“WE DON’t HEAR MUCH ABOUT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ANYMORE. RATHER WE HEAR ABOUT CHRISTENDOM. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? IF SO, WHAT CHARACTERIZES IT? THE ANSWER IS HOW THEY END!”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about the Church of Jesus Christ, its wonderful beginning, its purpose in this age, and how it will all end…

…Today our world of humanity can be characterized by one common denominator, in spite of our rich diversity. What is it that defines our common humanity? The answer is religion! Yes, there is no one alive that is not religious, and does not follow some form of worship and faith. Oh, I know some of you listeners will cry foul by saying I’m not religious, I’m an atheist or an agnostic and follow no religion, but I beg to differ with you. You see even atheism and agnosticism are religions, for they have a set creed of beliefs, and those who follow them do so fanatically and faithfully. Their god is not the God of the Bible nor of any other source for they themselves become their own gods, and worship they do as do all of us.

Now keeping that in mind, I want to talk today about one facet of religion and faith called the “Church of Jesus Christ.” Notice I did not say “Christendom.” Both exist worldwide, but they are not the Church of Jesus Christ. Granted the “Church” does exist within the other, but only for a time, for the Bible promises God will removed the Church from the world of religion that is “Christendom,” in a day soon coming. So my friend, my topic today is to tell you about the Church of Jesus Christ , its uniqueness, its purpose and its ending. Don’t go away, I know you’ll be interested in what I have to say, but for the moment we’ll pause again to listen to another song of praise….

…The Bible we are told is full of mysteries. Now a biblical mystery is not something few can understand, but something that can and will be fully understood by all, but not until the right time of its revelatory maturation occurs. There are two great mysteries in the Bible. One is called the mystery of God’s kingdom, and the other is the mystery of the Church of Jesus Christ. In the Bible the doctrine of the Church is a mystery that was clearly revealed in prophecy by its founder, Jesus Christ. On the Day of Pentecost in the first century, this promise to His followers brought about the coming of God the Spirit to indwell and empower those who believed in Jesus Christ as their Messiah, God and Savior. Listen to the text of this promise and actual birth of the Church.

Mat 16:16-18 (NIV) “ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied… I tell you that you are Peter, and on this [confession] rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)  “When the day of Pentecost came, they [believers] were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues [languages] as the Spirit enabled them.”

Acts 2:15-21 (NIV)  [Peter declared] “These men are not drunk, as you suppose… 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ’In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people… 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

On the Day of Pentecost a brand new entity was born, a mystery was fulfilled, that God was now reaching out to all humanity, Jews and Gentiles alike calling them out of a world lost in sin, heading for judgment, and calling them into a new body of believers called the Church of Jesus Christ. That was 2000 years ago, and through these many centuries God the Son, the glorified and resurrected Jesus Christ, has been building His Church through people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds who have turned from their sins to acknowledge, love and serve their Creator God, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now if you recall, I said in the beginning there is a difference between Christendom and the Church of Jesus Christ. What is the difference? Well it is simple: The Church of Jesus Christ is headed from a rendezvous with its founder and God, and “Christendom” is headed for judgment and destruction with all the world that has not turned to Jesus Christ.   How’s that you ask? Let me explain by defining the difference. First,

1. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST – 

This is a body of people who have by personal faith and commitment, turned from sin and self that rejects the kingship and Lordship of Jesus Christ. By confession of faith, they have all together crowned Him the Lord God of their lives by trusting Him alone, to be saved from sin and judgment, and acknowledging His death on the cross as full payment for their sins. They do not trust in a religious system or an ecclesiastical body of rulers and their rules. They do not follow an organization or denomination or sect or cult. They follow one being, Jesus Christ, and obey all He teaches in the Word of God, the Christian Bible. These alone from every walk of life and every ethnic background compose the august Body of Jesus Christ. Now “Christendom” is different…

2.THE BODY CALLED “CHRISTENDOM” 

This is composed of all religious people and their denominations, sects, and cults that claim to worship Jesus Christ, but only give him a portion and place in their lives and worship. In place of Christ’s absolute sovereign Lordship, they substitute either their own beings, or an ecclesiastical human leadership and their rules for acceptance and righteousness. For them, the Bible is not the final and absolute rule for their lives; and they do not believe in the absolute depravity of their human nature, nor God’s promise of an eternal Hell for judgment. They reject Christ as the sovereign Creator God, and Lord of their lives. Religion is the basis of their faith and they follow zealously too, under the banner of calling themselves the Church.

Mat 7:21-23 (NIV)  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does [obeys] the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Imagine that! A vast majority of religious people in every age since Pentecost of the first century, who call Christ “Lord,” are not saved, and certainly are not a part of the Body called the Church of Jesus Christ, yet they comprise what is called “Christendom.” What’s worse, they will perish in Hell for all eternity because Jesus Christ will deny them at the Judgment. Why? Simply because they have not turned from their sin and self, and not humbly trusted alone in Christ and His death on the cross as the only means of reconciliation for them to a holy righteous God.

Now that we’ve established the fact of the Church’s birth and existence, and that it lives in the midst of a varying religious world, what is the purpose of it, besides saving everyone who enters from God’s wrath and judgments to come? Well quickly here are 14 aspects of the Church and its purpose and work in this age to consider, before its climatic end. Thus, we find in Scripture these many faceted purposes of the Church of Jesus Christ :

1. To ABSOLUTELY love God - Rev. 2:4

2. To WORK TO glorify God - Eph. 1:5–6, 11–12, 14; 3:21 ; 2 Thess. 1:12

3. To WORK TO display God’s grace - Eph. 2:7; 3:6, 10; 1 Pet. 2:9

4. To evangelize ALL the world - Matt. 28:19–20; Mark 16:15 ; Luke 24:47; John 20:21 ; Acts 1:8.

5. To baptize AND IDENTIFY believers - Matt. 28:19.

6. To FULLY instruct believers - Matt. 28:19; Phil. 4:8–9; 1 Tim. 4:6; 5:17; 2 Tim. 2:2, 24–25.

7. To BUILD UP AND edify believers - 1 Cor. 14:16 ; Eph. 4:11 –12, 16; 1 Thess. 5:11 ; 2 Pet. 3:18 ; Jude 20.

8. To LOVINGLY BUT FIRMLY discipline ERRING UNREPENTANT believers – 1 Cor 6:1-4.

9. To provide LOVING fellowship for believers - Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 8:4; 13:14; Gal. 2:9; Phil. 1:5; 2:12; 1 John 1:3, 6–7.

10. To care for its own in time of THEIR need - 2 Cor. 8–9; 1 Tim. 5:1–16; James 1:27.

11. To provoke Israel to jealousy THAT THEY MIGHT DESIRE THE MESSIAH - Rom. 11:11–14.

12. To prepare rulers for the COMING millennial kingdom - Rom. 8:17 ; 2 Tim. 2:12.

13. To act as a restraining and enlightening force in this present world - Matt. 5:13–16; 2 Thess. 2:6–7.

14. To promote all THINGS that ARE good AND PLEASING TO GOD - Gal. 6:10. [1]

Indeed, the work is cut out for every believer to be a part of this special work and to perform it for the glory of Jesus Christ. However, the great question is when and how will the Church and its work end? Will it really end or cease to exist? Well the answer to the latter question is “no,” it will never cease to exist! On the contrary it will have a place of special blessing in God’s eternal kingdom and forever be at the side of God the Son, Jesus Christ. However, in God’s eternal kingdom there will be many more groups of followers and believers who will love and serve God forever with us. Who are these “other” saved groups? Well time doesn’t permit me to expound on them except to name them. These other groups will be (1) Old Testament, Tribulation and Millennial believers, (2) The Nation of Israel , and of course (3) the Church of Jesus Christ. These groups of believers will exist with God and Christ, and live on in resurrected bodies forever and ever in eternity in a brand new world and heavens created by God for them. All who have not come to God in each age, through faith in the coming Messiah, revealed in time as Jesus Christ, will have been cast out of God’s kingdom and forever be exiled to the Lake of Fire that will hold them outside of God’s realm and kingdom for all eternity.

Now the great question is  – “How will the Church End?” Let’s answer that one. We find in Scripture, that the day and hour of its earthly ending is unknown to anyone except God.  But Jesus warned His followers to be ready at any moment for His return, when He would come and snatch away or “rapture” from the earth every single follower of Him at one instantaneous moment or a twinkling of an eye. We read of this in,

1 Cor 15:51-52 (NIV)  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Phil 3:20 (NIV)  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Titus 2:13 (NIV)  while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Oh, there is so much Scripture that calls New Testament believers who compose the Body called the Church of Jesus Christ, to prepare and be ready for the coming of the Lord to take them home to be with Him forever and ever. However the most graphic of all Scripture is,

1 Th 4:16-18 (NIV)  “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

How will the church end? Well, it will never end, but there is a day coming when its existence in this world will instantaneously cease! All believers alive at that moment, will be taken up to heaven and receive glorified bodies. Those who died previously will be reunited with the same.

Then God promises us He will “judge” the Church for its faithfulness and its deeds and works. This will occur in what is known as the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST.

2 Cor 5:10 (NIV)  For we [Church age believers] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Why will God do this? The answer is because God is just God and will by no means clear the guilty. All those believers who may have unresolved sins, conflicts, unconfessed disobedience and failures will answer to Jesus Christ, and according to their faithfulness and forgiveness of others, will be assigned a place of glory and service in God’s forever kingdom by it. Then the Church will forever be by the side of the Lord Jesus Christ, as He rules ands reigns forever.

So, the most important thing right now is for you to examine yourself. Are you religious? Of course you are, but the great question is what “god” are you serving? Are you serving the god of self, claiming not to be religious, or are you serving the god of religion regardless of what name you give it. Do you realize that within the realm of “Christendom,” that is religion that professes Jesus Christ, the vast majority are not serving and loving Christ? Rather they have devised their own religious persuasions and call their followers to serve them and their rules and teachings. Groups like Roman Catholicism, even many denominational Protestant groups who claim to be Christian do not teach salvation by grace alone, nor believe the Bible is fully inerrant and infallible, nor believe Christ rose from the dead victoriously in His physical body and now sits at the right hand of God the Father forever. They will have no place in God’s kingdom and will like the agnostics, atheists and other false religions including the Eastern religions and Islam – all together will perish in their sins. This is the teaching of God in true Christianity! Peter the apostle declared this when he said,

Acts 4:12 (NIV)  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Well there you have it, and of course the choice is yours. Today, while all and any of us have breath, we can either crown Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior from our sins, or manufacture our own religion or follow that which others have conjured up. Rather, follow Christ alone, and His Word in the Bible. Now, if you are not sure you are saved, right now offer up a prayer to God calling on Him to save you through Jesus Christ. Tell God you believe Christ died for you, and you want to be a part of His eternal kingdom, in the Church. God will hear from heaven and save you. The Scriptures are clear for Jesus Himself said to us all,

Mat 11:28 (NIV)  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Acts 16:31 (NIV)  “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

May God add His blessing to these words for Jesus sake, Amen. Now in closing, how will the Church end? It will end in glory, in the bliss of perfect fulfillment, and every member will be glorified and exist in the presence of God forever, and be like the Lord Jesus Himself -- Glory, Hallelujah! Right now, while we wait for this glorious moment of resurrection, its time to work and build the kingdom. May God find you a member of His universal Church and waiting to meet Christ our Lord!