How the Church Is Misrepresented
Text: Matthew 5:11; Acts 28:22
Series: Restoration Sermons
Date:
Speaker: Ed Rangel
Location: Waupaca Church of Christ
Bible Version: NASB 1995
Sermon Type: Expository
Learning Objectives
By the close of this lesson the hearer should be able to:
- Recognize the common misrepresentations of the New Testament church and answer them from Scripture.
- Explain what the Bible actually teaches about the heart, conversion, and the Spirit's work.
- Answer the "water salvation" charge without surrendering what Scripture says about baptism.
Thesis
The New Testament church is often misrepresented — as a man-made movement, as cold, as opposed to the heart and the Spirit — but Scripture answers every charge: we plead for Bible religion that engages the whole heart and obeys the gospel the Spirit revealed.
Burden
The early church was "spoken against everywhere" (Acts 28:22), and so is any church that simply tries to be the New Testament church and nothing more. Some of what is said against us is honest misunderstanding; some is careless repetition of a charge already answered. the is blunt about the latter: no honest man keeps circulating a false report after it has been corrected. So we will not return insult for insult. We will set the misrepresentation beside the Scripture and let the truth do its quiet work.
Introduction
Evil reports do real damage, and it is sinful to spread them. Jesus told His own that men would "say all kinds of evil against you falsely" (Matt. 5:11); Paul heard the gospel called a "sect... spoken against everywhere" (Acts 28:22). The outline lists the misrepresentations, gives the truth in reply, and then answers the deepest one — the charge that we slight the heart.
I. The Misrepresentations (Matt. 5:11)
The common charges run like this: that a man (in our setting, a Restoration figure such as Alexander Campbell) founded "our church"; that we are narrow-minded and selfish; that we try to monopolize the name "Christian"; that we do not believe in "heartfelt religion" or a "change of heart"; that we deny the Holy Spirit's work in conversion; and that we believe in "water salvation." Stated that way, they sound damning. Tested by Scripture, every one of them falls.
II. The Truth in Reply (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16)
Point by point:
- No man founded the church. Christ built it (Matt. 16:18); I belong to the church of God, not to any man's movement. Restoration preachers sought to restore the New Testament church, not to start a new one.
- Creeds and denominations are what narrow the faith; we have no creed but the Bible — and a plea to follow only the Scriptures is the opposite of narrow.
- We do not monopolize "Christian"; we want everyone to wear that name only — and to be worthy of it (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16).
- We do not deny heartfelt religion; true religion engages the whole man, heart included (see point III).
- We do believe in a change of heart — Scripture describes exactly how it happens: hearts purified by faith (Acts 15:9), souls purified in obeying the truth (1 Pet. 1:22), hearts cleansed as we draw near to God (Jas. 4:8).
- We do not deny the Holy Spirit's work in conversion. The Spirit convicts the world (John 16:8) and converts sinners — through the gospel He inspired (Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 1:23). What we deny is a conversion that bypasses the Spirit's word, not the Spirit Himself.
- We do not teach "water salvation." We teach what the Bible teaches about baptism (Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). The blood of Christ saves; baptism is the appointed place where the believing penitent contacts that blood. To believe what Scripture says about baptism is not to worship water.
III. What Is the Heart? (Rom. 6:17; Rom. 10:10)
The charge that we slight the heart misunderstands what the heart is. In Scripture the heart is not mere emotion; it is the whole inner man:
- it thinks (Matt. 9:4);
- it understands (Matt. 13:15);
- it believes — "with the heart a person believes" (Rom. 10:10);
- it loves — "love the Lord your God with all your heart" (Matt. 22:37);
- it obeys — "you became obedient from the heart" (Rom. 6:17).
So the gospel does not bypass the heart; it captures it. A faith that thinks, understands, believes, loves, and then obeys from the heart — that is "heartfelt religion," and it is exactly what we preach. The emotion that never reaches obedience is not the biblical heart; the obedience that never engaged the affections is not either. Scripture asks for both, joined.
Application
Two responsibilities fall out of this. First, do not circulate what you have not checked — about a church, a brother, anyone; the honest man stops repeating a charge once it is corrected (and so should we when we are tempted to misrepresent others). Second, make sure the charge is false in your own case. If someone says our religion is heartless, let them not be able to prove it by you. Let your obedience be warm and your warmth obedient. Believe with the heart, love with the heart, and obey from the heart, so that the answer to every misrepresentation is simply your life.
Conclusion
The New Testament church has always been spoken against, and answering slander with Scripture is part of bearing the name. No man founded it; it is not narrow to follow only the Bible; it honors the heart, the Spirit, and the blood of Christ. Let the truth correct the report — and let our lives leave the slander nothing to stand on.
Invitation
The gospel we are charged with "narrowing" is wide enough for you. It asks for your whole heart — to believe with it, to turn with it, to obey from it — as you believe in Christ, repent, confess Him, and are baptized for the remission of your sins (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:38). That is not water salvation; it is salvation in the blood of Christ, received as He commanded. Give Him your heart and your obedience together today. Come while we sing.
Word Study
| English Term | Greek Term | Basic Meaning | Usage in This Sermon | Sermon Significance | Key Texts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spoken against | antilegō | contradicted, opposed | the standing posture of the world toward the apostolic faith | the standing posture of the world toward the apostolic faith | Acts 28:22 |
| Heart | kardia | in Scripture the seat of thought, will, and affection | the whole inner person, not feeling alone | the whole inner person, not feeling alone | — |
Scripture Interlock Table
| Theme | Boles' Outline | Supporting Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| The church spoken against | Intro | Matt. 5:11; Acts 28:22 |
| Christ, not a man, built it | II.1 | Matt. 16:18 |
| The name Christian | II.3 | Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16 |
| How the heart is changed | II.5 | Acts 15:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; Jas. 4:8 |
| The Spirit converts through the word | II.6 | John 16:8; Rom. 10:17 |
| Bible teaching on baptism | II.7 | Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21 |
| The heart thinks, believes, loves, obeys | III | Matt. 9:4; Rom. 10:10; 6:17 |
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Converted from H. Leo Boles, Outline 22. Doctrinal audit: core-framework — answers anti-Restoration misrepresentations; affirms the Spirit works in conversion THROUGH the inspired word (not by direct operation, and not denied); defends Bible teaching on baptism against the "water salvation" slur (blood saves; baptism the appointed contact). No correction. Style audit: OCR cleanup ("CHURCHIS"→"Church Is"); corrected source ref "John 15:8"→John 16:8 (the Spirit's convicting work in conversion, the point Boles is making) — flagged in audit. "Alexander Campbell" retained as the historical figure the misrepresentation names.
