Tell Me About This ONE Church

Humans are often drawn to ONE singular thing. Once we find that ONE thing we like, we often stay with that thing. For instance,
• There is usually that ONE special person.
• There is usually that ONE certain hobby.
• There is usually that ONE delicious food.
The power of ONE is very important. In fact, through Scripture note how God used ONE
• A man and a woman are to marry one spouse.
• God used ONE man to save a remnant (Noah).
• The Israelites were God’s ONE people.
• There was ONE Savior.
• THERE IS ONE church.

Among the religious world we often hear phrases like “attend the church of your choice” or “one church is good as another church,” or “all churches are established by Jesus.” When one says “I go to church,” automatically, people assume that person is a Christian. However, when it comes to religion and Christianity, we want to make sure we are doing things in Bible ways (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We want book chapter and verse for everything we say and practice.

The church of Christ is different, being unlike any body, kingdom, institution, and vine there ever was or will be. This causes confusion among those in and outside religion, for they automatically assume we are just like everyone else. Questions arise like
• “Aren’t you guys affiliated with the Mormons?”
• “I’ve heard of the church of Christ denomination.”
• “You guys think you are the only ones going to heaven, don’t you.”
Because of the confusion, we want to bring them to answers about God’s organization (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:33).

The church is the called out, special people (1 Peter 2:9). What are some things that makes the church of Christ stand out?

The ONE CHURCH IS UNIQUE IN WORSHIP (John 4:24).

While some churches may sing accepella, pray, or preach, the church of Christ is unique in that it observes all FIVE acts of worship in a Scriptural manner. Worship is an important part of service to God. The first worship service conducted in Scripture was by righteous Abel and wicked Cain (Genesis 4). From this and other accounts we learn that God demands His kind of worship. Nadab, Abihu, and apostate Israelite worship will not do. Worship in the church of Christ is unique because its’ worshippers are the only ones with clean hands (1 Timothy 2:8). The New Testament speaks of four-types of worship (Matthew 15:8-9; Acts 17:30-31; Colossians 2:23; John 4:24). Jesus’ five-point sermon to the woman briefly describes acceptable worship.
THE AIM. While some attempt to aim their worship at God, many times the aim seems to be pointed at the preacher, song leader, or even the assembly. Various bands, smoke machines, and distracting lights cause one’s worship focus to shift from the vertical to the horizontal; making the audience the mass rather than the Master. One preacher threw himself on the floor, while another preacher introduced his sermon while coming on a zipline. Spirit like worship does no such thing. Instead of asking “what can I get out of worship” we should ask, “what can I give to God in worship?” Spirit like worship remembers that
• The Father is the direction of prayer (Matthew 6:9).
• Jesus is the focus on the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:24).
• God’s word is inspired by the Holy Spirit and beneficial for the maturity of man (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:2).
The only one to be worshipped is God (Exodus 34:14). How dare we take something like worship and pollute it by making the focus another but God. There is only one member in the audience when we come to worship, and that is God. The Psalmist would look to the temple when worshipping his Creator (Psalm 5:7). Maybe a few looks up during worship will remind us who we are worshipping.
THE ACTION. The word worship is proskuneo. It is an active verb meaning to kiss. Worship is something we do. Many “go to church” but they do not worship. Some families punch in time clocks while others expect to be entertained. One family left the building after services one Sunday afternoon and as they were getting into the car, the dad said, “I didn’t get too much out of worship.” The mother replied, “me too, the songs were so slow and it sounded horrible.” The teenage daughter chimed in and said, “the snacks were awful, they only offered bread and a sip of grape juice.” The little seven year old responded, “well, look on the bright side. It only cost a dollar.” Imagine going to the alter, yet offering nothing upon the alter. The act of worship demands
• A gift of sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24; Hebrews 13:15).
• The best (Genesis 4:4; Proverbs 3:9).
We are active participants in worship, not spectators.[1]
THE ABSOLUTE. One cannot become a neurosurgeon without first going to school and training for over 10 years. Did you know you cannot be president if you are under 35. Renting a car is only for those 25 and older. Worship demands specifics too. There is a right way to worship and a wrong way to worship. God does not accept all forms of worship, just ONE. It is impossible to worship Him in any other way than in the way He commands. Some do not give God any worship, while some attempt to partially worship Him. Allen Webster showed the four different possibilities of worship:
• No spirit and no truth. They show up, but do not participate and are not focused.
• Spirit and no truth. They are full of emotion, but do not implement the specific actions specified in the New Testament.
• Truth and no spirit. They do things exactly how the Bible says it; however, there is no emotion. They are like stoics who go through the motions yet are not encouraged.
• Truth and Spirit. These are the true worshippers (John 4:23).
God demands HIS kind of worship (Genesis 8:22), else one cannot truly worship Him.
THE ATTITUDE. The word “spirit” denotes one’s disposition. If one’s heart is not right, then he has no business going to worship. When singing do we mouth the words or sing with our whole heart? When praying do we focus on the words said? When taking of the Lord’s supper are we focusing on Jesus’ death? When hearing the lesson are we reading and applying the Word to our lives? When giving do we do it cheerfully or out of necessity? Good indicators that one’s spirit is involved in worship are
• He looks forward to being there (Psalm 122:1).
• He is not easily distracted.
• He has fixed any problems with any brother (Matthew 5:21-26).
We must worship God with our hearts (Psalm 86:2; Ephesians 5:19; Acts 17:11), leaving nothing inside. A.W. Tozer said: "We must never rest until everything inside us worships God.” A sacrifice may be given, but without a right mind, it is an abomination (Proverbs 21:27).
THE ACTION. One can feel good yet have cancer. A family can live LIKE they have a million dollars, but the account may show otherwise. A student can feel ready for a test, but this doesn’t mean he actually will do well. Feelings in worship are good, but feelings with truth is better and Scriptural. Many churches excel in the emotional, but err on the conditional. With the lights, instruments, and dancing, “worship” can uplift the spirit and make one feel good, but truly it is no better than a rock concert. Since truth is the Word of God (John 17:17), one must look to read about the proper requirements for worship. Israel tried to give God worship through action, but He would not accept it (Amos 5:21-23; cf. Proverbs 15:8). Worship is an action, but God stipulates what kind of action.
• Accepella Singing (Ephesians 5:19). Mechanical instruments of music in worship would be likened to Israel’s bringing flesh on the alter (Hosea 8:13).
• Lord supper taking (Acts 20:7). Bi-monthly, quarterly, or yearly would be kin to breaking the command of Deuteronomy 4:2.
• Word of God preaching (2 Timothy 4:2). Preachers who preach false doctrines that tickle the ear are not giving God the worship He deserves (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
• God-directing praying (Acts 2:42). Praying to Mary or departed saints would be robbing God of worship.
• Possession type giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). What if one were not to give a portion of what God gave him back to Him (Malachi 3:8-10)?
One would not bring a baseball bat to a basketball game or a piano to a spelling bee. We do not want to bring anything to or keep anything from worship that would cause us to anger God.

The church of Christ is unique in that it worships correctly. Even if a church practiced all five acts of worship, they could still not be acceptable if they were not a part of Christ’s ONE body. Are you a part of the church of Christ that worships uniquely?

THE ONE CHURCH IS UNIQUE IN ITS FOUNDER (Matthew 16:18).

Some churches claim Jesus as their founder while others attribute such to someone else
• The Mormon Church (Joseph Smith).
• The Methodist Church (John Wesley).
• The Lutheran Church (Martin Luther).
Some churches also produced other churches. Lutheranism broke from Catholicism and the Community Church came from the Baptist Church. While some churches CLAIM to have Jesus as their founder, the church of Christ not only CLAIMS it, but we have evidence for it! A church founded by a MAN cannot be the ONE church of the Bible, for the church of the New Testament was created with divine hands (Daniel 2:34). Jesus says that He was going to build his “church…” singular. As Walt Disney did not establish the printing press nor did Napoleon Bonaparte begin the NFL, Jesus was not the founder of any man-made denomination. Four illustrations show this to be true.
ONE VINE (John 15:4-6). Denominational fruits are not parts of Jesus’ vine. If the church is a blueberry, then denominations are raspberries and strawberries. They may look similar, but they are different in origin. The branches here are not denominational sects, but individuals on Jesus’ eternal vine. The nouns that are used show this to be true (“ye” and “man”). The church is Jesus’ ONE fruited vine; denominations don’t belong in God’s pure garden (Matthew 15:13).
ONE BODY (Ephesians 1:22-23). No where in the New Testament is the church likened to bodies, plural, but body, singular. Denominational sects are not parts of the body of Christ, they are different bodies altogether. It is comical to imagine and truly unnatural for a head that controls two different bodies. The church is Jesus’ one body.
ONE KINGDOM (Colossians 1:13). Ancient writing says that Romulus and Remus found the Roman Empire. A group of colonists founded America. Since denominations have their own founders, then they must be their own kingdoms. The word “Kingdom” denotes specificity. History proves that the Roman, Babylonian, and Egyptian kingdoms were all different in size, culture, practices, and religion. The church is a different kingdom than that of the Catholic, Presbyterian, or Mormon kingdoms. Interestingly, entrance into certain kingdoms is specific too. Denominations cannot be a part of the same kingdom that Jesus reigns over because they disagree with what Jesus said. The Son of Man was given ONE kingdom (Daniel 7:13-14) and that kingdom was His ONE church (Matthew 16:19).
ONE BRIDE (Revelation 21:2, 9). On one occasion, a couple was about to get married and two days before the wedding the groom noticed his soon-to-be bride walking with another man. He approached her all angry, confused, and pointedly questioning her actions, reminding her of their marriage in a few days. She would respond with: “oh you don’t mind if he tags a long too, do you?” The church is the SINGLE bride of Jesus; He is no polygamist. In fact, if Jesus were to have another bride (church) than He would be an adulterer! Jesus is the husband of one bride (the church), not many.

Many churches claim to have Jesus’ as their founder, but they have no evidence, and they claim a beginning with another man. Are you a part of the church that is unique in origin?

The ONE CHURCH IS UNIQUE IN ORIGIN.

Walmart was founded on July 2, 1962 in Roger, Arkansas. The NFL began to play in 1920. The Declaration of Independence was passed by Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The Catholic Church began in 606 A.D. in Rome, the Latter-Day Saints began in 1830 in New York, and the Jehovah Witnesses began in 1870 in Pennsylvania. Jesus established His church in A.D. 29 on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Some churches claim originality with these specifics; however, only ONE church is unique in having the matching specifics.

The church of Christ is unique in that it was always a thought in the mind of God. Before prophecies about it were given, God’s mind was filled with its wonders. Denominational bodies all began with human minds. There were never prophecies about the Catholic Church, Mormonism, or Seventh Day Adventism. The church of Christ is unique in the process of origin. Note that
GOD PLANNED IT (Ephesians 3:9-11). God did not plan the Baptist Church down the road, nor the Chapel Hill in the country. He did plan His own church and drafted the blueprints for His house (1 Timothy 3:15). It was His “purpose through the ages” (YLT). The church was known in eternity, but it was fully manifested in A.D. 29. God’s planning of the church shows
• No council or man-made group established the church of Christ. The claim “it was founded during the years of the Restoration Movement” is false.
• His great love for the church. One’s love is expressed through planned, not spontaneous actions.
• It shows His great wisdom.
Denominations were not planned with a divine mind, but Jesus’ church was.
JESUS PURCHASED IT (Acts 20:28). The church of Christ has Jesus’ seal on it. As cows bear their owners branded symbol, employees wear their owner’s logo, and children are followed by their parent’s last name, the church of Christ has a receipt and Jesus paid the bill. No other church bears Christ’s name. Denominations are purchased with money and supported by Millionaires, but the church was bought with something else. Gold, silver, cash, or a check would not do; it needed to be purchased with something more valuable (1 Peter 1:18-19). Many are more than willing to take from another to purchase gifts (cf. 2 Samuel 12:4), but Jesus gave “his own blood.” Jesus died for HIS bride (Ephesians 5:25) not Joseph Smith’s, Baptists Pastors’, or John Wesly’s.
THE HOLY SPIRIT PROVIDED IT (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). The Father thought about the church, Jesus bought the church, but the Holy Spirit BROUGHT it to fruition. Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them. It did and in Acts 2, all of the prophecies (inspired by the Holy Spirit) (Isaiah 2:2-3; Joel 2:28-29; Daniel 2:44) were fulfilled. The Holy Spirit took the purchased item and made it accessible to all who would come freely (Revelation 22:17). He provided the words in Peters’ mouth to open up the doors to the kingdom (Matthew 16:19; Ephesians 3:5). By opening up the doors to the church, He closed the doors of denominationalism.
THE APOSTLES PREACHED IT (Ephesians 3:3-5). By words, the news of the church spread (Acts 8:4-5 Colossians 1:23). They were blessed for the good tidings they proclaimed (Romans 10:15). The apostles did not preach denominationalism saying
• “attend the church of your choice.”
• “one church is as good as another.”
• “all churches ultimately lead to heaven.”
Instead, denominationalism resulted in people apostatizing from the church of Christ by turning to certain practices (1 Timothy 4:1-3), following specific doctrines (2 Timothy 4:3-4), and assuming certain deified positions (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The apostles preached nothing but Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-2) and His Gospel (Romans 1:16), which would include the message of the ONE church.
SATAN ATTEMPTED TO PROHIBIT ITS ARRIVAL (cf. Matthew 16:18). Since the first prophecy of Jesus, Satan has worked hard to stop Him and His church was arriving. He attempted to ruin humanity’s existence, destroy the Jews (Esther), stop the seed line by Athaliah, kill innocents through Herod, which would have ultimately stopped the church from arising. Instead, he failed every single time. While denominationalism faced and faces opposition, Satan truly is its main advocator, since denominationalism is against Christ. Satan promotes any church, sect, or religious body that contradicts the church of Christ. He deceives (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9) those in denominations either affirming their suspicions about the church of Christ or by telling them they are saved in their specific sect. Despite Satan’s attempts, the church continues to be the light to the world and it will exist for ever and ever (Daniel 2:44).

The church of Christ is unique in origin because it is a spiritual kingdom (John 18:36).

THE ONE CHURCH IS UNIQUE IN ITS ENTRANCE.

Many churches teach some truth in regards to salvation. Many churches stress belief, repentance, and some even baptism for salvation. But what makes the church of Christ unique in regards to entrance?

FIRST, ONE MUST BE ADDED TO THE CHURCH. One can join the Catholic, Reformed, or Lutheran Church by following certain stipulations. In Christ’s ONE church, it is IMPOSSIBLE to join. Instead, one must be added (Acts 2:47). A person does not join a country, he is added to its roll after complying with its’ citizenship demands.
SECOND, ONE MUST SACRIFICE HIS MIND. Being saved requires a hearing of the message (Romans 10:17). The king demands that those who want to enter know about His death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 8:32-35); His ONE church (Acts 8:12); His sinful state (Acts 2:36); and the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:28). He demands full belief in the above things (cf. Mark 16:16; John 8:24). The belief in one’s sinful state will cause deep, godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10), leading to a change of mind about sin (Luke 13:3). Salvation demands a change of one’s current thought processes (cf. Romans 12:2).
THIRD, ONE MUST SACRIFICE HIS WORDS. Confession is a step to salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Kings demand confession of loyalty by their subjects and so does King Jesus. Confession is a verbal confirmation of one’s belief in Christ, but it does not mean one is saved yet. The Eunuch confessed Christ’s name (Acts 8:37), but there was still something else he needed to do.
LAST, ONE MUST SACRIFICE HIS ACTIONS. One’s love is expressed through decision (John 14:15), one’s change of heart is shown through direction (Matthew 21:29), and one’s commitment is birthed in dedication. The kingdom doors open wide for the sinner who is baptized (John 3:5). At baptism, one is
• Saved (1 Peter 3:21).
• In Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).
• Washed from all sin (Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5).
The church is unique in that it has ONE way of entrance. That entrance was paved by its owner (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and all those who “follow in His steps” are blessed.

The church of Christ is not a denomination or cult, like all other religious groups. Instead, it is the ONE body, bride, kingdom, and vine Jesus built. Why not think about becoming a member of Christ’s one, unique church today?

Endnotes
[1]https://www.granbychurchofchrist.org/ Studies/Worship.htm