CHAPTER XIII — The Congregation at Work

CHAPTER XIII --- The Congregation at Work XIII. THE CONGREGATION AT WORK
By NorveI Young

"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried,” said G. K. Chesterton. In like manner the divinely ordained unit of the local church or congregation has not failed in doing God’s work. We have simply found it difficult to achieve God’s great purposes through his authorized channel and have often failed to try to the extent which great faith in Christ and His Church would demand. We who live in the twentieth century breathe in an atmosphere of denominational organizations which have superseded the local church. We have been made conscious of all manner of religious organizations which overshadow in scope and power the humble local congregation. Undoubtedly we and our forefathers have been influenced by the tendency of the religious peoples about us and to some extent have failed to magnify the local church under its scriptural elders. When the first local congregation came into being on the day of Pentecost it was impressive in power and in size and in amazing influence upon the whole city. Soon there were five thousand men and to these were added "multitudes both of men and women” and later Luke in Acts 6 reports that "the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Surely this congregation was wonderful to behold as it worked for the Lord. No school or paper or evangelist could overshadow such a congregation at work. Let us magnify the Church in our lives! To do this we must catch a greater vision of the church as it exists seven days a week, as it works on Monday as well as worships on the Lord’s day. Webster defines a congregation as “an organized body of believers in one locality.” The New Testament specifies the conditions of membership and the plan of organization under Christ as the head of the body1 with elders as bishops, shepherds of the flock. Paul compares ihe church to the human body which has “many members, and all the members of the bodv, being many are one body. . . .” The only way in which the human body can function is through its members. Thus ihe only way in which the body of Christ, the Church, can function is through its members, Christians, working individually or collectively. Just as the members of the human body are not expected to render the same service to the head so each member of the body of Christ should render a service peculiar to his or her abilities and opportunities. Paul clearly warns any member of the fault of esteeming lightly the service of some less talented brother. The local church is at work to the extent that each member is working for Christ. The great work of the church of God is to preach the gospel of Christ to all men and to care for those who have physical needs which they are not able to meet. First, let us discuss the primary task of making known the “manifold wisdom of God.”4 Christ’s commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature is a marching order to the. church. Of the first local congregation Luke reports that “every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ.** When persecution raged after Stephen’s death they “went about preaching the word”** as they were scattered abroad.

Today the congregation is at work as its preachers or evangelists preach the gospel publicly or privately at home or abroad supported by the church.7 The congregation is at work as its members make money in honest toil and give it to the Lord to be used for proclaiming the glad tidings. Most churches could easily treble their work in this regard if each member worked at his trade or business and saved his money to give to the Lord as he has been prospered. The Christian business man who works diligently to make money to give to Christ is the church at work through him just as the, preacher is the church at work through him in proclaiming the unsearcnable riches of Christ. The congregation is at work through both! Not only is the church at work in the public preaching of the gospel, but also in the systematic teaching of God’s word in the Sunday morning Bible School, or the Vacation Bible School, or the week day Bible Classes, or through various Bible Classes in homes. Speaking primarily of the worship, Paul told the Corinthians to “let all things be done decently and in order.”8 Surely no one would deny that the same pnnciole would hold true for the work of the congregation. A great amount of good can be done even with hap hazard teaching, but the potentialities for good in orderly, systematic, teaching under the elders have yet to be realized. I have visited two church plants in the last week where more than two thousand students were taught on the preceding Sunday. In each case the Bible School departments were being enlarged to accommodate another thousand students. More than two hundred teachers and assistants were working at this task. There is much truth in the proverb, “The church which forgets its children today will be forgotten tomorrow.” God grant us a greater vision of what can be done through systematic teaching of the Bible at home (and that is the congregation at work there), at the church building, and wherever it can be done effectively. As a practical suggestion for extending our work in this field I would submit the plan of conducting Bible classes every day in the week for one hour after school. In some communities the schools will release the children for that time and, if the church can provide teachers with formal education, credit will be allowed on the Bible courses offered. Other churches are giving Bible classes and Bible drills on one afternoon a week. For example, on Friday afternoon the Belmont church in Nashville, Tennessee, conducts a Bible Story hour for the neighborhood children with good results. Some of the ladies prepare cookies and a glass of milk for each child attending. These ladies are the congregation at work and they are doing a service that is not to be despised by the teacher of the class. Again another church offers classes on Saturday morning. Not all of the children will attend, but consider the atomic power of twenty-five children thoroughly taught in the scriptures and molded in the image of Christ. When we are tempted to refuse a request by the elders to teach a class or assist in the Bible School let us remember Jesus’ warning. “See that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” And again he said: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: but whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.”

Another suggestion as to a means of teaching comes from Cleburne, Texas, where the church has been offered the opportunity to support a Bible teacher full time to teach courses in the public high school to all the children who choose to enroll. It may be that other communities will open such a door. If so, may God help us to catch a vision of what may be done. On the college level the church may work through teachers supported at state or private colleges who are allowed to teach the Bible in accredited classes to all who enroll. Two examples of this type of work are found at College Station, Texas, in the A. and M. College there and at Norman, Oklahoma, with the University there. When our Christian colleges are unable to take care of all those who wish college training and when hundreds of Christians are attending other institutions each year, surely the church can do a wonderful work in teaching the Bible in this manner. But the church is not limited to orderly teaching in groups. In fact, there is a distinct responsibility resting upon Christians to teach others. Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world ...” and “they (the individual Christians) went about preaching the word.” The responsibility to preach Christ is not confined to preachers or evangelists or Bible School teachers. Individual Christians received this rebuke in Hebrews, “For when by reason of time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God . . .” Thus the congregation is at work as a devoted mother teaches her children at home or as the older women “train the young to love their husbands, to love their children, to be soberminded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. . . .” It has well been said of our age that there is something wrong with a civilization in which a man who writes a dirt}* play or novel is called an artist and a mother who rears a number of Christian men and women is classified as an unemployed housewife! The church is at work as each Christian engages in personal evangelism seeking to win his business companion, his employer or employee, his neighbor and his friend to Christ. The pulpit is definitely limited to a certain time for preaching, a certain place, and to certain people who will come to that place. Christians can win souls i:o Christ by both the spoken and the practiced Word any time, anywhere, and they can reach many who have, never darkened a church door. Most Christians have been won to Christ by someone’s personal interest m their soul. This work of the church goes on wherever there are truly converted Christians. It is true that Christianity begins with the individual, but if it ends wiih that individual, it ends.

Two men were riding in a sleigh in the far North. They were on their way home during a bitterly cold blizzard. One of them noticed the form of a man by the side of the road and they stopped. He found the man almost frozen to death and badly in need of artificial respiration and stimulation. His companion in the sleigh refused to wait for him to try to save the man’s life. He feared that they might all die from the cold if they waited any longer so he drove on alone. After working hard at the job the “Good Samaritan” succeeded in reviving the stranger and forcing him to walk several miles mto town. As they came to their destination they noticed the sleigh in front of the house. It took only a moment to discover that the companion who had sought to save himself had relaxed into a sleep from which there was no awakening in this life. The “Good Samaritan” had saved his own life by exerting all his efforts to save another. So is the Christian who loses himself in seeking to serve and save others. Personal work will sharpen your interest in Bible Study, quicken your appetite for prayer and worship, increase your appreciation for Christian friends, and kindle your zeal for God’s work. “He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”

Here are a few suggested channels of doing personal work. Each member can do one or more of these things and the unleashed power in a community will be astonishing. First, there is the systematic visiting of all visitors to the services. Of course, it is good for the preacher to visit all who come to the worship just as it is good for every Christian to do so, but the evangelist will often have less opportunity than some good deacons or elders or other members. Different individuals can assume this definite work under the elders for a period of three to six months and then relinquish it to others. Others should be appointed to keep a visitor’s register faithfully. A register is of little use unless someone tends to it. Simple records should be kept of the calls made so that the elders can evaluate the interest of different visitors from the community. Again newcomers to the city or town offer an open invitation to Christian visitors. Usually their names can be obtained from the utilities company or from the Retail Merchants’ Association or the Chamber of Commerce. Especially is it true today that a new resident appreciates a friendly call from the church. The merchants are all too busy taking care of old customers to welcome a new one, and the church is about the only institution which is genuinely glad to welcome a new citizen into the town. Let us make the most of it and visit every new resident of our community. Many of them will respond by attending the services and others will send their children to the Bible School while others may be reached for Christ immediately. Let us never forget that there are honest people praying every day for guidance and truth. The Lord can use us to answer their prayers.

Another means of putting the congregation to work is to take a religious census of the city or an area of it if it is a large city. This will acquaint every resident in that area with the church and it will furnish the basis for much followup work. Following the census, those who are most interested can be revisited, their children invited to the Bible School. Young ladies who can type can donate time to write personal letters to these families for a number of weeks, enclosing appropriate tracts. Copies of the church bulletin can be mailed to them for a few months so that they will be informed about what the church is doing. The preparation and distribution of a church bulletin for each Lord’s day is another valuable channel of work for members.

One of the most practical means of doing personal work is through the visiting of the sick. In rural communities one can usually find out who is sick by asking the neighbors. In towns and cities one can get information through the clinics and hospitals. In our city there are three hospitals and the secretary obtains the names of those who are members of the church or who prefer the church, from the hospital records. Some member takes one hospital for three months and visits the sick at least once a week. She advises the preacher or the elders if it is desirable for one of them to visit a particular person. Often weak members are encouraged by Bible reading and prayer and sometimes those who have never made the decision to obey the gospel are persuaded to do so while they have time to think about it seriously. A letter is usually written by the minister to the local congregation of those patients who live out of town so that someone there can know that the visiting has been done and can visit the patient upon his return to the community. Often this work will lead to visiting those who are in the same ward or in neighboring rooms. Each time the visiting Christian can hear as he leaves the sick room the word of His Lord, “I was sick and ye visited me.” As strange as it may seem, Jesus said, “I was in prison and ye came unto me.” Our state prisons, reformatories, and our city and county jails offer an opportunity which is often neglected. In Abilene, Texas, the college students have visited the jail each Sunday afternoon for years. I recall that my roommate baptized one inmate in 1935. No doubt many others have been reached. The Charlotte Avenue Church in Nashville, Tennessee, has carried on regular services at the state penitentiary. In fact, the authorities provided a baptistry inside the walls for the express purpose of baptizing those converted by Christians visiting there during the last half century. Let us not neglect this open door.

Again, Christian hospitality is a wonderful means of reaching souls for Christ. I know of a devoted family in Wichita, Kansas, that made it a point to include in their circle of friends at least one couple out of the church. After enjoying several evenings or Lord’s days association these Christians would begin to discuss Christ and the Bible with their friends. If the response was favorable they would bring them to several services and usually they would have the thrill of seeing them baptized into Christ during a gospel meeting or before that time. Just think what would happen to a church with five hundred active workers like that bringing two persons each into the church each year. If each member did that in such a congregation, by 1950 that church would rival the number reported to have been in the church at Antioch at one time; it would have 121,500 members, provided none was lost in those five years.

Speaking of losing members brings up the subject of backsliders. In many communities there are as many backsliders as there are active, faithful Christians. They need attention. They need visiting in most cases and teaching. “My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.” Too often weak members have backslidden simply because they have not been put to work for the Lord. Let us seek to bring them back to the fold in a spirit of humility. It is surprising to find out how many people are hungry and thirsty for spiritual food, and you can pay a man no higher compliment than to address yourself to his soul.

Many congregations have found it practical to distribute good literature and portions of the New Testament through tract racks in railroad and bus waiting rooms, in barber and beauty shops, in hospital waiting rooms, and in hotel lobbies. These racks should be well-built and attractive and they must be serviced bv some faithful members regularly, once or twice a week, depending upon how much they are used. The tracts should be simple and attractive in form and content, designed to interest the reader in learning more about Christ and His Will for them in the Bible. It is my observation that tracts seldom do the whole job alone, but that they are a great help in making contact and in aiding personal teaching. In addition to the work mentioned there are numerous tasks around the worship and work of the church which will develop the individual Christian and indirectly lead to the winning of souls. For instance there is the keeping of records by secretaiies in the church office, the answering of the phone, the calling on the phone of prospects, parents of children in Bible School, those who are missed at the services, ushering at each service, seeing that the building is properly heated and ventilated, waiting on the Lord’s table, making strangers feel at home, and such like. The elders should see that each member who is qualified is given a specific work to do. One minister has written about a convert who had very little ability, but who was very wilbng to serve. He finally found a work which he could do; he could attend ever} funeral service and “weep with those who weep.” Often the elders can create opportunities for work. For example, the church at Sicnel Street in Los Angeles bought a small printing press and used young men and women to print tracts and religious pamphlets for a number of years. When these boys and girls gave several hours each week to that task they knew that they were a part of the church at work. Of course, all of the work must be done under the supervision of the elders. Probably a church that is working zealously will require the full time of at least one of the elders to oversee the work. Paul said to Timoihv, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and in teaching. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” Why should not an elder, or more than one, give full time to seeixig that the congregation is at work. In some communities the elders have found it wise to divide the city or towm into sections, using a detailed map for that purpose. On this the location of each member may be identified by a colored pin and a geographical file of the members may be kept as well as an alphabetical hie. An elder, or a deacon appointed by the elders, would be given a special responsibility to see that those in his area, preferably his neighborhood, attend the services regularly and that any need, physical or spiritual, is brought to the attention of the elders. Prospects can be handled in a similar fashion.

Such a systematic plan is suggested because we often fail to do our duty due to the fact that we think someone else may do it for us. In other words, “passing the buck” is a malady of the church as well as of the army. There is an old story of an ancient king who suspected that his people were shirking their responsibility. He placed a large stone in the midst of the main road of his kingdom. A farmer saw it in the early dawn, but he slowly guided his cart to the side of the road and passed by saying, “What careless people live in this section.” A company of soldiers came along and broke ranks to avoid the stone, although any one of them could have removed it with a little effort. They, too, thought about how negligent other citizens were. And so the stone stayed in the road for days. Each traveler went to some trouble to get around it, but no one took the trouble to remove it. Finally the king called his people to that site and removed the stone before them. Under the stone was a bag of valuable coins with a note which read, “To the one who removes the stone.” Our King also has placed rewards for those who will shoulder their Christian responsibility and work for Christ.

Although the greatest work of the church is to preach the gospel to save men’s souls, there is also the great work of doing good unto men’s physical nature. The first congregation had to begin immediately to help take care of the physical needs of some of its members and in order to do this some of them “sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.”18 Also we notice that this matter was handled in an orderly way and when a disturbance arose concerning the Grecian widows the apostles appointed seven men to give their attention to this one matter of benevolent work.

There is no lack of authority or example for the local church to do good on a large scale and in a systematic manner. Let us get away from a small sectarian conception of the work of the church and get back to the New Testament conception. “So, then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.” When Agabus told the brethren at Antioch about the famine in Judea “the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea: which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.” James also says, “Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” We know that this visiting meant more than going to see them, that it meant to render practical assistance where it was needed. Of course, there is the first responsibility of the Christian home to help those of the family, but when Christians care for their own indigent relatives is it not the church working in that case through the home? But there will always be many opportunities to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, buy medical care for the sick. If a church can buy medicine for a sick man and pay a doctor’s bill for one who is not able, could not the church do it on a larger scale through a clinic or hospital at home or abroad?

Jesus said, “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one ot these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.” James teaches us that “faith only” will not save the Christian nor help his brother’s physical needs. “If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself.” A study of the budget of many congregations will reveal an amazing lack of concern about the physical needs of those around about us. I once heard a deacon warn the brethren about the danger of helping a brother with his hospital bill for he said, “There will be no end to doing that kind of work.” No, there will be no end to it for Jesus said, “The poor ye have always with you.” If we can’t find the poor in our neighborhood we can find them elsewhere in the community. If we can’t find them among our own people we can find them among those of other races and nationalities. Shall the church turn over all benevolent work to the state or to some community charity or some national agency? How shall the church be magnified ? How shall Christ be honored ? “And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” A real program of feeding the poor, clothing the naked, healing the sick would challenge the wealth of many members who think that the work of the church is done when the building is paid for and the running expenses of the worship are taken care of. May God help us to see how much can be done through the church. Under the elders an efficient organization can be had and the amount of money spent and good done will depend upon the zeal and generosity of the members. If we don’t do more for the needy, surely we run the risk of hearing Jesus say in the judgment, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. . . . Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.” Churches of our Lord must offer service as well as services to the community! Of course, it should be said that the benevolent work of the church is not limited to that which is done as a group in an organized manner. Each Christian should be giving to the poor as the opportunities offer themselves and should be helping the unfortunate as the Samaritan helped the wayfarer who had been robbed and beaten. But there is a great work which the church under its elders can do regularly and systematically. One church in Nashville, Tennessee, is taking care of aged women in a home. Other homes could be operated for the needy or the sick. Another church has trained its women in practical nursing so that they can go out among the sick and give their service to those who cannot afford it. What a wonderful and practical way of serving Christ! Of course, too, the churches should support the orphan homes which are equipped to train and care for children. Their work is great, but we have not touched the hem of the garment in that field.

We need more of the spirit which a young lad in San Antonio manifested. A local preacher was visiting in a very poor neighborhood. When he came out of a poor home he noticed a youngster openly admiring his new Cadillac automobile. The boy looked up and said, “Say, Mister, where did you get this car?” The preacher replied, “It was a gift. My brother is quite wealthy and he gave it to me for a present.” The boy spontaneously blurted out, “I sure wish . . .” The minister naturally thought he would say, “I sure wish I had a brother like that.” But he was wrong. The boy simply said, “I sure wish I could be a brother like that.” It turned out that he was the fine, unselfish elder brother of a little fellow stricken with infantile paralysis. Before the day was over that little brother had a ride in that fine automobile. May the Lord help us to catch the spirit of loving our brothers like that. The local churches in Asia are referred to as seven candlesticks. A candlestick is to uphold a light. Jesus Christ is the light of the world and the local congregation at work in preaching the gospel and doing good to all men will hold that light up to a generation stumbling in the darkness. If there was ever a time when the churches need to be at work it is now! The Church is the bride of Christ. “Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

O God, Our Holy Father, help us to be a working part of that body, the Church, and to live in such a way that we will honor the head, Jesus Christ, and not be a blemish upon the bride He loves and gave Himself for. As we see Him bear His cross up Golgotha’s rugged side may we take up our cross daily and lift with all our might!