Where is God’s Church?

1. Where is God’s Church? Arnold C Mendez Bible Study Corpus Christi 6-1-19 & Harlingen 6-8-19

2. God’s Church Through the Centuries • Mat. 16:18 Church would continue, nothing would destroy it. • Mat.7:14 “...few who find it.” • Luke 12:32”...little flock.” • Jo. 15:20 They would be persecuted.

3. Revelation 2-3 • Three ways of Understanding these two chapters. • 1:11 Mail route, sent to all the churches. • Condition of our spiritual lives. • Prophetic or eras of time.

4. #1 Revelation 2-3 Mail Route

5. #2 Revelation 2-3 Reflection of Our Spiritual Lives

6. #3 Message to the Seven Churches is Prophetic-Historic Eras • Rev. 2:10 Tribulation for 10 days-10 years. Adam Clarke writes: “As the days in this book are what is commonly called ‘prophetic days,’ each answering to a year, the ten days of tribulation may denote ‘ten years of persecution’; and this was precisely the duration of the persecution under Diocletian, during which all the Asiatic churches were grievously afflicted. Others understand the expression as implying frequency and abundance, as it does in other parts of Scripture” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, Revelation 2:10).

7. Message to the Seven Churches is Prophetic • Rev. 3:10 Tribulation on the whole world at the Time of the End. • At the time of the end there will be a worldwide time of trouble, sometimes called Jacob’s Trouble or the Great Tribulation. • Mat. 24:21-22 Time of trouble, that will destroy mankind if not shortened.

8. Message to the Seven Churches is Prophetic • Progression of the urgency of Christ’s return. As the message to the seven churches ends there are statements that indicate His return is closer. • Rev. 2:25 To the 4th church of Thyatira it states, “hold fast...till I come.” • Rev. 3:3 To the 5th church of Sardis it states, “I will come upon you as a thief.” • Rev. 3:11 To the 6th church of Philadelphia it states, “I come quickly”...with a crown. • Rev. 3:20 To the 7th and last church of Laodicea it states, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”

9. God’s Church from a Historic and Prophetic View. Past Present

10. The Church is Established • Acts 2:1-4, 40-47 The Church is established on the day of Pentecost and it grew mightily.

11. 1st Century 31 – 100 ADApostolic Leadership The Church of Ephesus

12. 1st Century 31 – 100 ADApostolic Leadership • The Church of Ephesus • Time period of Paul and the early apostles. • Rev. 2:2 Testing of false apostles. • Nicolaitans’ doctrine was rejected. • Some had left their first love.

13. 2nd & 3rd Centuries 101 – 300 ADSects and Persecution For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” (Story of the Christian Church, 1970, p. 33)

14. 2nd & 3rd Centuries 101 – 300 ADSects and Persecution • The Church of Smyrna and Pergamos. • Polycarp a disciple of John and Polycrates remained faithful. • The Quartodeciman controversy. • The church of Rome was growing in power and scope.

15. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases • The Church of Pergamos and Thyatira. • The switch from Sabbath to Sunday. • Adoption of Easter. • Celebration of Christmas. • Sabbath became an historical identifier of God’s people.

16. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases Constantine 272-337 AD Emperor of Rome and a sun worshipper legalized Christianity, this legal religion later became the Roman Church.

17. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases • The True church kept the Passover, Sabbath, and the 10 commandments. • They were know by many names; Nazarenes, Vaudois, Cathari, Albigenses, Petrobursians, and Waldenses.

18. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases-Key Dates • The Edict of Milan, 313: Via this document Constantine and his coemperor Licinius encouraged governors throughout the empire to allow people to worship any religion they personally felt best for themselves.

19. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases-Key Dates Council of Nicaea, 325: This gathering of church leaders passed the first Sunday law, establishing Sunday as a day of rest. However it still permitted agricultural work if people thought it necessary to be done on Sunday. Additionally, at this meeting the date of Easter was officially set so it would not coincide with the Jewish Passover, and discussions took place regarding the nature of God. These discussions led to the formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity.

20. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases-Key Dates Council of Laodicea, circa 365: The Catholic Church at this council ruled, “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday [Sabbath], but shall work on that Day; but the Lord’s day [Sunday] they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ” (Charles Joseph Hefele, translated by Henry N. Oxenham, A History of the Councils of the Church: A.D. 326 to A.D. 429, Vol. 2, 1876, p. 316).

21. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADHeresy Increases-Key Dates Council of Constantinople, 381: “the council dealt a death blow to the formerly popular form of Christianity known as Arianism and basically settled the trinitarian controversy that had divided the empire since the time of Constantine the Great” (New World Encyclopedia, article “First Council of Constantinople”).

22. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADExample of the Waldenses • Waldenses-(valley dwellers) A light shines in the darkness. • Peter Waldo is erroneously claimed to be their founder. But historical sources say that Paul visited Spain and from this visit the Waldenses originated. • Connected with or associated with the Thyatira Church. • The fourth church (lamp) of the seven churches (star). The 4th Star Lamp

23. 4th Century 301 – 400 ADExample of the Waldenses • Waldenses-from the word for “valley dweller”. • Persecuted by the Roman Church. • Kept the Sabbath and food laws. • Condemned papal church offices, idolatry, trinity, transubstantiation, relics, and holy water. • Considered the Roman Church the harlot of Revelation and the pope the Antichrist. • They strictly followed the Bible.

24. 5th Thru 15th Century 401 – 1500 ADPersecution and Hiding • During this time there were always people that kept the Sabbath. They lived in isolated mountainous regions in Germany, France, Italy, Britain, and India. • The only records we have of them were written by their persecutors.

25. 5th Thru 15th Century 401 – 1500 ADPersecution and Hiding “We seem to see here an allusion to the custom, observed in the early monastic Church of Ireland, of keeping the day of rest on Saturday, or the Sabbath” (History of the Catholic Church in Scotland, Vol. 1, p. 86, 6th century).

26. 5th Thru 15th Century 401 – 1500 ADPersecution and Hiding “It seems to have been customary in the Celtic churches of early times, in Ireland as well as Scotland, to keep Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, as a day of rest from labor. ... They obeyed the fourth commandment literally upon the seventh day of week” ( The Church in Scotland, 1882, p. 140).

27. 5th Thru 15th Century 401 – 1500 ADPersecution and Hiding Regarding the eighth century in India, China and Persia, the Schaff - Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge notes: “Widespread and enduring was the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath among the believers of the Church of the East and the St. Thomas Christians of India, who never were connected with Rome. It also was maintained among those bodies which broke off from Rome after the Council of Chalcedon namely, the Abyssinians, the Jacobites, the Maronites, and the Armenians”

28. 16th Thru 20th Century 1501 – 2000 ADPreaching the Gospel • The Church of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. • With the Reformation the Roman Church lost much power. • Sabbath keepers migrated to the US from England and began the modern era of the Church.

29. 16th Thru 20th Century 1501 – 2000 ADPreaching the Gospel • Rev. 3:1 The Church of Sardis is almost dead. • Rev. 3:2 Truth almost died. • Rev. 3:3 Christ’s return will catch them by surprise. • Rev. 3:4 Only a few are worthy.

30. 16th Thru 20th Century 1501 – 2000 ADPreaching the Gospel • The Church of Laodicea • Rev. 3:15-17 Self righteous dead church. • Rev. 3:20 Christ outside knocking.

31. The Ten Virgins • They are all asleep. • Some are not ready at the return of Christ. • Rev. 12:17 The Dragon makes war...

32. 16th Thru 20th Century 1501 – 2000 ADPreaching the Gospel • The Church of Philadelphia. • Rev. 3:8 God gives them an open door, they keep God’s word. • Rev. 3:10 To be protected Rev. 12:14.

33. How to Find God’s Church The dollar bill and the Secret Service agent.

34. Characteristics of the True Church The Name • John 17:11 To be kept in the Father’s name. • Churches of God; Acts 20:28, 1Cor. 10:32, 15:9, Gal. 1:13, 1Tim. 3:5. • 1Cor. 1:2, 2Cor. 1:1 Examples of specific churches.

35. Characteristics of the True Church The Day of Worship • Luke 4:16 His custom was to worship on the Sabbath Day. • Acts 13:44 Paul teaches on the Sabbath day. • Acts 18:4, 11 He reasoned in the synagogue on the Sabbath day; for a year.

36. Characteristics of the True Church • 1Cor. 5:7-8 Keep the Feast (ULB). • Acts 2 The example of Pentecost. • Acts 18:21 Paul was going to keep the Feast (Tabernacles). • The Passover-Jesus kept it so should we. Holy Days

37. Characteristics of the True Church • Ezek. 18:4 Man does not have an immortal soul. • Eph. 2:8 We are saved by grace. • 1Cor. 15:21-23 Doctrine of the resurrections. • Rev. 10:1-4 Christ reigns on the earth for 1,000 years. Additional Doctrines

38. The Miracle of Repentance and Conversion • Acts 16:14-15 The example of Lydia, the Lord opened her heart. • Acts 2:37-38 “...cut to the heart.” • John 6:44 The Father does the calling. • Rom. 11:7 Some are blinded.

39. Where is God’s Church • Its is described historically and prophetically in the Bible. • Book of Revelation details this historic and prophetic description. • It is also described and revealed in the doctrines it keeps which agree with the scriptures.

40. Questions and Answers Where is God’s Church? Arnold C Mendez Bible Study Corpus Christi 6-1-19 & Harlingen 6-8-19