What and Why the Church?

"If it’s not about Jesus, it’s not about anything".

(Motto of the Fountain of Life)

 

SPS:   

1) To identify and examine three purposes of the Church.   

2) To briefly discuss the threefold division of the Church.   

3) Offer encouragement to worship together.

A large snow storm came to Fayette, Greene and Washington counties in Pennsylvania,  a few weeks ago.  Pastor Todd Crouch cancelled Grace Communion’s services at the Fountain of Life in Washington.  The Masontown Presbyterian Church decided to hold Sunday services.  Therefore, living only ½ mile from the Presbyterian fellowship, I decided to worship with them.   

Having grown up in Masontown and knowing many of the congregation made me feel at home in a denomination different from my own.  One of the congregation engaged me in conversation.  I learned that she was not a member there, but liked to attend various churches in the area, because she explained to me, “We are all members of only one body.”  She was content with what seemed to be a nomadic church existence.   

Friends, we wonder is forgoing a “home congregation” wise?  But her approach to the body of Christ is not isolated or rare.  Further we find that in post-modern American the mantra is “no truth, no reason, no relevance”.   With that in mind, why bother about church at all?  Brethren, to begin our discussion, let’s first ask, what is the Church?     

We’ll look to Grace Communion International’s (GCI) booklet “Statement of Beliefs”.  In 2009 GCI modified its definition of “The Church.”  Let’s review that modification.

2001:  The church, the Body of Christ, consists of all who have faith in Jesus Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit abides.

2009:  The Church, the Body of Christ, consists of all who trust in Jesus Christ.

Slight change:  The relational aspect of trust in Jesus is presented here while faith in Jesus and the abiding of the Holy Spirit are assumed. 

2001:  The church is commissioned to preach the gospel, to teach all that Christ commanded, to baptize, and to nurture the flock.

2009:  The church is commissioned to make disciples of Jesus by reaching out in love to all people, nurturing and baptizing those who believe, and teaching believers to obey all that Christ commanded. 

Slight change:  The relational aspects of love and nurturing are recognized first, while preaching is assumed.

2001:  In fulfilling its mission, the church is directed by the Holy Scriptures, led by the Holy Spirit, and looks continually to Jesus Christ, its living Head.

2009:  In fulfilling this mission, the church is directed by the Holy Scriptures, led by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and looks continually to Jesus Christ, its living Head.

Slight change:  The relational, personal aspect of Holy Spirit’s indwelling is showcased over the somewhat formal, impersonal description of being led.      

Both definitions are scripturally correct yet, the newer one has a subtly deeper sense of relationship and inclusion than the older one.  Let’s continue with the three purposes:  Worship, teaching and ministry.

Worship:

2 Cor. 4:4:  “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”   

In this verse who are those who do not believe?  Listen to our culture; to conversation in real life, in the movies.  Talk in the workplace is filled with Jesus this, Jesus that, damn this or damn that.  Vulgarity and violence rules.  For example take Emmy award winning TV shows as The Sopranos and Breaking Bad.  We root for their heroes.  But at heart the heroes of these highly honored highly esteemed shows were brutal violent murders.  If art imitates life we are in trouble.  The people who live in these Godless worlds, real or fictional, want good and honorable things for themselves and their families, they just don’t want God, let alone Jesus.  There is not much call to worship from these people.

2 Cor. 11:13-14:     

 There was a song about 25 years ago with these words:  “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”  The Christian inspired song  “You Light up My Life” sung by Debbie Boone had these words, “How can it be wrong when it feels so right?”  The lesson is trust your heart.  If it feels good do it!  But there is always the caveat:  “if it doesn’t hurt anyone else”.  Do it and feel good about it because it isn’t anybody else’s business but yours and it’s not hurting anyone else!  This could be anything from solitary heavy drinking to drug use or to gambling.  And if there is mutual consent to an act this open many doors.  This places heavy emphasis on emotions and feelings, which allow the heart to triumph over reason.  

 Retired Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson taught that the bible teaching about true love trumps the biblical directives against same sex relations.  Therefore, he and his lover argue that their stable love is superior to divorce and broken homes, therefore approved by God.  His Denominational leader, Bishop Katherine Jeffords-Shori agreed.   

Is love a good argument?  After all how can the virtue of love be wrong?  Let me answer this way.  How can the virtue of equality be wrong?  When equality is elevated as the chief and controlling virtue over the others, then we have license to overlook lesser virtues such as justice or patience in order to ensure equality for all.  We can thereby justify ourselves for taking from the rich and giving to the poor so that all may share equally in the resources.   I believe Marx and Lenin advocated this.  On the other side we can justify the isolation or elimination of segments of the population in order that all those remaining in the community may more equally share the wealth.  In various forms this was practiced many years ago in the former nations of Rhodesia and Stalinist Russia.  Whenever we elevate anything over Jesus, even love, we create an idol.  And as we serve it, it becomes a demon.  Mature Christocentric teaching guards against that type of error by its focus on Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Ministry

1 Pet. 5:8:  your adversary, the Devil, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking all whom he may devour.  If nothing else, there is strength and safety in numbers.  Peter seems to be saying, “Beloved get in out of the rain.  Get in the building.  Allow the Church to minister.”  Heb. 10:25…Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  The message again is “Don’t try to go it alone.  Allow the Church to minister.”

Dr. Mike Morrison of GCI wrote, “A local congregation can give us a sense of belonging, of being involved with other believers.  It can give us some spiritual safety, so that we are not blown around by strange ideas.”  The local church provides friendship and encouragement.  It can provide a stage for us to display works of mercy, to put our gifts to use.

The Greek word ekklesia is translated as Church 115 times in the New Testament. Strong’s Concordance word #1577 lists it literally as “a calling out” or “called out ones.”  Some define it as “an assembly.”  That includes members on earth, saints in heaven or both together.

The Church has a threefold division

1.      The Universal Church:  Everyone who accepts Jesus and Lord and savior. 

2.    The denominations:  Group with shared history and beliefs working together.

3. The individual congregation:  People who regularly meet together.  They may include family members who attend but don’t believe, or members who consider themselves Christians but are not.

The Church is the body of Christ.  It consists of all who have faith in Jesus Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit abides.  1 Cor. 12:13:  “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.” 

 Colossians 1:18:  “And Jesus 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.”

The Holy Spirit abides in the Church and in its members.

Rom. 8:9:  “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

The church is commissioned to preach the gospel, baptize and nurture the flock.

Matt. 28: 19-20:  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

The Church directed by the Holy Scriptures and led by the Holy Spirit looks continually to Jesus.  Ephesians 1:22:  “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”

The New Testament does not require any particular church structure or governance.  With this liberty the Christian world has utilized the episcopal, the congregational and the Presbyterian forms.  These forms generally reflect either hierarchy, democracy or representation.     

Three Purposes Revisited

Earlier we presented the three purposes, worship, teaching and ministry with negative examples.  Let us now revisit them and see what the scripture says.

1.  Worship.    John 4:23:  the woman at the well.  Jesus said we worship in spirit and truth.  The Father seeks such to worship him.  We are called to continually offer sacrifice to God (Heb. 13:15); to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (of worship) (Eph. 5:19).

2.  Teaching:   Matt:  28:19-20.  “Teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.”

We are also called to teach each other (Col 3:16).

3.  Ministry:  Gal. 6:10.  “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. Especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  The world is filled with needs.  None is greater than the need for the gospel.  Every one of us is called to minister.  Some plant, some water, some provide shade, some keep the rabbits out, some shoo crows away, some harvest as we all minister together.

Why we need the church?  Let’s not try to answer this important question using reason, logic, experience, statics or questionnaires.   Let’s go to the Bible.  Can we see this advice coming from the wisest being in the universe?  Can we detect a theme?  Key on the phrase “one another.”

Heb. 10:25 - Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the custom of some.  But exhort one another as you see the day approaching.

Rom, 12:10 – be kindly affectionate to one another in honor giving preference to one another. 

Rom. 15:7 – receive one another, just as Christ received us.  To the Glory of God.

1 Cor. 12:25 - That there should be no schism in the body, that the members care for one another

Gal. 5:13 – Through love, serve one another.    

Eph. 4:32 – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.  

Col. 3:13 - and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. 

The scriptures seem to indicate that we primarily develop as Christians with and around one another and not as isolated spiritual units.  It is fair to ask:  is it better and perhaps wiser to develop around the relational aspect one another in a church congregation?  Or is it wiser to develop at home alone on Sunday morning watching Joel Osteen or others on TV? 

Where is the Church?

Many people seek first for perfect doctrine, then seek a church to validate their perfect understanding.  Others seek first for a sign of spiritual manifestations to validate any Church and seek congregations which fill their deep spiritual longings.  And here brethren is the great danger.  If there is perfect understanding of the Bible but there is no love in the congregation, then they are as nothing.  The Holy Spirit is not there.  If there are tongues and miracles with coldness and indifference to one another, they become as sounding brass or tinkling symbols.  The Spirit is not living in that Church.  Perhaps the Spirit may occasionally descend and touch individual members for a moment, just as when the Spirit came mightily upon King Saul enabling him to speak among the prophets – for a time before departing.  However, we desire the Spirit to be in us as Paul teaches, not just upon us as with King Saul. 

That is why is it important that visitors to our congregations sense first that Jesus is there; that they sense care and forgiveness there; that they sense the Holy Spirit living in and through the members.  Peace, unity and respect among congregation members are important identifying signs of love.  When Jesus is the alpha and the omega, love allows members of the same congregation to peacefully hold different ideas about the rapture, or evolution, or water baptisms or Holy Spirit Baptism, or tongues, or miracles, or prophecy.  Psalm 133:1 reads, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”  In light of that scripture peace, unity and respect among orthodox believers would be greater manifestations of the Spirit than miracles, tongues or prophecy.   The Spirit led congregation focus upon Jesus as the Captain of their salvation, they do not focus upon a doctrine, a theory or an emotion.

And if there grows a desire to share or preach Jesus, then there will be manifestations in that congregation, suitable to that congregation, and they will bring honor to the Father through the Son in that congregation’s unique way.  As people are different, and gifts are different, congregations are different. 

Brethren, we are called out ones because of grace.  Romans 10:5-6 says “there remains a remnant according to the election of grace.”  Even a small remnant does not consist of one alone but is made of one another.

CLOSING:  Brethren, Jesus is the beginning and the end.  We began this discussion with the motto of the Fountain of Life.  Let’s also close with it.  If it is not about Jesus, it is not about anything.’

Friends, may the grace, peace and love of our Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus be with you all.

 Editors Note: We at the Fountain of Life Church, believe very strongly that all Christians should be a part of a local congregation.  If you do not have a church home please find one. We invite you to worship with us here at the Fountain of Life Church in Washington Pennsylvania, or if you are interested in Grace Communion , of which the Fountain of life is apart of . You can go to our Communion's web page and find the nearest Grace Communion congregation near you. at http://www.gci.org/participate/find

Rev. George Relic, Assistant Pastor,

Fountain of Life Church

2021 Old National Pike, Washington, Pa 15301

A congregation of Grace Communion International