I'm going to read two passages of scripture tonight for an
introduction to our lesson. The first one is from the 16th
chapter of Matthew and will notice beginning with verse 13,
where the Bible says, when Jesus came into the coasts of caesarea
Philippi, he asked his disciples saying whom do men say that?
I the son of man a.m. and they said some say that thou art John
the Baptist, so Some Elijah others, Jeremiah?
Or one of the prophets he says unto them but whom say ye that I
am and Simon Peter answered and said, Thou Art the Christ, the
son of the Living God and Jesus answered and said unto him.
Blessed art, thou Simon bar-jonah for Flesh and Blood
hath. Not revealed it unto thee but my
Father which is in heaven and I say also unto thee that thou art
Peter and Upon This Rock, I will build my church and the gates of
Hell shall not Prevail against it and I will give unto thee the
Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever.
Thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven and
whatsoever. Thou shalt loose on Earth shall
be loosed in heaven. Another passage that we want to
notice just briefly is found in the second chapter of Acts and
verse 47. The Bible says in this place
that having favor with all the praising God, and having favor
with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily.
Such as should be saved. Those are the two passages that
will introduce our thoughts tonight.
As we consider this question, what happened to the church that
began on the day of Pentecost? Before we speak, we certainly
feel disposed to pray. And so at this time, let us
humble ourselves while the one selected direct separated in our
Study last evening, we studied about the Old Testament prophets
and They predicted the establishment of a kingdom,
which we identified as the kingdom of heaven, or the Lord's
church and the church spoken of that we read about in Matthew,
16, and 18, and also in Acts 2:47 is the very same
institution. It had the promise of Jesus
presence for he said, and giving the Great Commission lo I Am
With You Always even to the end of the world and it was
conditioned upon On the fact that they would teach all he
said, teaching them to continue to observe all things
whatsoever. I have commanded, you know,
group falling short of, this can claim the presence of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, it was comprised.
First of the 12, the Bible says that there were added unto them
that day about three thousand Souls.
It was not to be in Jerusalem, only, however, for Matthew 16
and verse 15. Jesus said unto them, go preach
the gospel to Every Creature. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be
damned again. In Matthew, the twenty-eighth
chapter and verse 19, he said go ye therefore and teach All
Nations. Baptizing them in the name of
the father, and of the son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever.
I have commanded you in Luke 24, and Verse 46.
He said, thus it is written. It doesn't behoove Christ to
suffer from the day to suffer and to rise from the dead.
The third day that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name, among all nations.
Beginning at Jerusalem, what our question tonight is, what became
of this church. First of all, let's notice what
became of it under Apostolic leadership.
I like to point out that the church multiply Numerically, the
verse 47 said, having favor with all the people and the Lord
added to the church daily, such as should be saved again, in
Acts 4 and 4. It says howbeit.
Many of them, which heard the word believed, and the number of
the men was about 5,000. Again, an x 4 and verse 32.
The scripture says the multitude of them that believed were of
one heart and of one. A soul neither said any of them
that are out of the things, which he possessed was his own,
but they had all things common. Again, in Acts 6 and verse 7,
the scripture says the word of God increased and the number of
disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and listen to
this. A great company of the priests
were obedient to the faith. It was reaching, not only the
common people, but also the priests of the Jews.
People were affected by the gospel of Christ, but it didn't
continue. Simply in the city of Jerusalem
in Acts the 8th chapter and verse 5.
The Bible says, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and
preached Christ. Unto them in verse 12 of the
same chapter says, when they believed Philip preaching, the
things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ. They were baptized both men and
women. We also read and how that Peter
went to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10 and how that the
upshot of that was he commanded them to be baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus in. Also in Antioch, the Bible says
in Acts 11 and verse 21, the hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number believe and turned unto the Lord.
We see the church. Also as a result of the Gospel
being preached in Antioch in pisidia.
Iconium, Derby, lystra, pamphylia, purga Europe,
according to acts 16. And then in thessalonica, for
Nisha Syria, Athens, Greece, and Rome, the gospel increase
influential, e, rocking, entire communities and countries.
And so, we're not surprised to read that the Lord added to the
church daily. Such as should be saved.
Back there in the city of Jerusalem.
We read in Acts 5 and verse 28, that the authorities became
alarmed and they forbade the apostles to preach the gospel, I
saying, did not lie. Straightly command you that ye
should not teach in this name and behold.
You fail, Jerusalem with your Doctrine and intend to bring
this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other
Apostles answered and said we ought to obey God, rather than
men. When the gospel was preached.
In thessalonica, we read in Acts 17 and 6.
And when they found them, not they drew Jason and certain
Brethren unto the rulers of the city crying.
These that have turned the world upside down.
Are come hither. Also, someone has commented that
the world was already upside down and the apostles preaching.
The gospel were simply turn trying to turn it right side up
again. In Ephesus, the Bible says, in
Acts 17, 19 and 17 that there were Sons seven sons of Siva.
Now, these people were sort of had been magicians and so they
saw the success of the Apostles, they tried to emulate that and
we're going around trying to cast out demons in the name of
Jesus whom Paul preaches. Well, they came to a certain man
who was possessed of a demon, and when they tried this on him,
he said, well, Jesus I know and Paul's Well, I know, but who are
ye in the man fell on these sons of Siva and strip them of their
raiment and cause them to flee from the house naked.
And the Bible says in Acts 19 and 17, this was known to all
the Jews and Greeks, also dwelling at Ephesus and fear
fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
There was also a riot in the city of Ephesus by the
silversmiths because Paul preached that there was One God
and of course, that made all the idolaters angry and threatened
their business. And the Bible says in Acts 19,
and verse 23, the same time. There are rows.
No small stir about that way. That's the Bible way of saying
that there was a great, right? And confusion.
As a consequence of the Apostles, preaching verse 29
says, the whole city was filled with confusion.
Some He said that when the early church preached everywhere, they
went, there was either a right or Revival.
Today we have a meeting sometimes and we report to the
paper that no additions and we hope no harm was done.
But I want to tell you when the apostles preached there was an
explosion, there was a revolution, there was a Revival
of interest in the cause of Christ.
In fact, I want I point out that the most amazing spectacle of
history from the human standpoint, the most
inexplicable accomplishment of all time was the tribe and the
growth of this early church, think about it for ends.
It was a small group despised uneducated at least in the eyes
of the world. They were on endowed materially.
Most of them were something like fisherman.
Tax Collectors, people from the common walks of life and yet
they went out and in twenty eight short years, they could
say that the whole world had heard the gospel, what became of
that church historically, you know, we can read it being in
all of those places in God's holy book, but some of my
brethren have made trips to Rome.
To thessalonica to Jerusalem to those places and they tell me
that you don't find the Lord's Church there today.
But we know it was there. What happened to it?
Well after the death of the Apostles, so long as the church
was strictly adhering to their teaching, it remained.
Exactly the same. We read there in Acts 2:42, the
Bible says, they continued steadfastly in the fossils
Doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread.
And in prayers again in Acts, 20, and 7.
We read upon the first day of the week when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them.
And First Corinthians 11 verses 23 through 26.
We find the Apostle Paul setting forth, the exact demands for the
communion that Jesus left there. When he observed it in the last
night of his life here upon this Earth that Does it mean that man
didn't attempt to change and defile?
The Church of God? In fact, Peter warned and second
Peter 2 and 1. But there were false prophets
also among the people even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies.
Even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon
themselves, Swift destruction. Now listen to this and many
shall follow their pernicious Ways by None of whom the way of
truth shall be evil. Spoken of false teachers coming
in going away disciples again and second John, the seventh
verse. We hear John saying for many
deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that.
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, this is a deceiver and an
antichrist, look to yourselves that we lose not those things,
which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward who
Everett transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of
Christ hath. Not God.
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath, both the father,
and the son. And so serious, is this matter.
He said, if there come any unto you and bring, not this
Doctrine, receive him not into your house.
Neither bid him, God speed for, he that biddeth him.
God speed is partaker of his evil Deeds, Jude warns and Jude
the first chapter and verse 3, the Beloved.
When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you
that ye should earnestly contend for the faith, which was once
delivered to the Saints. However, those warnings it seems
fell on many deaf ears, and departures began to occur in the
body of Christ. You know, I'm told that at one,
at one point, there may have been two million disciples at
this point in time in the Roman Empire.
You think about that starting from that little nucleus of
twelve disciples, 2 million, who claimed Jesus Christ as their
savior. But soon departures began.
You see. It was the Lord's plan back
Yonder in Apostolic times. For congregations to be
established in every place and that's the reason the apostles
preached as they did. And in every congregation as we
pointed out the other evening, in our study, on the eldership,
there was to be elders. And deacons and Saints.
That's the organization of the church.
You don't read about any other government.
Except that somebody say, well, what about Bishop?
That's the same offices Elders. What about pastors?
Same offices Elders. What about presbyters?
That's the same office. This is the only office is that
you read of in the New Testament for the local congregation
Elders. Deacons Saints.
Philippians 1 and verse 1. But you see pretty soon.
Somebody got the idea. Well, let's start another church
over here and let's let these Elders 10 to that one, as well.
And pretty soon when another church was established maybe and
another one we had one over all of these as the bishop and of
course after a while it was divided into six different
groups and one man was put at the head of it all.
In fact, some tried to Fashion the church after the government
of the Roman Empire, You see with the emperor at the Apex of
that and that's the way some wanted the church to be
designed. And I'm going to tell you what,
there's the danger of tangents today.
Each congregation has the Lord conceived, it was independent
and autonomous self-governing if you will, and there was no
government organization beyond that local congregation.
Well, of course, that Developed as we pointed out into a
government unknown to the scriptures, the actual apostasy
began with the Nicene Creed in ad 323 with the uniting of
church and state in 325 ad. The pope was declared the head
in 533, and by 666. The first Universal bishop or
Pope was announced and that Completed the apostasy.
This was a going out from the church.
This was a deviation from God's original plan and so we read in
first John 2:19, John said they went out from us but they were
not of us for if they had been of us, they no doubt would have
continued with us, but they went out that they might be made
manifest. That what they were, not.
All of us. What?
What happened to cause this division, you know the Apostle
Paul before he died. He visited the church over a
Ephesus and worship there at troas you man you remember?
And he called the elders to him and this is what he said.
Verse 28 of Acts, 20, take heed, therefore unto yourselves, do
all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. You four are know this.
That after my departure, shall Grievous, wolves, enter in among
you not sparing. The flock, that's part of the
reason that you don't find those churches in Jerusalem in
Antioch, in thessalonica, in Rome, in Athens and other places
where our Brethren have been and found.
No churches. They're like, we know the Bible
teaches. He said, Grievous wolves, enter
in the not sparing the flock, but then there's another reason
he said, also of your own selves shall men.
Arise speaking perverse, things to draw away disciples after
them. That's another reason that
existed. Well, of course this continued
until that period known to history students as the Dark
Ages occurred that lasted from about, Years after the
establishment of the church to about 1400 ad and during that
period of time, let me tell you that the Bible was forbidden to
the people, many things that are unknown to the scriptures
occurred and through it all. I believe the remnant Church
existed In Revelation 12, we have the picture, I believe of
the church. In the first verse of
Revelation, I'll, I should say Revelation 12 and 13.
It says, and when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the Earth,
he persecuted the woman which brought forth The Man Child and
to, the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle, that she
might fly into the Wilderness into her place where she is
nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of
the a serpent. I believe the the passage and
consideration here refers to Jesus as the man child because
it said that he rules with a rod of iron and Psalm 2 predicted
that God son would rule with a rod of Iron by that.
He means the inflexible Commandments that were given in
the word of God. Again, the woman described their
I believe refers to the church but not just the church.
The community from which Jesus Christ came that sacred
community of both the Old Testament and the new.
And then I believe the dragon is very clear because the Bible
describes him as Satan or the devil.
So, notice now, the dragon was cast unto the Earth and he
persecuted the woman which brought forth The Man Child.
I like to point out that during the history of the church.
Church terrific persecution occurred against God's people.
In the early church. It was the Roman government that
caused that persecution. They were put to death for their
faith. Many were forced to recant and
to deny the Lord Jesus Christ if it were possible to make them do
so many many gave their lives rather than recant upon their
confession of Jesus Christ, as the son of God.
On someone has said that the blood of the martyrs was the
seed of the kingdom and the kingdom grew by Leaps and Bounds
but now it goes into the Wilderness and next was the
period of reformation, you know, I think that it must have been a
happy day for the people of God when the church was able to
worship without fear early in the 4th Century, something
happened that changed. Change the balance of power.
In the Roman government tradition claims that
Constantine who succeeded his father, as the Roman Emperor and
306 ad saw the sign of the cross in the heavens whether that's
true or not. We do know that he defeated,
Augustus maxentius in battle in 312 ad and gave that as as his
reason for his success and made Christianity, legal in 313 ad
and 10 years. Later he made Christianity the
state religion. Now, as we pointed out when that
happened it must have been a happy day.
But it was also a day of great danger to the people of God and
to the church because the union of church and state, ultimately
produced unhappy results, the Unholy marriage of church and
state brought forth Offspring and the forms of evil that
cursed the church for a thousand years.
Ears in the form of superstition.
The papacy Purgatory, the confessional moral Corruption of
the priesthood, ignorance of the masses because of an absence of
any form of the Bible which were forbidden for them to read the
selling of indulgences and a thousand, other errors that we
could mention tonight. And without going into detail
about the development of the apostasy, let us say that when
Rome became enthroned and Power. She began a period of
persecution under the guise of Christianity, more terrible than
ever, disgrace, the annals of paganism.
I know that many people do not know the history of the apostate
church but those who wish to see it in its true light have only
to read the history of the Inquisition, that was a terrible
ecclesiastical Court, officially style, the holy office for the
detection and destruction of Heretics.
Has this terrible tribunal defied every principle of Truth
and Justice. Its victim was arrested kept in
secret never permitted, see the face of friend or fold quarter.
Counseling was kept in innocence of the charge, even that was
against him. If he refused to incriminate
himself, he was tortured unmercifully.
And from the hour of his arrest, until the hour of his execution,
he never saw the light of day. A well-known example of that, in
And history is the massacre of st.
Bartholomew, when 30,000 French huguenots were slain because
they did not share the faith of the apostate, Church in the 13th
century. The pope was at the summit of
his power. He was independent of all
kingdoms ruled, over body and soul with a force that was
unknown before that time, hundreds of thousands were
victims of his merciless rain. Not Not including those who
perished and dungeons or died of a broken heart but did God.
Preserve a Remnant. I certainly believe that he did,
I don't have time to go into all of that tonight.
My problem is to try to describe to you in the short time, I have
how the rest formation and the restoration came about.
Let me point out that, from the time of 1400 own, it was made
famous by reformers If men stood up against the errors of the
apostate Church, These in the person of John Wickliffe, who
let in the light on many heinous, vices, and abuses, and
he attacked the pope and was put into prison, he was the one who
made the first translation of the Bible into English and 44
years after his death. They exhumed and burned his
bones, and through the ashes into the rivers, Swift.
I have time would fail me tonight to speak of John hus,
cyber Nola and many other brave men, but one of the greatest was
Martin Luther when Martin Luther came on the scene in 1483.
The Bible was a sealed book to most people.
It was not permitted to be read by the masses and Luther to his
great Delight. Found a copy in Latin.
In the library of the University of erfurt where he was studying
to be a priest and he determined to become a monk, and was
consecrated a priest and 15 and seven?
Well, he saw a lot of things, but it didn't deter him at
first, and yet, he saw one thing that caused him to become
outraged. He had visited Rome and saw some
of the accessories there. But in 19, Leo.
The tenth was in need of money to build st.
Peter's in Rome and his agents were roaming far and wide
selling indulgences to raise money for eggs butter corn or
cash. He declared that the people
could buy forgiveness not only for sins committed but for those
they desired to commit and when old John tetzel approached for
that purpose, Martin Luther Drew up his 25 Theses and nail them
on the church door, denouncing, the doctrine that the pope had
power to forgive Sins. Tetzel, Of course, had to flee,
and a wave of indignation. Swept overall, Germany.
Martin Luther stood before the diet of worms and he made the
most famous of his speeches closing, with these words.
He said there, I take my stand, I can do not else.
So help me God, he performed a great service by translating the
Bible out of Latin the vernacular of the priests and
into German well he said call not yourselves Lutheran's but
call yourselves Christians. Again, time would fail us to
tell of John Knox, John Calvin, John Wesley, all of these men
made efforts to reform. The apostate Church, And they
failed in that effort. You know what they did do?
They started denominations and pretty soon denominations began
to spring up all over the world. There were others who began to
Advocate the principles upon which the restoration movement
was enunciated. You see, there were some men who
saw the Folly of trying to reform something that had that
was so corrupt. Their idea was, let's go back to
the Bible. Let's build on the foundation of
the word of God. And let's speak where the Bible
speaks. And let's be silent where the
Bible is silent. Let's call Bible thing.
Bible names and above all. Let's be Christians.
Only this was appealing to many people.
These efforts were influenced by some leaders on the American
continent. It should be remembered.
Thomas, Campbell. One of the leaders.
In the restoration movement was a presbyterian preacher who
lived over in Northern Ireland. And He was a minister of the
added burger. Oh, light, Auntie Burger Cedar
Presbyterian Church, You think about this?
Let me say it again. Oh, light and a burger, Cedar
Presbyterian Church. When he left because of his
health and came to America, Alexander Campbell his son
stayed on in Ireland and he made plans to come to the United
States after he finished his education and on the last Sunday
that he was in Ireland. Maybe in Scotland at that time.
He was a member of that whole light and a burger.
Sisiter Presbyterian Church. They passed the communion around
and he was given a token. This was close communion, you
couldn't commune, unless you had that token, and he was so
disgusted by the denominationalism that he took
that token and laid it on the plate and got up and walked out.
He came to America and he found that his father had already run
into trouble. You see, Thomas Campbell went
out as a preacher of this group and one Sunday.
He let some people commune who were Out of the old life, Auntie
Burger Cedar Presbyterian church and for that he was defrocked.
He was he was dismissed from that church and so he started a
little group that was called. I think the Christian connection
about the same time. There were others who were
advocating the same things that he did a man by the name of rice
Haggard in Virginia. Held up a Bible and said they
were Republican Methodist and he said Brethren this is the
sufficient. Rule of faith and practice
whereby, it were told the disciples were called Christians
and I moved that henceforth and forever.
The followers of Christ be known as Christians, simply in
eighteen and one this group changed their name, to the
Christian Church allies Smith up in Portsmouth New Hampshire.
Also began to State, some of the same principles, Hafner, Jones
joined this effort, 18 and one organized a church and Linden
Vermont that All human names, its members insisting solely on
the name. Christian, Barton Stone and 1796
was that Cane Ridge ordained to preach by this by denomination.
And he later said that in reading the New Testament, he
found that their principles did not agree with the teaching of
the New Testament and they wrote out the last will and testament
of the Springfield test Presbytery.
And determined that from henceforth, they would simply be
Christians, only now want to say something about.
Alexander Campbell, Alexander Campbell was noted for his
abilities and he became, he became associated with the
Baptist's at one point, and finally began to see errors.
Also, in their teaching, his idea was that Old Testament
belong to the Jewish age and that we are under the New
Testament of Christ, and he enunciated that principle and it
was like a bombshell in the camp of the group that he was meeting
with and that caused a separation.
But many of his Brethren still preached among among these
people and Alexander Campbell was a debater, he debated first,
he had five great debates. It's in which he set forth the
truth, and one of those debates was with Walker, over the
subject of infant baptism. You see he and talking with his
father, they determined this, that they would be Christians,
only that they would speak where the Bible speaks and be silent
where the Bible is silent. And someone reminded Thomas
Campbell. They said, well, if we do this,
this will mean the And of infant baptism because the Bible says
nothing about infant, baptism. And Campbell said, well, of
course, if infant baptism is not mentioned in the scriptures,
then we will have to give it up. And one of the men said, oh, I
hope I never see the day that we will say that we will not quote,
the scripture suffer little children to come unto me, but of
course, that caused the them to give up infant baptism and many
other things that were Consistent with the practice of
that group. Now, this debate that he had
with Robert Owen was who was an Infidel attracted national
attention. I want to tell you just a little
bit about that. Robert Owen was a brilliant man
but he was among other things a socialist and he believed in
having a group after the Communist fashion where they
shared all things in a socialist movement and he was a knock down
an atheist and he came to New Orleans and challenged all of
the preachers to meet him and debating on wood and Alexander
Campbell agreed to meet him. And in this debate, Oh, and
expected Campbell to defend, traditional Christianity and was
greatly puzzled when he was forced to meet instead New
Testament, Simplicity and Purity, he had to use prepared
manuscripts and they became less and less relevant.
He finally conceded on Friday, April.
The 17th, the remainder of his time and Campbell spoke on the
evidences of Christianity, in a speech that lasted 12 hours the
debate attracted, national attention, Campbell acquitted
himself. So brilliantly that he was the
sensation of the moment. He also had debates with Bishop
Purcell, a bishop of the Catholic church and within L
Rice, who was a presbyterian. And in this last debate that he
had with within L Rice, the famous the famed Henry, Clay was
the moderator and it is said that Henry Clay, who was
supposed to be You know, not part Prejudice.
To either side when Campbell was talking, he began to nod his
head approvingly and wave his hand and then caught himself and
realize that he was supposed to be indifferent and looked around
to see whether anyone had caught him off guard.
Well, this movement that was begun by a host of these men
began to grow and swell and about this time a man appeared
on The scene by the name of Walter Scott, and I want to tell
you, this was a this was a great day.
Walter Scott was a scotch educator.
He had been baptized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the
remission of sins by some. And he would teach in school and
tell his school children come out tonight, and hear me preach
a sermon on my hand and then he would He would really students
on this course, he would be hanged I suppose today if he did
this, but he said now. Jesus teaches repentance.
Baptism of Faith. Repentance baptism remission of
sins. Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Now, you say it with me. Faith, repentance baptism.
Remission of sins. Gift of the Holy Ghost.
The children of go home. And say, there's a man going to
preach a sermon on his hand. This was called the five finger
exercise, and the children would bring their parents and it
resulted in hundreds of baptisms, by Walter Scott.
So many hundreds, were being added that Alexander Campbell
sent Thomas to examine, Scott's results and was pleasantly
surprised to find Scott using for reform, a new element that
had been lacking in his word. You are seems like that on one
occasion. There was a name, a man by the
name of William all men who came into one of the services and mr.
A man had never heard a gospel sermon and he had read in the
scriptures how that on the day of Pentecost, Peter preached,
the gospel, and how he, he was preaching and Men cried out and
said, what was we do to be saved and Peter told them, repent, and
be baptized every one of Of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission or the Forgiveness of sins.
Mr. Immense said, if I ever hear a man preaching that I'm going
to obey it and that night when Scott preached that mr.
A man came up interrupted the service and demanded baptism in
his hand and that was when they saw that, they could preach the
gospel set forth, The Plan of Salvation, make an appeal for
action and have great results that swept the United States and
this movement, which now included other leaders besides
the Campbells realized an incredible growth from 1849
should say 1832 18-49. Do you know their number has
been estimated 1839 to be anywhere from a hundred and
eighteen thousand to two hundred thousand and after becoming the
association's Evangelist Walter? Scott's first sermon was
delivered on that occasion when mr.
A man in obeyed the gospel. Now, he came up with this simple
little formula for preaching the gospel and it was argued by some
that the Campbells did not really take.
Hold until Walter Scott began, preaching on the Western Reserve
and Barton Stones Christian Movement, spread to Ohio.
Well, all of this was something that that the the cause of
Christ needed. Campbell proved himself as
powerful with the pain as in the pulpit and then in Kentucky,
they were men like PS fall raccoon, John Smith, John T
Johnson, the crease the vitamins.
We're told that Jeremiah vardaman baptized 550 people in
six months, Smith baptized 339 in six weeks, John sechrist,
baptized 222 and 100 days. Other, Made the similar records
as evangelists. I remember reading somewhere
that A well-dressed gentleman ascended, the steps of a county
building in Kentucky, downtown Paris, Kentucky and stood on the
steps and said gentlemen, dog fatal that's a weed.
And Campbell ISM are taking the country.
That was true. Also in Ohio as Scott became an
evangelist for of the church's, making up the Mahoning, Ation
tidal wave began to sweep through the churches.
And the first year there were 1,000 conversions.
And during the next two years, not only individuals by the
hundreds and thousands were saved from their sins.
But in Tire congregations lined up with the Ancient Order of
Things, some Churches voted out, the Philadelphia confession of
faith and place the New Testament in its place.
Not only of that denomination, but also So of many others, it
of course, was inevitable that there would be problems but they
were very few. I want to point out one other
man that is raccoon. John Smith.
John Smith was a poor individual who, who really was earnestly
seeking salvation and he would go to the churches.
And he would be so depressed because people would tell him
that he had to pray through that.
He had to have an experience. And then when he told that
experience that that meant that he had, he had received
salvation, he was just simply too honest to believe any such
thing as that. And so for many years, he was
just drifting. He went to Alabama and while an
Alabama He rented a place and went off somewhere to preach
left, his wife and his two babies at home.
His wife Bank, the fire that night, put her babies to bed,
went over to help a neighbor, who was sick.
And to our great sorrow, she looked out and saw that the
house was on fire and her babies burned to death in the house.
John Smith, killed a horse. Trying to get home that night.
And it caused depression for both of them, ultimately,
leading to Nancy's death. And the thing that bothered him
was to determine whether or not those children were elect or not
elect because you see, the teaching that he had subscribed
to Calvinism taught that God has determined before.
Eternity, who would be saved and who would be lost?
If you're one of the elect, of course you're saved and God will
make it known in due time they taught.
And if you're not elect nothing, you can do, could cause you to
become Allah. Eight.
And of course, it just about worried him to death.
And that's when he stumbled onto the restoration movement, he saw
the error of the thing that he had been taught.
Because Calvinism also rested on an assumption that the sinner is
dead. Dead in such a sense that it
cannot believe the gospel or repent of his sins until the
Holy Spirit comes to him and quickens him to life.
Consequently as all men are not brought to life.
The Holy Spirit has to pass by some and allow them to perish,
not on account of their greater unworthiness, but simply because
God and his own good pleasure did not elect them to Salvation.
For these Christ could not have died or else, he would have died
in vain, they talked. But John Smith saw the entire
superstructure of Calvinism was error and he preached against it
and was based on the notion that it destroys Man's Free moral
agency which it does Calvinism. He reasoned depends at last on
the definition of a single term. What is death?
Christians are said to be dead
to dead to sin. Does this death inquired?
Take them from the power of sin. Take from them, the power to sin
and may they as free agents Embrace error and do wrong.
If then the Christian who is dead to sin can nevertheless new
wrong. Surely the saying the center,
who is dead to righteousness? May nevertheless do, right?
That's when he came upon the teaching of Alexander, Campbell,
and saw clearly, the teaching of the, of the Gospel, they charged
him with three heresies in the group that he was associated
with reading from Living. Oracles instead of the King
James version, saying I'm Maurice you instead of I baptize
you and allowing communicants to break their own bread.
Instead of having the preacher to do it for them, he was
rejected from the group that he was preaching for and yet he
became a famous preacher in Ozone.
Right? Baptizing in excess of a
thousand people a year for many years.
Oh, I wish I had the time to tell you all of it tonight, but
I realize our time is growing short.
What I have recited to you. Tonight is a matter of history
and let me tell you this Somerset Alexander Campbell
started the Church of Christ, the Christian Church, some even
credited him with establishing the Disciples of Christ as a
denomination and I certainly deny that.
I deny that it was never his desire to found a denomination.
What he was trying to do is to go back beyond all of the
opinions and the Creeds and the doctrines of men and build upon
the Firm Foundation of God's. Holy word, I think Alexander
Campbell was a great man. But I want to tell you, he
didn't start the Church of Christ, and it is tell you this
little incident and I'm about to conclude here tonight. 1992.
We made a trip to the old Cane Ridge meeting house, where
Barton Stone raccoon, John Smith and Alexander Campbell, and many
other of the leading Lights of the restoration movement,
preached out in the cemetery, there is a gravestone that is
marked member of the Church of Christ. 18 and 6 that was three
years before Alexander came to Alexander, Campbell came to the
United States. Yes, I think Alexander Campbell
was a great man, but I don't think he was any more honest
more sincere or that he loved God, any better than the others
whose history I've recited here tonight.
But I'll tell you this, he had the advantage of many of them
because he was able to build upon their work.
He lived 300 years after Martin Luther 100 years.
This side of John Wesley he had all that they talk.
All he had their experience, he had observed, the fruits of
their labors. He was able to size up
conditions as they were to locate the trouble.
To diagnose the AOL that prevailed among the followers of
Christ. And since the days of
inspiration I don't believe a greater than Alexander Campbell
has live. He was great in almost every
sense of the word and I appreciate him but I don't wear
his name tonight. I don't claim him as the head of
the Search because he is not, that's not because I want to
reflect upon him, but there's a name that's far.
A thousand times greater than his name.
And hence, I preferred a way where the name of Christ Our
Lord rather than that, of Martin Luther or Calvin or John Wesley,
or Alexander Campbell or any other human who ever lived, you
may ask me tonight. Did Alexander Campbell found a
church and I answer Absolutely, not Campbell denied such a
thing. Let me review by saying It was
the purpose of Martin Luther to reform Catholicism but by
experience, he found this impossible.
It was the object of John Wesley to reform Episcopalian ISM and
likewise. That was a failure.
Alexander Campbell together with the host of his co-laborers.
Certainly not by himself. Never started out to reform
anything. Their purpose was to restore
that which once existed upon the Earth Which had been buried
beneath the rubbish of Ecclesiastes for hundreds of
years. Now, what they endeavored to do.
Was to dig down beneath denominationalism skepticism
plant again, that which originated with the man of
Galilee to principles. They acted upon first, they
said, the crop of anything is produced proportionate to the
seed that is planted. Second according to the soil,
they said, if we we have the same seed that they had back in
Bible days and if we have the same soil, but they had back in
Bible times, we can produce a crop, just exactly like the one
on the day of Pentecost. Now, is that good sense?
Is that possible? I believe it is because listen,
over in Luke, the eighth chapter.
I believe it's verse 12. It says that the word of God is
the seed of the Kingdom. Now, what's the soil while the
soil is good and honest hearts? Now, you take the seed of the
Kingdom, you produce, you plant that, and good and honest
hearts. And what can it produce?
Just one thing. And that's Christians, just like
those back Yonder in the first century.
They said, if we cut loose from humanism from things of a world
in nature and will put into the hearts of men and women, the
pure and unadulterated word of God, it will spring up and make
nothing on Earth, but Christians and if those Christians thus
formed and US develop blend together, they will constitute a
church like the one we read about in the Bible.
That was the restoration of that thing that was started.
Three centuries ago, from which the early disciples departed
went out after the fancies of men.
And if you believe these principles tonight and you will
accept, the terms of Salvation is outlined by the apostles.
Listen, you can be a member of the church that you read about
in the Bible. Never joined a denomination.
Let Christ Be Your Leader. Let his word.
Be your God and the church he bought.
Be your Abiding Place and the religion that he inaugurated.
Rated your life's work faithfulness to those commands
will guarantee you a home in that paradise Beyond this Vale
of Tears. I'm through tonight.
I wish I had two hours to speak on the restoration movement and
the Reformation, but we realize that we are limited because of
many other factors here tonight. But I want to tell you this sort
of like a black preacher said down in Mississippi one time now
I thought it was so apropos Islands.
So fitting he said listen he says the church is Rock Bottom
that's right, it's me. Built on a rock.
He said, it's blood-bought. And that's right because the
Bible says in Acts 20 and verse 28 that he purchased it, with
his blood and he said it's fireproof.
You think about that? It's Rock Bottom, it's Blood
Bought and it's fireproof. You ought to be a member of it
tonight. And if you've never obeyed the
gospel and you've never taken the steps that Jesus commanded,
why don't you do that tonight? If you believe that Jesus is
indeed the Christ of God. You're willing to turn away from
known sins. And if you're willing to confess
with your mouth, that Jesus is the Christ.
The son of God, it walked right down this aisle and demand
baptism for the remission of sins that caused you to be
saved. Because Jesus said he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
What happens to save people acts 2:47?
Saith the Lord adds them to the church.
Now, if he did that for people in the first century, wouldn't
he do that for? Are you tonight?
Surely he will because the Bible says God is no respecter of
persons. If you're subject to the call of
the Gospel or if you have heard in some respect and need to be
restored to duty, do it tonight We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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