The Lord

1
The Lords ChurchThrough the Ages

• Part 6
• The Lords Church Today

2
The Lords Church Through the AgesWhere Are We?
The New Testament Church Post-Apostolic Period Medieval Period Reformation Period Restoration Period The Lords Church Today
A.D. 33 - 100 100 - 600 600 - 1300 1300 - 1600 1600 - 1900 1900 - 2010
3
Why This Study?

• A study of history is profitable for learning
  valuable lessons (1 Corinthians 1011-12)
• We will see how Christians that came out of the
  Restoration Movement had to face many issues that
  came up within the Lords church.
• We will study how Christians must face various
  challenges without in our world today.

4
Why This Study?

• A major apostasy that faced the early church was
  inter-congregational organization leading to the
  formation of the Catholic Church.
• The same desire for inter-congregational
  organization led to Protestant denominations
  during the Reformation period.

5
Why This Study?

• The same desire for inter-congregational
  organization led to the formation of the
  Christian Church / Disciplies of Christ during
  the Restoration period.
• The same desire for inter-congregational
  organization led to the formation of
  institutional Churches of Christ in the 20th
  Century and today.

6
The Lords Church and Issues Within

• The Issues of the Early 1900s
• The no Bible class issue
• The no located preacher issue
• The one cup issue
• The no Bible class literature issue
• The no Bible college issue
• The pre-millennial issue
• The war issue

7
The Lords Church and Issues Within

• The Issues of the 1940s and 1950s
• The college issue
• The orphan home issue
• The sponsoring church issue

8
The Lords Church and Issues Within

• The Issues of the 1960s and 1970s
• The social-gospel issue
• The tongue-speaking issue
• The neo-Calvinism issue
• The discipline issue

9
The Lords Church and Issues Within

• The Issues of the 1980s and 1990s
• The individual / no local church / no elders
  issue
• The marriage issue
• The fellowship issue
• The deity of Jesus issue

10
The Lords Church and Issues Within

• The Issues of the 21st Century
• The days of creation issue
• The compromise issue (among institutional
  brethren)
• Instrumental music in worship
• Baptism not necessary
• Lords supper observed on a day other than
  Sunday
• Christians in all denominations

11
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Rapid Spread of Religions
• We live in a world where religions of the East
  and West come together easily. America is no
  longer a Christian nation.
• Consider Jn. 146 Acts 412

12
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Decline of Truth
• Modernism Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and
  Friedrick Hegel set forth the theory that God
  cannot communicate with man therefore, the Bible
  is a product of man.
• Consider 1 Cor. 213 2 Tim, 316-17
  2 Pet. 120-21

13
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Decline of Truth
• Situation of Ethics Joseph Fletcher set forth
  the theory that morality and ethics change
  depending upon the situation and that love is
  the only guiding principle for determining
  morality.
• Consider Jer. 1023 Jn. 1415 1 Cor. 135-6

14
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Decline of Truth
• Subjective Ecumenism Modern denominations, using
  a gospel doctrine distinction, attempt to unify
  under ecumenism.
• Consider Jn. 1720-21 1 Cor. 110-11 Eph. 44-6

15
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Decline of Truth
• Emotionalism Modern denominations have put a
  premium on emotions and have neglected the study
  and practice of Gods word.
• Consider Phil. 44-9

16
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Decline of Truth
• Post-Modernism We live in a post-modern world of
  relativity and ambiguity where it is claimed that
  truth cannot be known.
• Consider Jn. 832 146 1717

17
The Lords Church and Issues Without

• The Decline of Truth
• Indifference and Worldliness Many are leaving
  denominations, and the Lords church, for worldly
  living.
• Consider Rev. 316-17

18
Lessons Learned

• Apostasy is an Ever-Present Danger and Cyclical
• Apostasy May Not Be Present When Brethren Claim
  It Is
• The Lords Church Today is Threatened With
  Denominationalism and Worldliness

19
The Lords Church Through the Ages

• Let us continue to stand for truth (Eph. 619
  Jude 3)
• Let us be the faithful remnant of the Lords
  church today (1 K. 1918 Rev. 34)