As a child I did not grow up in a Christian home and as a result church attendance was seldom at best. Even after I was saved at the age of 12 haphazard attendance might be the most accurate description. At that time my father was lost and my mother was not living for the Lord and so, faithfulness to church wasn't exactly high on the priority list. When I turned 16 the Lord started to do a marvelous work in my life that brought godly sorrow upon me which led me to repentance and right living before the Lord. Since that time faithful, local church involvement has been very important to me. Of course, as a pastor church involvement is crucial, but in reality it is just as important for every member of a local church to be as faithful and committed to the church as the pastor is... we are all parts of the body. My wife and I will soon be married 16 years. To this date we have never had a conversation about whether or not we would attend church. Even prior to when I began to pastor attending church has always been very important to both of us. Now, there may have been times when we discussed where we would attend, such as when we were on vacation or out of town; but the fact that we would attend was never in question.
I believe in the importance of the local church! I believe that being faithful to attend and serve in some capacity in the local church ought to be important to everyone who names the name of Christ! It seems, however, that the importance of local church involvement is lost upon many in these current days. I have observed that there are believers who seem to just float between churches. They stay at one church for awhile and then float to another, and then to another, and to another and so on, until they start all over from the beginning. The cycle seems endless. And then, of course there are those who claim faith in Christ but see no value in being a part of a local church. They say they are believers but do not attend church and, in fact in many cases are bitter and resent the idea of being involved with a local church. In such cases, not all, but some, it will usually be discovered that at some point the individual was involved with a local church, only to be hurt in some way. Then you have professed believers who exhibit bitterness and anger towards the church and will often use excuses like, 'there are too many hypocrites in the church,' to keep from being faithful to the very institution that Christ sought to establish and build on this earth to advance His kingdom.
In Matthew 16:18b Jesus said, "... upon this rock I will build My church..," the rock being that great confession that Jesus "... is the Christ, the Son of the living God..." Acts 2 describes the birthday of the New Testament church when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to seal and indwell those who confess salvational faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. Prior to this the Lord had promised His disciples: "... But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth..." (Acts 1:8). The point being that God was going to send His Holy Spirit to indwell and empower believers to carry His gospel to every people group on the planet for the sake of His glory. This group of people, this body of people carrying out the Lord's will is called the church. The church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18). She is also referred to as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5: 22-33). Anyone and everyone who is drawn to God by the working of the Holy Spirit, expresses repentance towards God for sin and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord is born again into this family and made a part of this beautiful institution called the church. This is what we call the "universal church." Every believer is a part of the church of Jesus Christ.
However, the church is expressed on this earth, not through an intangible, universal body, but rather through a literal, physical local church. Now, there are those who fail to see the importance and the need for the local church. There are those who claim to be believers and yet refuse to be a part of a local church. There are even those who see nothing but corruption in the church and therefore refuse to be involved with a local body of believers. But let me be clear: those who hold to such positions allow experience or presupposition to be their guide and authority. Something is their authority, but that something is not Scripture. Even a casual reading of the New Testament reveals the identity, structure, importance, purpose and program of the locally established, New Testament church.
In the New Testament we find that the books of Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians and, arguably, 1, 2 & 3 John were written to specific, local churches. The books of 1 & 2 Timothy as well as Titus are referred to as the "pastoral epistles" because they are written to the pastors of particular local churches with instructions as to the nature, structure, organization and purpose of the local church. In the book of Revelation as the apostle John is being given the great revelation of the apocalypse he is commanded to write letters to seven specific local churches (Revelation 2 & 3). Given the fact that there is such an obvious importance placed on the local church in the Scripture the question must be asked: Why is there so little commitment to the local church today? I mean, let's face it, people change churches all the time; and not just because they've moved to a new city, or even because of some doctrinal heresy being taught in their church. People change churches for most trivial, and I would say unbiblical, reasons!
One day I had a man come to my office at the church where I was pastoring at the time to tell me that he would be leaving our church and begin his search for a new one. I asked him if he was moving to a different part of town, or to a new city. He said, no, he just felt like he and his family needed a change. Of course, as a pastor I never want to see anyone leave the church so I probed a littel bit further. I asked him if he had a Biblical reason for leaving the church. He was confused and asked what I meant, so I clarified. I asked him if he could show me in the Bible where the Scripture allows for the believer to just up and change churches based on "feeling the need for a change." He could not.
Obviously there is allowance for finding a new church when one has moved to a new city or to a distance to far to travel... Paul and others did this in the New Testament. But never do we find a discussion or an allowance for believers to leave their local church to find a new one simply because they feel the need for a change; or, because their feelings have been hurt; or, because they have even been wronged. As I discussed things further with the gentleman I mentioned, I discovered that he had an issue with another man in the church and rather than dealing with and working through the issue to bring resolve to the matter, this man chose to leave. I would submit that this is the case more often than not when people choose to change churches. They place such little emphasis on the importance of the local church and their involvement that when an issue arises they choose to leave rather than work through it.
Furthermore, it's one thing when you are a part of a church that is teaching outright doctrinal heresy and anti-biblical doctrine. One must be careful as to their spiritual diet. However, I still lay out the challenge to those who change churches simply because their feelings were hurt, or their sin was condemned, or even in the cases where they may have been genuinely wronged; the Scripture doesn't allow for that person to just run off to another church! What the Scrpture does do (Matthew 5 & 18) is outline for us, how to deal with those issues and bring resolve to differences with honesty, integrity, forgiveness, grace, mercy and compassion.
And let me add this: the Jews of Jesus' day and even His own disciples (at least until the day of Pentecost) never understood God's real plan in Christ coming to the earth. They looked for a conquering Messiah to come and over throw the Roman empire and rule forever from Jerusalem. They never understood that Christ was coming to establish a kingdom that would be ruled from the hearts of men and that that kingdom would be advanced in the world through the church that Jesus established. Now, let me say this: I think that many people today still don't get it. The don't understand the importance of the local church; that this is how God will advance His kingdom in the world until His return. Thererfore, there is very little commitment to the local church. People focus more on people rather than God's purpose. They focus more on problems than God's power. They focus more on personalities than on God's presence. In this pastor's opinion the church (in America) has become powerless and ineffectual; and that, is in large part due to the fact that Christian believers have so little care and concern for the local church body, and their place in it.
Lastly, let me say that if you are reading this, be committed and involved in your local church. Give your tithes and offerings. Operate in your area of giftedness. Serve the body of Christ. Take your place in the local church and help to advance God's kingdom on the earth. Be faithful, after all this is the church that Christ has built. This is His establishment. Don't be so quick to forsake what the Lord has designed and constructed to change the world!
I believe in the importance of the local church! I believe that being faithful to attend and serve in some capacity in the local church ought to be important to everyone who names the name of Christ! It seems, however, that the importance of local church involvement is lost upon many in these current days. I have observed that there are believers who seem to just float between churches. They stay at one church for awhile and then float to another, and then to another, and to another and so on, until they start all over from the beginning. The cycle seems endless. And then, of course there are those who claim faith in Christ but see no value in being a part of a local church. They say they are believers but do not attend church and, in fact in many cases are bitter and resent the idea of being involved with a local church. In such cases, not all, but some, it will usually be discovered that at some point the individual was involved with a local church, only to be hurt in some way. Then you have professed believers who exhibit bitterness and anger towards the church and will often use excuses like, 'there are too many hypocrites in the church,' to keep from being faithful to the very institution that Christ sought to establish and build on this earth to advance His kingdom.
In Matthew 16:18b Jesus said, "... upon this rock I will build My church..," the rock being that great confession that Jesus "... is the Christ, the Son of the living God..." Acts 2 describes the birthday of the New Testament church when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to seal and indwell those who confess salvational faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. Prior to this the Lord had promised His disciples: "... But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth..." (Acts 1:8). The point being that God was going to send His Holy Spirit to indwell and empower believers to carry His gospel to every people group on the planet for the sake of His glory. This group of people, this body of people carrying out the Lord's will is called the church. The church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18). She is also referred to as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5: 22-33). Anyone and everyone who is drawn to God by the working of the Holy Spirit, expresses repentance towards God for sin and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord is born again into this family and made a part of this beautiful institution called the church. This is what we call the "universal church." Every believer is a part of the church of Jesus Christ.
However, the church is expressed on this earth, not through an intangible, universal body, but rather through a literal, physical local church. Now, there are those who fail to see the importance and the need for the local church. There are those who claim to be believers and yet refuse to be a part of a local church. There are even those who see nothing but corruption in the church and therefore refuse to be involved with a local body of believers. But let me be clear: those who hold to such positions allow experience or presupposition to be their guide and authority. Something is their authority, but that something is not Scripture. Even a casual reading of the New Testament reveals the identity, structure, importance, purpose and program of the locally established, New Testament church.
In the New Testament we find that the books of Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians and, arguably, 1, 2 & 3 John were written to specific, local churches. The books of 1 & 2 Timothy as well as Titus are referred to as the "pastoral epistles" because they are written to the pastors of particular local churches with instructions as to the nature, structure, organization and purpose of the local church. In the book of Revelation as the apostle John is being given the great revelation of the apocalypse he is commanded to write letters to seven specific local churches (Revelation 2 & 3). Given the fact that there is such an obvious importance placed on the local church in the Scripture the question must be asked: Why is there so little commitment to the local church today? I mean, let's face it, people change churches all the time; and not just because they've moved to a new city, or even because of some doctrinal heresy being taught in their church. People change churches for most trivial, and I would say unbiblical, reasons!
One day I had a man come to my office at the church where I was pastoring at the time to tell me that he would be leaving our church and begin his search for a new one. I asked him if he was moving to a different part of town, or to a new city. He said, no, he just felt like he and his family needed a change. Of course, as a pastor I never want to see anyone leave the church so I probed a littel bit further. I asked him if he had a Biblical reason for leaving the church. He was confused and asked what I meant, so I clarified. I asked him if he could show me in the Bible where the Scripture allows for the believer to just up and change churches based on "feeling the need for a change." He could not.
Obviously there is allowance for finding a new church when one has moved to a new city or to a distance to far to travel... Paul and others did this in the New Testament. But never do we find a discussion or an allowance for believers to leave their local church to find a new one simply because they feel the need for a change; or, because their feelings have been hurt; or, because they have even been wronged. As I discussed things further with the gentleman I mentioned, I discovered that he had an issue with another man in the church and rather than dealing with and working through the issue to bring resolve to the matter, this man chose to leave. I would submit that this is the case more often than not when people choose to change churches. They place such little emphasis on the importance of the local church and their involvement that when an issue arises they choose to leave rather than work through it.
Furthermore, it's one thing when you are a part of a church that is teaching outright doctrinal heresy and anti-biblical doctrine. One must be careful as to their spiritual diet. However, I still lay out the challenge to those who change churches simply because their feelings were hurt, or their sin was condemned, or even in the cases where they may have been genuinely wronged; the Scripture doesn't allow for that person to just run off to another church! What the Scrpture does do (Matthew 5 & 18) is outline for us, how to deal with those issues and bring resolve to differences with honesty, integrity, forgiveness, grace, mercy and compassion.
And let me add this: the Jews of Jesus' day and even His own disciples (at least until the day of Pentecost) never understood God's real plan in Christ coming to the earth. They looked for a conquering Messiah to come and over throw the Roman empire and rule forever from Jerusalem. They never understood that Christ was coming to establish a kingdom that would be ruled from the hearts of men and that that kingdom would be advanced in the world through the church that Jesus established. Now, let me say this: I think that many people today still don't get it. The don't understand the importance of the local church; that this is how God will advance His kingdom in the world until His return. Thererfore, there is very little commitment to the local church. People focus more on people rather than God's purpose. They focus more on problems than God's power. They focus more on personalities than on God's presence. In this pastor's opinion the church (in America) has become powerless and ineffectual; and that, is in large part due to the fact that Christian believers have so little care and concern for the local church body, and their place in it.
Lastly, let me say that if you are reading this, be committed and involved in your local church. Give your tithes and offerings. Operate in your area of giftedness. Serve the body of Christ. Take your place in the local church and help to advance God's kingdom on the earth. Be faithful, after all this is the church that Christ has built. This is His establishment. Don't be so quick to forsake what the Lord has designed and constructed to change the world!
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