The Origin of the Lord’s Church
To look at the history of the Lord’s Church, we should
look at its origin and beginnings. Jesus established
“His Church.” The word “church” literally means
“assembly.” Jesus said it was “His Assembly.”
Dr. Albert Garner, who has been with the Lord for a
few years now, wrote an excellent book entitled The
Church Jesus Built. The following is a quote from his
book, page one.1
The church was established by Jesus Christ during His
early earthly ministry in Galilee.
There He chose and called willing disciples of John the
Baptist for worship and service.
Matthew 4:13-22; 13 When Jesus heard of it, he
departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and
when the people had heard thereof, they followed him
on foot out of the cities.
14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude,
and was moved with compassion toward them, and he
healed their sick.
15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to
him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now
past; send the multitude away, that they may go into
the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
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16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart;
give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five
loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on
the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes,
and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and
gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to
the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took
up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand
men, beside women and children.
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to
get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other
side, while he sent the multitudes away.
John 15:16, 26, 27; 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go
and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in
my name, he may give it you.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth,
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which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of
me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have
been with me from the beginning.
John 20:21; Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be
unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I
you.
Acts 1:8; But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth.
Acts 10:37; That word, I say, ye know, which was
published throughout all Judaea, and began from
Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
He called this new church body, The Salt of the Earth
and the Light of the World, metaphors reflecting the
nature of spiritual service that her members were to
render, Matthew 5:13-15. 13 Ye are the salt of the
earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith
shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of
men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an
hill cannot be hid.
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15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a
bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto
all that are in the house.
Before He went away He comforted them with the
promise that He would pray the Father who would send
them the Holy Spirit of Promise, who would be with
them (as a body assembly) and in them forever.
John 14:15-17 reads,
"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will
pray the Father, and he will give you another
comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth
him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you."
He also charged them to tarry in Jerusalem until they
were endued (empowered) from on high after which
they were to begin their mandated commission to all
nations, Matthew 28:18-20; 18 And Jesus came and
spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
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:
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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.
Mark 16:15; And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luke 24:49; And, behold, I send the promise of my
Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on
high.
The new covenant assembly body which had been with
Jesus from the beginning in Galilee did tarry in prayer
(115 of them) until Pentecost. As they conducted a
business meeting and continued in prayer the Holy
Spirit came down; it filled the house where they were
assembled, baptized, sanctified, sealed, and dedicated
them once for all, as an institution.
Acts 1:15, 21-23; 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,)
21 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.
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23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas,
who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
Acts 2:1-4; 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as
of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like
as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
Matthew 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.
Ephesians 3:21; Unto him be glory in the church by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen.
The Church exists today as His body, His assembly,
Ephesians 1:22; And hath put all things under his feet,
and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church,
I Corinthians 12:27; Now ye are the body of Christ,
and members in particular.
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He has no hands, no feet, no eyes, no ears, no tongue
that He has called and chosen to do His work on earth,
except those who obey His call 1) to salvation, 2) to be
baptized, and 3) to commit themselves to follow and
serve Him in and thru His Church company who enter
an Irrevocable Trust with like-baptized believers.
Every child of God who has been baptized and entered
this Irrevocable covenant to be His ears, His eyes, His
tongue, His hands, and His feet, should be diligent in
being and doing the things set forth in the local Church
body of Christ and expressed in the New Testament
and in the Church covenant of Sacred Vows…
Conclusion to Chapter One
There is much more that can be studied concerning the
Lord’s Church, but we simply wanted to establish its
origin and beginnings.
1 Garner, Albert, The Church Jesus Built, The Blessed Hope Foundation
Ministries, Lakeland, FL; p. 1
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