RESTORING NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY

Larry Pasley

SCRIPTURE - (Deu 12:32-13:4)  "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.{1} "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, {2} "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'; which you have not known; 'and let us serve them,' {3} "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. {4} "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

INTRODUCTION

A. GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT US FOLLOWING HIS WILL EXACTLY.

1. (Deu 4:1-7)  "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. {2} "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. {3} "Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. {4} "But you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive today, every one of you. {5} "Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. {6} "Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

2. (Rev 22:18-19)  For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; {19} and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

B. MAN HAS ALWAYS TENDED TO REJECT GOD'S WILL FOR HIS OWN IDEAS OF WHAT GOD WANTS

1. (Rom 10:1-3)  Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. {2} For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. {3} For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

2. (Rev 3:15-17)  "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. {16} "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. {17} "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

TRANSITION - WE WILL LOOK AT THE MOVEMENT AWAY FROM GOD AND THEN BACK TO HIM THIS MORNING: REVELATION, REBELLION, REFORMATION,  & RESTORATION

I. REVELATION

A. (Rom 1:16-25)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. {17} For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." {18} For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

B. (Heb 1:1-2)  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, {2} has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

II. REBELLION - DEPARTURE FROM THE SCRIPTURES - CATHOLICISM

A. (1 Tim 4:1-3)  Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, {2} speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, {3} forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

B. (2 Tim 4:1-4)  I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: {2} Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. {3} For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; {4} and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

III. REFORMATION - IMPROVEMENT OR CORRECTION OF WHAT IS CORRUPTED OR WRONG

A. MARTIN LUTHER (1483-1546) - GERMANY - NOTHING PERMITTED THAT WAS PROHIBITED BY SCRIPTURE

B. HULDREICH ZWINGLI (1484-1531) - SWITZERLAND - NOTHING PERMITTED THAT COULD NOT BE PROVED BY SCRIPTURE

C. JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564) - FRANCE/SWITZERLAND - CALVINISM & PRESBYTERIANISM -

T-TOTAL DEPRAVITY - INHERITED SIN

U-UNCONDITIONAL ATONEMENT - FAITH ONLY

L-LIMITED ATONEMENT - PREDESTINATION

I-IRRESTIBLE GRACE - IF PREDESTINED TO SALVATION, NO CHOICE

P-PERSEVERENCE OF THE SAINTS - ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED

D. JOHN KNOX (1513-1572) - SCOTLAND - OPPOSITION TO IMAGE WORSHIP - PRESBYTERIAN

IV. RESTORATION

A. THOMAS (1763-1854)& ALEXANDER (1788-1866) CAMPBELL - PRESBYTERIAN

B. JAMES O'KELLY (1735-1826) - METHODIST

C. RICE HAGGARD (1769-1819) - PRESBYTERIAN

D. BARTON STONE (1772-1844) - PRESBYTERIAN

    

E. ELIAS SMITH (1769-1846) & ABNER JONES (1772-1841) - BAPTIST

    

F. WALTER SCOTT (1796-1861) - BAPTIST

CONCLUSION - REVELATION, REBELLION, REFORMATION, RESTORATION…REVIVAL IS NEEDED

A. WE MAY HAVE RESTORED NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY IN THE AREA OF WORSHIP, ORGANIZATION, PLAN OF SALVATION  ETC.

B. BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN AREAS SUCH AS: EVANGELISM, COMMITMENT, PURITY OF LIFE, PRAYER AND ATTITUDE

C. THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE TEACHINGS OF THOSE MEN WHO HAVE TRIED TO GET US BACK TO THE BIBLE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED AND CRYSTALIZED. WE MUST NEVER STOP IN OUR ATTEMPT TO RESTORE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CHALLENGES FOR US TO MEET IN SOME AREA.

INVITATION

A. WHERE ARE YOU IN THIS CYCLE

1. HAVE YOU ACCEPTED GOD'S WORD IN YOUR LIFE?

2. ARE YOU REBELLING AGAINST HIS PLAN FOR YOU?

3. ARE YOU TRYING TO REFORM YOUR LIFE BY MAKING SMALL CHANGES?

4. OR ARE YOU WILLING TO TURN YOUR LIFE OVER TO GOD AND RESTORE HIS COMPLETE WILL IN YOU - (2 Cor 5:17)  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

B. HAVE YOU BECOME A CHILD OF GOD BY REPENTING OF YOUR SINS, CONFESSING JESUS AS YOUR LORD, AND WASHING YOUR SINS AWAY IN BAPTISM?

C. AS A CHRISTIAN HAVE YOU REBELLED AGAINST GOD IN YOUR LIFE?

D. DO YOU NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH THIS CONGREGATION AND THE WORK OF THE LORD HERE IN ALEXANDRIA?