Tag Archives: Church

The Precious Church

Church, Church Bulletin, ,

Nobl-04
There is no group of people more precious than the church. Predicted by prophecy (Isaiah 2:2-4; Matthew 16:18) the church is the collection of the saved who have been gathered together by the decree of God. The church is precious and perfect. Sinners, saved by Christ, fill the church. They bring their weaknesses and imperfections with them but the church itself is without spot.

Jesus is the only head of the church (John 14:6; Ephesians 1:22, 5:23; Colossians 1:18). But his role is not of a dictator or ruler. The church is his bride. Like a newly married couple, Jesus looks upon his church with incredible, divine love. Bible writers speak of Christ like a husband who cares for his beloved (Ephesians 5:25). John the Baptist speaks of Jesus as a bridegroom (John 3:29) and the apostle John speaks of the great marriage feast of Jesus (the Lamb) and the church (Revelation 19:7, 21:1-9, 22:17). His love for the church cannot be overstated as he gave his life for the church and purchased it with his own blood (Ephesians 5:25; Acts 20:28). The entire book of the Song of Solomon is likely a comparison describing the love Christ has for his church through the eyes of a man in love with his betrothed. The church means all to Jesus.

A man cannot force his way into the church nor can he enter through his own plans. In John 10:1-18 Jesus uses a sheepfold as an illustration of the church. There is only one legitimate door into the fold and only one legitimate Shepherd. Anyone who enters otherwise is a fraud.

Like a marriage, there is no compulsion in Christ. The marriage is between two people who desire the union. When a man, upon faith and repentance obeys the Lord in baptism he is added to the church. That is, he is joined to his Lord through his faith and obedience (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). We leave the world of singles and become married to Christ through the power of the Father (Colossians 1:13, 14). We are joined to Christ because we love him. We love him because he loved us first (1 John 4:19).

Now if the church is so precious to Jesus, how should we view the relationship? Is it not reasonable to expect a bride to view her spouse with all the love and devotion that he shows to her? Sadly, some are lukewarm toward the bridegroom. Their love has grown cold (Matthew 24:12) and they no longer honor their first love (Revelation 2:4). Outsiders assault the union of Christ and his church. They claim to love Jesus but hate organized religion. That is, they hate his church. True, some have been hurt by people in the church but they were never hurt by the church itself. They forget that it is Christ Himself who loves us and provides for us in his church. They share equally with every other member of the church who, like themselves, are sinners (Romans 3:9, 23; 1 John 1:5-10). The depth and horror of our sin is beyond explanation yet every one of us is still perfectly loved by Jesus.

Division and strife often arise in the church. Since it is made up of sinful people we should not be surprised that turmoil happens. In the middle of the first century the original Christians struggled with cliques in the church. Paul opposed such trouble and called Christians to speak with a single voice (1 Corinthians 1:10).  In Ephesians 1:3, Paul taught Christians to maintain both peace and unity in the church. The principle of 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 is vital in understanding that it is better to suffer a wrong than to air dirty laundry before the public. Husbands and wives often have disputes but they must not run to Facebook or Twitter to air their grievances. As a general principle, disputes should be contained. They should involve the very minimum number of people possible and should never be carried beyond the walls of his precious church.

Christ died for the church. We can suffer a little for it too, don’t you think?

 

Including Others

Acts, Church, Church Bulletin, Eastern Shore church of Christ, , ,

Evangelism is spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. It is introducing people to Jesus and telling them of his salvation. Evangelism is also reaching out to the struggling who are in Christ but slipping away. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) Jesus commanded that we make disciples, teach and baptize and teach them again. Work remains after baptism to fully include the new Christian in the body of Christ. To be clear, that new Christian is every bit the elect as the one baptized years before, but it still remains for the local congregation to insure their inclusion into the work of the church.

Original Christianity took to heart the need for a new community of believers in which all were equal. Acts 2:42-47 demonstrates the inclusionary work of the Christians.

Devoted to One Another

The first Christians are devoted to spiritual things. This is the first item listed for without the foundation of faith, no community exists. These believers put their spiritual efforts first and sought to learn and to practice their faith together.

All Were Together

These brethren are family. Like any family, they are together with one another. Churches today try to encourage this sense of belonging through fellowships and get-togethers. However togetherness does not need to always be a planned event. Just as a family today may come together for a reunion or some special birthday, families also assemble piecemeal sometimes. It is not necessary that the full group always come together.

Sharing With All

This may be the most challenging part of the original Christian example. The Bible tells us these people “had all things in common,” and “they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:45). The ideal here lacks any suggestion of materialism or covetousness on the part of any. Brothers and sisters in the family did what was necessary in order to care for one another. Both spiritual and physical needs were addressed. It would seem that this was done without any organized effort but through the response of each new Christian.

The result of this kind of work is obvious. The church enjoyed favor with all people (vs. 47). Be assured that when similar efforts occur today, there are similar results. Dying congregations today will be resuscitated              when they return to these simple steps of caring and providing for all.

Cliques kill communities. Notice that the original pattern seen here appears to be free of segregated social circles or cliques. Later, cliques would appear in the congregation at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). These brethren had reached the point of quarreling among themselves. They circled around noted figures in the church and excluded others. This division was wrong. The same is true today.

We must learn from the successes of the apostle led churches of the First Century. Let us do our utmost to include all brethren.

Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans.

           

Dual Citizenship

Church Bulletin, Government, ,

cross-and-flagIt is said that Christians have dual citizenship; they live in this country and in God’s kingdom simultaneously. The idea is that while we are Christians we are also Americans and thereby have allegiances to each. Our life is divided between the spiritual and the civic.

Let’s think about that because it might not be true.

As Christians we are part of a kingdom that is not of this world (John 18:36). We have been translated into Jesus’ kingdom (Colossians 1:13, 14), are adopted into His family (Romans 8:15) and added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).

The church is the kingdom as seen in Matthew 16:18, 19 where the text speaks of the church and the kingdom which are both still in the future. The kingdom was promised by John as being “at hand” (Matthew 3:2) and Jesus preached the same message during his earthly mission (Matthew 4:17). Matthew chapter 13 contains many mentions of the “kingdom of heaven” as He prepared His hearers for its imminent arrival. Those in the church are in the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Colossians 1:13).

Christians are obviously residents in this world. Whether in the USA or some other country, Christians are residents somewhere and have obligations. We are responsible to pay taxes and obey the laws of the nation. Such obligations are not to be taken lightly. Jesus taught that we are to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and render unto God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:21). We are “subject to the governing authorities” says Paul in Romans 13:1. There is no excuse for ignoring our earthly obligations to the state.

However, our allegiances to the country and to Christ’s kingdom are not equal.

We are Christians first and everything else second. There is no national law that supersedes the laws of Christ’s kingdom. When confronted with conflicting laws, Peter and John said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). It is not simply the laws that may conflict. This world has an allure that clashes with God’s kingdom. Just like laws that conflict, we must be ready to reject the sparkle and glow in favor of the kingdom. Jesus was tempted by Satan with things this world holds dear, food, power and possessions, but he rejected every one in deference to God’s word (Matthew 4:1 ff).

You see, Christians are pilgrims (1 Peter 2:11, KJV). We are only passing through. Like travelers visiting a country and then returning home, we are only here for a while (James 4:14). While traveling we are expected to obey the laws of our host country but we are not overly concerned with local details. Our desire is to go home. Paul, thinking of the Christian as a soldier, says:  “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4).

In our fleshly world, a traveler will show interest in his destination but as a true patriot he loves his home and longs to return. Likewise, we look for the return of our Lord and a new home (John 14:1-4; Hebrews 11:10). Our love is not of the country we are visiting but of our home. How could John say it any plainer? “Do not love the world of the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). James is even stronger: “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Our lives really are not divided between spiritual and civic. There is the Kingdom of Christ only. Everything else, including the United States is a distant second.  Dear brethren, let your first passions be for the kingdom of Christ and not for the flag. Many brave men and women fought and died for the USA but only one died for your eternal salvation. Let us keep our priorities true.

 Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter  @jbevans.
Photo Credit: Rachael Rowell @ saltedgrace.com, CCA 3.0

The “Attractional” Church

Church, Worship, ,

Churches are searching for young adults. Survey’s have repeatedly shown that people in their 20’s are abandoning churches in growing numbers. Some return when they marry, have children and begin to look for additional stability but some never come back.

To plug the slow drain some churches have turned to big bands and big social programs but that hasn’t worked well and certainly has not solved the problem.

But the wow factor—expensive bands, charismatic preachers, elaborate social events—doesn’t come cheap. What’s more, many religious leaders worry that offering that kind of experience only encourages young people to think about “the attractional church,” the kind of place you go for entertainment but not for any long-term commitment.

So writes Naomi Schaefer Riley at the Wall Street Journal. Riley is examining  a new para-church movement which seeks to draw the young adults into services which promote a sense of unity among believers in Christ. One survey has 98% of respondents saying the CityOne movement  has brought them closer to a personal relationship with Christ. 42% say they have been helped to connect with local churches.

We want people to be attracted to Jesus. We want people to be drawn to the salvation that is in Christ alone (John 14:6). But it is essential that people be drawn to the true Christ which includes what he paid for with his blood, his church, and the entirety of his teaching (Acts 20:27-28). It is good to see people thinking more about Jesus. It is good to see people giving serious thought to their souls and their eternal home. The church must supply them properly with truth.

What is disappointing, however,  is that it takes a non church to do the work that should belong to the church itself.

Religious leaders ought be asking some very basic questions about our own decline. At the heart is a question about the heart. What do we believe and what do we teach? When any church moves away from the Bible as its single source of doctrine it always fails. When a church changes Biblical teaching in order to attract those outside, it fails. Evangelism is critical. Outreach is vital. Jesus said to go teach and baptize (Matthew 28:18-20). We teach and baptize while God adds them to the church (Acts 2:41, 47).

The church must be pure yet it seems the religious community has morphed into something that doesn’t look too  much like the original Christians. We have gone from worship services, a God centered service, to worship experiences which put the person at the center. We come to get something out of worship instead of putting something into worship.

It might be a good idea to examine what we are doing when the church assembles. There is only good in standing on the words of the Lord. Let us come back to the Bible alone as the source of our teaching. Let us refocus our worship toward God and not the creature (Romans 1:25).

Brother to Brother – A Call for Love

Bible General, Church, Daily living,

Love is the fundamental quality of the Christian. Ironically, love is the hardest quality to develop, mature and maintain. Love is often the first casualty in any disagreement. When loves leaves, trouble comes.

A lack of love is directly responsible for violence, crime, domestic abuse, adultery, church divisions and every other social ill one can imagine. It is not an overstatement to say that all of society’s ills relate, in one way or another, to lovelessness.

Love Defined

Love is a choice. Love is not a feeling. We tend to equate love with those physiological changes which makes us feel something. An increased heart rate, a slight flushing of the face, a sense of bodily warmth and maybe even butterflies in the stomach are what we commonly associate with love. While those symptoms often accompany true love they are not themselves love. They are only symptoms which may or may not be present. Ask someone who has been married 50 or more years. I think they will confirm what I am saying.

God loves us. I think you would agree that John 3:16 love is not about heavy breathing and sweaty palms. God decided to love us. The evidence of his love is in Jesus (Romans 5:8).

This is made clear when Paul writes about husbands and wives.

“Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” (Ephesians 5:25)

Christ’s decision to love us (the church) is the example for husbands to love their wives. While there is certainly a physical component to the husband/wife relationship the passage here is about a Christ-like love – a decision – exemplified by Jesus.

Love In Action

John often writes about love, especially in his three epistles. Notice the love requirement:

“Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling”  (1 John 2:10).

“…whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God , nor is the one who does not love his brother” (1John 3:10).

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death” (1John 3:14).

 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ” (1 John 3:16).

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21)

Our point is that Christians are to love one another. In fact, this love demonstrates to the world the kind of people we really are (John 13:35). When we fail to show that love to one another we fail.

Love in Practice

Disagreements often arise in matters of faith. There can be no compromise of truth but there must also be no compromise of love either. When we disagree about matters of faith we still treat each other with the love Christ showed and commanded.

What does it say about brethren who call one another names and publicly joust by degrading one another and trying to enhance his status at the expense of another? It’s time to take a deep breath and love one another.

We call for love. We call for continued discussions of the doctrines we divide over but with love as a foundation. Anything less will surely sadden our Lord.

 

Leave the Unrighteous Out of It!

1 Corinthians, Church, , , ,

Unrighteous church gossipThe church of my Lord is perfect. Its government, doctrine, purpose and mission are without error. Obviously those who are part of the church, the members, are not perfect. But the church itself, as given by Jesus is perfect. The church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23) and must be given the proper glory and respect due that which belongs to Jesus (Acts 20:28).

The people who make up the church often fail. Those failures hurt others. Sometimes elders make grievous mistakes. Members are hurt and sometimes even their faith is shaken by poor decisions. Nevertheless, the church is not to blame. The church was given by Jesus and its doctrine set by Him and given through his apostles (Matthew 16:15-20).

When some error is suspected it is painful to see that charge before the court of public opinion for discussion. The world is not the place for such discussion.

It is likely that part of Paul’s thinking in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 was to prevent  public criticism of the church. His immediate focus was the practice of bringing lawsuits against fellow Christians which would be tried before the unrighteous.

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?  Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?  Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!  So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?  I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers,  but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

Could you agree that at some level Paul was suggesting that church keep its dirty laundry private?

Jesus offered a hint of keeping problems private when he told us how to handle issues between brothers. We first go, alone, to the brother that has offended us. If that fails we take one or two others along. Failing there we tell the problem to the church (Matthew 18:15-17).

Nowhere does Jesus or any of his apostles suggest taking our family grievances into public.

The reason is clear. The people of the unrighteous world are not qualified to decide issues among brethren. Their standards are different and their moral judgment is impaired. Also, taking a church matter into the world heaps reproach upon the church from the very people we are trying to reach.

The church doesn’t need more negativity from the world. Let us keep our issues private. The internet, Google+, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media are not the right place for personal attacks when we sense we have been wronged. Use the media to teach and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Glorify God through the web. But let disagreements remain private.

When Elders Make Mistakes

Church, Doctrine,

The appointment of elders was a pressing need in the opening days of the church. Paul told Titus to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5). The character, maturity and reputation of elders were all important considerations according to the apostle (1 Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:5-9). Jesus entrusted the spiritual safety of the church to elders who were to protect the flock (Christians) from false teachers (Acts 20:28-31). Elders were to have oversight but never as an overbearing boss or “lord” (1 Peter 5:3). They would lead by their inherent authority under the Chief Shepherd, Jesus and by their own spiritual leadership (1 Peter 5:4).

Yet for all their qualifications elders remain mortal. They make mistakes. They err. To demand flawlessness of an elder is unreasonable and places upon them a requirement not even the apostles could claim.

Sometimes an elder will err so badly as to require removal from the office. One example might be an elder caught up in public immorality such as adultery or fornication. When the church suffers because of his public reputation he must be removed. Continue reading When Elders Make Mistakes →

Is Religion Becoming Extinct?

Church, News, , ,

No it is not. Religion, at least the true faith of the Bible, is here to stay. However the BBC is reporting on a group of mathematicians and statisticians who have declared that religion may soon be extinct. They use complex mathematical formula to analyze declining religious affiliation in various countries. But they miss one important point:

“…upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18)

That says it all.

While numbers may rise and fall, the church stands. Once true religion is gone all hope likewise vanishes. And so far as I am concerned, my religion will not become extinct as long as I live even if I am the only one left who believes in Jesus as the Son of God and in his power alone to save.

 

Your thoughts?

A Congregation is not the Church

Church, Doctrine,

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Calais_town_hall_vermont.jpgFellowship and cooperation among congregations is the will of the Lord. As brothers and sisters in a closely knit family we work together to tell the world of the good news of Jesus Christ and to share the glory of God with his creation.

The One

There is one church (Ephesians 4:4). Jesus promised to build his church (Matthew 16:18 ). He never promised to build many churches but only one. Both Isaiah and Daniel (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:44-45) told of the coming of a single kingdom which would come in Jerusalem. That church came in Jerusalem in the days of the Roman Emperors (Acts 2:41-47) and is the kingdom (Colossians 2:13-14). That church has only one doctrine (Ephesians 4:1-6) which is the truth given by Jesus to his apostles and inspired men through the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

The ownership of the church rests solely with Jesus. He bought and paid for the church with his own blood (Acts 20:28). All power belongs to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) and he has never relinquished that power to any man or human group. Therefore the church bears  his name (Romans 16:16) and not that of men.

The Many

While there is but one body or global church there are many smaller units. We typically speak of them as congregations. But it would be a mistake to think of these smaller groups as completely separate churches. They are not. In Jude’s general epistle to Christians he speaks of a “common salvation” and of the “faith that was once for all delievered to the saints” (Jude 3). In Romans 16:4 Paul spoke of “all the churches of the Gentiles” who were thankful for his safety. These were individual congregations begun during his missionary journeys. It would be incredible to think that Paul taught each of these a different doctrine. he speaks of “all, that in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:2). Certainly all these shared the same faith (Ephesians 4:5) .

These individual congregations are different and diverse in many ways but not doctrinally. They are to teach the same thing. In Colossians 2:16 the apostle gives instructions that his letter (the Colossian letter) be sent on to Laodicea and that the letter to Laodicea be brought and read in Colossae ((The Laodicean letter is unknown to us. We may be confident however that God has caused us to have all we need today and so we need not be concerned about its absence from our Bibles.)) What Paul taught in one congregation in taught in all. because Jesus is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23). All teaching and doctrine flows from him.

The presence of individual units or congregations makes perfect sense. Coca-Cola strives to maintain a consistent product throughout the world. Yet that company works through local units which carry out the day to day operations of the bottling business. A local bottler cannot alter the recipe. Likewise the local congregation is not empowered to change the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9).

Although single in doctrine and mission each congregation is autonomous. Its local affairs are overseen by its local membership acting with and through its own local eldership. Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders “in every town” (Titus 1:5). As Elders, or Shepherds, these men all function under the authority of the Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:4). They are not “little-lords” (1 Peter 5:3) but guides, teachers and overseers of the work begun and directed by Jesus (Acts 20:28).

Local autonomy has many benefits. It allows local churches to use their resources more efficiently in their communities, it allows for groupings of people with similar geographic backgrounds, it allows services to be tailored to local needs and it limits the spread of error. One very large protestant denomination is presently undergoing divisive battles over homosexual issues. Hard feelings are evident as their national and international bodies try to force this sin upon their members. In a fully autonomous setting such false teaching would still be hurtful but the damage more limited.

The local congregation is an indivisible, indispensable part of the global church. It cannot and must not be isolated from from the larger church or from other, sister congregations.

As with most things there are exceptions to this statement. Sometimes an individual congregation errs so egregiously in its teaching and doctrine as to separate itself from others. As such, other congregations are not bound to support, encourage or give comfort to their error. Jesus warned such congregations in the first two chapters of Revelation. While it is up to Jesus to remove a congregation’s “lamp stand” (Revelation 2:5) it would be incredible to think that other congregations should support the error being taught or accepted.

Cooperation

Remembering that all congregations are parts of the whole, it should be obvious that cooperation among congregations is desired and even essential. The successes and failures of distant brethren affect us all.

Especially within a local area churches must work together to spread the gospel and share the glory of God. Efforts by one congregation should be heralded, support and encouraged by all others within the framework of truth. What a shame when petty jealousies prevent one congregation from supporting another. Decisions to support another congregations efforts must be made upon the truth of the effort and not over some fear that another congregation might look better or that a few members might actually begin attending there.

The body of Christ is one team. We all fight in the Lord’s army. What would happen in your community if all of God’s people got together with a single plan, a single message and in a single effort? I would love to hear your thoughts. Specifically, are we too isolated? Have we turned congregations into the church? What are the limits of fellowship with other congregations? Leave your thoughts below.

Church Division – Part 2

1 Corinthians, Church, Church Bulletin, ,

Church division is never good although in a few cases it may be necessary. In this article we continue our previous discussion on church division and the reasons it is common. We previously spoke of sin and doctrine as reasons for division within the local body. These are areas in which division may necessary or even commanded. Of course the root which causes the division is always wrong.

There are other common causes for church controversy which we should examine in some detail.

Pride Causes Church Division

Pride is widely known as a serious problem both in the church and in society generally.  Continue reading Church Division – Part 2 →