Contend for the Faith - Part II
Author ~ John Spence
“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” Jude v.3
Church Message
Something quite noticeable to me, and also quite disturbing, is the evident lack in most preaching today of a focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death upon the Cross, “Christ died for our sins”, 1 Corinthians 15:3. I checked out the messages of a mega church here in Southern California for the past 6 months and there was not one on the work of Christ upon the Cross, the power of his Blood, and his atoning work to forgive and to save. The apostle Paul said, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world”. Galatians 6:14. The motivation to accept Jesus into your life is often presented as a desirable addition to your life’s portfolio rather than confessing your sins to God, repenting, and receiving Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.
Church Life
The local church is a microcosm of the Church as a whole. It is a gathering of believers who function together in worship, in teaching one another, in growing toward maturity in Christ, in fellowshipping together in love, in developing and using the local gifts Christ has given to it and which also reaches out to a lost world with the gospel. “You are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit”. Eph. 2:19-22. The Church is God’s current representative in the world. It is separate from the evil of the world but also should have a large heart to all true believers whom they should consider “fellow citizens with the saints”.
Church Structure
The Bible teaches that the church is the body of Christ and that He is the head of the church. “He (Christ) is also head of the body, the church.” Colossians 2:18. As believers we are all members of that body. “Now there are many members, but one body”. 1 Corinthians 12:20. We do not ‘join’ the Body of Christ; we are born into it by the Spirit of God taking residence in us. There is no need to be a member of anything else. The apostle Paul taught that the Church was not to structure itself after the organizational hierarchies of men. Each member has a role to play and a function to perform. “ From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love”.Eph.4:16. The pattern given us by God is that Jesus is the Head in Lordship over his Body (us) and ALL the members of that Body in subjection to one another. God’s people have no reason to join and submit to any of the organizations and denominations of man. We can congregate and function as the Body of Christ without belonging to a religious organization.
Church Leadership
The biblical pattern of oversight and guidance in the Body of Christ is clearly a multiplicity of elders. Basically it is the older sheep looking out for the younger sheep. The apostle Peter wrote, “I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God”.1 Peter 5:1,2. The concept of a ‘Pastor’ sitting as ‘head’ of a church is not biblical. You will not find any example of this in the New Testament. Actually the word “pastor” is only found once in the entire KJV version of the NT. It simply means “shepherd”’
The ‘pastor-rule’ model historically came from a misplaced ‘clergy over lay people’ concept. It stems from the human tendency of men to rule over people they believe are under them. It is not the chosen way of God. The biblical pattern of multiple elders in submission to each other (and also to the entire church) provides a safety of accountability, as well as a more balanced expression of ministry and authority. A pastor who thinks he is the ‘head’ of a church and that the flock is ‘his flock’ is far from the pattern of the Word, and has usurped the headship of Christ.
Church Worship
The manner of worship, and methods for creating it in most churches bear absolutely no resemblance to the pattern of worship we see in the Bible. The worship is often performed in front of the congregation by a so called “worship team”. The congregation is hardly a participant in it. The emphasis is often on what man will get out of what is called worship rather than upon what God will get from it. Both believers and unbelievers are often encouraged to participate in this time of worship. True worship is when God's people worship Him in Spirit and in truth, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24.
An unbeliever cannot be a true worshiper for he is not indwelt by the Holy Spirit and he does not accept, nor does he have the truth of God within his heart and mind. Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." Matthew 12:30
This is a broader biblical definition of worship in the church, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation..” 1 Cor. 14:26 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” Colossians 3:16. It is obvious from these two passages that individuals from within the congregation are participating in worshipping the Lord and not just observing it. Worship is the music of the heart and not the music of a band performing in front of the congregation. It is not loud music and raised hands and words flashing on a screen. It is believers reverently with open hymnbooks opening their hearts and lips to God the Father and Jesus Christ in praise and thanksgiving. When we come to worship, we should be concerned the most at directing our worship toward God? After all, God is the one who is seeking our worship.
Church Future
The Bible describes the Church as the bride of Christ. “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word; that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless”. Eph. 5:25-27 Notice the use of feminine pronouns in describing the Church
The Church has a wonderful future. It is to be with Christ in heaven. In order to be with Christ in heaven the Church will be removed from the earth at the Rapture. Christ will come to remove his bride, the Church, from the earth before the Tribulation. The coming of the Lord Jesus for His Church is presented in the New Testament as an imminent hope and expectancy. That the coming of Christ is "imminent” simply means that our Lord may come at any time. Nothing needs to happen before He comes. No prophecy needs to be fulfilled before He comes. Then there will be a wedding in heaven as described in Revelation 19:7, “ Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
Many in what are called “Reformed Churches” do not teach the heavenly hope for the Church. They believe the role of the Church is to convert the world and get it ready for Jesus to come back to earth to set up His kingdom. The Bible teaches that God’s judgment during the 7 year tribulation is what will prepare the world for Christ’s kingdom and not the Church. The Lord Jesus who loves his Church as a husband loves his wife will remove his bride from the world before these judgments begin.
Are you ready to go?