The Ark Analogy
The church is the ark of salvation, containing all who will be saved, and association with it is necessary for salvation.
A.W. Tozer illustrates the church as an ark amidst the floodwaters, emphasizing that just as Noah's ark was the sole means of salvation during the flood, the church of Jesus Christ serves as the only refuge for the saved in a perishing world. He stresses that being part of the church is essential for salvation, as it is the body of Christ where life is found, and outside of it, there is only loss. Tozer clarifies that while joining a local church does not guarantee salvation, Christ is the door to the true church, and one must enter through Him. He warns against the independent Christian life, which neglects the importance of being part of a church community, despite the presence of hypocrites. Ultimately, Tozer calls for recognition of the church's vital role in God's plan for salvation.
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Third, the church is depicted as an ark on the flood waters. As the ark of Noah floated on the waters and contained all who would be salvaged, so the church of Jesus Christ is an ark on the flood waters and contains all who will be salvaged. Remember that! All in the ark are saved, and all outside the ark perish. All around us is a perishing world, and we float on top of it in a little ark called the church. All that are not in the church--the ark--will perish. You say, "Now hold on a minute.
Do you mean to say that if you don't join the Avenue Road Church, you will be lost?" No, but what I do say is that the church is the ark containing the ransomed, and inside the ark is life. Outside the living church of Christ are the lost. Inside are the saved. You are not saved by joining a church, which is a mistake local churches make. The animals all came into Noah's ark by the door. Christ is the door to the church, and whoever will be saved must come in by the door. There is no other ark on the flood.
Suppose someone said, "Well, hold on a minute. Don't be so narrow-minded. Let's be tolerant. We do not want to get in Noah's ark; we want an ark of our own." Well, there weren't any other arks on the flood. It was either get into Noah's ark or perish. A few got into Noah's ark, and God preserved the race. In the church of Christ, God is salvaging a small number from the flood. A fatal error is the independent life--to say that you are a Christian, but you don't associate with any churches.
You are a Christian, but you don't feel the necessity to join a church. It is true that there are hypocrites in the church--not in the true church, but in the local assembly. Even Jesus had His Judas. The local assembly and the true church of Christ are sometimes not synonymous.
Sermon Outline
- The Church as an Ark
- The Door to the Church
- The Dangers of an Independent Life
- Hypocrisy exists in local churches
- Association with a church is necessary for salvation
Key Quotes
“All in the ark are saved, and all outside the ark perish.” — A.W. Tozer
“Christ is the door to the church, and whoever will be saved must come in by the door.” — A.W. Tozer
“It is true that there are hypocrites in the church--not in the true church, but in the local assembly.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Association with a church is necessary for salvation, as it is the body of Christ where believers are found.
- The church is the ark of salvation, containing all who will be saved.
- Salvation comes through faith in Christ, not through joining a church, but the church is the vessel through which believers are found.