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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

ALL THE BIBLE CHURCHES WERE INDEPENDENT
EXODUS 25:40 ACTS 7:42-45

Remember that we have chosen these verses as text verses because they show that when God gives a pattern or plan for building or operating a thing, God wants that plan or pattern followed to a tee. If this be true, then God wants every one of His churches to follow the pattern or example of the new testament church which He built. If the pattern churches which God gave us were independent, then so should we be also.

The last message showed the difference between the structure of an independent church and an organization church.

II. While there were no organization churches in the Bible, there were plenty of independent churches:

A. When we look back at the Bible and see the Bible churches, the only God given pattern we have to follow, we see only one type church structure. that of a strictly independent church:

1. As the previously suggested examination of scriptures will show, there simply were no organizations of churches in the Bible.

2. It is a historical fact that church organizations first originated long after the completion of the new testament.

B. Look at the Bible churches:

1. Consider the very first church that ever existed:

a. It was built by Jesus Christ himself:

(1) Mt. 16:17-18 Jesus said He'd build his church, and when He was doing this talking, He spoke to His apostles.
(2) These apostles were the first members of that first church, I Cor. 12:28.
(3) When that church first began to function as a church, these Apostles were named as being in it (Acts 1:13) and there were others in it too, bringing the number to about 120 people or members, (Acts 1:14-15).
(4) This church met in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12); they were a church (Acts 2:47), and soon became known as "the church which was at Jerusalem" Acts 8:1.
(5) By looking at the people Jesus put into His church, and seeing where they went, it is easy to establish that the church in Jerusalem was the church which Jesus built.

b. Now, who could argue that if there ever was a pattern church to follow, then this church is it?

(1) If Jesus himself doesn't know how to properly set up a church, who would?
(2) And if we can't follow the pattern which the Lord himself set up, then who could say what the pattern is or how a church should be set up? (If there be no guidelines or rules about what it takes to constitute a right church, then anybody could do anything he wanted to and still call it a church.)
(3) Unquestionably, the church which Jesus built is the pattern for us to follow.

c. Let it be carefully noted that there never existed a church before Jesus built the Jerusalem church:

(1) That church was the very first one that ever existed upon the face of the earth.
(2) And, it was only later, after its beginning, that other churches sprang up; and all of these resulted from efforts put forth by the Jerusalem church. (These secondary churches established others, and they others, etc.)
(3) So, the records bear out that from the beginning of the Jerusalem church until several days, weeks, and probably months passed; it was the only church in existence.

d. The conclusion is evident: it had to be an independent church:

(1) There were no other churches with which it could organize.

(2) It would be irrelevant to discuss whether or not it would have if it could have (time proved it wouldn't), the fact is it was not organized. It was absolutely independent.
(3) So, when you look at the original, God ordained pattern for scriptural light about the structure of a church, the only possible conclusion you can draw is that it must be independent.

2. Furthermore, all the other churches which later sprang up in the new testament were independent.

a. As time went by, churches were formed in Antioch Acts 13:1, Corinth I Cor. 1:2, Ephesus Rev. 2:1, Phillippi Phil. 4:15, in Galacia I Cor. 16:1, Rome Rom. 16:1-27, and in many other places.

b. They preached, prayed, sang, sent and supported missionaries, gave and did many things, but they never formed an organization of churches.

c. There's no evidence to support any position except that each church solely ran its own affairs, and followed the leadership of the Lord strictly, separately and apart from all the other churches.

d. No structure except the independent structure is ever seen in the scriptures, which picture the Bible day churches.

III. We believe we should follow the scriptural example:

A. The Bible shows us that it is God who is running the show and giving the orders; we are only to follow His leadership:

1. In Mt. 4:19, Mk. 2:14, Lk. 5:27, Mt. 16:24, Mt. 19:21, and many other passages He says "follow me" not that He will ever follow us or our leadership. Listen to Him in Jn. 12:26 "if any man serve me, let him follow me."

2. Eph. 5:23 calls Him "the head of the church" and it is a fact that the head tells the body what to do; not vice-versa.

3. The Bible calls Him "captain" of our salvation (Heb. 2:10), "The author and finisher of our faith." Heb. 12:2.

4. Too often men and churches figure they have the right to enter into the realm of command:

a. They set themselves up to change God's plans and methods.

b. They are not content to follow; they must enter into helping God run His business.

B. Thus, the Bible often admonishes us to follow God's pattern or instructions in whatever we do:

1. This text of Ex. 25:40 is one which clearly establishes God's thinking on the subject. In simple terms, God is saying, "do it just like I told you to do it."

2. Jn. 4:24 says, "God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." And I Jn. 3:18 says, "My little children let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth:"

a. It is not just a matter of every man doing before God as that man pleases.

b. It is a matter of every man doing before God as God pleases. That is acting in accord with or worshipping in truth indeed since Jn. 17:17 says the word of God is truth.

3. In Lk. 9:23 Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." The scriptural principle is to deny our ways and follow His ways.

4. In I Pet. 2:21 Peter exhorts us "For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps."

C. So the line of Bible argument speaks: In all things we are to follow the scriptural patterns; thus when it comes to determining what kind of structure a church should have (independent or organizational), the church must be independent or otherwise violate the scriptural pattern.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"