms of evil that 324 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,300 cursed the church for a thousand years. 325 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,100 Ears in the form of superstition. 326 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:28,400 The papacy Purgatory, the confessional moral Corruption of 327 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:33,000 the priesthood, ignorance of the masses because of an absence of 328 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,900 any form of the Bible which were forbidden for them to read the 329 00:22:36,900 --> 00:22:40,900 selling of indulgences and a thousand, other errors that we 330 00:22:40,900 --> 00:22:44,300 could mention tonight. And without going into detail 331 00:22:44,300 --> 00:22:47,900 about the development of the apostasy, let us say that when 332 00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:52,100 Rome became enthroned and Power. She began a period of 333 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:56,800 persecution under the guise of Christianity, more terrible than 334 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,500 ever, disgrace, the annals of paganism. 335 00:23:00,300 --> 00:23:04,000 I know that many people do not know the history of the apostate 336 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,500 church but those who wish to see it in its true light have only 337 00:23:08,500 --> 00:23:13,100 to read the history of the Inquisition, that was a terrible 338 00:23:13,100 --> 00:23:17,500 ecclesiastical Court, officially style, the holy office for the 339 00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:20,300 detection and destruction of Heretics. 340 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,800 Has this terrible tribunal defied every principle of Truth 341 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,300 and Justice. Its victim was arrested kept in 342 00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:32,700 secret never permitted, see the face of friend or fold quarter. 343 00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:36,200 Counseling was kept in innocence of the charge, even that was 344 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,000 against him. If he refused to incriminate 345 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,800 himself, he was tortured unmercifully. 346 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,700 And from the hour of his arrest, until the hour of his execution, 347 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:50,200 he never saw the light of day. A well-known example of that, in 348 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,900 And history is the massacre of st. 349 00:23:53,900 --> 00:23:59,800 Bartholomew, when 30,000 French huguenots were slain because 350 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:04,400 they did not share the faith of the apostate, Church in the 13th 351 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,900 century. The pope was at the summit of 352 00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:09,400 his power. He was independent of all 353 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,100 kingdoms ruled, over body and soul with a force that was 354 00:24:13,100 --> 00:24:17,800 unknown before that time, hundreds of thousands were 355 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,500 victims of his merciless rain. Not Not including those who 356 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:25,800 perished and dungeons or died of a broken heart but did God. 357 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:30,000 Preserve a Remnant. I certainly believe that he did, 358 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:33,000 I don't have time to go into all of that tonight. 359 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,900 My problem is to try to describe to you in the short time, I have 360 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:42,000 how the rest formation and the restoration came about. 361 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:47,400 Let me point out that, from the time of 1400 own, it was made 362 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:54,200 famous by reformers If men stood up against the errors of the 363 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:59,100 apostate Church, These in the person of John Wickliffe, who 364 00:24:59,300 --> 00:25:04,500 let in the light on many heinous, vices, and abuses, and 365 00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:08,500 he attacked the pope and was put into prison, he was the one who 366 00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:13,100 made the first translation of the Bible into English and 44 367 00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:17,300 years after his death. They exhumed and burned his 368 00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:21,100 bones, and through the ashes into the rivers, Swift. 369 00:25:21,300 --> 00:25:25,000 I have time would fail me tonight to speak of John hus, 370 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:32,300 cyber Nola and many other brave men, but one of the greatest was 371 00:25:32,300 --> 00:25:38,200 Martin Luther when Martin Luther came on the scene in 1483. 372 00:25:38,700 --> 00:25:41,700 The Bible was a sealed book to most people. 373 00:25:42,300 --> 00:25:47,200 It was not permitted to be read by the masses and Luther to his 374 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,200 great Delight. Found a copy in Latin. 375 00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:54,300 In the library of the University of erfurt where he was studying 376 00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:59,600 to be a priest and he determined to become a monk, and was 377 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,300 consecrated a priest and 15 and seven? 378 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Well, he saw a lot of things, but it didn't deter him at 379 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:14,000 first, and yet, he saw one thing that caused him to become 380 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,500 outraged. He had visited Rome and saw some 381 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:21,900 of the accessories there. But in 19, Leo. 382 00:26:21,900 --> 00:26:24,700 The tenth was in need of money to build st. 383 00:26:24,700 --> 00:26:29,500 Peter's in Rome and his agents were roaming far and wide 384 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:34,800 selling indulgences to raise money for eggs butter corn or 385 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,700 cash. He declared that the people 386 00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:43,000 could buy forgiveness not only for sins committed but for those 387 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:47,400 they desired to commit and when old John tetzel approached for 388 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:52,800 that purpose, Martin Luther Drew up his 25 Theses and nail them 389 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,500 on the church door, denouncing, the doctrine that the pope had 390 00:26:56,500 --> 00:27:00,600 power to forgive Sins. Tetzel, Of course, had to flee, 391 00:27:01,100 --> 00:27:04,300 and a wave of indignation. Swept overall, Germany. 392 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,800 Martin Luther stood before the diet of worms and he made the 393 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,500 most famous of his speeches closing, with these words. 394 00:27:12,700 --> 00:27:16,800 He said there, I take my stand, I can do not else. 395 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,800 So help me God, he performed a great service by translating the 396 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:26,300 Bible out of Latin the vernacular of the priests and 397 00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:32,300 into German well he said call not yourselves Lutheran's but 398 00:27:32,300 --> 00:27:37,200 call yourselves Christians. Again, time would fail us to 399 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:43,100 tell of John Knox, John Calvin, John Wesley, all of these men 400 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:49,000 made efforts to reform. The apostate Church, And they 401 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,700 failed in that effort. You know what they did do? 402 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:58,200 They started denominations and pretty soon denominations began 403 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:04,700 to spring up all over the world. There were others who began to 404 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:09,600 Advocate the principles upon which the restoration movement 405 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:13,200 was enunciated. You see, there were some men who 406 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,700 saw the Folly of trying to reform something that had that 407 00:28:16,700 --> 00:28:20,800 was so corrupt. Their idea was, let's go back to 408 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,600 the Bible. Let's build on the foundation of 409 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,000 the word of God. And let's speak where the Bible 410 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,200 speaks. And let's be silent where the 411 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,700 Bible is silent. Let's call Bible thing. 412 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:36,300 Bible names and above all. Let's be Christians. 413 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:40,500 Only this was appealing to many people. 414 00:28:41,100 --> 00:28:46,100 These efforts were influenced by some leaders on the American 415 00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:48,700 continent. It should be remembered. 416 00:28:49,500 --> 00:28:51,200 Thomas, Campbell. One of the leaders. 417 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:55,400 In the restoration movement was a presbyterian preacher who 418 00:28:55,400 --> 00:29:03,200 lived over in Northern Ireland. And He was a minister of the 419 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:07,400 added burger. Oh, light, Auntie Burger Cedar 420 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,300 Presbyterian Church, You think about this? 421 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:16,300 Let me say it again. Oh, light and a burger, Cedar 422 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:22,400 Presbyterian Church. When he left because of his 423 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,100 health and came to America, Alexander Campbell his son 424 00:29:26,100 --> 00:29:31,600 stayed on in Ireland and he made plans to come to the United 425 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,500 States after he finished his education and on the last Sunday 426 00:29:35,500 --> 00:29:41,600 that he was in Ireland. Maybe in Scotland at that time. 427 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:46,400 He was a member of that whole light and a burger. 428 00:29:46,500 --> 00:29:51,600 Sisiter Presbyterian Church. They passed the communion around 429 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,900 and he was given a token. This was close communion, you 430 00:29:55,900 --> 00:30:00,700 couldn't commune, unless you had that token, and he was so 431 00:30:00,700 --> 00:30:04,000 disgusted by the denominationalism that he took 432 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,300 that token and laid it on the plate and got up and walked out. 433 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:12,700 He came to America and he found that his father had already run 434 00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:16,900 into trouble. You see, Thomas Campbell went 435 00:30:16,900 --> 00:30:21,300 out as a preacher of this group and one Sunday. 436 00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:25,700 He let some people commune who were Out of the old life, Auntie 437 00:30:25,700 --> 00:30:30,600 Burger Cedar Presbyterian church and for that he was defrocked. 438 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:38,400 He was he was dismissed from that church and so he started a 439 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:43,900 little group that was called. I think the Christian connection 440 00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:46,800 about the same time. There were others who were 441 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:51,000 advocating the same things that he did a man by the name of rice 442 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:56,100 Haggard in Virginia. Held up a Bible and said they 443 00:30:56,100 --> 00:31:00,800 were Republican Methodist and he said Brethren this is the 444 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,700 sufficient. Rule of faith and practice 445 00:31:03,900 --> 00:31:06,900 whereby, it were told the disciples were called Christians 446 00:31:06,900 --> 00:31:09,100 and I moved that henceforth and forever. 447 00:31:09,300 --> 00:31:13,300 The followers of Christ be known as Christians, simply in 448 00:31:13,300 --> 00:31:16,800 eighteen and one this group changed their name, to the 449 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:20,800 Christian Church allies Smith up in Portsmouth New Hampshire. 450 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:26,100 Also began to State, some of the same principles, Hafner, Jones 451 00:31:26,100 --> 00:31:30,300 joined this effort, 18 and one organized a church and Linden 452 00:31:30,300 --> 00:31:35,000 Vermont that All human names, its members insisting solely on 453 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:39,000 the name. Christian, Barton Stone and 1796 454 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:45,000 was that Cane Ridge ordained to preach by this by denomination. 455 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:51,800 And he later said that in reading the New Testament, he 456 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,800 found that their principles did not agree with the teaching of 457 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,800 the New Testament and they wrote out the last will and testament 458 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,300 of the Springfield test Presbytery. 459 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,000 And determined that from henceforth, they would simply be 460 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,100 Christians, only now want to say something about. 461 00:32:09,500 --> 00:32:15,900 Alexander Campbell, Alexander Campbell was noted for his 462 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:21,800 abilities and he became, he became associated with the 463 00:32:21,808 --> 00:32:27,000 Baptist's at one point, and finally began to see errors. 464 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,500 Also, in their teaching, his idea was that Old Testament 465 00:32:32,500 --> 00:32:36,900 belong to the Jewish age and that we are under the New 466 00:32:36,900 --> 00:32:40,300 Testament of Christ, and he enunciated that principle and it 467 00:32:40,300 --> 00:32:44,400 was like a bombshell in the camp of the group that he was meeting 468 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,400 with and that caused a separation. 469 00:32:47,700 --> 00:32:52,200 But many of his Brethren still preached among among these 470 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:59,600 people and Alexander Campbell was a debater, he debated first, 471 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:03,300 he had five great debates. It's in which he set forth the 472 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:07,500 truth, and one of those debates was with Walker, over the 473 00:33:07,500 --> 00:33:12,300 subject of infant baptism. You see he and talking with his 474 00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:16,700 father, they determined this, that they would be Christians, 475 00:33:16,700 --> 00:33:21,300 only that they would speak where the Bible speaks and be silent 476 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:26,600 where the Bible is silent. And someone reminded Thomas 477 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,900 Campbell. They said, well, if we do this, 478 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:35,500 this will mean the And of infant baptism because the Bible says 479 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:38,700 nothing about infant, baptism. And Campbell said, well, of 480 00:33:38,708 --> 00:33:42,100 course, if infant baptism is not mentioned in the scriptures, 481 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,700 then we will have to give it up. And one of the men said, oh, I 482 00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:51,900 hope I never see the day that we will say that we will not quote, 483 00:33:51,900 --> 00:33:55,200 the scripture suffer little children to come unto me, but of 484 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:59,800 course, that caused the them to give up infant baptism and many 485 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:03,600 other things that were Consistent with the practice of 486 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,000 that group. Now, this debate that he had 487 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,500 with Robert Owen was who was an Infidel attracted national 488 00:34:11,500 --> 00:34:13,199 attention. I want to tell you just a little 489 00:34:13,199 --> 00:34:17,900 bit about that. Robert Owen was a brilliant man 490 00:34:18,699 --> 00:34:23,500 but he was among other things a socialist and he believed in 491 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:29,800 having a group after the Communist fashion where they 492 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:33,699 shared all things in a socialist movement and he was a knock down 493 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:38,100 an atheist and he came to New Orleans and challenged all of 494 00:34:38,100 --> 00:34:41,900 the preachers to meet him and debating on wood and Alexander 495 00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:46,699 Campbell agreed to meet him. And in this debate, Oh, and 496 00:34:46,699 --> 00:34:50,500 expected Campbell to defend, traditional Christianity and was 497 00:34:50,500 --> 00:34:54,300 greatly puzzled when he was forced to meet instead New 498 00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:58,800 Testament, Simplicity and Purity, he had to use prepared 499 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,900 manuscripts and they became less and less relevant. 500 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,900 He finally conceded on Friday, April. 501 00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:08,900 The 17th, the remainder of his time and Campbell spoke on the 502 00:35:08,900 --> 00:35:14,200 evidences of Christianity, in a speech that lasted 12 hours the 503 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:17,300 debate attracted, national attention, Campbell acquitted 504 00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:19,900 himself. So brilliantly that he was the 505 00:35:19,900 --> 00:35:25,200 sensation of the moment. He also had debates with Bishop 506 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:29,300 Purcell, a bishop of the Catholic church and within L 507 00:35:29,300 --> 00:35:34,800 Rice, who was a presbyterian. And in this last debate that he 508 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:40,500 had with within L Rice, the famous the famed Henry, Clay was 509 00:35:40,500 --> 00:35:43,800 the moderator and it is said that Henry Clay, who was 510 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:50,000 supposed to be You know, not part Prejudice. 511 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:54,400 To either side when Campbell was talking, he began to nod his 512 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:58,100 head approvingly and wave his hand and then caught himself and 513 00:35:58,100 --> 00:36:01,600 realize that he was supposed to be indifferent and looked around 514 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,500 to see whether anyone had caught him off guard. 515 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:09,400 Well, this movement that was begun by a host of these men 516 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:15,000 began to grow and swell and about this time a man appeared 517 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:18,900 on The scene by the name of Walter Scott, and I want to tell 518 00:36:18,900 --> 00:36:21,400 you, this was a this was a great day. 519 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,200 Walter Scott was a scotch educator. 520 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,400 He had been baptized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the 521 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:37,200 remission of sins by some. And he would teach in school and 522 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,800 tell his school children come out tonight, and hear me preach 523 00:36:41,900 --> 00:36:46,700 a sermon on my hand and then he would He would really students 524 00:36:46,700 --> 00:36:51,100 on this course, he would be hanged I suppose today if he did 525 00:36:51,100 --> 00:36:57,200 this, but he said now. Jesus teaches repentance. 526 00:36:57,700 --> 00:37:04,100 Baptism of Faith. Repentance baptism remission of 527 00:37:04,100 --> 00:37:06,400 sins. Gift of the Holy Ghost. 528 00:37:07,100 --> 00:37:11,300 Now, you say it with me. Faith, repentance baptism. 529 00:37:11,300 --> 00:37:13,700 Remission of sins. Gift of the Holy Ghost. 530 00:37:13,700 --> 00:37:16,700 The children of go home. And say, there's a man going to 531 00:37:16,700 --> 00:37:20,300 preach a sermon on his hand. This was called the five finger 532 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:26,500 exercise, and the children would bring their parents and it 533 00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:30,800 resulted in hundreds of baptisms, by Walter Scott. 534 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,000 So many hundreds, were being added that Alexander Campbell 535 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,600 sent Thomas to examine, Scott's results and was pleasantly 536 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:43,300 surprised to find Scott using for reform, a new element that 537 00:37:43,300 --> 00:37:47,300 had been lacking in his word. You are seems like that on one 538 00:37:47,300 --> 00:37:50,300 occasion. There was a name, a man by the 539 00:37:50,308 --> 00:37:56,300 name of William all men who came into one of the services and mr. 540 00:37:56,300 --> 00:38:00,400 A man had never heard a gospel sermon and he had read in the 541 00:38:00,408 --> 00:38:03,400 scriptures how that on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached, 542 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:10,100 the gospel, and how he, he was preaching and Men cried out and 543 00:38:10,100 --> 00:38:14,000 said, what was we do to be saved and Peter told them, repent, and 544 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:17,100 be baptized every one of Of you in the name of Jesus Christ for 545 00:38:17,100 --> 00:38:19,500 the remission or the Forgiveness of sins. 546 00:38:19,700 --> 00:38:23,900 Mr. Immense said, if I ever hear a man preaching that I'm going 547 00:38:23,900 --> 00:38:28,400 to obey it and that night when Scott preached that mr. 548 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:32,100 A man came up interrupted the service and demanded baptism in 549 00:38:32,107 --> 00:38:36,100 his hand and that was when they saw that, they could preach the 550 00:38:36,107 --> 00:38:39,600 gospel set forth, The Plan of Salvation, make an appeal for 551 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:47,200 action and have great results that swept the United States and 552 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:50,600 this movement, which now included other leaders besides 553 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:55,400 the Campbells realized an incredible growth from 1849 554 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:00,500 should say 1832 18-49. Do you know their number has 555 00:39:00,500 --> 00:39:04,500 been estimated 1839 to be anywhere from a hundred and 556 00:39:04,500 --> 00:39:08,300 eighteen thousand to two hundred thousand and after becoming the 557 00:39:08,300 --> 00:39:12,700 association's Evangelist Walter? Scott's first sermon was 558 00:39:12,700 --> 00:39:14,800 delivered on that occasion when mr. 559 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:19,400 A man in obeyed the gospel. Now, he came up with this simple 560 00:39:19,700 --> 00:39:25,900 little formula for preaching the gospel and it was argued by some 561 00:39:25,900 --> 00:39:28,300 that the Campbells did not really take. 562 00:39:28,300 --> 00:39:32,300 Hold until Walter Scott began, preaching on the Western Reserve 563 00:39:32,300 --> 00:39:36,400 and Barton Stones Christian Movement, spread to Ohio. 564 00:39:37,700 --> 00:39:45,300 Well, all of this was something that that the the cause of 565 00:39:45,300 --> 00:39:48,400 Christ needed. Campbell proved himself as 566 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:52,600 powerful with the pain as in the pulpit and then in Kentucky, 567 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:57,500 they were men like PS fall raccoon, John Smith, John T 568 00:39:57,500 --> 00:39:59,700 Johnson, the crease the vitamins. 569 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:04,000 We're told that Jeremiah vardaman baptized 550 people in 570 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:09,800 six months, Smith baptized 339 in six weeks, John sechrist, 571 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:15,500 baptized 222 and 100 days. Other, Made the similar records 572 00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:18,400 as evangelists. I remember reading somewhere 573 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:22,400 that A well-dressed gentleman ascended, the steps of a county 574 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:28,100 building in Kentucky, downtown Paris, Kentucky and stood on the 575 00:40:28,100 --> 00:40:32,400 steps and said gentlemen, dog fatal that's a weed. 576 00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:35,400 And Campbell ISM are taking the country. 577 00:40:36,300 --> 00:40:39,900 That was true. Also in Ohio as Scott became an 578 00:40:39,900 --> 00:40:44,300 evangelist for of the church's, making up the Mahoning, Ation 579 00:40:44,900 --> 00:40:47,600 tidal wave began to sweep through the churches. 580 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,700 And the first year there were 1,000 conversions. 581 00:40:51,900 --> 00:40:55,600 And during the next two years, not only individuals by the 582 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:58,700 hundreds and thousands were saved from their sins. 583 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,900 But in Tire congregations lined up with the Ancient Order of 584 00:41:02,900 --> 00:41:07,000 Things, some Churches voted out, the Philadelphia confession of 585 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:10,200 faith and place the New Testament in its place. 586 00:41:10,500 --> 00:41:18,200 Not only of that denomination, but also So of many others, it 587 00:41:18,500 --> 00:41:24,700 of course, was inevitable that there would be problems but they 588 00:41:24,700 --> 00:41:27,700 were very few. I want to point out one other 589 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:31,800 man that is raccoon. John Smith. 590 00:41:32,900 --> 00:41:39,700 John Smith was a poor individual who, who really was earnestly 591 00:41:39,700 --> 00:41:43,400 seeking salvation and he would go to the churches. 592 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:47,300 And he would be so depressed because people would tell him 593 00:41:47,900 --> 00:41:50,100 that he had to pray through that. 594 00:41:50,100 --> 00:41:52,500 He had to have an experience. And then when he told that 595 00:41:52,500 --> 00:41:55,800 experience that that meant that he had, he had received 596 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:59,300 salvation, he was just simply too honest to believe any such 597 00:41:59,300 --> 00:42:03,000 thing as that. And so for many years, he was 598 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:07,100 just drifting. He went to Alabama and while an 599 00:42:07,100 --> 00:42:14,200 Alabama He rented a place and went off somewhere to preach 600 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:18,500 left, his wife and his two babies at home. 601 00:42:19,900 --> 00:42:23,800 His wife Bank, the fire that night, put her babies to bed, 602 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:26,100 went over to help a neighbor, who was sick. 603 00:42:27,700 --> 00:42:30,300 And to our great sorrow, she looked out and saw that the 604 00:42:30,300 --> 00:42:35,900 house was on fire and her babies burned to death in the house. 605 00:42:37,700 --> 00:42:40,600 John Smith, killed a horse. Trying to get home that night. 606 00:42:41,700 --> 00:42:46,100 And it caused depression for both of them, ultimately, 607 00:42:46,100 --> 00:42:52,100 leading to Nancy's death. And the thing that bothered him 608 00:42:52,100 --> 00:42:56,500 was to determine whether or not those children were elect or not 609 00:42:56,500 --> 00:43:00,100 elect because you see, the teaching that he had subscribed 610 00:43:00,100 --> 00:43:05,200 to Calvinism taught that God has determined before. 611 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:09,300 Eternity, who would be saved and who would be lost? 612 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,400 If you're one of the elect, of course you're saved and God will 613 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:14,400 make it known in due time they taught. 614 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:18,100 And if you're not elect nothing, you can do, could cause you to 615 00:43:18,100 --> 00:43:19,400 become Allah. Eight. 616 00:43:20,500 --> 00:43:23,000 And of course, it just about worried him to death. 617 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:29,100 And that's when he stumbled onto the restoration movement, he saw 618 00:43:29,100 --> 00:43:31,800 the error of the thing that he had been taught. 619 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:35,700 Because Calvinism also rested on an assumption that the sinner is 620 00:43:35,700 --> 00:43:38,500 dead. Dead in such a sense that it 621 00:43:38,500 --> 00:43:42,400 cannot believe the gospel or repent of his sins until the 622 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,800 Holy Spirit comes to him and quickens him to life. 623 00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:49,200 Consequently as all men are not brought to life. 624 00:43:49,500 --> 00:43:53,600 The Holy Spirit has to pass by some and allow them to perish, 625 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:57,500 not on account of their greater unworthiness, but simply because 626 00:43:57,500 --> 00:44:01,200 God and his own good pleasure did not elect them to Salvation. 627 00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:05,200 For these Christ could not have died or else, he would have died 628 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:09,700 in vain, they talked. But John Smith saw the entire 629 00:44:09,700 --> 00:44:13,500 superstructure of Calvinism was error and he preached against it 630 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:17,800 and was based on the notion that it destroys Man's Free moral 631 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:23,000 agency which it does Calvinism. He reasoned depends at last on 632 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:26,600 the definition of a single term. What is death? 633 00:44:27,100 --> 00:44:30,300 What is death? Christians are said to be dead 634 00:44:30,300 --> 00:44:34,600 to dead to sin. Does this death inquired? 635 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:39,700 Take them from the power of sin. Take from them, the power to sin 636 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:44,800 and may they as free agents Embrace error and do wrong. 637 00:44:45,100 --> 00:44:48,700 If then the Christian who is dead to sin can nevertheless new 638 00:44:48,700 --> 00:44:50,800 wrong. Surely the saying the center, 639 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:54,400 who is dead to righteousness? May nevertheless do, right? 640 00:44:54,700 --> 00:44:57,900 That's when he came upon the teaching of Alexander, Campbell, 641 00:44:58,100 --> 00:45:02,800 and saw clearly, the teaching of the, of the Gospel, they charged 642 00:45:02,800 --> 00:45:05,800 him with three heresies in the group that he was associated 643 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:09,300 with reading from Living. Oracles instead of the King 644 00:45:09,300 --> 00:45:13,000 James version, saying I'm Maurice you instead of I baptize 645 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:16,300 you and allowing communicants to break their own bread. 646 00:45:16,300 --> 00:45:19,600 Instead of having the preacher to do it for them, he was 647 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:24,700 rejected from the group that he was preaching for and yet he 648 00:45:24,700 --> 00:45:27,500 became a famous preacher in Ozone. 649 00:45:27,500 --> 00:45:30,400 Right? Baptizing in excess of a 650 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:32,900 thousand people a year for many years. 651 00:45:34,100 --> 00:45:39,800 Oh, I wish I had the time to tell you all of it tonight, but 652 00:45:39,900 --> 00:45:42,300 I realize our time is growing short. 653 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:46,900 What I have recited to you. Tonight is a matter of history 654 00:45:48,700 --> 00:45:51,800 and let me tell you this Somerset Alexander Campbell 655 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:56,100 started the Church of Christ, the Christian Church, some even 656 00:45:56,100 --> 00:46:00,500 credited him with establishing the Disciples of Christ as a 657 00:46:00,500 --> 00:46:03,600 denomination and I certainly deny that. 658 00:46:05,100 --> 00:46:10,200 I deny that it was never his desire to found a denomination. 659 00:46:10,500 --> 00:46:14,600 What he was trying to do is to go back beyond all of the 660 00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:19,000 opinions and the Creeds and the doctrines of men and build upon 661 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:24,100 the Firm Foundation of God's. Holy word, I think Alexander 662 00:46:24,100 --> 00:46:27,500 Campbell was a great man. But I want to tell you, he 663 00:46:27,500 --> 00:46:31,000 didn't start the Church of Christ, and it is tell you this 664 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:37,000 little incident and I'm about to conclude here tonight. 1992. 665 00:46:37,900 --> 00:46:41,700 We made a trip to the old Cane Ridge meeting house, where 666 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:46,400 Barton Stone raccoon, John Smith and Alexander Campbell, and many 667 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:49,300 other of the leading Lights of the restoration movement, 668 00:46:49,300 --> 00:46:56,700 preached out in the cemetery, there is a gravestone that is 669 00:46:56,700 --> 00:47:04,000 marked member of the Church of Christ. 18 and 6 that was three 670 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,600 years before Alexander came to Alexander, Campbell came to the 671 00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:11,600 United States. Yes, I think Alexander Campbell 672 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:14,700 was a great man, but I don't think he was any more honest 673 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:19,900 more sincere or that he loved God, any better than the others 674 00:47:20,100 --> 00:47:22,400 whose history I've recited here tonight. 675 00:47:23,100 --> 00:47:26,300 But I'll tell you this, he had the advantage of many of them 676 00:47:27,300 --> 00:47:31,400 because he was able to build upon their work. 677 00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:36,300 He lived 300 years after Martin Luther 100 years. 678 00:47:36,300 --> 00:47:39,700 This side of John Wesley he had all that they talk. 679 00:47:39,800 --> 00:47:43,300 All he had their experience, he had observed, the fruits of 680 00:47:43,300 --> 00:47:45,700 their labors. He was able to size up 681 00:47:45,700 --> 00:47:49,100 conditions as they were to locate the trouble. 682 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:53,400 To diagnose the AOL that prevailed among the followers of 683 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:55,500 Christ. And since the days of 684 00:47:55,500 --> 00:47:59,700 inspiration I don't believe a greater than Alexander Campbell 685 00:47:59,700 --> 00:48:02,500 has live. He was great in almost every 686 00:48:02,500 --> 00:48:06,200 sense of the word and I appreciate him but I don't wear 687 00:48:06,200 --> 00:48:09,500 his name tonight. I don't claim him as the head of 688 00:48:09,500 --> 00:48:13,800 the Search because he is not, that's not because I want to 689 00:48:13,808 --> 00:48:17,900 reflect upon him, but there's a name that's far. 690 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:21,100 A thousand times greater than his name. 691 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:25,200 And hence, I preferred a way where the name of Christ Our 692 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:29,700 Lord rather than that, of Martin Luther or Calvin or John Wesley, 693 00:48:29,700 --> 00:48:34,000 or Alexander Campbell or any other human who ever lived, you 694 00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:37,700 may ask me tonight. Did Alexander Campbell found a 695 00:48:37,700 --> 00:48:44,000 church and I answer Absolutely, not Campbell denied such a 696 00:48:44,008 --> 00:48:49,500 thing. Let me review by saying It was 697 00:48:49,500 --> 00:48:54,100 the purpose of Martin Luther to reform Catholicism but by 698 00:48:54,100 --> 00:48:56,900 experience, he found this impossible. 699 00:48:57,300 --> 00:49:02,200 It was the object of John Wesley to reform Episcopalian ISM and 700 00:49:02,200 --> 00:49:04,000 likewise. That was a failure. 701 00:49:04,500 --> 00:49:08,100 Alexander Campbell together with the host of his co-laborers. 702 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:11,900 Certainly not by himself. Never started out to reform 703 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:15,300 anything. Their purpose was to restore 704 00:49:15,500 --> 00:49:19,300 that which once existed upon the Earth Which had been buried 705 00:49:19,600 --> 00:49:22,800 beneath the rubbish of Ecclesiastes for hundreds of 706 00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:25,500 years. Now, what they endeavored to do. 707 00:49:26,500 --> 00:49:31,600 Was to dig down beneath denominationalism skepticism 708 00:49:31,900 --> 00:49:35,500 plant again, that which originated with the man of 709 00:49:35,500 --> 00:49:41,900 Galilee to principles. They acted upon first, they 710 00:49:41,900 --> 00:49:47,900 said, the crop of anything is produced proportionate to the 711 00:49:47,900 --> 00:49:53,800 seed that is planted. Second according to the soil, 712 00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:59,900 they said, if we we have the same seed that they had back in 713 00:49:59,900 --> 00:50:05,300 Bible days and if we have the same soil, but they had back in 714 00:50:05,300 --> 00:50:09,700 Bible times, we can produce a crop, just exactly like the one 715 00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:13,900 on the day of Pentecost. Now, is that good sense? 716 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:17,800 Is that possible? I believe it is because listen, 717 00:50:18,700 --> 00:50:20,300 over in Luke, the eighth chapter. 718 00:50:20,300 --> 00:50:25,800 I believe it's verse 12. It says that the word of God is 719 00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:31,700 the seed of the Kingdom. Now, what's the soil while the 720 00:50:31,700 --> 00:50:35,400 soil is good and honest hearts? Now, you take the seed of the 721 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:38,200 Kingdom, you produce, you plant that, and good and honest 722 00:50:38,200 --> 00:50:39,800 hearts. And what can it produce? 723 00:50:40,400 --> 00:50:43,700 Just one thing. And that's Christians, just like 724 00:50:43,700 --> 00:50:46,100 those back Yonder in the first century. 725 00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:52,600 They said, if we cut loose from humanism from things of a world 726 00:50:52,600 --> 00:50:56,900 in nature and will put into the hearts of men and women, the 727 00:50:56,900 --> 00:51:01,800 pure and unadulterated word of God, it will spring up and make 728 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:05,100 nothing on Earth, but Christians and if those Christians thus 729 00:51:05,100 --> 00:51:09,600 formed and US develop blend together, they will constitute a 730 00:51:09,600 --> 00:51:13,700 church like the one we read about in the Bible. 731 00:51:14,300 --> 00:51:16,900 That was the restoration of that thing that was started. 732 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:20,700 Three centuries ago, from which the early disciples departed 733 00:51:20,700 --> 00:51:22,800 went out after the fancies of men. 734 00:51:23,300 --> 00:51:26,300 And if you believe these principles tonight and you will 735 00:51:26,300 --> 00:51:30,000 accept, the terms of Salvation is outlined by the apostles. 736 00:51:30,100 --> 00:51:33,600 Listen, you can be a member of the church that you read about 737 00:51:33,600 --> 00:51:36,700 in the Bible. Never joined a denomination. 738 00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:40,100 Let Christ Be Your Leader. Let his word. 739 00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:43,200 Be your God and the church he bought. 740 00:51:43,300 --> 00:51:47,100 Be your Abiding Place and the religion that he inaugurated. 741 00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:50,900 Rated your life's work faithfulness to those commands 742 00:51:50,900 --> 00:51:55,900 will guarantee you a home in that paradise Beyond this Vale 743 00:51:55,900 --> 00:51:57,800 of Tears. I'm through tonight. 744 00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:03,100 I wish I had two hours to speak on the restoration movement and 745 00:52:03,100 --> 00:52:08,800 the Reformation, but we realize that we are limited because of 746 00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:14,200 many other factors here tonight. But I want to tell you this sort 747 00:52:14,200 --> 00:52:18,700 of like a black preacher said down in Mississippi one time now 748 00:52:18,700 --> 00:52:20,400 I thought it was so apropos Islands. 749 00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:27,000 So fitting he said listen he says the church is Rock Bottom 750 00:52:27,500 --> 00:52:29,300 that's right, it's me. Built on a rock. 751 00:52:29,500 --> 00:52:33,000 He said, it's blood-bought. And that's right because the 752 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:36,200 Bible says in Acts 20 and verse 28 that he purchased it, with 753 00:52:36,200 --> 00:52:39,200 his blood and he said it's fireproof. 754 00:52:39,500 --> 00:52:43,300 You think about that? It's Rock Bottom, it's Blood 755 00:52:43,300 --> 00:52:46,900 Bought and it's fireproof. You ought to be a member of it 756 00:52:46,900 --> 00:52:48,800 tonight. And if you've never obeyed the 757 00:52:48,800 --> 00:52:52,400 gospel and you've never taken the steps that Jesus commanded, 758 00:52:52,500 --> 00:52:56,100 why don't you do that tonight? If you believe that Jesus is 759 00:52:56,100 --> 00:52:59,800 indeed the Christ of God. You're willing to turn away from 760 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:02,600 known sins. And if you're willing to confess 761 00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:05,200 with your mouth, that Jesus is the Christ. 762 00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:08,700 The son of God, it walked right down this aisle and demand 763 00:53:08,700 --> 00:53:12,800 baptism for the remission of sins that caused you to be 764 00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,300 saved. Because Jesus said he that 765 00:53:15,300 --> 00:53:17,800 believeth and is baptized shall be saved. 766 00:53:17,900 --> 00:53:20,900 What happens to save people acts 2:47? 767 00:53:20,900 --> 00:53:24,200 Saith the Lord adds them to the church. 768 00:53:24,600 --> 00:53:27,500 Now, if he did that for people in the first century, wouldn't 769 00:53:27,500 --> 00:53:29,300 he do that for? Are you tonight? 770 00:53:29,300 --> 00:53:33,500 Surely he will because the Bible says God is no respecter of 771 00:53:33,500 --> 00:53:36,000 persons. If you're subject to the call of 772 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:39,800 the Gospel or if you have heard in some respect and need to be 773 00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:45,000 restored to duty, do it tonight We thank you for listening to 774 00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:49,800 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 775 00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:53,300 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 776 00:53:53,300 --> 00:53:56,600 information or you would like to receive a free Bible 777 00:53:56,600 --> 00:54:01,600 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at 778 00:54:01,900 --> 00:54:05,700 search of Christ. Bakersfield.com, our service 779 00:54:05,700 --> 00:54:11,000 times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays 780 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:14,800 at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 781 00:54:15,300 --> 00:54:17,500 We would love for you to be our honored guest.