IN THE BEGINNING

God created the heavens and the earth.

IN THE BEGINNING

was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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Doctrine for lost sheep of Christ’s Church

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

Proverbs 4:1-2 King James Version

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From a chief of sinners zealous for the Word of Scripture:

To my beloved fellow believers of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Why must a believer study doctrine?

In the scriptures of the New Testament the Apostle Paul encourages the Romans of the church, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Since I have shared several studies of Doctrine from the Bible I will not rehash these in today’s conclusion to this study of Church Doctrine; however if you would like to learn more click continue reading below.

https://talkofjesus.com/what-is-doctrine/

• My more recent concern for Church doctrine addressed deconstruction of Bible-based Doctrine presented as a new way to make the church relevant.

A 21st c. RECALL of the CHURCH

Why should the sheep become theologians?

• In this current series we have glanced at doctrine from several esteemed theologians, pastors of different churches.
  • Disclaimer: I am NOT a pastor but a church member zealous for the word of the Lord God and Jesus Christ.
  • To any extent you seek to study God from Scripture you become a theologian studying the will of the Lord.

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“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

Gospel of Luke 6:46 Legacy Standard Bible – Question of Jesus Christ to his followers

Can our Pastor Preach a self-defined Jesus?

Best NOT Preach This

And I might add from the Apostle’s letter to the church at Corinth quoted in this previous post:

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.

1 Corinthians 3:18

Why YOUR shepherd should preach Scripture

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness

[Therefore, I ask, what justification can any shepherd of the church offer for correcting God’s word while preaching ‘the bible says..?’]

Applying Scripture to the Church

• Scripture may apply only to the time in which it was written OR
• Old or New Testament Scripture may apply to these last days since the Apostles OR
• a Scripture may apply only until a day it is fulfilled.

But the BIBLE says what God says; nothing more, nothing less and certainly not anything other than the Scripture you may read for yourself.

Whenever the written word of God points to the church the godly must humbly obey. But of course you must know your Bible in order to apply God’s inspired word appropriately.

(Don't just take some preacher's word for it that 'the Bible says' what he says.)

In the Apostolic Age

Scripture of Christ by the hand of His Apostle John:

from The Apocalypse of John from Jesus Christ writing to seven churches:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come..

• God WAS and IS and WILL BE–the Father of all, the Son Christ Jesus the Ever-living Word of Salvation to redeemed sinners and the Holy Spirit of the Holy God who breaths life into the lifeless souls of sinful man.
• The Lord speaks to His Church through the Spirit and the Word of Scripture.

Scripture of Christ by the hand of His Apostle Paul:

Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things,

not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.

But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake.

Second letter from the Apostle Paul to the Church at Corinth 4:2-5 Christian Standard Bible

• How many Christians are there in your local VISIBLE CHURCH?
  • NOT as many as most claim.
    • For many are perishing, blinded by the god of this age.

In earlier centuries of these last days

.. the Bible possesses reproving power to correct all error unaligned with its teaching.

The Bible Convictions of John Wycliff

MORE about the Bible translator John Wycliff

A Doctrine to Die for (as Christ also died for His Church)

No human leader–not even the Pontiff of Rome–can claim to be head of the church on earth. Sovereign headship belongs to Christ alone. “The greater part of the clergy is heretical and the highest are the worst.”

John Wycliff , who hand-copied the first version of the Wycliff English Bible in the year of our Lord, 1382 – source

While it is yet today–until the day of reckoning

For Yahweh of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and high
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be made low.
- Isaiah 2:12 LSB

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Once more I will defer to the theological trumpet of John Stott from THE RADICAL DISCIPLE

But fundamental to Christian behavior is the lordship of Jesus Christ. “Jesus is Lord” remains the basis of our life.

.. Is the church the lord of Jesus Christ so that it has liberty to edit and manipulate, accepting what it likes and rejecting what it dislikes?

The Radical Disciple on the challenge of ethical relativism

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Gospel of John 14:21

And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. – Acts of the Apostles 11:26

Search the Scriptures and you will find this the only place followers of the way of Jesus Christ, disciples of His teaching and doctrine are called ‘Christians.’

ἐκκλησία – ekklēsia or church is used 114 times in the New Testament.

• If you are a disciple of the teachings (doctrines) of the Lord Jesus Christ do you suppose God’s inspired word chooses to call us out as a church rather than referring to a building for Christians?

What must we do?

Conclusion: Christ’s Doctrine for His Church

The Gospel of Matthew 22:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And He said to him,

“‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

• Do you do that, my fellow disciple of the doctrines of Christ Jesus?

And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, 

“Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

Gospel of Matthew 12:49-50 LSB

Matthew 18:

“Now if your brother sins against you,

go and show him his fault, between you and him alone; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

• My beloved brother or sister of the Church, do you do that?

“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

• Do you, my fellow disciple of Jesus, call upon one or two other followers of Jesus from your church to witness such a word against a member of the Lord’s body broken for you?

“And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church;

• Can you, my fellow brother in Christ, actually take such a serious division of doctrine or belief to your church?

and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector.

Of course this analogy of Jesus spoke to times before the risen Christ baptized gentiles into the Church. 
The charge of Jesus is to throw him out and have nothing to do with this unrepentant sinner who would lightly claim to be a christian.

“Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

Gospel of Matthew 19:16

• Do you, my fellow disciple of Jesus, know what happened to the man who asked our Lord this question?

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” .. he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

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And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Colossians 1:18-20

The Doctrine of the Church is a LIFE and DEATH issue. And also at issue is not only death, but JUDGMENT.

We are NOT SAVED simply by calling ourselves ‘christian,’ clinging to grace yet hiding from God.

“You are My friends if you do what I command you.

“This I command you, that you love one another.

Gospel of John 15:14,17

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

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