(The emphasis of this message is not so much on the fact that Christ build the institution of the church as it is toward the point that Christ builds the individuals He places in the institution of the church.)

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Some pastors have missed the boat when it comes to knowing how to build a strong church.

1. Some things aren’t so bad if they are used to teach people how little they are doing, and to show them what they can do.

a. "Homecoming Day" is always popular.

b. "Bring a Friend Day" is another "come on".

c. "Fill Your Pew" is when every family in the church will select a pew that they will fill with visitors or wayward family members.

2. Some pastors continually need a "special emphasis day" to excite the people into attending. (Give special attention to the long-term affects of this methodology.)

a. Bozo the clown will come in.

b. The preacher will blow a brick off the altar with his breath if we have 150 in Sunday School.

c. The preacher will eat his dinner from the roof of the church if we have 150 in Sunday School.

d. The preacher and deacons will sing a song if we have 150 in Sunday School.

e. We’ll give a free hamburger and French fries to every person that brings a visitor in the month of April. You have to buy your own drink.

f. There is no end to the "gimmicks" used to lure people into church.

3. Because of all this trash, churches have lost their respect in the community.

a. Sometimes those churches that don’t do all this stuff are looked down on in the community because they are considered too "straight laced".

Acts 12:23 - When Barnabas came to Antioch, he got Paul to help him, and they stayed two years; …exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

a. Paul and Barnabas here gives us a vital clue to building a strong church.

b. Every member was exhorted to be faithful.

c. Every member in their own heart was exhorted to cleave unto the Lord.

d. Every member was expected to be faithful to God regardless of what anybody else did.

Acts 14:21,22 - And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

a. Confirm doesn’t mean to go through a religious exercise which is done once and for all.

1. It means to strengthen, to establish more and more in the faith, to render more firm.

2. The point here is that each person was expected to carry their own load, to be faithful all by themselves, to know for themselves what they believed, and why they believed it.

b. Souls means the breath, the vital source of the life of that individual.

1. It means the seat of the feelings, desires, and affections.

2. Paul is strengthening each individual so they will remain true to God regardless of what anybody else does.

c. Joshua 24:15 - Joshua told Israel, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".

Each family must be strong.

(A unique, but scriptural perspective)

Now – with these things in our minds, let us begin our Biblical search for the beginning of the kind of church Jesus organized during his own personal ministry.

I. Matt. 16:13-19 - Jesus is the foundation of His church.

A. He will build His church, the Holy Spirit will not do that.

B. Verse 18 records, And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

C. The church will be build upon the Rock of Ages, not Peter, who is a little stone, and not on the confession of Peter.

II. Matt. 4:18-22 - Here is the place Jesus began to call out his church (local assembly which followed him every day – just like we are supposed to do) during His personal ministry.

A. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

B. Why are the names of these men mentioned here?

1. Because Jesus wants us to associate these men with the founding of the first church.

2. Jesus wants us to remember the names of these men for future reference.

3. It is no accident their names are given, and that their names are repeated in direct relationship to the church Jesus organized during his personal ministry.

C. John 3:22,23 and John 4:1-3 records that the early church was baptizing before Luke 6 takes place.

1. This is significant because many believe the church was not organized until Luke 6, but the church was organized by Christ before that.

2. The chronology of Christ (Harmony of the gospels) reveals that almost as soon as Jesus began to call out his disciples, they began to baptize other believers.

III. Luke 6:12-17 - After Jesus prayed all night, he called his disciples unto him to the mountain top.

A. The disciples are followers of Christ.

1. Of those disciples He chose 12 whom he named apostles.

2. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

a. Now read the passage carefully, and you will notice some very important distinctions in the people that were present.

b. Notice – some of the men mentioned in Luke 6 are the same men of Matthew

1.) Simon called Peter.

2.) Andrew his brother.

3.) James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

c. Verse 13-16 gives the names of the apostles.

1.) The 1^st group – Verse 17 states that Jesus came down the mountain with the apostles and stood in the plain

2.) The 2^nd group – Then verse 17 mentions that the company of the disciples (these are disciples, not apostles) were with him,

3.) The 3^rd group – Plus, verse 17, there was a great multitude of people (visitors – they are not called disciples or apostles) out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon.

4.) Isn’t this what we normally have today in all our church services? (the leaders of the local church [pastor, deacons], the church members [these are what are called "lay people," and visitors.)

IV. Note I Corinthians 12:28. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

A. I Cor. 12:28 - The first official leaders God set in His church were the apostles.

1. When did Christ set the apostles in the church? In Luke 6:13-17 – after he had prayed all night, receiving instructions from his father about this very important event.

2. It might be good right about here to note the qualifications of an apostle given to us in Acts 1:21-22: Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

a. He must have accompanied Christ from the very beginning of His ministry.

b. He must be baptized with the baptism of John the Baptist. The names are given in verses 14-16.

c. Acts 1:13 gives the names of the apostles (there were 11 of them at this time). And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

1.) Acts 1:14-16 tells us there were other church members present, who numbered about 120 people altogether. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

2.) Acts 1 takes place before the Day of Pentecost, and give us the same divisions of members as in Luke 6. Of course there wasn’t any visitors present.

B. These scriptures are either true or the whole Bible is a lie and we can’t believe any of it!