Introduction
Here is the church,
Here is the steeple;
Open the door,
And out come the people.
As children, most of us recited that little verse complete with hand motions. It is to be hoped that since those childhood days our concept of the church has gotten a little more sophisticated. And yet, if someone were to ask us today for our definition of the church, our reply might not be much more profound.
Journal: What is your definition of the church? How do you experience “church”?
For many, church is defined very specifically: it is a building on the corner of Fifth and Main streets. Or it is the particular congregation to which we go. Or it is that organization represented by a particular TV ministry. It is the intent of this study to take a look at the biblical definitions of the church and to invite the reader to trace the development of the church as it is outlined in the Word of God.
Bible Study
NOTE: Please complete the Bible Study before reading this chapter; complete the journal as the opportunity is provided in the chapter. Always pray as you begin.
1. In Matthew 16:14 Peter's response to Jesus' question about who people thought Jesus was, three names were mentioned. They were
2. Who did Peter say Jesus was in verse 16?
3. In response to Peter's declaration of faith, Jesus said in verse 18: “On this _________ I will build my __________.”
4. In Ephesians 1:22–23 Paul compares the church to the ________ ___________ of Christ.
5. In John 17:21 Jesus prayed concerning his followers that all of them may be ________________________.
6. According to Acts 2:47 who adds to the members of the church?
Journal: After studying the scripture, in twenty five words or less, give your definition of the word “church.”
The Original Concept
As you read through the New Testament, you find that the church is first mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 16:18. In response to Peter's declaration of faith in Jesus as the Christ of God, the Master replied: “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.”
One wonders what went through the minds of the disciples when they first heard this declaration from the lips of Jesus. What did he mean by “his church”? What kind of organization did he have in mind? What part would they play in this organization? How long would it last? Many of these questions are still being asked, but a careful study of the word of God will point out that the Bible leaves few if any of these questions unanswered.
The church is referred to in a number of ways in the New Testament. Taken literally, some of the terms seem almost in opposition to one another. The church has been called, among other things, the body of Christ, the family of God, the called-out ones, the kingdom of God, the people of God, the new Jerusalem, and the communion of saints.
None of these terms is inclusive, but none is exclusive either. Each emphasizes one or more qualities of the church's character. To understand better the nature of the church, let us examine some of these terms more closely.
The Body of Christ
Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, wrote concerning Christ: “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22–23).
Journal: What ideas, questions, and images come to mind when you think of the church as a body?
What is there about the term “body” that helps us to better understand the church and its relationship to Christ? For one thing, it emphasizes a natural unity such as exists in a normal body. A normal body has only one head; that head has only one body. A body doesn't have to try to be a unified whole; it is one by the fact of its being.
The parts of the body work together. It is only when some foreign element, such as a drug or a disease germ, is introduced into the body that it begins to dysfunction or to work against itself.
From its very creation, it was meant to be one. Such a oneness exists in the body of Christ. Humankind is not called upon to make the church one, it is called to declare and to demonstrate that oneness in every way possible. How can that happen?
Again, the concept of the body will help to illustrate. Where does a body get its direction? From the head, of course. So the body of Christ must look to its Head for leadership. Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, gives his body, the church, its direction. But the church today does not always experience the oneness God intended. Why?
Journal: Why?
The most direct answer may be that those who claim to be a part of the body of Christ are not always responding to messages from the one in charge. The messages we hear are often garbled by selfish motives, unresponsive hearts, or uncaring spirits. One hindrance to our experiencing real and practical unity is our misconception of what we are called to do. We are not called to create unity; we are not called to make the church one. The body is one by definition. Jesus said that he and the Father were already one, and he prayed (John 17) that those who followed him would also be one.
Jesus prayed: “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.” Obviously the kind of oneness existing between Christ and God allows them to work together perfectly. When the temptation to follow his own inclination came to Jesus, such as in the wilderness when he was tempted by Satan, or in the Garden of Gethsemane when he was tempted to turn from the cross, Jesus was drawn back to scripture and to his Father's will. As the passages that describe these incidents are read, the struggles that Jesus went through become apparent.
Journal: What does the understanding about Jesus tell you about yourself? What feelings does it evoke in you?
In the wilderness, as Matthew 4 records, he consistently turned to the word of God for direction, responding to each temptation with “It is written …” When Satan tempted him to turn stones into bread to feed his hungry body his response was from Deuteronomy 8:3, “It is written, ‘[One] does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.’ ” When the devil tempted him to throw himself from the temple, thus forcing God to rescue him, he replied with words from Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not test the LORD your God.” The final test Satan presented was control over all the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus' response was from Deuteronomy 6:13: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the LORD your God, and serve him only.’ ”
Journal: How are these temptations like mine?
The very fact that these incidents are described as temptations indicates that a real struggle existed. But Jesus was able to overcome them because he remembered who he was—the child of his Father, God. He remembered the resources that were available to him through that relationship.
Parents may tell their children when the children leave home for the first time, “Remember who you are.” The implication behind those words is, “Be true to the person you are; don't be controlled by outside forces. Don't be led away from your convictions.” Many young people have been kept from succumbing to evil when they remembered the family at home. Jesus stayed true to God because he remembered who his Parent was. He retained the bond that existed between himself and God.
He then prayed that the same bond, the same oneness, would be experienced by his disciples and others:
My prayer is not for them [the apostles] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20–21)
This oneness that Jesus prayed for had a twofold purpose:
• to unify the body of believers and thus make them strong;
• to serve as a testimony or witness to the world concerning how human beings should and could relate to one another.
This oneness serves to remind humanity that God has a plan for all life that would result in all experiencing divine love and forgiveness. The plan for the unity of God's people is already complete. The oneness God planned for the people of God does not result from human effort—although that must be included. Instead, unity results from moving closer to Jesus, aligning our will with God's.
Although this may not seem to vary essentially from human efforts to attain unity, there is a critical difference indicated by Jesus in the closing words of John 17:
I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. (John 17:26)
Jesus emphasizes the dynamic in this special unity. The force that draws us together is our love for Jesus and our common relationship to God through Jesus. This energy draws us together; it is the bond that holds us together. As a magnet draws particles of metal to itself, God's love draws us and charges us with that love.
The analogy continues. The magnet not only draws the metal to itself, it also sets up magnetic fields within each of the charged particles so that we are drawn toward one another. We become “little magnets.” The love of God draws us to God. In the process, this love in us draws us toward one another. The unifying force does not originate within us, but it is manifested through us, witnessing to those around us concerning the love of God.
Journal: How attractive am I? How close am I to the Source?
It should also be noted that as the “attractiveness” of the metal particles results from their proximity to the magnet, so the unity of the people of God is traced back to their relationship to the source of that unity—the love of God in Christ Jesus. As the body of Christ, we cannot be one by our own efforts any more than particles of metal can cling together apart from the unifying force of the magnet.
The Family of God
In John 3 Jesus teaches Nicodemus and us a simple truth—we can enter into the kingdom of God by the birth process only, by becoming a part of God's family. When Nicodemus asked how that could be, Jesus told him that the new birth was spiritual and without it no one may enter the kingdom. If we are to be a part of the kingdom of God, if we are to be a part of God's church, then we are only born into the family.
Nicodemus at first tried to equate the spiritual process with the physical one. He asked what appears to be a very foolish question: “How can a man be born when he is old? … Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!” (John 3:4). Jesus tells him that “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (v 6). In other words, our entrance into the kingdom of God and into God's church is not under human control but God's. Application for membership in the church of God is made to the one who controls the membership. To suggest that any person or particular group of persons can decide who has the right to be a part of the family of God is to make the same mistake Nicodemus did—flesh giving birth to spirit. Jesus' response still holds: God is the one who has the controlling vote (in reality the only vote) on church membership.
Journal: What ideas or images come to mind when I think about being born again—part of the family of God?
I heard a radio minister as he encouraged his listeners to make a commitment to Christ. He told them that once they had made that commitment, they should find a local church where they would feel comfortable and begin to worship there. Then he pointed out carefully that joining the church was not something they had to do to insure their salvation. “Accepting Christ is mandatory,” he pointed out, “but joining the church is optional.” I knew what he was trying to say but realized that Acts 2:42–47 indicates otherwise.
In this key passage we learn that accepting Christ is synonymous with becoming a member of the church, Christ's body. In other words, joining the church in the truest sense is not optional for the Christian; it is automatic, for “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
Being a part of the church—God's family—creates an exciting relationship with the rest of the family. When God is recognized as our Father and Jesus our elder brother, then we become sisters and brothers to one another, potentially sisters and brothers to all of humanity. We are called into the same kind of relationship with the world that God has. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” When we become part of God's family, God's concerns become our concerns. How that translates into action has to be a matter of personalities and prayerful interpretation, but if we follow the example of our Parent, the challenge before us is staggering and will last a lifetime. The challenge is to be a responsible member of the family—an exciting and awe-inspiring reality.
Journal: Whose family am I a member of? Am I a full member, adopted, or a foster child?
God promises to supply us with the resources we need to follow directions. Jesus reminded his disciples that “all that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:15). Being in God's family means that all of the family resources are available to us to further God's kingdom work. This idea is more fully explored in chapter three. At this point, however, it is important to understand that God is depending on the family of God, the church, to get the job done. God has no other plan. Either God's family will do the job or the work will not get finished.
Journal: What is my chore in the family of God?
Called-out Ones
The biblical term for the church is the Greek word ecclesia, literally translated the called-out ones. In the wider world of the New Testament, the term refers to any assembly of people lawfully gathered for a specific purpose. Russell R. Byrum reminds us that such an assembly was not just an accidental gathering of a group of people. He writes: “Not a mere mob, but only an assembly summoned together was an ecclesia.” [1. Russell R. Byrum, Christian Theology (Anderson, Ind: Warner Press, 1925), 507.] In the New Testament the term refers both to local congregations and to the universal church. In what sense is the church “called out?” What are we called out of—the world?
NO and YES—
As long as we live, the world is our base of operations, but not our headquarters. Jesus clearly desires that we work in the world. He prays that his followers—and all who believe as a result of his followers—would not be taken “out of the world” but that they be kept “from the evil one.” But the world is a dangerous place, and our primary allegiance is to God and God's kingdom. In fact, we are citizens of two worlds. We are earthbound as long as we live; at the same time we are also heaven-bound. We live in between. Three common biblical descriptions of God's people are sojourners, pilgrims, and aliens.
Journal: Which world do you live in—more than the other? Are you at home in this world, or are you an alien?
For the Christian in the world a tension will always exist. Paul refers to this state of tension in 2 Corinthians 5:6, “As long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” While we are here on earth, then, we are part of the called-out ones—called out of sin and into a right relationship with God through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who are called out stand out as a people with a special purpose. That purpose to represent Christ here on earth as his body, the ecclesia of God—God's church.
Journal: What kind of representative am I?
We do not seek to set ourselves apart from others. In fact, the goal of the body of Christ should be to remove any walls that might serve to separate people from one another. Wherever the prejudice of race, gender, age, economics, or position creates barriers between people, there the body of Christ should stand in judgment and seeking reconciliation.
We do, however, set ourselves apart from anything that is contrary to the will of God for creation, always striving to live a life that is separated from sinful practices and disobedience to God's will. We seek to hold to the standard God has for the people of God.
If a gap exists between ourselves and others whose allegiance is to something other than Christ, that gap should exist—but not because we have drawn away from anyone. It exists because we are bound by an allegiance that is different from theirs. We must seek to create bridges between ourselves and those from whom we are separated, as long as that can be accomplished without compromising our relationship with God. Jesus provides our example. He became so involved in loving ministry to the world that he finally gave his life to redeem humanity. But he always remained true to his nature as the Son of God.
The Kingdom of God
The church closely parallels the kingdom of God. In many ways, it is synonymous. If we belong to the church of God, we are a part of the kingdom of God. Even before the church existed historically, those who pressed into the kingdom were potentially members of the church. F. G. Smith, speaking to this point, declared: “In its largest and primary signification, the church of God is the entire body of regenerated persons in all times and places, and is in this respect identical with the spiritual kingdom of God, the divine family.” [2. F. G. Smith, The Last Reformation (Anderson, Ind: Gospel Trumpet Co, 1919), 20.] Generally, however, we think of the church as coming into existence at Calvary and receiving its power to operate on the day of Pentecost.
The church of God is the body of Christ. We become a member in that body through the process of salvation. As such, we are under the headship of the Master. He gives us our direction. We go where he wants us to go and do what he directs us to do. The unity we display becomes evident as we respond to his leadership through the Holy Spirit.
The Church Summarized
The church is known and described many ways—it is kingdom, family, body, and called-out ones. These, however, are all descriptors of qualities of the church. No one of them accurately describes all that the church is or is called to be. The underlying factor in all descriptions is this—the church is God's church. While made up of human beings, it is not a human institution. While organized in many different ways and forms, it is not an organization. While cultural in its forms and worship, it is not a cultural institution. While it is a called-out body of believers who seek to remain separate from all that is sinful, it is in the world doing the work of God.
God created the church; God calls the church; God maintains the church.
Journal: Which of the terms that describe the church is closest to my understanding and experience of the church?
Chapter Two
Where On Earth Do I Fit In?
Introduction
We have looked at the church as the body of Christ, as the family of God, as the called-out ones, and as the kingdom of God. The questions remaining are:
Journal: Where does the average person fit into these relationships?
Journal: How do these concepts translate into an everyday experience for someone in today's world?
Journal: Where do I fit into the family or the Kingdom?
Journal: How do I live out my life in the body of Christ?
Bible Study
NOTE: Please complete the Bible Study before reading this chapter; complete the journal as the opportunity is provided in the chapter. Always pray as you begin.
1. According to 1 Corinthians 12:18–19, who decides where and how the various parts of the church body are to function?
2. Make an unduplicated list of as many spiritual gifts as you can from
• 1 Corinthians 12:8–10:
• Romans 12:6–8:
• Ephesians 4:11–13:
(You will find a complete list in the following pages of this chapter.)
3. According to 1 Corinthians 12:20, there are many ________________________ but only one ________________________________________________________.
Body Interdependence
Journal: Record in the following space what you see as your gift(s).
Are you using your gift(s)?
In 1 Corinthians 12:18–19 Paul declared that “in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” In other words, God has a place where you and I are to serve. In wisdom God conceived a balanced ministry where every part of the body will have its function. Ideally, if all of the people in a local congregation (the body of Christ) are doing their job (fulfilling their bodily tasks), then no job will go begging. Sounds like an ideal situation, doesn't it? To those who are watching from the outside, the body should seem to function without a hitch.
Journal: Can you name an instance in which you “saw” the church in the way Paul describes it? Describe it. If you can't, what does that tell you about your church? yourself?
From a human standpoint, certainly there is something wonderful, something graceful and energy effective, about a properly-functioning human body. Such relatively simple operations as tying one's shoes or brushing one's teeth call for an amazing number of cooperative moves among the brain, the muscles, and the nervous system. But once the proper signals are sent and received, the task usually proceeds smoothly. Watching a gymnast or basketball player perform some complicated maneuver using the different parts of the human body is an inspiring experience and seems almost an effortless accomplishment. How often have we said, “She makes it look so easy”? If we are not careful, we will take for granted the miraculous way that the various parts of the body are able to work together and get a variety of tasks finished.
Paul indicated that the church and the human body have much in common as the various parts of each organism function together as a whole and perform the tasks that are assigned.
Of course in the human body each part has a prearranged function to perform. The eye doesn't have to be trained to see; it sees because it is an eye. So with the hearing by the ear, tasting with the tongue, smelling through the nose, and so on.
Journal: Being a part of the body of Christ, the church, is quite a different matter. How do I know what part I am? How do I know where I fit in?
How does the Body of Christ Function?
First of all, we need to remember that just as in the human body, so in the body of Christ there is a division of labor. Each part has a job to do that only it can accomplish. If it doesn't do that job, then some other part will have to take an extra assignment, or the body will not function effectively. The body has to compensate. In the case of a person who is sightless, hearing and touching have to help make up for the inability to see. If a person cannot hear, then the eyes have to work overtime to take care of that particular need to know what is happening. If the body is to function normally then it is preferable that all the parts function.
Paul uses a rather unusual analogy to indicate how important it is for the different parts to be functioning and to do their part properly. He points out how ridiculous it would be to conceive of a body that is composed only of one huge eye or one big ear. He also indicates the foolishness of one part of the body saying it doesn't need any of the other parts (1 Corinthians 12:21): each needs the other and Paul stated that it is so in the body of Christ.
He further declares, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (v 27). The implication is that there are no nonfunctioning parts of the body if it is performing correctly.
There may be times when some part isn't functioning because of illness or injury. When that happens, the rest of the body takes over and compensates for the inoperative member. For example, a person who has an injured foot begins to limp. He or she limps because the injured foot cannot support its fair share of the load. In order to compensate for that the body shifts some of the weight to the uninjured foot until the injured foot is healed. The rest of the body also compensates for the injured foot by making whatever adjustments are necessary to keep on performing while bearing the accompanying pain.
Journal: Provide an example that illustrates such physical compensation in your own life? What spiritual meaning you may draw from the example?
The same kind of compensation and cooperation should occur in the body of Christ. Paul indicates that the body's “parts” should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers along with it. If one part is honored, then the whole body joins in celebration.
So then, just as a human body is composed of many parts that are interdependent, so the body of Christ is made up of many parts cooperating together to allow the body to function as it ought. This means that when we become a part of the body of Christ through the new birth process, we must eventually find a way to contribute to its ongoing well being.
Journal: How do we find our place of service? What if we don't know yet where that is?
Don't panic. The Christian experience is a growth process and time is required to find your proper place in the body of believers. There are a number of resources available to help you in your search. Certainly, one of the main resources will be other, more mature members of that body. The pastor who is commissioned to help equip the members of her or his congregation is a key factor in your search. More will be said about this, but a chief concern at this point is that you understand that growth in the body of Christ is not static; it is a process. As you follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit you will discover where you fit in the local expression of the body of Christ.
Gifted to Serve
Early in chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians, Paul begins a list of possible spiritual gifts. In Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 the primary list of gifts is completed.
Just what does Paul mean by a “spiritual gift?” Quite simply, a gift is a special ability God gives us as we become a part of the body of Christ. God doesn't add “body parts” without reason. Just as each part of the human body has a specific reason for being, so it is with the body of Christ, the church. There are no unnecessary parts. This is what Paul meant in 1 Corinthians 12:7: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” In other words, the Holy Spirit has a special way of working through each one of us with the result that the body of Christ operates more completely. Paul lists the broad categories under which these spiritual gifts appear. The subdivisions under many of these could be developed quite extensively. For example, Paul lists teaching as one of the gifts. That gift could be expressed as one teaches children, youth, or adults. It could be expressed in church school teaching, teaching in a Christian college or seminary, teaching in a public school or college, or in a small group setting in a local church. C. Peter Wagner in Your Spiritual Gifts gives a list of twenty gifts as found in the scriptures noted previously. They are (from Romans 12):
1. Prophecy (preaching, inspired utterances)
2. Service (ministry)
3. Teaching
4. Exhortation (stimulating faith, encouraging)
5. Giving (contributing, generosity, sharing)
6. Leadership (authority, ruling, administration)
7. Mercy (sympathy, comfort to the sorrowing, showing kindness)
Paul's list continues (from 1 Corinthians 12):
8. Wisdom (wise advice, wise speech)
9. Knowledge (studying, speaking with knowledge)
10. Faith
11. Healing
12. Miracles (doing great deeds)
13. Discerning of spirits (discrimination in spiritual matters)
14. Tongues (speaking in languages never learned, ecstatic utterances)
15. Interpretation of tongues
16. Apostles
17. Helps
18. Administration (governments, getting others to work together)
Paul completes the list with two others (from Ephesians 4):
19. Evangelist
20. Pastor (caring for God's people)
Journal: As you think about this list, which gifts do you think you are blessed with? What makes you see these gifts as yours?
Your gift may be found here or in a related field, but in the economy of God nobody has been left out! All have one or more gifts. If this is true, and the word of God affirms that it is, then we need to begin seeking for our gift if we are not already aware of it. Once we have identified our gift, we need to begin exercising it at whatever level God calls us to do so. But, as noted earlier, we need to proceed with some caution.
Finding our Gifts
Since these serving gifts are described as gifts of the Spirit, or “manifestations of the Spirit … for the common good,” we can expect to be guided by the Spirit as we begin searching for these gifts. As we search, we need to bear in mind that there is a difference between natural talents and gifts of the Spirit.
Nevertheless, God may choose for us gifts that are enhanced by the natural talents we possess. After all, natural talents are also God-given. But spiritual gifts are just that—gifts that go beyond any ability that may be described as natural.
Journal: What experiences have you had that support your thinking about what your gifts are?
As you search for your spiritual gifts, don't be afraid to experiment. If an opportunity to serve in a particular field arises and you feel reasonably comfortable doing it or sense an inner urging, the Holy Spirit may be moving you—give it a try.
As you proceed try and be sensitive to feedback, both from the Spirit and from other members of the body of Christ. One important indicator of the validity of a gift is that you receive confirmation from the rest of the body. If you have a growing sense of affirmation about your giftedness in a particular area, talk to more mature Christians about what you are experiencing and pray that God will keep you sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Other Directions and Helps
Seek guidance from your pastor or teacher as well as other mature congregational leaders. See if your church library has a copy of Wagner's book on finding your spiritual gifts. Check to see if any courses on gifts are being planned by your board of Christian Education. Continue to pray that God would lead you to an understanding of what your gift is as you continue to mature as a part of the body of Christ.
Journal: Write about what is going on in your life in this area. Try to describe what is happening in you as you seek to know your gift(s).
Remember that as a part of the body of Christ your contribution to that body life should ultimately lend itself to body-harmony and effectiveness. Remember Paul's body metaphor: the efforts of the various parts of the body will complement one another; that is, they will work together to emphasize the coordination that exists when each member is doing its part. Where on earth will you fit in the body of Christ? It is not being facetious to say “God knows!” In terms of initial membership in the body, we have already noted that the Book of Acts declares “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Just as God is in charge of who becomes a part of the church, so God, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, is in charge of where those members are placed.
The hymn writer Charles Naylor declares:
God sets her members each in place,
According to his will—
Apostles, prophets, teachers all,
His purpose to fulfill.
[2. Hymnal of the Church of God (Anderson, Ind: Warner Press, 1953), 458.]
In Matthew 7:7 Jesus declared “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Nowhere does this injunction apply more meaningfully than in the area of spiritual gifts.
God does have a plan for your life. A part of that plan has to do with the gift or gifts God wishes you to possess and exercise. If we earnestly desire to know what those gifts are and diligently search for them, we can rest assured that it is the Father's good pleasure to reveal those gifts to us.
Chapter Three
Growing in the Body
Introduction
Growing in the body presupposes some kind of sustaining relationship between the body and its various parts. The parts of the human body receive their life from the body as a whole. If they are separated, they die.
On occasion, news stories report someone accidentally losing a part of an arm or leg or perhaps the entire limb. If action is taken quickly enough, the severed part can be reattached, veins and arteries repaired, and the part restored to its place in the body without permanent damage. But too long a separation means disaster.
Journal: Have you experienced times of separation? What did you feel during those times? How did you feel when the separation ended?
Recognizing that there are limitations to any illustration, at least one truth emerges from this analogy: if body parts are to remain healthy, they need to remain attached to the body.
The question is to what extent does this apply to the parts of the body of Christ?
Bible Study
NOTE: Please complete the Bible Study before reading this chapter; complete the journal as the opportunity is provided in the chapter. Always pray as you begin.
1. In Hebrews 10:25 we are told not to
2. In John 17:11 Jesus' prayer was that all his followers might be
3. John 17:21 says that one of the reasons for the church's oneness is that ________________might believe
4. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus declared that where two or three gathered in his name there
5. In Matthew 5:23–24 Jesus said that before we worship God we need to
6. Ephesians 4:13 tells us that God wants the body of Christ built up until we all
A Sustained Relationship
What is the relationship between our spiritual well-being and our connection to the body, the church? Do we have to maintain a relationship to the church to survive as Christians?
Generally speaking, it would seem so. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule as to most rules. For instance, in most communities there are a number of people who cannot attend church because of distance or physical restrictions. These persons survive and even thrive. In reality, they are never really cut off from the rest of the body. The relationship between them and the church is often sustained by special ministries such as home Bible studies, tape ministries, television and radio broadcasts, and regular pastoral and lay visitation programs.
Even apart from any direct or indirect connection with the corporate body of Christ, an individual Christian can survive and grow when circumstances make it necessary. But these are exceptions that God provides for and we cannot make the exceptions to the rule. The word of God specifically instructs us “not to give up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25).
Journal: How important is church to me? How would my life be specifically different if I was unable to attend?
The basic relationship between a person and God is one on one. No one can accept Christ as Lord and experience forgiveness for us. Each of us must make a decision and a commitment on our own. In that sense we stand by ourselves in our relationship to God. Even this fundamentally personal relationship, however, comes to us through the church. Jesus did not set up a network of individuals; he set up a community of believers, connected to himself and to each other in fundamentally communal ways.
Following this basic, individual commitment, believers must become involved in a community of believers. The model of the church Jesus left us is communal; he called a group of people together. Although he worked with the disciples on an individual basis from time to time, most of their education and experience took place in fellowship with their fellow disciples—in groups working together. Sometimes the groups were small, composed of Peter, James, and John, or some other combination of disciples. Much of his teaching time was spent with the twelve disciples as a group. Beyond that he often worked with larger gatherings. He often spoke to crowds on the hillside or at the beach. These larger groups included the curious and the idle, as well as his enemies. But a community of believers emerged.
Journal: What is a community? What kind of community do I want to be a part of? Is my church a community of believers or a meeting place for individuals?
This concept of community is expressed in the prayer of Jesus often called the high priestly prayer. In this deep conversation with the Father, Jesus prayed that all who believed in him might be one (John 17:11). Jesus' prayer was basically for spiritual oneness, but that spiritual oneness would be manifested in a community—a visible community—working, worshipping, and walking together. Jesus wanted his community to be visible in order that “the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). The world would not comprehend a spiritual or invisible unity. But if it could see and hear and rub shoulders with a community of believers, composed of people they knew as former extortioners, adulterers, thieves, prostitutes, and other alienated and aimless people—now radically transformed by forgiveness and restored by Jesus Christ—then the world would be more apt to believe.
Jesus also gave special priority to combinations of believers when he said in Matthew 18:19–20: “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Jesus is not being exclusive at this point, suggesting that only some elite gathering of people would warrant his attention or presence. He simply wants to make a statement concerning the value of our gathering together and encourage our meeting together in his name.
The Church Gathered
When the early church gathered, the format was quite simple. Basic ingredients for worship included prayer, praise, and preaching. Worship today has evolved into something a little more (in some cases, a lot more) structured. But the basic ingredients of praise, prayer, and proclamation still form the core for worship.
Most church services contain a call to worship (centering our attention on God); singing of congregational songs and special music (praise to God); as well as a time of prayer and proclamation of the Word of God (preaching). Different congregations would put those ingredients together in various forms, but the basic parts are still praise, prayer, and proclamation.
To say that a worship service is the sum of its parts may be true but there are intangible dimensions. One ingredient that can enhance or destroy the experience of the worshiper is the attitude she or he brings to the service.
Journal: What attitude do I bring with me to church? Am I ready to worship or am I reluctant?
Jesus emphasized this matter of attitude in worship when he declares in Matthew 5:23: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar [an act of worship] and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Preparation for worship begins long before the formal call to do so. Preparation for worship may begin hours or even days before you arrive at the place where group worship is conducted.
Journal: Do I prepare for worship? How do I or how should I?
Worship isn't so much something we do as it is something we are. The Bible tells us that we are to worship God in spirit and in truth, in attitude and in fact. God seeks to communicate with us in times of worship. If we are unprepared inwardly, the worship experience will not occur, even though the other ingredients are present. The worship experience might be compared to what happens when we turn on a radio or television set. The broadcasting of the program doesn't begin because we turn on our set. The broadcasting of the program is ongoing and we can participate by turning on our sets and tuning into the proper station. The station is always on. We just need to tune in. So it is that God is always seeking to communicate love and concern to us. We can “tune in” to that any time we wish but turning on the switch and fine tuning it to filter out whatever may be hindering our reception is something we must do. If, when we enter a worship service, our minds are filled with thoughts contrary to worshipping God, or our hearts are filled with bad attitudes toward others, then our ability to truly worship will be greatly hindered. Worshipping is a heart and mind experience. If our hearts are not right and our minds are preoccupied, worship, for us, will not occur.
Journal: Are both heart and mind engaged when I come to worship, or am I a lopsided worshiper?
Equipping the Saints
Ephesians 4 speaks of how the Holy Spirit gave gifts to pastors and teachers “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature” (vv 12–13). God looks to pastors and teachers to prepare people to serve as parts of the body. This “equipping of the saints” takes many forms. Some of it is accomplished through the preaching of sermons during worship services, but there are other ways that pastors and appointed congregational leaders use to motivate the parts of the body of Christ to serve.
There is a great emphasis today on Bible study groups. Some of those groups meet in private homes while others meet at the church building. The groups are usually kept quite small and are led by capable lay persons, perhaps under the guidance of the pastor. They may use study guides such as appear in church periodicals; or they may choose some biblical study material approved by the pastor or board of Christian Education. Many of the groups reform every twelve to eighteen months to avoid becoming ingrown or stale. On occasion some of these groups will meet on Sunday morning as a Sunday school class but this limits the length of the meeting to under an hour.
Prayer groups may also meet in homes or at the church building. Many congregations have midweek services that are a combination of prayer meeting and Bible study. Small group prayer meetings often meet in homes at times that are convenient for the participants.
Many congregations today are forming growth groups or discipleship groups where three aspects of ministry are emphasized: prayer, Bible study, and sharing the good news. These groups meet for 1 to 2 hours and give particular emphasis to all three areas.
Journal: Am I involved in a growth group? What kind of group would I like to be a part of? Why?
Sharing the good news can take the form of friendship evangelism where we witness to people in our families and neighborhoods concerning what Christ has done for us. Some churches develop evangelism programs in which people receive special training and visit on designated nights in specific homes. Literature evangelism is using the witness of the written word to share the news that in Christ we can be forgiven.
Evangelism is defined in a variety of ways but the simplest and most concise is this—sharing the good news under the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results with God.
Christian Education
One of the leading vehicles for growth in the church is the Sunday school. Most congregations have classes for a variety of age groups where teachers, using different methods, seek to convey the basic teachings of Christ and the church. Classes usually meet on Sunday morning either before or after church for approximately an hour.
Opportunities for growing in the body are available in a variety of forms. Getting involved in some kind of community growth experience is vital to the life of the Christian. Beyond the minimum of attending church and Sunday school, the growing Christian needs the nurture that exposure to these groups can provide. Just as our physical body has some minimum daily requirements that it must have if it is to function, so the individual Christian needs certain minimum daily and weekly portions of spiritual nourishment if he or she is to survive and grow.
Chapter Four
The Church on Monday
Introduction
Remember the little verse at the beginning of this book that, referring to the church, said: “Open the doors and out come the people?” When the doors of the church open on any given Sunday morning and the people come out, what happens to the church? Does it disappear or disintegrate until the next meeting time?
Here the ever-imperfect analogy again breaks down. The church, which is the body of Christ, continues to exist even when members separate from one another physically.
In fact, if it is a healthy body, it will be more active, even more the church, when it separates. The church that is following God's orders is always on the move.
Journal: How am I “the church” when I'm not at church?
The individual members of that body are always active. They are either in the process of being nourished or they are involved in kingdom work. They are always involved in the “breathing” process of the church, so to speak—either inhaling or exhaling.
This breathing process is described in the words of the title of the Elizabeth O'Connor's book as Journey Inward, Journey Outward.
The inward journey is composed of worship, prayer, Bible study, and other forms of spiritual upbuilding. It provides energy for the body to get its work done. The outward journey is primarily mission, which is the church's reason for being.
In this final chapter, we will look at the church on Monday. We will examine what the church does on its outward journey. We will look at the church on mission.
Bible Study
NOTE: Please complete the Bible Study before reading this chapter; complete the journal as the opportunity is provided in the chapter. Always pray as you begin.
1. According to Matthew 28:19 the church has been commissioned by Jesus to
2. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John 3:3 he said that in order for a person to get into the kingdom of God she or he has to
3. According to Acts 2:38 all people are challenged to ___________________________ and be ______________________________ .
4. A part of our responsibility also has to do with how we minister to people. According to Matthew 25:35–36, six ways where we can minister to the needs of people are
5. In Acts 1:8 is listed the places where the disciples were to be witnesses. List those areas:
Emil Bruner has been credited with the graphic phrase, “The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.” We cannot be the church unless we are somehow responding to the great commission of Jesus to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). We have been given the assignment to go with the good news, but the church has not always lived up to its responsibility to be on mission for the Master. The church has been accused by some of being self-serving. The body of Christ has been described by its critics as being like a giant supermarket, announcing a great sale with unbelievable bargains, which on the day of the sale locks its doors and sells all of its merchandise to its employees.
Journal: Do you think this statement is true? How does your experience of church support or contradict this judgment?
To what extent that this may be true of the church is difficult to determine, but it has been true often enough to cause a great deal of embarrassment and pain. The local representation of the body of Christ should strive with all the energy it has to make sure that such an assessment does not continue to be true.
Biblical Basis
When everything is said and done, not everything that is said is done.
Journal: Paraphrase this statement and assess its truth for you.
This homely bit of philosophy helps to pinpoint what could easily be labeled as the biggest failure of the church today. We have a tremendous message. What has been said by Christ and repeated by the church over the centuries is what needs to be said. We have the words but we have not always had the accompanying “music.” A blending of faith and works has proven difficult to achieve. If we could only live up to the instructions of the Lord as recorded in the Bible, we would have enough to keep us busy for the rest of our lives. We would have neither the time nor the need for any more instructions. The church today is split into two general factions. The factions are not particularly organized but they are quite obvious and expressive. Simplistically speaking, the two factions could be described as “faith” and “works.” The emphases have also been labeled evangelism and the social gospel.
One group, the evangelism force, says get people converted, get them inwardly changed, and that will change the course of civilization and the world. The people who favor a social action approach for the church declare that if we will put our money, our compassion, and our good works where our mouth is, people will become better persons and better citizens of the world community.
The teachings of Jesus indicate clearly that both courses of action are necessary. Jesus taught and practiced that we need a social and an evangelical thrust. He taught that people need to be changed inwardly. He told Nicodemus that he couldn't get into the kingdom of God without a conversion experience (John 3:5). Unless a person is born again, he or she cannot see the kingdom of God. This is the good news we are called to go into all the world declaring. The message on the day of Pentecost was “Repent and be baptized every one of you” (Acts 2:38). So we cannot deny the evangelism thrust indicated in the words of Jesus and emphasized over and over in the pages of the New Testament. We must tell the world about Jesus and his ability to redeem us from sin's power.
But that's only half of the assignment.
When Jesus talked about the last days and the judgment to be faced by all, he added another dimension to the picture of a well-balanced Christian life. His life on earth was a living illustration of this dimension. To some who felt they had said and done all the right things theologically, he will declare: “Depart from me; I don't know who you are. You had an obvious chance to do good toward me and you turned your back.” And the people so accused will respond: “How can that be? We would never, never do such a terrible thing to you, Lord.” And Jesus will say, “You had a chance to feed me and you turned away. You had a chance to give me some warm clothes and to visit me in the hospital and in jail, and you failed miserably.” And when the people ask when that could have possibly happened, Jesus will declare: “It happened every time you failed to minister to some person in my name” (Matthew 25:45ff, author's paraphrase).
If the inward change is not reflected in their actions toward the rest of humanity, the genuineness of that inward change is suspect.
Journal: Do I have a blended or an unbalanced Christian life? How should I change? What plan could I develop for achieving greater balance?
So the mission of the church is two-pronged: faith and works go together like our right and left hands. Faith and works have been compared to two oars that, when pulled equally, cause a boat to go forward in a straight line toward the goal.
The Shape of Missions
Journal: When I hear the word missions, what do I think?
When Jesus outlined a mission strategy for his disciples, he set the pace for the church for all time. Basically, the strategy is start at home and work out from there in ever-increasing circles. His words, as recorded in Acts 1:8 are, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem [here at home], and in all Judea and Samaria [neighboring countries], and to the ends of the earth.” Counterparts for those assignments today would be local missions, district and national missions, and world missions.
Local Missions
What form should local missions take? Obviously, it will depend on the location and on the needs of the people. Local missions work may involve providing child care for working mothers who are on limited incomes, It may be a counseling and rehabilitation center for alcoholics and people addicted to other drugs. It could take the form of a food pantry or low-cost clothing outlet. It could be the formation of prayer cells or Bible study groups for second- and third-shift workers who find it difficult or impossible to attend the more traditional services of the church. Local missions may provide recreational outlets for teenagers, or financial counseling for people who need help handling their money. Mission, in the fullest sense, is meeting the needs of people wherever they are in the name of Christ.
Journal: When I look at the needs of my community, what are some mission's activities that I might get involved in?
National Missions
National missions are often described as “home missions” to separate them from foreign or world missions. The difference between local and national missions is mostly the extent of the outreach. National missions often center on ethnic groups such as native Americans and Hispanics, as well as economically deprived people in large metropolitan areas.
World Missions
In the past, world missions have focused mainly on underdeveloped countries. The North American continent was itself the recipient of much missionary effort in its early years. Africa, China, India, and Latin America have had the largest percentage of missionaries in the last one hundred years. This missionary thrust often included an attempt, indirectly or directly, to colonize the people who were on the receiving end of the missionary effort. In recent years that emphasis has shifted in its approach. Increasingly, missionaries work within the local cultures with indigenous leaders. The shape of missionary endeavors in the last quarter of the twentieth century is going through a distinct metamorphosis. The church is being called to account concerning its reason for being. Any attempts by the church to promote a particular culture, either overtly or indirectly, is being strongly resisted. Any struggle to promote Christianity along with a particular national or ethnic connection is being met with firm resistance and often with violent reaction. The message of the church has no national or cultural bent. It is international in application. Strictly speaking, there is no Russian church or American church or German church. There is only the body of Christ in Russia, in America, in Germany and around the world. In like manner, there are no foreign or home missions. If the church is under the leadership of its head, the Lord Jesus Christ, and its energy source is the Holy Spirit, then it cannot be confined to any particular ethnic or racial group. It cannot be geographically defined or confined.
The prayer of Jesus that we might be one is not so much a petition to be one day recognized as it is an affirmation to be celebrated here and now. Keith R. Bridston writes:
The church as a whole cannot have missions—the implication being that it might not have. The church is mission. Wherever the church meets the world there is the missionary frontier. And when it crosses frontiers … it does so, not as a “mission” but as the church. Indeed, it is thus that the church proves that it is the church. [1. Keith R. Bridston, Mission, Myth and Reality (New York: Friendship Press, 1965), 40.]
Journal: What level of commitment to missions am I willing or ready to make?
How will I start?
Where to From Here?
In his book Being the Community of Christian Love, Dr. R. Eugene Sterner lists six characteristics of the church of tomorrow. Although speaking of the church of the future, the list most assuredly speaks of the church today as well:
1. A grasp of essential truth beyond what is commonly thought of as “religious truth.”
Truth remains, whether it is labeled religious, scientific, or philosophic, and the church must be willing to deal with that truth.
2. A spirit of love as exemplified in human relations.
3. A strong lay influence.
4. A relevant expression of the gospel.
5. A vital witness to those outside the church.
6. A spiritual power that has its base in the people's relationship to God.
Journal: Use these six as checkpoints for your church. Where is my church (and me in it) on each of these six points?
Concerning the last point, Dr. Sterner writes:
John R. Mott once said that we have multiplied Christian activities faster than we have developed Christian life and experience to sustain them. We need more people who live habitually at close quarters with God and in warm fellowship with his children. We are indeed called to do, but we are first called to be. [2. R. Eugene Sterner, Being the Community of Christian Love (Anderson, Ind: Warner Press, 1971), 115 ff.]
Wars are often lost when the distance between the supply center and the front lines becomes too extended. We stand in danger of losing spiritual battles when we get too far away from our supply source as well. Christians, individually and corporately, dare not forget the instructions of Jesus in John 14:21: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Hearing Peter's declaration of faith in him as “the Son of the living God,” Jesus declared that he would build his church on that declaration (Matthew 16:16–18). It was on this foundation that the early church stood. Paul affirmed this when he said that no other foundation has been laid or could be laid other than this (1 Corinthians 3:11). The hymn writer expressed it beautifully when he wrote:
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the word;
From heaven He came and sought her
To be his holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
[3. Worship the Lord: Hymnal of the Church of God (Anderson, Ind: Warner Press, 1989), 281.]
Jesus died physically in order that the church might come into being. The church became the transformed body of Christ and represents him in the world today. The church is the hands, feet, heart, and mind of Christ in the present world.
If Christ is to be believed by the people outside of his body, the church, then the message we proclaim must be a believable one. It must be representative of his spirit. As his body, the church must express love, redemption, forgiveness, and a new way of living. If we claim to be a part of his body, then the world must see Jesus in us or it may not see Jesus at all.
Journal: Do people see Jesus in me? Through me? Are people attracted to the church through me?
When people who are not a part of the body come to the place where the church has gathered, they should sense the presence of Christ. The following poem suggests what such an experience might feel like.
Body Heat
I was cold, Lord,
When I came in off the street,
And they told me I could get warm here.
From the first it seemed doubtful.
It was almost as cold as it was out there.
Not much comfort in marble, hardwood and stained glass.
There was a real chill in the air that seemed to
Follow me right in from the outside,
And I left an hour later, still cold
In spite of heat pumps and thermostats, adjusted upwards.
The pews were filled with people,
Separated from one another with the insulation of unconcern,
And even though “Be warmed and fed”
Was intoned by a thousand voices,
I left with an emptiness,
Still shivering.
Another day—the chill was still present.
I felt it to the marrow of my bones.
Another gathering—another promise of comfort.
But the place was different,
In spite of likened marble, wood, and panes of colored glass.
At first I wondered and continued shivering.
But then the difference began to manifest itself.
The sound of human voices touched my soul,
And hope began to rise.
With the gathering of twos and threes,
I felt another Presence, and I was strangely warmed.
The glow spread from one to another until,
Though many, we seemed One.
Their warmth was mine,
And soon the warmth I felt began to flow from me
To others seeking warmth;
And the assurance came
That I would never be that cold again.
—John Little
Journal: What level of commitment am I now willing to make to help the church be the church?