18. Chapter Fifteen: The Christian and the Church
Chapter Fifteen THE CHRISTIAN AND THE CHURCH In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. —Ephesians 2:22
MAN is a social animal, gregarious by nature, and finds his greatest sense of security and satisfaction in the company of others who share his interests and attitudes. Of all the many groups into which humans have collected themselves, of all the many tribes, clans, organizations, and societies throughout history, none has been so powerful, so far-reaching, or more universal than the church. In primitive times, men gathered together for mutual protection, and at a far later date they learned to join together for mutual benefit and pleasure. With more advanced civilization, secret societies came into being, to give their members a sense of being “set apart” and therefore distinguished from non-members. Special oaths, rituals, and codes were established and given great significance.
Racial and national groups were established with membership restricted to those of similar place of origin, or with allegiance to a common flag. Country clubs, college fraternities, lodges, literary societies, political parties, military organizations—all of these, from the most select “gentlemen’s club” to the high school “gang,” represent mans need to find comfort and reassurance in the company of others who approve of his way of life, because their own way of life is similar.
Nowhere, however, has man found this comfort, this reassurance, this peace to the extent that he has found it in the church, for all other groups are obviously man-inspired. They draw artificial boundaries and set up only the illusion of protection; while the church provides a living, vibrant organism that draws its power from within itself, instead of relying upon outside sources to give it meaning and vitality. The word church is an English translation of the Greek word ecclesia, which means “the called-out ones,” or an assembly of people. Although church soon became a distinctively Christian word, it has a pre-Christian history. Throughout the Greek world the word church was the designation of the regular assembly of the whole body of citizens in a free city-state. A group of the citizens would be called out by the herald for the discussion and decision of public business. This same word church was also used in the Old Testament and is translated in English as “congregation” or “community” of Israel in which members were designated as the called-out people of God. Thus we find Stephen in the Book of Acts using it when he describes Moses as “he that was in the church in the wilderness.” In the first century, therefore, the world church would suggest to the Greek a self-governing, democratic society; to the Jew, a theocratic society whose members were the subjects of God. The word church as applied to the Christian society was first used by Jesus Himself when He told Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Thus Jesus Christ Himself founded the church. He is the great cornerstone upon which the church is built. He is the foundation of all Christian experience, and the church is founded upon Him. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the founder of the church, the builder of the church, and the church belongs to Him and to Him alone. He has promised to live with, and in, all those who are members of His church. Here is not only an organization but an organism which is completely unlike anything else that the world has ever known: God Himself living with, and in, ordinary men and women who are members of His church. The New Testament teaches that while there is actually only one church there can be any number of local churches formed into various denominations and societies or councils. These local churches and denominational groups may be divided along national and theological lines, or according to the temperament of their members. However, the New Testament teaches that even though there may be many cleavages and divisions within the structure of the church, yet we have only “one Lord.” As the hymn puts it, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord.”
Jesus Christ is the head of this great universal church. From Him must spring all the activities and teachings of the church, for He is the fountainhead of all Christian religious experience. In this day of electronics it is easy to draw a comparison with a far-flung telephone system in which there is one central station toward which all wires converge and from which all connections are made. In a railroad system there is always one central office from which orders governing the operations of all trains originate. In the army, one commanding general issues orders to the many groups under his jurisdiction. His various subordinates may interpret his orders in slightly different ways, but his orders still remain the basis for their conduct. In relation to the church, Jesus Christ stands in the position of the commanding general. It is upon His orders that the church has its existence, its very power comes directly from Him, and it is up to every church group to follow His commands as closely as possible. Just as the commanding general expects to have his orders carried out faithfully, so does Jesus expect every branch of the church to abide by His teachings to the fullest. The church has been widely criticized for many intramural squabbles, much hair-splitting and apparent lack of unity. These, however, are superficial things; these are the conflicts that come from the slightly varying interpretations of the general’s orders and in no way reflect upon the wisdom of the general or his absolute authority in issuing his orders!
Study the underlying beliefs of the various denominations and you will find that basically and historically they are almost identical. They may differ widely in ritual, they may seem to lock horns over theological technicalities; but fundamentally they all recognize Jesus Christ as God incarnate, who died upon the cross and rose again that man might have salvation—and that is the all-important fact to all humanity.
Now that you have accepted Christ as your Savior and put your trust and confidence in Him, you have already become a member of the great universal church. You are a member of the household of faith. You are a part of the body of Christ. Now you are called upon to obey Christ, and if you obey Christ, you will follow His example of joining with others in the worship of God. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Hebrews 10:25).
It has been said, “In practical terms this membership of the body of Christ must actually mean membership of some local manifestation of His body in the church.”
It is true that we are not talking about the great universal church now but the local church, the one in your own community, of whose many imperfections and shortcomings you may be well aware. But we must remember that perfection does not exist among human beings, and the institutions they create to the greater glory of God are filled with these selfsame flaws. Jesus is the only perfect Man who ever lived. The rest of us are at best but repentant sinners, try as we may to follow His magnificent example; and the church is but turning a blind eye toward itself when it claims infallibility or perfection for itself or any of its members. When Jesus founded the church, He intended His followers to join it and remain faithful to it. Today, if you are among the forty-one per cent of the population of this country who have no formal church affiliation, you may stand in bewilderment before the number whose membership is open to you. In selecting one you may well have a natural tendency to return to the church of your childhood, or you may feel you want to make a choice based on your more spiritually mature judgment. A church affiliation is not something to be entered into lightly, for if the church is to be of the greatest service to you, and even more important, if it is to give you the greatest possible opportunity to be of service to others, you must prayerfully select the one where you feel you can be the most service to God.
Whenever anyone points a critical finger and demands to know why there have to be so many different churches all serving the same God, I am always tempted to point out how many different styles of hats have to be designed for both American men and women. We all belong to the same human race, but we all have enough physical differences to make it impossible for us to wear the same style of hat with equal satisfaction.
Some people find it easier to draw closer to God in magnificent buildings and with some form of ritual. Others find they can seek God only in stark simplicity. Some people find themselves in sympathy with one kind of service, others feel more at home in a different atmosphere. The important thing is not how we do it, but the sincerity and depth of purpose with which we do it, and we should each find and join the church in which as individuals we can best accomplish this.
Certainly you would not take up your lifetime abode in a house without first finding out something about it. Yet all too many Christians join a church without quite knowing why, and then, finding it does not meet their needs, drift on and on, trying them all for a little while, but coming to secure anchor in none. Such drifting serves neither the Lord nor themselves.
Churches have different backgrounds, different traditions, different customs, different emphases; and each Christian should select his church because he is convinced that within its particular structure he will find the greatest opportunities for spiritual growth, the greatest satisfactions for his human needs, and the greatest chance to be of helpful service to those around him. Do not make the mistake of attaching yourself to a particular minister rather than to the body of the church itself. The ministry may change—it is healthy and stimulating that it should—but the tenets of the church remain the same, and it is to the church and its Christ that you owe allegiance. A stable church is built up when the members of the congregation recognize that it is their mutual love of Jesus Christ and the sincere desire to follow in His steps that hold them together. The true Christian does not go to church because it’s fashionable, because it gives him standing in the community, because it publicly stamps him as a just and righteous person. The true Christian doesn’t even go to church because it eases his soul and brings him peace, although that is certainly one of the rich rewards of church membership. The true Christian goes to church not only for what he gets out of it, but also for what he can put into it. He goes to add his prayers to those of others, he goes to add his voice to the other voices raised in praise of the Lord, he goes to add his strength in beseeching the Lord’s blessing, he goes to add his weight of testimony to the possibility of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. He goes to join with others in the worship of God, in the contemplation of His boundless mercy and love. The purpose of this Christian society called the “church” is, First: to glorify God by our worship. We do not go to church just to hear a sermon. We go to church to worship God. We are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The symbols, the songs, the messages of worship are there to help us glorify God in the act of worship. The chief end of man is to glorify God. We glorify Him more by our worship than by any other possible means. Christian activity, soul winning, Bible reading, and a thousand and one good activities of the church cannot take the place of worship. Worship is absolutely necessary if we are to live a happy Christian life. God wants our worship and praise more than any other thing.
Second: the church is for fellowship. Probably the greatest foretaste of heaven here on earth is the fellowship that Christians have one with another. If you are a true Christian, you will look forward with keen anticipation to your next contact with other Christians. In the early days most of the social life of the community centered around the church. That does not mean that church buildings are to be turned into playhouses, poolrooms, or bowling alleys. Every activity of the church should be carried on under the direction of Christ to glorify God, but we as Christians need each other. We need each others prayers and help. We have a responsibility toward each other.
Paul likens the church to the body. The hand has its obligation toward the lips, the eye must work in unison with the ear, the feet must act in harmony with the hand, every member of the body must bear its own burden; but it also must co-operate in bearing the burdens of every other member of the body.
Christianity is a religion of fellowship. Following Christ means love, righteousness, service, and these can be achieved and expressed through social relations. That social relationship is to be found in the church. It is through fellowship that we strengthen each other. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst” (Matthew 18:20). Jesus was teaching our need of praying and worshiping together as a social group.
Third: the church is for the strengthening of faith. Through joint prayers, testimonies, and the preaching and the teaching of the various organizations of the church, your faith will be strengthened. The church will build you up in the most holy faith by re-emphasizing the points that we have already covered in “The Rules for the Christian Life.”
Fourth: the church is a medium of service. We are saved to serve. There are a thousand and one tasks to be done for Christ. This work can best be accomplished through the fellowship of a local church. A virile Christianity has never existed apart from the church. The church is the organization of Christ upon earth. The church, with all of its imperfections, failures, and divisions is still the church. No other organization will ever take its place.
Fifth: the church should be the means of channeling your funds for Christian work. The Bible teaches tithing. A tithe is one tenth of your net income. That one tenth of your income belongs to the Lord. In addition to your tithe, you should give as the Lord has prospered you. Giving is a Christian grace that should be woven into the fabric of our daily lives until it becomes a part no longer distinguishable from the rest. Generosity should motivate us in all things.
Christ said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). He knew how giving warms the heart and satisfies the soul. He coveted for you that particular blessing. Selfishness is caused by fear—and a Christian should stand forth unafraid. Jesus stood always with hands that were open— not with hands that were clenched tight with selfishness and greed.
Giving cannot be measured in dollars and cents, it cannot be measured in boxes of old clothes. Sometimes the greatest gift is the gift of friendship and neighborliness. A kind word, a friendly greeting, an evening spent with someone who is lonely can reap rich harvest for the kingdom of God. It is impossible for you to become a soul winner unless you are prepared to give something of yourself. Not only your money, but your time, your talents— everything is to be given to the service of Christ. The giving of your offering which is above the tithe should not be limited by set rules or organized methods. It should be governed by the need that is brought to your attention. It might be a neighbor, the newsboy who brings the daily paper, or someone in far-off Africa or South America. Our giving is the expression of our love for God. We give back to Him in return for the great love that He has bestowed on us, and in that way we spread His love abroad.
There is an art to giving. It is possible to enrich a life with a cup of cold water, or to impoverish a life by giving money without love. Here again the test lies with the giver, for a gift that is given to cause another to be indebted to us is given with far more malice than love. There is no blessing in the gift that is given to show power or domination over another. There is no blessing in a gift that is given grudgingly, or for the calculated effect it will have upon those who witness or are aware of the giving.
We must give willingly, out of a generous desire to bring help and comfort—not with the thought of how the gift may work to our own benefit. We must give kindly and wisely lest our gift bring a hurt instead of a benediction. There is a true and lasting joy in giving, a joy of which the selfish and the miserly have no conception, a joy that is denied to the mean and greedy of heart. This is the real joy of sacrifice, a feeling in no way connected with what some like to consider noble self-pity.
Whether our gift be to the Community Chest, the Salvation Army, or a pint of blood to the Red Cross, it should all be given in the name of Jesus Christ. The people to whom it is given should know that you are giving it in the name of Christ. We have too many gifts that are given on a materialistic and secularistic basis today. The gift of a Christian should be a special gift. The letter accompanying the financial gift to the social or charitable organization should say, “I am giving this in the name of Jesus Christ, my blessed Lord.” This provides a testimony to those who are handling the funds. Therefore you are killing two birds with one stone—you are providing the financial gift and at the same time spreading the gospel of good news. Be careful that you do not become guilty of the sin of robbing God. The Bible says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).
Dr. Louis Evans has said, “The gospel is free, but it costs money to provide the pails in which to carry the water of salvation.” The act of giving is just as much an act of worship as praying or singing. The United States Government now allows us to give twenty per cent of our income free of tax. It is deductible from our income tax, and yet it is estimated that less than ten per cent of the American people take advantage of this. Corporations are allowed to give five per cent and yet only about fifteen per cent of them are taking advantage of this provision of the government. We should be ashamed of ourselves. The entire world could be evangelized over night if Christian people would give as the Lord has prospered them. Be a generous giver, and God has promised that He will return it to you a hundred-fold. Jesus promises one hundred per cent return on your investment. Do you know any bank or financial institution that will give you one hundred per cent increase on the money invested? God says prove me now, see what I’ll do. Give until it hurts and see what God will give you in return.
Sixth: the church is for the spreading of the gospel. The church is commanded to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel,” and to baptize those who believe. The basic and primary mission of the church is to proclaim Christ to the lost. The world today is sending forth its S.O.S., asking the church to come to its help. The world is being overwhelmed by social, moral, and economic problems. Its people are going down, swept under the waves of crime and shame. The world needs Christ. The mission of the church is to throw the life line to the perishing sinners everywhere.
Jesus said, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses” (Acts 1:8). With the power of the Holy Spirit we can join hands with other Christians to win people to Christ. Sixty-five per cent of the world has yet to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this generation we have failed miserably to spread the gospel to a needy world. There are still over a thousand languages and dialects into which the Bible has not been translated. The early church had no Bibles, no seminaries, no printing presses, no literature, no educational institutions, no radio, no television, no automobiles, no airplanes; and yet within one generation the gospel had been spread to most of the known world. The secret of the spread of this gospel was the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today in the face of vastly improved methods of communication the power of the Holy Spirit is being neglected. We are trying to do things in our own strength, and as a result we are failing. Millions of Americans are pagan, idolatrous. They are worshiping at the shrines of secularism, materialism, and sinful pleasure; and all the time the church hears the command of Christ to “Go.” The hour is getting late! The world is rushing madly on its way toward destruction! The only hope for a war-mad world is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The only feet that Christ has are your feet. The only hands that He has are your hands. The only tongue that He has is your tongue. Use every talent, facility, and method possible to win men to Christ. This is the great mission of the church. Our methods may vary. We may use visitation evangelism, educational evangelism, preaching missions, industrial evangelism, cell evangelism, radio-television evangelism, movie evangelism, or so-called mass evangelism. Whatever it may be, let us use it to win other people to Christ. But to get a person committed to make a decision for Christ is not enough. We must get him into the fellowship of the church so that he may grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is evangelism at its best—an evangelism that demands total commitment with a follow-up program that gets the individual into the various activities of the church.
Finally: it is through the church that our humanitarianism finds its widest expression. We are in truth our brothers’ keepers, and one has only to visit some of the non-Christian countries to be impressed with the fact that it is this teaching above all others, perhaps, that sets the followers of Christ apart from those who know Him not. The story of the Good Samaritan was told by Jesus to etch His humanitarian commands forever in our minds, and no Christian worthy of the name can ignore the needs of others simply because his own welfare is not affected. In some eastern countries it is not uncommon to see human suffering, human justice, and human needs ignored. A child may sit starving on the street in full view of passing throngs, yet because the child is no one’s immediate responsibility, no one will feel called upon to do anything until the child is dead and the body must be removed. Such indifference to human misery is intolerable to a Christian. In ministering to the hungry, to the naked, to the sick, and to the imprisoned and enslaved, we should remember always that Jesus Himself told us that in turning a deaf ear to human suffering wherever we find it, in being indifferent to human wrongs and callous to human injustice, we are in truth turning a deaf ear to Him. “Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:45).
We have but to look about us at the many hospitals, homes for orphans, aged, and helplessly poverty-stricken, which have been organized by churches, to recognize how powerfully this teaching has taken hold. We revere nursing and social service as one of the highest calling; but in some parts of the world, where the teachings of Jesus Christ have not yet penetrated, only the lowest of social outcasts are permitted to minister to the sick.
Church members should feel a sense of outrage at lax public health measures, even though their own families may not be endangered. United church action can and frequently does become an important instrument in correcting abuses of civil power and in raising community standards. Whether it is a campaign for more honest law enforcement or better garbage disposal, the cause of humanity at large is being served, and constructive service is one of the first duties of the church just as it is for every sincere member of it. The example of the Good Samaritan, who offered a helping hand first, without asking, “What am I going to get out of this?” should be every true Christian s measure of service to his brothers. As we said at the beginning of this chapter, man is by nature a social animal. He does his best work, accomplishes his mightiest deeds, develops his best self- discipline in the company of others. Anyone who has ever undertaken to lose weight by exercise is well aware of how much more faithful he is about doing the exercises when he does them in a group than by himself!
Because we are human, because we are imperfect and wayward children, we need the support of each other to help keep us on die right track. The long road is less lonely when it is shared by companions who are seeking the same destination; die heavy burdens are lighter when they are lifted in the company of others who are carrying equal loads. It is within the church that this fellowship is found. It is within the church that each Christian soul finds a spiritual home and a focal point for all human activities. Jesus knew well how much we human beings need to work and live and find relaxation and recreation within a group. The church is that group to which He bids everyone become a part.