Will Only Members Of The Church Of Christ Be Saved?

Truth Is Absolute – Used 65 Times John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.

Truth Is A Body Of Teaching John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.

Truth Is What We Must Walk In 3 John 3-4 For I rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bare witness unto thy truth, even as thou walkest in truth. 4Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.

Will Only Members Of The Church Of Christ Be Saved? Question is a great opportunity for study Teach what the church is

What Is The Church? It is not the savior – Eph 5:23 The collectivity of the saved – Heb. 12:23 It belongs to Christ – He purchased it – Acts 20:28 Only those who are in Christ are the saved Therefore only those in His church are saved

1. Does The Church Save People? No – The Savior is not the body Jesus is the Savior of the body The body is the church – the saved

Christ Is The Savior Of The Body Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.

The Church Is The Saved Of All Time Heb. 12:22-23 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, 23to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect

Who Are The Lost? Matt. 25:1-5 – Kingdom of Heaven Church Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

Who Are The Lost Matt 25:6-9 – 5 Wise and 5 Foolish But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

Who Are The Lost? Matt 25:10-13 – The Foolish were shut out And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. 11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Who Are The Lost? Those shut out of the Kingdom Those unprepared when the Lord comes Those that are shut out of the church The lost are those outside the church They are excluded from heaven

Who Are The Lost? Matt. 25:14-15 – Parable of the talents For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey.

Who Are The Lost? Matt 25:29-30 – Those that do not work For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away. 30And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Who Are The Lost? It is as – It is the kingdom same as in vs.1 Those in the kingdom that do not work Those in the church that do not work They are cast outside the kingdom They are cast outside the church They are excluded from heaven

Who Are The Lost? Matt. 22:2-4 – Jesus calls men to wedding The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, 3and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. 4Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast.

Who Are The Lost Matt. 22:5-8 – The Jews rejected Jesus 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; 6and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.

Who Are The Lost? Matt. 22:9-10 – Those Gentiles both good and bad 9Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. 10And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests.

Who Are The Lost? Matt. 22:11-13 – The unprepared cast out 11But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment: 12and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

Who Are The Lost? Those Jews that mistreated God’s servants Those who rejected God’s invitation Those unwilling to be married to Christ Those married to Christ are the church They will be cast into outer darkness They are denied access to the church They are denied access to heaven

Who Determines Saved From Lost? Matt. 7:13-14 Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. 14For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.

Not Everyone Will Be Saved Saved must enter by narrow gate It is hard, compacted It is narrow and easy to miss Few find it Lost enter the broad gate It is easy to find Parameters difficult to define Many find it

Who Determines The Saved From Lost? Matt. 13:21-23 – Religious people Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Who Are The Lost? God admits people into the kingdom Religious people will be excluded from kingdom Religious people who follow the crowd excluded Religious people not doing God’s will

What Is God’s Will? He wants you to be in His church 2 Pet. 3:8-9 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

What Is God’s Will? God wants you to be holy in conduct Vs. 11-12 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

What Is God’s Will? God designed the church for you Eph 3:8-12 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9and to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; 10to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

2. Are All Churches Built By Christ? Christ built His church Matt. 16:18 And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

There Is Only One Church Rom. 12:4-5 – Only one body For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office: 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another. 1 Cor. 12:27 – We are Christ’s body Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.

There Is Only One Church Jesus is the head of the body Col. 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

There Are As Many Bodies As Heads Eph 4:5-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

That Body Is The Church Eph 1:22-23 and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Jesus built only one church

3. Multiple Churches Divides God’s People God is the author of peace not division 1 Cor. 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

Multiple Churches Divides God’s People The Lord prayed for unity of believers John 17:20-21 Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; 21that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.

Multiple Churches Divides God’s People Christians were reproved for division 1 Cor. 1:10-13 Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos: and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?

Men Must Be Added Only To His Church The Lord adds people to His church Acts 2:47 And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.

Denominational Division It Destroys the unity for which Jesus prayed It divides people contrary to God’s will It puts people in a church Jesus did not build It establishes churches Jesus does not head Multiple bodies and one head is freak