The Church and Modern Attitudes

Sunday Sermons

Mark Dunagan
03/18/07 - Sunday Morning

The Church

And Modern Attitudes

“The church is not necessary”

This is the idea that one does not have to be a member of the church to be right with God, yet a reading of the New Testament reveals that far from being optional, the church is very important:

· People that were baptized for the remission of their sins were automatically added to the church by the Lord Himself upon their baptism (Acts 2:38, 41,47). Here we learn that the very act that forgives a person of their sins is the very same act that makes one a member of the church that Jesus established. Thus is it silly to contend that one can be right with God and yet have nothing to do with the church.

· The church is purchased with the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28), inferring that individuals who are not members of the church have not yet come into contact with the blood of Christ and are therefore not redeemed or forgiven (1 Peter 1:18-19).

· The church is the “household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15), which means that those who are outside this relationship are not God’s children and are thus not saved.

“Being a good moral person is enough”

Yet the New Testament records examples of many “good moral people” who were not saved prior to baptism nor added by the Lord to His church:

· Acts 2:5 “Devout men”:

This chapter contains “devout men” (Acts 2:5), that is God fearing and moral individuals who were lost until they were baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:37-39, “Save yourselves” (2:40).

· Acts 6:7 “Jewish Priests”:

Such men obviously believed strongly in God and were very religious and moral, yet they still were commanded to “obey” the faith.

· Acts 10:1-2 “Cornelius”:

This man is described as “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually” (10:2). Yet, this man is lost and that is why he needs to hear the gospel message and obey it, “And he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household” (Acts 11:14). In addition, this man still was commanded to be baptized in water (10:47), that is, in spite of his morality, generously, and prayers, he still needed to be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16), and he still needed to be a member of the Lord’s church even though he was an exceptional non-Christian. The example of Cornelius answers the argument made by some that they are more spiritual, moral or honest than many “church-members”. Cornelius certainly was a better example than many of the members of the church in Corinth, but none of this altered his need for the gospel, baptism, or being added to the church by the Lord. He was a great man, a great father and a great example, yet still lost.

“I can worship God anywhere”

While it is true that one can pray to God anywhere, this does not mean that the church or church membership is unnecessary:

· Why would Jesus even establish His church if it was an optional or unnecessary thing with God? (Matthew 16:18)

· Even though we can pray to God anywhere, God still commands that the saved meet together, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some” (Hebrews 10:25).

· The observance of the Lord’s Supper is not just placed “anywhere”. The New Testament always places the observance of the Lord’s Supper in a gathering of a local congregation of God’s people (Acts 2:42; 20:7 “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread”; 1 Corinthians 11:18 “When you come together as a church”).

“I am not into organized religion”

First of all, if by “organized religion” one means the denominational religious world, God would agree; His is not into that either. Yet Jesus did establish His church (Matthew 16:18) and shed His blood for this relationship (Acts 20:28), and the church revealed in the Bible does have a definite organization:

· The terms of entrance are specific: hearing the gospel, faith in Christ, repentance, confession of faith in Christ and baptism (Acts 2:37-38; Acts 8:35-38; Galatians 3:26-27).

· The worship is organized, for Paul said, “God is not a God of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33), and “But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Local congregations meet together to observe the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7); hear preaching, pray together (Acts 2:42), give of their means (1 Corinthians 16:1-2), and sing together (Ephesians 5:19 “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord”).

· There is definite organizational structure to the Lord’s Church. Jesus is the sole head (Ephesians 1:22-23) and each congregation is to have its own elders and deacons (Philippians 1:1). In fact, when Titus was on the island of Crete and faced congregations that did not have any elders, he was given the qualifications for elders (Titus 1:6-9), and then instructed to “set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city” (1:5).

· There is also an order to church discipline (Matthew 18:15-18), or how one exits this relationship.

· People may not be aware that by not being a member of a local congregation, they are rejecting God’s will for their own well-being:

1. The command to assemble (Hebrews 10:25).

2. Commands concerning specific acts of worship, like communion, congregational singing or giving of one’s means.

3. The command to be spiritually equipped by teachers, elders or evangelists (Ephesians 4:11-13).

4. Numerous commands to exhort and encourage other members (1 Thessalonians 5:11-14; Galatians 6:1-2).

“The Denominations are a good thing”

Some feel that the existence of so many denominations is a way of meeting the spiritual needs of different ethnic groups, personalities and so on.

· Yet if the denominations are such a good or necessary thing, then why did Jesus fail to establish even one denomination? Jesus established His “church” (Matthew 16:18), and this church is not composed of differing denominations but is rather composed of faithful individual Christians, “So we, who are many, are one body in Christ and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). We need to remember that the branches that come off the true Vine (Christ) are not denominations, but individual believers (John 15:5).

· Denominationalism cannot be beneficial for the New Testament does not mention nor authorize:

1. The names of denominations.

2. The organizational structure of many denominations (one pastor over a group, a board of directors, female pastors or bishops, bishops overseeing more than one congregation, state, regional, national or world headquarters).

3. The plan of salvation of many denominations (faith only, baptism not necessary, the baptism of infants, confirmation, praying the sinners prayer).

4. The worship of many denominations (Lord’s Supper once a month, quarterly, yearly, instrumental music, choirs, solos).

· The New Testament does mention a huge falling away from the faith which is what produced denominationalism itself:

1. Acts 20:29ff

2. 1 Timothy 4:1-3

3. 2 Timothy 4:2-4

“Being sincere makes up for being misguided”

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast our demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017