What is the difference between God’s organization and man’s organization? Let’s first explore the principles of a “man made” organization.
The truth on this matter is very important. The organization of men is as cruel a monster as the devil. Generally a small counsel of men will come together to form what they call “Church organization” and following this they persuade the people to accept this “organization” as God’s Church. Secondly, they setup a creed, and then claim to have the keys to heaven, and unless you are a member of their “Church organization” it is claimed that you are lost unless you get back on their ship.
When the organization is formed and in working order, these men require conforming to the beliefs of the officials and leaders within this organization. And though one member may be convicted in his conscience by the Holy Spirit regarding his beliefs. And with his liberty of conscience which God gave to him he speaks out or questions the beliefs of the officials in the “Church organization.” Because of his refusal to conform he is “separated”, “ostracized”, and is completely “excluded” from this organization that has applied the term “God’s Church” to itself.
In this man made organization setup by men, men will cast out what they deem to be heretics. These so called “heretics” who have done nothing but acted on conscience and who have voiced opinions which differ with the general beliefs of this man made organization have been cast out for disagreeing with a “man” or a “few men” who represent what they call “the Church.” And according to “the Church” they have setup, these so called “heretics” have been shut out from eternal life and are in turn subject to eternal death. Could the devil be crueler than that?
Following this the rest of those who compose “the Church” are commanded not to fellowship the brother nor receive him into their houses or they then become the subject of suspicion. And then if they do not correct their way, these must also be separated from the Church and are subject to eternal death except if they get back on the boat or ship or follow the rules and exclude the brother and be subject to those few men in authority who have setup this “organization”.
This type of organization is that of the Papacy, the Roman Church and every other counterfeit that has followed in her footsteps. Which is every single “Church organization” made by men on the face of the earth. This does exclude God’s organization and order.
Regarding the true Church Jesus said that he “will in no wise cast out”(John 6:37). The only way to leave the true Church organization as we shall see is not to be forced out, but rather to leave willfully. We must choose to be lost. The Church is “those as should be saved.”(Acts 2:47)
There are three qualities which you will find in every false religion which are “intolerance,” “oppression” and “persecution”. These are opposite to the true organization which is tolerant towards those who differ with them and they believe in liberty of conscience and freedom to voice their opinion to others, and will not use force to suppress those who have differences with them.
Contrary to Popular Opinion The Church is NOT….
The following “crazy” and “strange” truths regarding God’s Church which have become foreign to many of us are found in the bible and are as clear as the sun is shining in the sky. However, there has been such a misunderstanding on these issues that men cannot see who, where and what the Church has been throughout history. Somehow we have come to believe that in these last days God’s Church is going to be an organization built by men. But is this what the bible teaches us?
Many times when talking of “the Church” people will generally refer to the local building. They will say “Let’s go over to ‘the Church’”. But as we shall soon note, this in truth is not the Church of the bible at all. This is man’s doctrine of what they understand the Church to be.
Before proceeding, please do not misunderstand, God’s Church is orderly(1 Cor 12:28) however, it is not the type of order which exercises “arbitrary authority” on those whom they differ with. The one authority is Christ. Submission and service to all who have authoritative positions is our duty. (Matt 20:25, 26) except when it conflicts with the word of God.(Acts 5:28, 29)
Notice the following verses written by Paul and how he says “the church that is in his house” etc. What does this imply about the Church? Well, the Church if it is “in the house” cannot therefore be the “building” or “house” which the Church is in. The Church is not a building made with hands by hammers, nails, bricks or mortar.
The Church is not the house or building they are gathering at but rather the people in the building are the building themselves as we shall see. That’s how Paul and the bible use the term.
Colossians 4:15 “ and the church which is in his house.”
Philemon 1:2 “, and to the church in thy house:”
1 Corinthians 16:19 “ the church that is in their house.”
Romans 16:5 “ the church that is in their house.”
Clearly the house that they are gathered at is not “The Church”. And this is as clear as the fact that the building you or me are be gathering in every week is not “The Church”.
What About the Temple Made with Hands That Many Call “The Church”?
Acts 7:47-49 But Solomon built him an house. (48) Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, (49) Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Solomon built God a house. But in truth, this is not the Church. God is not dwelling in buildings made with hands. Notice the following text.
Ephesians 1:22-23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
In this building dwells the fullness of God, this is the Church of God. But not in the building built by Solomon, Stephen made the point that God doesn’t dwell in buildings made with hands.
Therefore the conclusion is that the temple building made with hands was not the fullness of him that filleth all in all, and therefore that building that Solomon built in truth is NOT and was NOT “God’s Church”.
So therefore it is very clear in the above verses even the building Solomon built was not the Church of God, then how in truth can any other man made building be “The Church”. The truth of the matter is that it cannot, and is not, and never was there any such thing as these buildings of men being “the Church”.
So men go to build a man made organization and then create a building and call it “God’s Church” and have millions of people worldwide calling it “God’s Church” saying let’s go to “the Church” and refer to the building as “the Church”. But we can if we have eyes to see, see clearly that they haven’t yet understood the true biblical Church of the bible, nor the truth of who and what the Church was in the bible according to Paul and the apostles.
The True building of God
Regarding the true building of God, Paul said “ye are God’s building.”(1 Cor 3:9). “Ye are the temple of the living God”(2 Corinthians 6:16). Peter said “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,”(1 Peter 2:5).
In Ephesians when writing about this building Paul said this:
Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
So therefore this building is built with lively stones and not dead stones or dead mortar. Ye are the walls and roof of this building, living bricks, and Jesus Christ is the foundation stone, the rock on which the true Church is built. Can any man build this building? No, because he alone is the builder. This is not a building made by men. This is what the bible describes as the only Church of God. Nowhere in the bible do we find any other building referred to as the Church of God.
Moses is a brother in this Church, and those who are the leaders in this Church as we will read are “servants” rather than “arbitrary dictators”.
Hebrews 3:1-5 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (2) Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. (3) For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. (4) For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. (5) And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
Moses was a faithful servant in this house, not an arbitrary ruler in the Church in the wilderness. This Church is the same house that Christ is high priest of, the Church of God. And further we read about this house:
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
We the people are “lively stones” in the “house of God”, the “temple of God”, also known as “God’s building” or “God’s Church”. Men forever will think it is their national organization or establishment, their denomination, or it is the building they attend each week that is “the Church”. But this is far from the truth of the bible. Men always require a visible body and a visible head.
The house of God however is a “spiritual house” and can be seen only with spiritual eyes “the world seeth me no more; but ye see me:”(John 14:19)
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
This is the Church of the living God. It is so far beyond what man’s conception of it is, as far as the carnal is from the spiritual, that men cannot see the body of Christ, which is His Church.(Eph 1:22, 23, 5:23, Col 1:18,24) And because men with carnal eyes have been unable to see the kingdom of God, the Church of the living God, or God’s spiritual house, they have sought to apply the term “God’s Church” to their man made organization and used it for centuries to persecute God’s Church. But in truth this is not the organization that God would have us in, this is the counterfeit, the synagogue of Satan. This is not the Church that is built by the one builder Jesus Christ.
The False Builders
For centuries men have had the idea that they were the builders of the Church. There was an organization that was even setup in the time of Christ by men, a counterfeit Church. The bible says that Christ is the builder of his Church. “I will build my church; “(Matthew 16:18, see also Zechariah 6:13, 14, Hebrews 3:1-6). But yet some men undertook to do the job for him.
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
“You builders” didn’t build on the rock. “You builders” built another organization on sand rejecting the chief cornerstone, the foundation. And the people in that organization hearing this message of the apostles were responding “Who are you to tear down what God built up”. No, these builders were not the builder of God’s Church because we read that Christ will build his Church and to him alone is this job given.
Therefore the conclusion is that these “builders” were nothing but imposters, frauds, and the building made with hands that these men stoned Stephen for speaking against (Acts 6:13, 7:47-51) was not in any sense the true Temple of the Living God.
The True Builder and Organization Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit
Men sometimes believe that Jesus Christ will build his Church, but they believe he leaves the small duties to men to take care of. Men have forever been building their towers to heaven since the time of the builders of the tower of Babel. They believe that they are the way, the truth and the life and that without them to guide others no man might enter the Kingdom of God.
Regarding the tabernacle of God, the building which you are, Christ never left men to themselves to take care of his Church. He guided men by his Holy Spirit.
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
1 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.
It was never unholy men who built the Church. But rather “God set some in the Church”.
Throughout the book of Acts we find that it is Christ who “added to the Church daily such as should be saved”(Acts 2:47). This was most assuredly not left to men. (Matt 13:28, 29)
In Acts chapter 1 the disciples were commanded “that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. (5) For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”(Acts 1:4,5).
The Church was to “wait” for the Holy Spirit
When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, he did not leave these men on their own to figure out how to run the Church. Christ was the head of the Church through his Holy Spirit from the beginning. And without the guidance of the Holy Spirit these men were not to go forth. They were commanded to wait for the promise.
There was truly organization here. But it wasn’t a council of men that decided who should do what. It was the Holy Spirit that guided the Church every step of the way.
Mar 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The head of the Church Jesus Christ was with them. In the second chapter of Acts we read “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”(Acts 2:33)
The Lord was working with them, and it was the Lord that “added to the church daily such as should be saved.”(Acts 2:47)
In Acts chapter 4 Peter “being filled with the Holy Ghost”(v11) rebukes these “builders” (v11) telling them they are building on the wrong foundation. In verse 12 Peter tells them that there is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved and following this these “false builders” tell Peter and the other apostles that they must stop preaching in the name of Jesus.(v12, 17, 18)
Acts 4:18-19 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. (19) But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
After threatening them, they then let these men go. But threats were not going to stop a person from sharing the truth which is the only way by which men might be saved.(Acts 4:12) Again, the one authority is Christ. Submission and service to all who have authoritative positions is our duty. (Matt 20:25, 26) Except when it conflicts with the word of God. And God was telling these men to go forth teaching them in His name.(Acts 5:29, 30)
Christ was adding to the Church all that would be saved, and to stop teaching the truth about salvation would only be to not love your fellow men. How in the love of the truth could the apostles ever stop such a thing? So following this they of course went back to the temple and were teaching in Jesus name. So thus they did not go boldly forth, but first prayed to God about it. Notice the account and the clear answer to their prayer.
The Church built by the “false builders” had acquired the power of the “Kings of the earth” to stop these men from preaching “in the name of Jesus”.
Acts 4:24-30 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: (25) Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? (26) The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (27) For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, (28) For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (29) And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, (30) By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
Note, God stretched forth “His hand to heal”. This was nothing of the men themselves. They depended on God to “grant unto” His servants boldness to speak His word. This is not the words of self, there was no dependence whatsoever on man to build anything in this organization. Everything and everyone in this organization was dependent on God. After this God poured forth His Holy Spirit on them that “wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”(Acts 4:30)
Acts 4:31-32 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (32) And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Also notice the unity. This was not a bunch of men who came together and said “We need to unite on these doctrines” but rather it was the Holy Spirit that unified them and they were “of one heart and of one soul” and also “had all things common”. This is the organization of God. This is God’s building, this is the temple of God.
Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit rebuilt his temple. No man was the builder of it. These men gave way to the head of the Church and he did what he promised.
Mark 14:58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
Christ has built it. But most do not recognize it. After Paul and Barnabas declared how the Holy Spirit was working in the Gentiles and Peter told of his stories of how God by his Spirit came on the Gentiles the following statement was made by James:
Acts 15:14-16 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (15) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, (16) After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
So the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, not by any visible tabernacle that could be seen with the eyes of men. This is not the Church of God. But rather by God building with “living stones” his “spiritual house”, “the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down”. And again notice he says “I will build”. Man is not the builder of the Church, the Church was not some denomination, nor was it a building with hammer and nails, or bricks and mortar.
Summary:
1. God’s Church is a spiritual house
2. God’s Church is built with living stones
3. God is the builder alone of His Church
4. Men can only see God’s Church with spiritual eyes
5. Men do not decide who is in the Church
6. Men can recognize the spiritual body only with Spiritual eyes
7. Men without the Holy Spirit often think they can take it upon themselves to build God’s Church
8. The Church is people who gather in a house, not a building that is down the street. We might call that a chapel, or house. But the Church is the people in the house.
9. God’s people are not disrespectful towards those in authoritative positions. However when commanded against their belief, they must obey God over men.
10. Men may attempt to kick God’s people out of the Church and add people to the Church, but they can’t. That is God’s work, and to attempt that work is to attempt to be God Himself.
Next Chapter – Chapter 2 Reformers on the Church
Book: “God’s Church Organization – The House Built on the Rock”
Chapters:
1: The Counterfeit Church Organization and the True Building
2: Reformers on the Church
3: Man Appoints a Head to the Organization
4: Foundation and Pillars of our Faith Changed
5: Deadliest Heresy in Seventh Day Adventism
6: God’s church is not confined to an Earthly organization
7: The True Seed of Abraham
8: The Elijah Message
9: Philadelphia – The 144,000
10: A Great Danger Right Before the Plagues are Poured Out
11: The Principles of Separation
12: Not to go and Listen to Error
13: Abomination and 25 Men A Prophecy by Ezekiel
14: Rebuilding That Which is Fallen – Reorganization
15: Church of the Firstborn – The Name of God’s People
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