The History of the Church of Christ – Lesson 5

In our previous lessons, we traced the church from its prophecy and establishment through the first centuries of growth, apostasy, and reformation attempts. In this lesson, we examine developments from the late 1700s into the early 1800s, focusing on religious movements, doctrinal shifts, and the beginnings of the Restoration plea.

The late 1700s saw the birth of Methodism, founded by John Wesley, whose disciplined “Holy Club” at Oxford gave the movement its name. Wesley’s perfectionism—teaching that believers could reach a near-sinless state—was rejected by most Methodists but carried on in Holiness groups and the Nazarene church. In America, Methodist circuit riders brought religion to rural areas, shaping frontier faith.

The First Great Awakening swept across the American colonies, stirring revival and deep emotional preaching. Its fervor influenced the American Revolution, creating a culture where religious freedom could flourish. With the First Amendment, no church would be established by the state. This allowed for a variety of groups, such as the Unitarian Universalists, who merged belief in universal salvation with a strong social service ethic, but without commitment to biblical preaching.

Meanwhile in Europe, theological liberalism was gaining ground. The German Tübingen school questioned the authorship of Scripture, denied miracles, and reduced Christ to merely a moral teacher. Such thinking crossed the Atlantic, encouraging naturalistic “explanations” for miracles. Some claimed Jesus walking on water was a shoreline illusion, or the feeding of 5,000 was just people sharing hidden food. These views emptied Scripture of its divine power.

Responses varied. The Plymouth Brethren arose, rejecting denominationalism and emphasizing simple, autonomous congregations focused on Bible study. The Salvation Army, founded by William Booth, combined evangelism with organized social service. Other movements included the Shakers, practicing celibacy and communal living; the Mormons, built on Joseph Smith’s visions and later divided into Utah and Missouri branches; the Seventh-day Adventists, emerging from William Miller’s failed prophecies and emphasizing health reforms; Christian Science, teaching that sickness and death were illusions; and Jehovah’s Witnesses, predicting Christ’s return dates and denying His deity.

Amid this religious diversity, the Restoration Movement was born. Unlike the Protestant Reformation, which sought to fix Catholicism, restoration leaders sought to return entirely to the New Testament pattern. Their plea was simple: no creeds, no denominational names, no man-made doctrines—only the Bible as our guide. This call was and remains vital, for history shows how easily God’s people can drift from His pattern.

The lesson is clear: history warns us to be vigilant, to hold to God’s Word, and to reject both doctrinal innovation and spiritual complacency. The work of restoration is never finished.

The History of the Church of Christ – Lesson 5 Sermon Outline:

I. Introduction & Review
A. Review of prophecy, establishment, and early departures (Isaiah 2:2–3; Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2)
B. Importance of historical awareness (Romans 15:4)
C. Scope: late 1700s–early 1800s developments

II. The Rise of Methodism
A. John Wesley and the Oxford “Holy Club”
 1. Disciplined spiritual practice
 2. Origin of the term “Methodist”
B. Doctrine of perfectionism (“double cure”)
 1. Near-sinless Christian life possible
 2. Retained by Nazarene and Holiness churches
C. Spread in America through circuit riders

III. The First Great Awakening
A. Emotional revivalism
B. Influence on American independence
C. New energy in church life

IV. Religious Freedom in the Constitution
A. First Amendment guarantees
B. Rise of diverse movements
C. Example: Unitarian Universalist Church
 1. Universal salvation
 2. Social activism without biblical teaching

V. Liberal Theology in Europe
A. The German Tübingen school
 1. Denial of miracles
 2. Questioning Scripture’s authorship (2 Peter 1:20–21)
 3. Christ reduced to moral teacher
B. Impact on American theology

VI. Skeptical Approaches to Miracles
A. Naturalistic explanations (walking on water, feeding 5,000)
B. Consequences of removing the supernatural

VII. Reactions and Counter-Movements
A. Plymouth Brethren: simplicity and autonomy
B. Salvation Army: evangelism and social service

VIII. Other Religious Movements
A. Shakers: celibacy and decline
B. Mormons: Joseph Smith, Utah & Missouri branches
C. Seventh-day Adventists: prophecy failure, health reforms
D. Christian Science: denial of physical reality
E. Jehovah’s Witnesses: predicted returns, denial of Christ’s deity

IX. The Restoration Movement
A. Desire for full return to NT pattern (Galatians 1:6–9)
B. Leaders in Scotland, England, and America
C. Reformation vs. restoration distinction

X. Application for Today
A. Guard against drift (Hebrews 2:1)
B. Reject liberalism and sectarianism
C. Keep Scripture as sole authority (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

XI. Conclusion
A. History as both warning and encouragement
B. Call to continue restoration today

Call to Action:
We are heirs to the Restoration plea. Hold fast to God’s Word. Refuse to let tradition or innovation replace divine truth. Dedicate yourself to knowing Scripture and living by it so the church remains the body Christ built, uncorrupted by human doctrines.

Key Takeaways:

• History warns us to guard against drift (Hebrews 2:1)

• Liberal theology undermines faith (2 Peter 1:20–21)

• Restoration requires full commitment to NT authority (Galatians 1:6–9)

• Religious freedom allows truth to flourish but also enables error (Romans 15:4)

Scripture Reference List:

• Isaiah 2:2–3 — Prophecy of the church

• Joel 2:28–32 — Outpouring of the Spirit

• Acts 2 — Church established

• Romans 15:4 — Learning from history

• 2 Peter 1:20–21 — Divine origin of Scripture

• Galatians 1:6–9 — No other gospel

• Hebrews 2:1 — Guard against drifting

• 2 Timothy 3:16–17 — Sufficiency of Scripture

Prepared by Bobby Stafford of the church of Christ at Granby, MO