Written by Bro. Josh Sparks on March 15th 2009.

Jesus made a very powerful statement concerning His Church. (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. Peter is not the rock the church is built on neither is he the one who is building the church. Peter in verse 19 was given the keys to the Kingdom and we believe those keys were used to unlock the door of salvation to the Jews (Acts 2:38 ) and the Gentiles (Acts 10:46-48 ).  Jesus declared I will build my church and the gates of hell or the grave (Strong’s G # 86)cannot prevail against it or overpower it. Paul reiteratedthis doctrine of the grave not being able to overpower the church when writing to the church in Corinth. ( 1 Corinthians 15: 51-52) 51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,  52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The commission to Preach the Gospel was given to the disciples after Jesus had risen from the dead. We will post the 3 accounts as found in the book of Matthew, Mark and Luke. In these 3 accounts we will see Jesus command to His disciples to go was not without instructions and commands. The were some principal doctrines established and these were implemented by our Lord Jesus and not prefabricated by the thoughts and desires of men. Below is listed the passages concerning Jesus commission to his disciples.

(Matthew 28:18-20) 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name (singular)  of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

(Mark 16:15-18 ) 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

(Luke 24:46-49) 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48And ye are witnesses of these things. 49And, 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.

Jesus told his disciples to tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they be endued or clothed with power from on high. Jesus spent 40 days after his resurrection with the disciples teaching them and speaking to them plainly of the father. ( John 16:25)These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. After Jesus rose from the dead he opened up their understanding of the scriptures (Luke 24:45)Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. Although the next statement I am going to make might not set well withthe religious it is still the absolute truth . The disciples walked withJesus for 3 and 1/2 years and still didn’t know Him. They were withHim and saw all the miracles and signs and the dead being raised and devils being cast out. They saw Jesus walk on the water and clam the storms and the ragging sea but still didn’t know Him. They walked with Him adnwas sent out along with the seventy (Luke 10:1) who was sent out two by two and the sick was healed and devils cast out in Jesus Name and Jesus told them He gave them power (Luke 10:19)Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. But they were granted this temporary manifestation of power through Jesusname but was not clothed with Power until they were baptized in the Holy Ghost.

In Acts Chapter 1 we see Jesus giving the disciples some further instructions concerning the Kingdom and the Power needed to establish the Kingdom through living witnesses. A witness is not a witness in word only but in demonstration as well. ( Acts 1: 1-8 ) 1The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4And, 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. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7And 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. 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.

Jesus spoke more directly to the disciples concerning the Kingdom of God and the need to receive the power of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. After they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost the church was born and men and women began pressing their way into the Kingdom of God through being born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3:5, Acts 2:38 ). This brings me to the subject I am wanting to wrote about which is this. There were certain principle doctrines or chief doctrines if you will that Jesus delivered to His disciples. These we must understand and full grasp being built upon them because they are part of the very foundational structure of the Church. ( Ephesians 2:20-21)  20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. Paul declares in ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-11) 10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Paul writing to the Hebrews outlined for us these very principle or first doctrines of Jesus Christ that must be laid which is our foundation and if it is not laid we can never go on to perfection (maturity or completeness) until these foundation principles are set in order. The church understands a few of these principle or first doctrines or teachings established by Jesus Christ and make a mess out of the others. Paul told Timothy in ( 1 Timothy 1:1-4) 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 2Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

Paul also wrote to Timothy about a time (our time) when people wouldn’t endure sound doctrine ( 2 Timothy 4:3)For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. To endure means t hold ones self up against. To put up with or to bear with. To forbear or suffer. Paul goes on to say this would result in the turning away their ears from the truth and bringing in the ear ticklers because men driven by their lusts would rather be on the pacifierrather then the meat of the truth of God’s Word. ( Hebrews 6:1-3) 1Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3And this will we do, if God permit. In these verses of scripture we see the very first doctrines or teachings of Jesus Christ that make up the foundation we are built upon as the church. There are 6 principle or first teachings or doctrines we must have laid in our lives as a foundation. 1) Repentance from dead works. 2) Faith Toward God. 3) The Doctrine of Baptisms (plural which consists of Water and Spirit). 4) Laying on of hands. 5) The resurrection from the dead. 6) Eternal Judgement. These very basic doctrines must be understood and must be part of the foundation of the church. As I stated earlier we have a few of these as part of our foundation, namely, repentance from dead works, faith toward God and the doctrine of baptisms. But to say the church has an understanding of the laying on of hands and the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgement is stretching the truth. So many believe laying on of hands is just good for praying for the sick and never mention it is for ordination and that the Holy Ghost was given by the laying on of hands of the Apostles . Most believe the dead will be resurrected but teach the dead go to heaven or hell and receive their reward and if that was the case there is no need for a resurrection and they have false teachings concerning eternal judgement as well. The righteous inherit everlasting life (Romans 6:23) and the wicked become ashes under the soles of our feet (Malachi 4:3). These 6 foundational doctrines we will examine over the next few days one by one and we will consult the Word of God and as mandated by the Holy Ghost lay this foundation so we can go on to perfection in Jesus Christ as a church. We are not seeing revival because revival comes to those who have these foundational principals in their lives already laid as a foundation of their faith in Jesus Christ and all 6 principles are covered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the days and weeks to come as I stated we will look at all 6 foundational doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ one by one and set in order the things that are wanting. (Titus 1:5) For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. The word wanting means the things that are absent. If we desire to see the outpouring of the Holy Ghost the first church did we must preach and teach the same message they preached as was established by Jesus Christ. Our next article we will discuss Repentance from Dead Works. Please continue to come and read as we sit in order the things absent from the teachings and understanding of the church of Jesus Christ to bring the body unto perfection in Jesus. May God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ. In His Grip, Bro. Josh Sparks.