The Greatest Organization
(Glory in the Church)

Time and time again the Bible clearly teaches that the greatest organization of both time and eternity is the church that Jesus built during His personal ministry. Jesus not only came into the world to die upon the cross of Calvary, but He also came for the purpose of calling out, establishing, building, teaching, and equipping His church in order that she and she alone would carry out His Kingdom business in this world. Before Jesus ever ascended into heaven He had completely established His church. And that was before the day of Pentecost!

I. THE CHURCH THAT JESUS BUILT IS THE GREATEST INSTITUTION IN THE UNIVERSE BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THROUGH WHICH GOD GETS GLORY.

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

“Unto Him be glory . . .” WHERE? “. . . IN THE CHURCH . . .” “Unto Him be glory . . .” IN WHAT? “ . . . IN THE CHURCH . . .” God appointed the church as the only medium through which He was to get glory. The inspired, the infallible, the pure, the unchangeable, the perfect, the eternal, the authoritative Word of God says that God gets His glory in one organization and one organization only and that organization is the glorious church that Jesus Christ personally established during His sojourn upon this earth.

 In this verse we find one of God's great eternal principles taught. When the Bible specifies one thing it automatically eliminates everything else. This principle applies both to doctrine and practice. When the Bible says that salvation is by grace that automatically eliminates all other ways. When the Lord said that the ark of the covenant was to be carried with staves on the shoulders of the Israelites that eliminated all other methods of moving it. That eliminated ox carts. But the Israelite leaders thought that they had found a better way, a new method, an easier way, a faster way, a modern way, a more convenient system and that new idea that they came up with caused the death of a man. So when someone comes up with a religious organization other than the one that is specified in the Bible you had better get away from it before you get hurt. Avoid it like the plague. Do God's work God's way or don't do it at all. Do His work according to the Scriptures. Serve God in and through the Church that Jesus built. Isaiah 55:8,9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD, For as the heavens are higher that the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

When the Bible says that God is to get His glory in the church that eliminates all other organizations. When the Bible says that He is to get His glory in the church by Christ Jesus that eliminates all other men. The Lord has never had any problem explaining Himself or making Himself understood. The Lord said what He meant and He meant exactly what He said when He said, “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus . . .” He did not say unto Him be glory in the denomination:, He did not say unto Him be glory in the missionary committee meeting; He did not say unto him be glory in the convention or the association. He didn't say unto him be glory in the Christian research center or in the Mission society. But He said, “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus through out all ages, world without end.” All of these organizations which have been invented by men are no better and no more scriptural than the ox cart that the Israelites used in moving the ark of the covenant. 

Notice the text verse again. “Unto Him be glory in the church . . .” You spell His glorious organization C-H-U-R-C-H. It is not spelled SBC; it is not spelled ABA; it is not spelled BMA; it is not spelled NABA; it is not spelled YMCA or YWCA. Neither is it spelled CBS nor TBN nor PTL. There is only one religious organization in the New Testament that had God's approval and that organization is the CHURCH THAT JESUS BUILT.

II. THE CHURCH THAT JESUS BUILT IS THE GREATEST ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD BECAUSE SHE IS AN ETERNAL INSTITUTION.

Ephesians 3:10,11 “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:”

These verses teach that the church is a very important part of God's great eternal plan. Since the church is an eternal institution she could not have possibly originated in Los Angeles, California in the early part of this century, nor in 1884 with Mary Baker Eddy, nor in 1830 with Alexander Campbell, nor in 1740 with John Wesley, nor in 1536 with John Calvin, not in 1534 with Henry the Eighth, nor in 1520 with Martin Luther, nor in 590 with Gregory the First. Neither did she originate on the day of Pentecost. The Church of Jesus Christ originated in eternity past in the loving heart and infinite mind of an all knowing and all wise God as He laid out the time ages. The church is an eternal organization which was projected into time when the Son of God, the originator of the church, came into this world and began to call out and assemble the disciples which John had baptized. Thus he formed the First Baptist Church.

God is a God of planning and order. The church wasn't established on the spur of the moment neither was she an after thought with God. Baptist churches are not accidents. God planned His church and He planned on getting glory in Her by Christ Jesus throughout all ages—WORLD WITHOUT END! The existence of the church can be dated from Eternity B.C. to Eternity A.D. What an existence!

The church had a great beginning. She has a marvelous history. But her future is even greater, because she is destined to glory. Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Jesus is coming again and when He does He will receive His church unto Himself and present her to Himself a glorious church that is absolutely perfect because He is going to cleanse every spot and iron out every wrinkle. What a glorious destiny awaits the Church of Jesus Christ. Some say the church is out of date. What effect can time possibly have on an eternal institution? The church has been surviving modernism ever since her beginning. She has withstood the ravages of time, fire, sword, inquisition, and she will survive communism, and the New Age. And she will be here when Jesus returns with her lamp trimmed and ready. Matthew 16:18 “. . . the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

III. THE CHURCH THAT JESUS BUILT IS THE GREATEST ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD BECAUSE SHE IS THE HIGHEST INSTITUTION OF LEARNING IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE.

Ephesians 3:10 “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.” 

Have you ever really noticed this passage? (Read it again.) One of God's eternal purposes for the church is to make the manifold wisdom of God known to the angels. The church is the university for the angels of heaven. What an awesome responsibility! It is not God's purpose for her to teach secular education. It's not in accordance with His eternal purpose for the church to be an entertainment center or a baby sitting organization. But back before time ever began, back before anything or anyone existed but God, way back in the council halls of eternity and without the advice of men, God purposed with Himself and within Himself that His church would make his manifold wisdom known unto the celestial beings in heavenly places. Therefore the ideas of earthly man who is limited by time is nothing in comparison with God's majestic eternal plan.

Some like to boast about their degrees and about where they attended college. Allow me to boast, I have attended church all of my life and it is the highest and the most important institution of learning that has ever existed and that will ever exist. I along with the other members am a professor at the Universe University. All of the angels have the same major—THE MANIFOLD WISDOM OF GOD. A manifold gathers things together into one unit. The manifold wisdom of God gathers many things into one unit. Ephesians 1:9,10 “Have made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to his good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ; both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Christ is the manifold of God's eternal plan. Christ (NOT the church) is the One in which all things are going to be gathered together in.

Therefore as the angels look down from heaven and see a church gathering together, they see a great preview of God accomplishing His eternal purpose in Christ as He gathers all things together in Him in the dispensation of the fulness of time. Without a shadow of a doubt the Lord's churches are the biggest and greatest institutions in world because of their curriculum and their student body.

IV. THE CHURCH IS THE GREATEST INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD BECAUSE SHE IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.

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, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.” 

A popular heresy today is that the body of Christ is a world-wide, invisible, mystical organization made up of all the saved. That's one of the biggest lies that has ever been hatched in hell. It doesn't matter what Charles Stanley says; it doesn't make any difference what James Robinson says; and it certainly does not matter what C. I. Scofield says in his notes. The only thing that really matters is what the Word of God says. The Word of God very plainly says that the body of Christ and the church are one in the same. “. . . the church, which is His body.” The Bible also teaches that a church is a local congregation. Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” Study the context of this verse and you will quickly see that Jesus is talking about His church and only His church. The church that I'm a member of is like the body of Jesus, “. . . not a bone . . . shall be broken.” The so-called universal church is like the hacked up and scattered body of Nimrod who is one of the forerunners of the anti-christ.

The Lord is the head of His church. This great truth eliminates all organizations, clicks, clans, and individuals either inside or outside the church that would rule over her. Christ rules His churches with His Word and by the Holy Spirit as He leads in accordance with the Word of God. It is the Lord's church. It's not our church; it's not my church; and it's not your church. It's His church and she is to be completely submissive to the Lord and to him alone.

A man told me twenty years ago that open communion was all right if that was what a church wanted. I asked him if the church had the right to go against the Word of God. He still has not answered me. A new Testament church is subject to the Lord and His Word just like the wife is subject to her husband. Women’s lib didn’t start in the secular world. It probably started somewhere in a Baptist church when the membership ignored the Word of God and started doing what they wanted to do. Down with women's lib and forget the idea that a New Testament church can sever herself from her head and do as she pleases. I’m Baptist not Catholic. I believe in the infallibility of the Bible not in the infallibility of the church. I believe in the authority of Jesus Christ and not in the authority of the Church.

Since Jesus is the head of his body, then our headquarters are not Nashville, or Texarkana, or Springfield, or Canterbury, or Rome. Heaven is our headquarters for the Head of the church is seated in the heavenlies at the Father’s right hand. All other organizations are earthly but the church Jesus built is a heavenly organization and that makes the church the greatest organization of all.

 Since the local church is His body then a local church contains 100% of the Spirit of Christ. “Which is His body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” What a rich and enlightening passage of Scripture! This should make everyone who loves church truth rejoice. A similar passage about the physical body of Christ is found in Colossians 2:9. “For in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” The Spirit of Christ is present in the heart of every saved individual in a special way. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit of Christ indwells the actual body of Jesus in an extra special way—IN HIS FULNESS. The same thing is true of the church body. The Spirit of Christ is concentrated in the church in the very same way He is in the physical body of Christ. Ephesians 1:17-23 “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised Him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly place, Far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” The same power, the greatest power of all, the power that raised Jesus from the dead and set Him at the Father’s right hand is the very same power that is in its fulness in the church. When God raised Jesus from the dead He used all of His power. He didn’t withhold any of it. He did the same with the church. Oh, that the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened in order that we might understand the fulness of His presence and the fulness of His power in the CHURCH.

How God’s people need to realize what the church is and that Jesus is in our midst in the fulness of His presence and the fulness of His power when we assemble together by His authority. Only a church can claim this promise. This promise wasn’t just made to anyone and everything. It was made to His church and His church alone. We are in much the same position that Moses was when he saw the burning bush. He heard God say, take off your shoes you are standing on holy ground. When you go to church you are standing in the fulness of His presence. You are treading on sacred ground, so take your shoes off—show some respect—be serious—behave yourself in the house of God.

V. THE CHURCH THAT JESUS BUILT IS THE GREATEST ORGANIZATION BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS EVER BEEN BAPTIZED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Acts 1:4-8 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 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.”

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was to come at a certain place, to a specific group, at a particular time, and for a singular purpose. Let us notice five very important things in these verses of Scripture. FIRST —the baptism of the Holy Spirit was to take place at the city of Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. “. . . they should not depart from Jerusalem . . .” SECOND—the baptism of the Holy Ghost has already taken place, some 1,960 years ago. “. . . ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” THIRD—an organization, not individuals, was baptized in the Holy Ghost. “And being assembled together with them.” FOURTH—The baptism of the Holy Ghost came because it was promised! “. . . but wait for the promise of the Father, . . .” and FIFTH—The Holy Ghost baptized them for the purpose of enabling them to carry our the Great Commission worldwide. “But ye shall receive power. . .”

How the religious world twists and misuses this great event that took place on the day of Pentecost. Only the Lord’s true churches can rightfully claim the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only the churches which can trace their lineage back to the ministry of Christ can claim the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All other claims are false claims. Let me quickly say that we cannot claim any of the miraculous gifts such as speaking in tongues because they all ceased with the completion of the New Testament. Paul said when speaking of these gifts that when he became a man he put away childish things. We don’t need the toys of the infant church. In the Bible we have everything that the mature church needs. Therefore the childish Pentecostals, charismatics, and Bapticostals need to quit riding stick horses and playing tiddly winks. They need to quit their jabbering and grow up and speak plainly.

The power was given in order to enable the church to do world-wide mission work. The power wasn’t given in order to give the church members a good feeling. It wasn’t given so they could have something to jump and shout about. Neither was it given to cause them to make fools out of themselves. But the church was empowered for a very, very important reason and that reason was to enable her to carry the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.

The Holy Spirit came on the church because God promised that He would come “. . . wait for the promise . . .” The Holy Spirit was not prayed down neither was He worked up. He came on the church because God promised that He would send Him and He promised Him only to the church that Jesus built. He wasn’t promised to the Pentecostals not the charismatics therefore they cannot get the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They cannot have it. A man ended a funeral sermon with the following question: “Have you been baptized by the Holy Ghost since you were saved?” I wanted to stand up and say: “No, I haven’t, but I’m a member of the only organization that was baptized by the Holy Spirit more than nineteen centuries ago.”

If the charismatics want the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let them pray—let them pray louder. Let them shout, let them shout louder and longer. Let them sing—let them crank up the music. Let them dance and even go into a trance. But regardless of what they do—regardless of how hard they try—they will never get the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For the baptism of the Holy Spirit has already come and gone and they were not at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost to receive it. They were not even in existence. They are almost 2,000 years too late and thousands of miles away. There is only one way for them to claim baptism of the Holy Spirit. They can do it by repenting of their sins and of their false doctrines and by trusting Christ as Savior and getting baptized at the hands of an old-time Baptist Church and becoming a member of her. 

Since this great power has been entrusted to the Lord’s churches let us use it for the right purpose. Let us carry the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world. Let us baptize those that get saved. Let us teach the church to observe everything that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded. Then let us claim His great promise— “. . . I am with you alway, even until the end of the world.”

“UNTO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH BY CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL AGES, WORLD WITHOUT END.” 

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