I. Jesus said he would build his church.
A. Not the Holy Spirit (as on the Day of Pentecost) or any man (as
churches that begin later than the ministry of Christ.
B. Jesus is the rock of Ages.
1. Acts 4:10-11 Jesus is the rock the builders disallowed.
2. Psalms 118:22 Prophecy of Christ, who was rejected.
a. Exodus 17:6 Moses was commanded to strike the rock and water
could come out.
b. Numbers 20:8 Moses was commanded to speak to the rock and
water would come out.
c. Deuteronomy 32:18 Israel became unmindful of their Rock (God
Almighty, or Jesus Christ).
d. Deuteronomy 32:30-31 - How should one chase a thousand, and two
put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the
LORD had shut them up? 31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our
enemies themselves being judges.
e. Deuteronomy 32:37 - And he shall say, Where are their gods,
their rock in whom they trusted,
3. John 1:42 Simon Peter is called Cephas, which means "A
stone".
C. Jesus called out his church, beginning from the shores of Galilee.
1. Matthew 4:18-22 Peter, Andrew, James and John were called.
2. Matthew 9:9 Jesus called Matthew.
D. I Corinthians 12:28 Jesus placed all these in his church, which
was already organized by Christ during his personal ministry.
E. All of the apostles were saved and scripturally baptized by John the
Baptist before Jesus called them to follow him, or made him a part of the
first church.
1. John 1:6 reveals that John was a man sent from God. John prepared
the material Jesus used in the construction of the first church.
2. John 1 reveals there was much confusion about who John was, but John
and Jesus both knew who he was and what he came to do.
3. John 3:22,23 for a while both Jesus (the disciples or church of
Christ) baptized.
4. John 4:1,2 Jesus did not baptize, but his disciples. This
passage explains John 3:22,23 and also shows the transfer of the authority
to baptize from John to the early church.
II. Proof of the church existence before the Day of Pentecost.
A. Mark 1:1 They had the gospel of Jesus Christ.
B. Matthew 16:16-17, Acts 1:22, John 4:1,2 They were baptized
believers before Pentecost.
C. John 13:29 They had organization a treasurer.
D. Ephesians 5:25 Christ was the head then, as well as now.
E. Matthew 18:15-18 They had instructions concerning disciple.
F. Matthew 26:26-29, I Corinthians 11:18-33 They had the Lords
Supper before Pentecost.
G. Matthew 28:18-20 Christ gave the Great Commission to his church
before Pentecost.
H. Acts 1:4 Christ assembled with his church before Pentecost.
(Actually, all the four gospels contain scripture of Christ assembling with
his church.)
I. John 20:19-23 Christ breathed on his church, giving them the keys
of the kingdom.
J. Matthew 16:29, John 20:19-23 Christ gave his church the authority
to bind or loose before Pentecost.
K. Acts 1:5 Christ promised his church Holy Spirit baptism before the
Day of Pentecost.
L. Acts 1:15-26 The church transacted business before the Day of
Pentecost.
M. Matthew 26:30, Hebrews 2:12 Christ sang praises with his church on
the Day of Pentecost.
N. Acts 2 The church was baptized in the Holy Spirit as an outward
sign of the inward filling of the Holy Spirit given in John 20:19-23, the
gospel was preached and 3,000 souls were saved and added to the church. If
the church was formed on the Day of Pentecost, there could have been nothing
added to it. The church was already formed, therefore it was possible to add
to it.
III. Perpetuity of Jesus Church.