Does It Make Any Difference?

Part 3

What of name and authority?

We have already noted…

• The danger in false teachers & doctrines• What God says about “good” people• Church founders• Church beginnings

Considering that there IS a difference between the New Testament churches and churches of men, let’s look a little farther.

What about the Name?

• Names are used to leave impressions

Sanitation Engineer

Executive Maintenance Supervisor

A story vs. a lie

Hooker

Gay

Affair

What about the Name?

• Often hear “there’s nothing in a name,” tell that to…

Marion Morrison

Thomas Mapother IV

Noah Kaminsky

Mark Vincent

John WayneTom Cruise

Neil Diamond

Vin Diesel

Ephesians 3:14-15

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom

every family in heaven and on earth is named…

God thinks names ARE important

Isaiah 62:2

The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings

your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the

mouth of the Lord will give.

God promised His people a new name

Acts 11:26

and when he (Barnabas) had found him(Paul), he brought him to

Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a

great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called

Christians.

God gave His people a new name

1 Peter 4:16

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be

ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

Encouraged not be to ashamed, but to glorify God as a “Christian”

1 Corinthians 1:2

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in

Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in

every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their

Lord and ours:

Romans 16:16

Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet

you

Ephesians 1:22-23

And he put all things under his

feet and gave him as head over

all things to the church,

23 which is his body, the fullness

of him who fills all in all.

With Possession Comes Authority

Authority defined… the right to commandthe right to command,

Who has it?

The Pope?

The Southern Baptist Convention?

The Watchtower Society?

Pentecostal prophets?

Mormon President & his 12 apostles?

Lutheran Synod?

Presbyterian General Assembly?

General Conference of United Methodists?

Matthew 28:18

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on

earth has been given to me.

Ephesians 1:22-23

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all

John 16:13-15When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will

not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is

mine and declare it to you.

Gave His truth to the apostles

2 Timothy 2:2

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be

able to teach others also.

Apostles gave truth to faithful people

Galatians 1:6-9I am astonished that you are so quickly

deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel

from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now

I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let

him be accursed.

That truth was NEVER to be changed

Matthew 15:8-9

This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Mixing God’s will with men’s commands makes worship vain

1 Corinthians 4:6

I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us

not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up

in favor of one against another.

Not exceeding, even in the presence of prophets

The church The church of the New of the New Testament Testament is different is different from men’s from men’s churches.churches.

2 Peter 1:3His divine power has granted to us allall

things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who

called us to his own glory and excellence, 

Jude 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to

write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to

you to contend for the faith that was once for all deliveredonce for all delivered to the saints.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for

training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be

competent, equipped for every good work

The word is all sufficient

Acts 20:32

And now I commend you to God

and to the word of his grace,

which is able to build you upbuild you up and

to give you the inheritancegive you the inheritance

among all those who are

sanctified.

The word is able to build up and save

The New Testament church, The New Testament church, the church of Christ the church of Christ

stands alone among the stands alone among the churches of men.churches of men.

Are you part of that body?

A citizen in that kingdom?