Baptist Church Perpetuity

1. Jesus promised to preserve His church forever.

            Dan 2:44 – And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

            Mat 4:17 – From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

            Mat 16:18 – 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.

            Mat 16:19 – And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

            Mat 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

            Mat 28:20 – Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

            1Co 11:26 – For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

            Heb 12:28 – Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

            Eph 3:21 – Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

1. The church that Jesus promised to preserve is the local church where baptizing, teaching, and observing the ordinances take place (see previous verses).

III.   “The church” is not some mysterious, nebulous, invisible, undefined thing. 

            It is a local assembly of baptized Christians who assembly together regularly to collectively worship God by hearing his word preached, praying, and observing communion.

            Act 2:41 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

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

            Act 2:47 – Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

1. A church is made up of disciples of Jesus Christ and it is they who are called Christians.

            Act 11:26 – And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

            Therefore if you are not a member of a true NT local church, you are not a disciple nor a Christian.

1. There have always been true NT churches throughout history going back to the first century which have been called by various names. These churches were called:

            Montanists, Paterins, Novations, Donatists, Catharists, Ana-Baptists, Paulicians, Henricians, Arnoldists, Albigenses, Waldenses, and Baptists. 

            These groups existed along side the Roman Catholic church prior to the Protestant Reformation.

            They were mercilessly persecuted for over 1000 years by the RCC and later by the Protestants.

            Approximately 50 million of them were murdered during the dark ages by the Catholics.

            It is through this line of churches that Jesus Christ has preserved His church and the gates of hell have never prevailed.

            The Minneapolis Church is in this lineage of churches going back through the Primitive Baptists. 

1. The Roman Catholic church is NOT the church of Jesus Christ, but is rather “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Rev 17:5)

VII.            None of the Protestant “churches” which came out of the Protestant Reformation of the Catholic church are the churches of Jesus Christ.

            They are merely reformed Catholics.

            These “churches” include: Lutherans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Church of England (Anglicans, Episcopalians), Methodists, etc. 

VIII.         None of the “non-denominational” “churches” which do not have a Baptist lineage are the churches of Jesus Christ either. 

1. If you want to be a member of the church that Jesus built, then you need to find a Baptist church which did not come out of Rome and has a lineage going back to the days of the apostles.

Click here for an entire sermon series on Baptist Church History.