Where Is God's True Church?

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

With all of the different churches is there really a way that we can locate God's true, final church? By turning to the pages of God's Holy Word, the answer will become clear.

Old Testament Church

1. Where did Adam and his family worship after being driven out of the Garden of Eden?

“The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God. Here they renewed their vows of obedience to that law the transgression of which had banished them from Eden.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 62.

Answer: At the gate of Paradise.

2. What did Abraham build wherever he pitched his tent?

“And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.” Genesis 12:7,8. “Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 13:4. “Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.” Genesis 13:18.

Answer: An altar.

NOTE: “Abraham, 'the friend of God,' set us a worthy example. His was a life of prayer. Wherever he pitched his tent, close beside it was set up his altar, calling all within his encampment to the morning and evening sacrifice. When his tent was removed, the altar remained. In following years, there were those among the roving Canaanites who received instruction from Abraham; and whenever one of these came to that altar, he knew who had been there before him; and when he had pitched his tent, he repaired the altar, and there worshiped the living God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 128.

3. To whom did the sacrifices presented by the patriarchs point?

“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Acts 10:43.

Answer: To Christ.

NOTE: “Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 366.

“He declared that they had rejected the word of God, inasmuch as they had rejected Him whom God had sent. . . . In every page, whether history, or precept, or prophecy, the Old Testament Scriptures are irradiated with the glory of the Son of God. So far as it was of divine institution, the entire system of Judaism was a compacted prophecy of the gospel. To Christ 'give all the prophets witness.' Acts 10:43. From the promise given to Adam, down through the patriarchal line and the legal economy, heaven's glorious light made plain the footsteps of the Redeemer. Seers beheld the Star of Bethlehem, the Shiloh to come, as future things swept before them in mysterious procession. In every sacrifice Christ's death was shown. In every cloud of incense His righteousness ascended. By every jubilee trumpet His name was sounded. In the awful mystery of the holy of holies His glory dwelt.” The Desire of Ages, page 211.

The Church In The Wilderness

4. Who is said to have been in “the church in the wilderness”?

“This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.” Acts 7:37,38.

Answer: Moses.

NOTE: “'The church in the wilderness,' and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the world's great capital, was the true church of Christ.” The Great Controversy, page 64.

5. When, and by what event, was Israel made a church and a nation?

“And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.” Exodus 19:20.

6. Who led the children of Israel out of Egypt, guiding them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night?

“And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: {true...: Heb. laws of truth} And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.” Nehemiah 9:9-15.

Answer: Christ. When the law was spoken, the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, stood by the side of His Son, enshrouded in the fire and the smoke on the mount.

New Testament Church

7. What was the first recorded step taken to organize the apostolic church?

“And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.” Mark 3:14-19.

Christ The Foundation

8. Upon whom is the Christian church built?

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. . . . 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.” Matthew 16:16,18.

Answer: Upon Jesus [Yahushua] Christ.

NOTE: “'Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' 1 Cor. 3:11. 'Upon this rock,' said Jesus, 'I will build My church.' In the presence of God, and all the heavenly intelligences, in the presence of the unseen army of hell, Christ founded His church upon the living Rock. That Rock is Himself,--His own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail.” The Desire of Ages, page 413.

“Peter had expressed the truth which is the foundation of the church's faith, and Jesus now honored him as the representative of the whole body of believers. He said, 'I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'

'The keys of the kingdom of heaven' are the words of Christ. All the words of Holy Scripture are His, and are here included. These words have power to open and to shut heaven. They declare the conditions upon which men are received or rejected. Thus the work of those who preach God's word is a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. Theirs is a mission weighted with eternal results.

The Saviour did not commit the work of the gospel to Peter individually. At a later time, repeating the words that were spoken to Peter, He applied them directly to the church. And the same in substance was spoken also to the twelve as representatives of the body of believers. If Jesus had delegated any special authority to one of the disciples above the others, we should not find them so often contending as to who should be the greatest. They would have submitted to the wish of their Master, and honored the one whom He had chosen.” The Desire of Ages, pages 413, 414.

9. What did Peter write about the foundation of the church?

“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:4-8.

Answer:

1. “A living stone. . . . chosen of God.”

2. “Chief Cornerstone.”

3. “Elect.”

4. “Precious.”

5. “He that believeth on Him shall not be confounded.”

6. “The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.”

7. “Stone of stumbling.”

8. “A rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient.”

10. What did Paul say concerning the foundation of the church?

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” Ephesians 2:19-21.

NOTE: “The apostles built upon a sure foundation, even the Rock of Ages. To this foundation they brought the stones that they quarried from the world. Not without hindrance did the builders labor. Their work was made exceedingly difficult by the opposition of the enemies of Christ. They had to contend against the bigotry, prejudice, and hatred of those who were building upon a false foundation. Many who wrought as builders of the church could be likened to the builders of the wall in Nehemiah's day, of whom it is written: 'They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.' Nehemiah 4:17.” The Acts of the Apostles, page 596.

11. Has any other foundation for the true church ever been laid?

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1Corinthians 3:11.

12. Who do the Scriptures teach is the head of the church?

“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” Ephesians 1:20-22.

“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.” Ephesians 5:23.

NOTE: “'The head of every man is Christ.' God, who put all things under the Saviour's feet, 'gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.' 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22, 23. The church is built upon Christ as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its head. It is not to depend upon man, or be controlled by man. Many claim that a position of trust in the church gives them authority to dictate what other men shall believe and what they shall do. This claim God does not sanction. The Saviour declares, All ye are brethren. All are exposed to temptation, and are liable to error. Upon no finite being can we depend for guidance. The Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church.” The Desire of Ages, page 414.

“Instead of appointing one to be their head, Christ said to the disciples, 'Be not ye called Rabbi;' 'neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.' Matt. 23:8, 10.” The Desire of Ages, page 414.

Church Of The Firstborn

13. What does the Bible say that the true Church is?

The Church . . is . . the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. Ephesians. 1:22, 23.

Very close and sacred is the relation between Christ and His church--He the bridegroom, and the church the bride; He the head, and the church the body. Connection with Christ, then, involves connection with His church. The church is organized for service; and in a life of service to Christ, connection with the church is one of the first steps. Loyalty to Christ demands the faithful performance of church duties. This is an important part of one's training; and in a church imbued with the Master's life, it will lead directly to effort for the world without. Education, page 268.

14. Who decides who is going to be a church member? Can we decide who is saved and who is not, whose name is written in heaven and whose is not?

Answer: God has given mankind no authority to decide who can be a member and who cannot be a member but to simply recognize those whom He has accepted or rejected.

Marks Of The True Church

15. How can we recognize the true church in these last days?

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.

Answer: We can see from this scripture that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is the people who make void the law, who place themselves on the side of the dragon, and persecute those who vindicate God's precepts.

In the Bible, Jesus gives us eleven descriptive points to use in identifying His end-time true church. Please find below their characteristics.

A. Negatively:

1. It cannot be identified by numbers. Matthew. 7:13, 14.

2. God's people have always been in the minority. Deuteronomy. 7:7; Luke 12:32; Zechariah. 9:16.

B. Positively:

1. It carries out the gospel commission and lives up to its provision. Matthew. 28:18-20; John 3:34.

2. Keeps God's commandments, including the fourth. Exodus.20:3-17; Matthew. 5:17-19; Revelation 12:17; 14:12; 1 John 2:4-7.

3. It believes and holds to the Spirit of Prophecy. Revelation 12:17; 19:10. This is a church of fulfilling prophecy and believing in God's special direction of His people through a latter-day manifestation of the gift of prophecy and the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy. This is a special feature of this movement.

4. It will endure reproach, scorn, and persecution. Revelation 12:11. He who keeps God's commandments will meet ridicule at times, and Satan will make war with him; but a new book of Acts is being written as angels record the faithfulness of God's people, as they endure whatever comes to them anywhere in the world. A great test awaits them, but also a great reward.

It heeds God's voice to come out of Babylon. Revelation 18:1, 2, 4. Out of the modern Babylon of apostasy - both in Rome and the apostate churches of Protestantism - out of confusion, false doctrines, and worldliness, God is calling His people. Thousands of them are coming from every part of the world. They come because God is calling them, and His sheep hear His voice. They separate from the ways of the world (1 John 2:15-17), lay aside its pride and vanity (1 Timothy 2:9-10; 1 Peter 3:3-4), give up its evil ways (2 Corinthians 7:1), and turn to Jesus for salvation. Then by His grace they keep the commandments of God. and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12), The true church, therefore, as you can see, must come out and be separate.

1. It will work and wait for Christ's return: While preaching God's message the world over, this church will continue to look for the coming of Jesus. Revelation 14:12-15.

2. It preaches the gospel of restoration, including the restoration of the creation Sabbath. Acts 3:19-21; Isaiah. 58:1, 12-14; Acts 15:16-18; Isaiah. 56:1-7.

3. It proclaims the Three Angels' Message and the separation message from all organized denominational churches. Revelation. 14:6-12; 18:1-5. That is Present Truth, 2 Peter. 1:12.

4. Present Truth includes the message of the Judgment Hour; the announcement of the fall Of Babylon [Catholic church] and her daughters [All apostate protestant churches]; and a worldwide warning against the beast, his image, and the number of his name.

5. This portion of the message sets the Commandment Keeping Church Movement apart as the true church of God. It is called by the following marks of distinction - (1) A remnant - Revelation. 12:17 (2) They that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus: - Revelation. 14:12

6. It is here in answer of Bible prophecy-

   1. That was true of the Reformation to begin with ­Acts 3:19-21; 15:16.

   2. That is true of the Sabbath Reform Message Isaiah. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14.

   3. God's true church will ever be known by the proclamation of a chain of prophetic truths as outlined in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation Compare Dan. 2;7; 8 with Revelation. 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 18.

16. What must we ever keep in mind about the true church?

Answer:

1. That God's people are different, peculiar; it is because the message makes them peculiar. Titus. 2:14; Romans. 12:1-3,

2. They are not, however, fanatical, but are guided by moderation in their daily life.

3. Philippians. 4:8; their lives are ordered in the light of the seriousness of the time we live in, the judgment hour ­Romans. 13:11-14; Ephesians. 5:17, 18; Revelation 14:6-8.

4. It is encouraging to know that God will continue the work of sanctification among His people until they will have reached the ideal He has set for them. Ephesians. 5:25­,27; Revelation. 14:5, 6; 19:7, 8.

5. That it believes and teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the only infallible rule of our faith and practice. 2 Timothy. 3:15-17; Luke 24:25-28.

6. That Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation, past, present, and future. To Him point the sixty-six books of the Bible. John 5:39, 46-48.

7. That salvation is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Acts 4: 12.

Synagogue Of Satan

17. To what church do our sinful actions reveal that we belong?

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44.

Answer: To the church or synagogue of Satan. It is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

NOTE: Jesus denied that the Jews were children of Abraham. He said, `Ye do the deeds of your father.' In mockery they answered, `We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.' These words, in allusion to the circumstances of His birth, were intended as a thrust against Christ in the presence of those who were beginning to believe on Him. Jesus gave no heed to the base insinuation, but said, `If God were your Father, ye would love Me: for I proceeded forth and came from God.' Their works testified of their relationship to him who was a liar and a murderer. The Desire of Ages, page 467.

18. What fundamental principle did Jesus explain to show whether we are a child of God or a child of Satan?

“Ye do the deeds of your father.” John 8:41, first part.

Answer: This principle of truth shows who is in control of our lives. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Romans 6:16.

NOTE: All that is not in accordance with the known and expressed will of God, is at enmity with God, and has its origin in the synagogue of Satan. The will of God is expressed in His law, and sin is the transgression of the law. Those who disregard the commandments of God, and teach for doctrines the commandments of men, are working in Satan's line, and are in harmony with the great leader of apostasy. When the Jews were claiming Abraham for their father, while not doing the works of Abraham, Jesus said to them: `Ye are of your father the devil.'The Signs of the Times, June 11, 1894 par. 6.

19. How may we cease to become children of the devil and join the true church of God?

“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.” John 1:12.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13.

20. What is God's attitude to those who truly wish to become members of His true church?

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37.

Answer: Let the heart-searching God reprove the erring, and let each one bow before Him in humility and contrition, casting aside all self-righteousness and self-importance, confessing and forsaking every sin, and asking God, in the name of the Redeemer, for pardon. God declares, `Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out' (John 6:37); and those who in sincerity present themselves before Him will be pardoned and justified, and will receive power to become the sons of God.

The Will Of My Father

21. What description did Jesus give of those who are truly members of His church?

“While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Matthew 12:46-50.

Answer: Here is the relationship that exists between Christ and His followers. We occupy this exalted position, if we are indeed doing the will of God. We are to consider ourselves as constituting the family of Christ, and we are to follow Him as dear children. Adopted into the household of God, shall we not honor our Father and our kindred? We have no excuse to plead, for through Jesus we may command all power in Heaven and earth that we may walk worthy of our high calling.

If we are doing the will of God, we are counted as the brethren and sisters of our Master. We are to remember this in our daily life. We are to be in harmony with God, but at enmity with Satan. There is too much fellowship with the prince of darkness. It is not natural for us to bruise Satan under our feet; but we are to close our hearts to the temptations of the evil one, and to open them to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. We are to press toward the mark for the prize of our high calling, exerting every God-given power, that we may be overcomers. We must be constantly drawing nigh to God. We must talk of Jesus, expressing His love in a devoted life of entire consecration to His service. The more we dwell upon the purity of the character or Christ, the more we shall desire to become like Him, and thus we shall be brought nearer to Him. The more we behold His loveliness, the more we shall reflect His divine image.

22. What will be the fundamental question upon which Christ judges us?

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23.

Answer: This is the assurance given to all who follow the teachings of Christ that they shall become members of the heavenly family. Says Christ, Obedience to My Father in heaven is filial obedience. This is the bond of union between Me and all who shall become members of the heavenly family. All who accept the word of truth will enter the hallowed circle that binds to Me every believer as brother or sister or mother.

Holy And Without Blemish

23. How does Paul describe the church that is to be presented to Christ?

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27.

24. After one of Jesus' children heeds His loving warning call and comes out of Babylon (Revelation 18:2, 4), what does Jesus ask him to do next?

Ye are called in one body. Colossians 3:15.

He [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church. Colossians 1:18.

Answer: The Bible says that God's people are called into one body, or church. Jesus asks those who leave Babylon to join the remnant church--of which He is the head. Jesus said, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold." John 10:16. He also calls them "my people" in both the Old Testament (Isaiah 58:1) and the New Testament (Revelation 18:4). Of His sheep outside His fold (church), He says, "Them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." "My sheep hear my voice, ... and they follow me." John 10:16, 27.

25. How does one enter that body, or church?

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles." 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Answer: We enter Jesus' end-time remnant church by baptism. (See lesson: Baptism | Bury The Past And Start All Over Again for details on baptism.)

26. Who are the real brethren?

"And they [the brethren] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." Revelation 12:11

Answer: The brethren are those who fulfill the criteria of Revelation 12. We find that throughout the book of Revelation, when it is explaining and classifying God’s people, the people who are going to be saved in the last days are referred to as overcomers. They find victory over sin in their life through the power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says, "They [the brethren] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." This means that they are overcomers and they are willing to die for the truth. In verse 17 it says that they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. That is the definition of who the brethren are. This means that anyone who does not teach victory over all sin in this life through the power and blood of Jesus Christ, is not one of the brethren. It means that if they do not keep the commandments of God and love, teach, read and practice the Spirit of Prophecy, they are not one of the brethren.

27. Having left all the organized churches that constitute Babylon and her daughters, where does one go at the end of each week to worship his God on the Sabbath?

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” John 4:23.

Answer: It is high time we begin to worship in our homes trying to win family, friends, and neighbors to the truth until we shall form small companies of believers. Thus, we can claim Christ's promise "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" Matthew 18:20. (See lesson: What Does the Bible Say About Home Church).

NOTE: “I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant.” (Early Writings, page 261.1).

In a special sense, the church is those people who are registered in the books of heaven. "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven. . . ." Hebrews 12:22, 23. The church, the true church of God, is composed of those people who are registered in the Book of Life in heaven.

Are you willing and honest enough to heed Jesus call to come out of all apostate and corrupt denominations/churches, and join His true church in these last days of earth’s history?