One time when I preached at West Union, Missouri, Church of Christ. I called a brother who had been out of service a long time, encouraging him to come back. You know what he said? "My hogs are out and the fences down." Well, they say a poor excuse is better than none. I suppose this would be it.

Daniel 2:44 says the church or kingdom will stand forever. Well, that settles it.

The changeless sun, the changeless moon and stars. The changeless God and the changeless Christ. Therefore, the changeless Church. The Church is bound by its constituency to be changeless. Change means inconstant, mutable, fickle and uncertain. A church that embraces any of these characteristics is not the Church that Christ built.

The Church in the new testament is changeless. Why? Conceived in the mind of God—His infinite wisdom.

Isaiah 1:1-2 says. "Hear oh heavens and give ear, oh earth. The lord has spoken." What does it mean? It simply means when God spoke he meant for heaven and earth to listen and, I might say, obey Him.

In my 26 years of preaching, or endeavoring to preach, I've never preached a sermon that I didn't have that in mind. In other words: God said it, I believe it, that settles it! Why try to argue with God?

What was the Church for? The saving of mankind. It is a divine institution. II Peter 1:3-4 "...according to His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue." Meaning a pure life. When we obey the gospel, all our sins are forgiven. Then what?

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises - - that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. There we have it! Whosoever will, let him or her come, whether we are black, white, red or yellow. We can come. Christ died for all. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says. "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Rest for what? The next verse says for our souls.

But more about God. God is not inconstant - -mutable - - fickle. The Church is not founded on such a character.

God is infallible with respect to His wisdom and understanding.

He is forever the same. Want proof? Here it is. James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning."

In Mal. 3:6 God says, "I am the Lord. I change not"

What God designs and executes, He does not need to change. The Church today is no more subject to change than God. God does not do things by experimenting.

What man makes he has to change or at least does.

Let me give you an illustration. A few years ago the Ford people would come out with a new model with this announcement: "37 changes!" They tried to make you believe if you had a car one year old and was on a trip if you didn't rush in and trade for a new model, you would never get home. Don't anyone get offended at us for using a Ford for illustration. That's the way they all did.

Some take exception to this by sighting the old law. Remember this was for a specific people in a specific climate. The Sabbath was made for man. Not man for the Sabbath. I remember in Jesus' personal ministry in John 6, after Jesus had fed the thousands with five barley loaves and two fishes, five thousand in number picked up the scraps, had twelve baskets full left over. What a miracle! What happened then when there was no more free food? The multitudes turned away. Jesus then turned to the twelve and asked, "Will you also go away?" Peter spoke up and said, "Lord, to whom shall we go. Thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that Thou are that Christ, the Son of the living God."

This confession is the one we are going to have to make sooner or later. I hope it is sooner, because later might be too late. Please turn and read Phil. 2:8 through verse 11. Friends, today is a new week, a new day, the first day of the week. In Acts 20:7, the disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Acts 11:26.

What's better than coming together on the first day to break bread, sing and pray. Remember we must put God first in our lives. Sometimes my brethren run off fishing on Sunday morning and fish all day, then want to come back to worship on Sunday night. Brethren, it won't work, I know of some having sickness. One stayed at home Sunday morning to attend the sick, the other mate went on to worship, then that night they reversed it and the other one went to worship at Night. That is a vast difference than going fishing all day, putting our Lord behind rather than first.

Now what is the Church? Eph, 2:20 "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." What is a cornerstone? The stone uniting two sides together. The Jews and Gentiles.

What set it up? I Cor. 12:28 - God set them in the Church. In Acts 2:47 it says the Lord added to the Church. So I know the Church was in existence 1900 years ago. How could you add to something that didn't exist? You can't!

The apostles were the nucleus of the Church—or the beginning. Surely we don't think God was unable to build or start the Church. Jesus promised to build. Read Matt. 16:18.

Now Jesus never said He would build a Hancock church or any other man-made church, but His own Church. What did it cost? The saviour's blood. Acts 20:28.

In Cor. 1:2 Paul said it was the Church of God. God is the family name. Hence Acts 20:28 - - the Church of God. Who was It that died? It wasn't God the Father. It was God, the Son. One describes this as a child leaving high school to college.

We need to be thankful He changed it. The law of Moses was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Gal. 3:24. Schoolmaster in this sense means a gathering up. Therefore our bus drivers today might be called the school master gathering up the children to be taught. So we are to be taught by Christ and the apostles.

Of course, there were some who helped write the Bible that were not apostles, but they were inspired, II Timothy 3:16.

Another reason the Church is changeless: Christ is its head. Col. 1: 18, "... he is the head of the body the church: who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead: that in all things he might have the preeminence."

Therefore the Church cannot change unless Christ changes. In His official position, He is changeless, Heb. 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and for ever."

He came to do a job. He went back to do a job. He is our mediator day and night. We have an open line to heaven. No taxes! No toll! Do you know of anything else that's free—no taxes? I don't. If they don't change their ways in Washington they will be trying to tax the air we breathe. I'm thankful to live in the Ozarks where I can breathe.

Everything that lives continued to live in the place ordained. Who can change it? Take the fish. Water holds the elements provided for it's life. On the other hand, we cannot live in the water. Acts 17:26, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation. "This verse proves that man is not going to live in outer space. That's God's domain.

Man lives his spiritual life in the Church. The spiritual things are in the Church for our spiritual benefit. Want proof? Eph. 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." Now we can plainly see if they are all in Christ—and they are—then, there is no spiritual blessings outside of Christ. There is simply no way to live a spiritual life outside of Christ and the Church.

When I baptize people, I baptize them into Christ. Gal. 3:27. What happens then. The lord, not man, adds the people that are baptized into Christ to the Church. What church? The one Christ died for. How many are there? For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body. I Cor. 12:13 What is the body? The body is the Church. Col. 1:18.

In the natural life we must have food, water, air—the same as Cain and Abel had to have. Will we debate about the necessities of life? How in the name of all that is High and Holy do we think we can live our spiritual life outside the Church. Friends, there is no way.

In Gen, 1:11-12, every thing to come after its kind and its seed, is in itself. If we look at the germ in the seed we can't tell whether its alive or dead. If its alive, it will grow after its kind and produce the same thing that we planted. Do you children that are here like popcorn? Oh yes, here is one that does. She is shaking her head yes, Now let me ask, sometime this winter when Mother is going to town, are you going to say. "Mother bring me home some watermelon seed, I want to grow some popcorn next summer?" Now question, how do we think we can change the spiritual laws. God cleansed the Church by the washing of water by the Word. Eph. 5:26. That equals John 3:5.

Jesus in John 6:53 says. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."

Now we know we can't eat His literal flesh and drink His literal blood. But we have the Lords supper, It belongs in the Church. It would do no good for a bunch of drunks to meet in a pool hall and pretend to have the Lord's supper. It belongs In the Church.

It's a privilege to surround the Lord's supper on the first day of the week. Luke 22:19. We live by the same law that the saints in Jerusalem did. We read in Acts 2:42 that the disciples continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

The law of the Christian life has not changed. I Cor. 15:58, "Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

The name of the Church has not changed, Rom. 16:16 - The Churches of Christ salute you. The Church of God has not changed. I Cor. 1:2.

In Acts 20:28 it says, "feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." So it was God the Son who died, not God the Father.

Individual members were called Christians first in Antioch. Acts 11:26. 1 Peter 4:16. "if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

Now you can't say Christian without saying Christ. A Christian means Christ-like or a follower of Christ. In all these parts concerning Christ they have not changed. Then the Church is changeless.

The Church of God—The Church of Christ on earth—is one and the same institution.

It was to he an everlasting kingdom. Dan. 2:44-45 (please read). Daniel said all these kingdoms shall be as chaff. Christ didn't come to bring religion, He came to bring Christianity. Col. 1:13 says God has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. It is God that forgives us, adds us to the Church on earth—adds our name to the lamb's book of life in heaven— then starts watching over us. I Peter 3:12.

Someone says what about all these kingdoms today. Will you let the Bible answer? Matt. 15:13. "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Someone says again, What about the hypocrites in the Church? Well the Bible tells us. Matt. 13:41 has this to say. "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."

Man is mortal, but God is immortal. God is the life of the Church. He cannot lie. Heb. & Titus. It is an everlasting kingdom. It has borne the onslaughter of man for years.

Jer. 10:23 has this to say, "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Now if we can't direct our steps, where can we go? Only to the Lord and his Word.

Luke 8:11 still says the Word is the seed. Seed of what? Seed of the kingdom. Plant the seed—God's Word— and it will bring forth a child of God. Nothing more, nothing less. Many kingdoms in the past were thought to be impregnable but are long since sleeping in the dust of the ages. There are many today bent on destroying the Church and would if they could, but God said it was an unmovable kingdom. John 12:48 says "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

Now according to prophecy, history, reason and plain New Testament teaching, THE Church Christ built is a changeless Church.

Let us look at it as Soloman did. Sol. 6:10, "Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." The sun comes up every morning, even Satan can't stop it. Eph. 6:17, "take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Take the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and run Satan completely out of sight.

Friends do you want to he a member of that Changeless Church? Well you can, Hogs out and fences down won't keep you from obeying the Gospel. Christ is coming, to save the Church. Eph. 5:23, "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." The body and church are the same.

Col. 1:18. "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence". If we are not willing and ready to let him have the preeminence, we are not ready to let him be our Savior.

In Acts 16:31 the jailor asked what to do to he saved. What did they tell him? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, What brought all this about? Paul and Silas had been cast into jail, feet fast in the stocks, sang praises and prayed at midnight, The Lord sent an earthquake, the jail doors all opened, Did the prisoners leave? NO!! The jailer thought the prisoners were gone and he was going to kill himself. Paul told him "do thyself no harm: for we are all here." That's when he came trembling in and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Was believing on the Lord all they told him to do? No, the next verse they preached unto him the Word of the lord. Does anyone think they just hollered Lord - Lord - Lord at him? Well they told him to be baptized, You can't preach, Jesus without preaching baptism. So he was baptized the same hour of the night. He and all his straightway set meat before them and rejoiced. No. Faith only won't do. Faith gives us power to be saved. John 1:1 1-12. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name," Please read John 6:44-45.

I Cor, 2:13, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." Spirit the teacher, water the element. Over 300 differunt churches in the United States, yet in Eph. 4:5 it says one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Friends, if you can harmonize this you are smarter than I am, God said it, I believe it, That settles it.

Friend, Jesus stands at the door of your heart knocking to come in. Rev. 3:20. Will you let him in? In compassion He says, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Mat. 11:28-29.

Friends you say, what do I get for all this? First, the Lord will add you to the Church here on earth; add your name to the Lamb's book of life in heaven, then start watching over you. I Pet. 3:12. Then at death we won't have to cross Jordan alone. Psalms 23:4. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Friends, you can't do wrong by doing right. You can't do wrong by doing exactly what God said. God said it. I believe it. That settles it.

Friends at your very earliest convenience obey the Gospel by being baptized into Christ for the remission of sins, live the Christian life. Live to die - (lie to live eternally in heaven, with Christ and all the redeemed. I pray you will. Let it be so. Amen.

The Bible is right!