What Part of One Don't We Understand?!

“I am a Member of the church of Christ because it was Founded by the Scriptural Builder – Jesus Christ”

“From Ulster Plantation to the Carolina’s with the Gospel!” *

Russell H. McCullough / Archdale church of Christ, 2525 Archdale Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210

www.archdale.org / gospelcall.blogspot.com - Date:  19 February 2017   

DISCLAIMER: The outline used here is from the book, WHY I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST by the late Leroy Brownlow 

Text: Matthew 16.13 - 20

Thesis:   The Founder founded but one church for that is the number He promised to found!

1           Introduction

A.   We are created in the Image of God

B.   God is a rational and reasonable Being

C.    Therefore, we are created as rational and reasonable beings in His image

D.   His appeals to us, therefore, by Reason!

1.      Isaiah 1.18 – “Therefore let us REASON together…”

2          Reason #1 – No church can be Scriptural unless it was founded by the Scriptural builder. 

A.   Every church has a founder.

B.   Every founder must be either human or Divine

C.    Christ promised to found but one church, therefore…

D.   Every other church is on HUMAN origin!

E.    Every founder of every church is either a Scriptural or un-Scriptural builder!

F.    Every founded church, therefore, is either Scriptural or un-Scriptural

G.   Every church is either doing the work of Christ or it is doing the work of man.

3          Reason #2 - Christ, as Founder, can give 3^rd party to proclaim His Terms of Entry into His one and only singular church

A.   Matthew 16.19

B.   Acts 1.6 – 8

C.    Acts 2.14

D.   The singular Founder gave Witness delegation to only His apostles. 

E.    One Founder, one set of witnesses, one set of terms of entry.

4         Reason #3 - The Founder, Jesus Christ, promised that other plants will all be rooted up!

A.   Matthew 15.10 – 14

B.   All false religion was rooted out before Moses

C.    All false religion was rooted out after Moses

D.   All false religion has continuously been rooted out since Christ!

5          The Meaning of the Text in It’s Theological, Historical & Cultural Context:

A.   What part of ONE don’t we understand?

B.   If we hear what the apostles heard, believe what the Apostles believed, observe what the Apostles observed, teach what the Apostles taught, preach what the Apostles preached…whose church will we be a part of?

6         The Challenge of the Text for Christians Today

A.   Our challenge today is the same challenge the Apostles faced…to proclaim the one gospel of the one savior who founded but one church!

7          “The Gospel Call”

·         My fifth great uncle was Hugh Gaston who was rector at the Ballywillan Presbyterian Church (pictured above left) in County Antrim, Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland) and wrote the most dangerous book of his time; Gaston’s Collections.  It allowed “the ploughman to know more Bible than his clergyman.”  Hugh fled to South Carolina where he died prematurely of the measles.  He is buried just one hour south of Charlotte in Chester County, S.C. in “Burnt Meeting House Cemetery.”   Uncle Hugh continues to inspire my ministry to this very day.  You can read more about Uncle Hugh here: http://www.ballywillanpci.org/rev-hugh-gaston

Ruins photo courtesy of: ballywillanpci.org.