1. UNITING THE CHURCHES “One Standard”
David Ray Fanning I

2. Jesus Built His Church Matthew 16:18
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church…”
Acts 2:47
“…And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 20:28
“…shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

3. Man Departed from the Faith
1 Timothy 4:1
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”
2 Thessalonians 2:3
“…that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…”

4. Man Departed from the Faith
Jesus’ church began in the 30s
*************************
DEPARTURES
Catholics formally began in the 600s
Lutherans, Mennonites & Presbyterians in the 1500s
Baptists & Amish in the 1600s
Methodists & Episcopalians in the 1700s
Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 1800s
Pentecostals, Holiness, in the 1900s, etc.

5. DIVISION & CONFUSION: Not of GOD!
Jude 19
“These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 14:33
“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

6. THE IMPACT OF CONFUSION: 2.1 Billion claim Jesus
John 14:6
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Romans 1:18-20
“…His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”

7. Someone Seeking the Truth
Door 1
Door 2
Door 3

8. Someone Seeking the Truth
Door 1
Sprinkled (baptized) as an infant
Confirmed into our church
Door 2
Door 3

9. Someone Seeking the Truth
Door 1
Sprinkled (baptized) as an infant
Confirmed into our church
Door 2
Infants are sinless; baptism is burial & not essential
Accept Jesus in your heart; Say “Sinner’s Prayer”
Door 3

10. Division is Confusion Door 1 Sprinkled (baptized) as an infant
Confirmed into our church
Door 2
Infants are sinless; baptism is burial & not essential
Accept Jesus in your heart; Say “Sinner’s Prayer”
Door 3
Infants are sinless; baptism is burial & is essential
Hear the gospel;
Believe Jesus;
Repent of sins;
Confess Jesus;
Be Baptized

11. Jesus Prayed for (His) Unity
John 17:20-23 “I do not pray for these [apostles] alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me…that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

12. Challenge
1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

13. Challenge: Test/Prove it
1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
Romans 12:2
“…prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Ephesians 5:10
“Proving what is acceptable to the Lord.”

14. Challenge: Know it John 8:31-32
“…If you abide in My word …you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Ephesians 3:4
“by which [words], when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ”
1 John 5:13
“These things have I written…that you may know that you have eternal life.”

15. What is the Standard Thoughts and Feelings?
Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 28:26, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool…” Isaiah 55:8, “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD.” Acts 26:9, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”

16. What is the Standard Religious Experience?
Galatians 1:6-9 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed….”

17. What is the Standard Traditions of Men?
Galatians 1:13-14 “For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how…I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” Mark 7:6-8 “…Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…”

18. What is the Standard Added Revelations?
2 Timothy 2:16-18
“But shun profane and idle babblings, for…their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.”
2 John 9-11
“Whoever…does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”

19. What is the Standard Old Testament?
All Scriptures are inspired: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Old Testament was written for our learning: Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11 (Rightly dividing, 2 Timothy 2:15):
BUT…Christ is THE END of the law: Rom. 10:4
The Old Testament is now described as a letter that kills, the ministry of death or condemnation, a veil that occurs in the reading of it (the veil of the Old Testament was taken away in Christ): 2 Cor. 3:6-16
Jesus took away the first testament by means of His death that He may establish His second testament: Heb. 9:15-17; 10:9

20. The Standard: THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS
Matthew 28:18-20
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…
John 12:48
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day…”
Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

21. THE BIBLE
+ The Book of Mormon = Mormon + The Baptist Manual = Baptist + The Methodist Book of Discipline = Methodist + Sincere obedience (Rom. 6:17-18) = Christian Acts 19:19, “…many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all…”

22. HOW TO OBTAIN and MAINTAIN JESUS’ UNITY (Eph. 4:3)
Use the New Testament as your only standard/authority (Col. 3:17).
Note/avoid all divisions, including manmade names, ”churches”, creeds, etc.:
Rom. 16:17, “…note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”
Obey the only one true gospel, 2 Thess. 1:7-9

23. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
[Jesus is coming] “from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power…”

24. How Do I Obey the Gospel?
REALIZE YOU ARE
Lost
AND YOU NEED THE
savior

25. Romans 3:23
Isaiah 59:2
“For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.”
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

26. John 14:6 Revelation 1:5 Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through Me.”
Jesus…
“loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

27. How Do I Obey the Gospel?
REALIZE YOU MUST
Do what JESUS says

28. Acts 16:30 Hebrews 5:9 “…what must I do to be saved?” Jesus is…
“the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

29. How Do I Obey the Gospel? WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
YOU MUST HEAR THE ONE TRUE GOSPEL

30. Romans 10:17
Ephesians 1:13
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
“In [Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation…”

31. How Do I Obey the Gospel? WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
YOU MUST BELIEVE IN THE ONE TRUE GOSPEL

32. John 3:16
Acts 16:31
“...whoever believes in [Jesus] should not perish but have everlasting life.”
“…believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved…”

33. How Do I Obey the Gospel? WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
YOU MUST REPENT OF YOUR SINS

34. Acts 3:19
Acts 17:30
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...”
God…
“commands all men everywhere to repent.”

35. How Do I Obey the Gospel? WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
YOU MUST CONFESS JESUS

36. Acts 8:37 Romans 10:9-10 The eunuch confessed:
“…I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus…you will be saved…with the mouth confession is made to salvation.”

37. How Do I Obey the Gospel? WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
YOU MUST
BE BAPTIZED
Into JESUS
* So that your sins can be washed away by His blood *

38. Romans 6:3-4 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
“…as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism…”
“…all the members of that one body, being many, are one body...For by one Spirit we were are all baptized into one body…”

39. Acts 2:38, 41, 47 Colossians 1:13 I Cor. 15:24
“…Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...Then those who gladly received [Peter’s] word were baptized: and that day about 3000 souls were added to them…And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
God… “has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…”
“Then comes the end, when [Jesus] delivers the kingdom to God the Father…”

40. Help Unite the Churches by…
Shunning the traditions of men, their message and their churches - not partaking in their evil deeds
Obeying the gospel NOW, being added to the one true church and seeking it first (Matt. 6:33; 16:18-19)

41. Help Unite the Churches
Acts 22:16
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”