While driving in another town last week, I happened by a church building with a strange message on their sign. Apparently they were having a service or dinner in honor of their pastor. The message on their sign simply read, "In honor of our founder and pastor."

While it is nice that a congregation thinks enough of their "founder and pastor" to honor him (or her, as the case may be now days), reading the message on the sign got me to thinking about whether or not I would want to be designated as the "founder and pastor" of a church?

The word "founder" means "a person who founds or establishes." The word "found" means "to lay the base of; set for support; to begin to build or organize; bring into being; establish; set up" (Webster's Dictionary). Everything that exists today (including all the different churches) has been founded by someone. History records the names, dates, and places where denominational churches were founded.

The Lutheran Church is a product of the Protestant Reformation. It was founded upon the teachings and influence of Martin Luther who lived in the 1500's. The Presbyterian Church is based upon the teachings and work of John Calvin who, like Luther, lived in Europe during the 1500's. The Baptist Church was founded in the early 1600's in London, England, by a man named John Smyth (not John the Baptist, as I have heard some Baptists claim). The Methodist Church can be traced back to the efforts of John Wesley at Oxford University in England in 1729. The Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints) was founded by Joseph Smith on April 16, 1830, in Fayette, New York. Charles T. Russell founded the group that calls itself the Jehovah's Witness. Although it was not until 1931 that they went by the name "Jehovah's Witness," the group had a headquarters in Brooklyn, NY, in 1908.

Secular history has much to reveal about the founders of denominations and the churches of men. However, the Bible also has something to say about the founder of the church. By using the definition for the word "found" as stated above, we can see that Jesus is the man who should be credited for founding the church.

"to lay the base of" - Jesus is the base or foundation of the church. It has been built upon both His identity as the Son of God as well as His teaching. Despite the claims and efforts of men to establish their own churches, Paul said, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11). If no other foundation can be laid than Jesus, how can any man other than Jesus be the founder of the church?

"to begin to build or organize" - Jesus is the one who built the church. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). The Lord's church was not built by Peter, Paul, John the Baptist, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Joseph Smith, or any other man. It was built by Jesus Christ. If Jesus was the one who built the church, how can we refer to any other man as "the founder of the church?"

"bring into being" - By definition, a "founder" is one who brings something into existence. The Bible teaches that it was Jesus who brought the church into existence. The establishment of the church is recorded in Acts chapter two.

Jesus had told His apostles to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. Once the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they were to bear witness of His resurrection and preach the gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:47-49, Acts 1:8). In Acts two, the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles in such a manner that a crowd assembled and wondered what had happened. Peter took advantage of this opportunity to preach the first gospel sermon. In the sermon, he said that Jesus was the one who had poured forth the Holy Spirit, empowering the apostles to preach the gospel (Acts 2:32-33).

The result of this first gospel sermon was the establishment of the church. Prior to Acts chapter two, the church is always mentioned in the future sense (Matt. 16:18, 18:17). At the end of Acts two, the church is spoken of as being in existence. "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). The church was "brought into being" by Jesus when He poured forth the Holy Spirit upon the apostles in Acts chapter two. How can any man today claim to have done (or be credited with doing) what Jesus has already done?

The fact that the various denominations and churches of men have human founders should indicate to everyone that these churches are not the same as the Lord's church that we can read of in the Bible. While these churches do exist in our world, they do not exist with the Lord's approval and they will not survive His judgment. "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted" (Matt. 15:13).

I want to be a member of the church that was founded upon, built by, and brought into existence by the Lord - not by any man! The Lord only built one church (Matt. 16:18), and He will only save one church (Eph. 5:23).