Who Needs Church? Part 2

I woke up this morning craving a western omelet. To make a western omelet I need eggs, ham, cheese, onions and green peppers.  It's been about a week since we last went grocery shopping so when I went to the fridge I wasn't surprised to find that I didn't have half of the ingredients necessary to make a western omelet.  So, if I threw in what I could find and added a few other ingredients would I still have a western omelet?  I think not.

In the same way, there are certain components that must be present for a "local" church to be considered a church.  God has not left us without a guide, He has provided us with all of the directions necessary for functioning as a local church.  This prevents us from subtracting what God views as essential and adding what we think we want or need.  Both of these extremes are displeasing to God as they are a direct assault against what He has revealed to us in His Word.

There are many today who would point back to the early chapters of the book of Acts as the supreme example of what a church should look like.  Thus, the home church movement is alive and well, and many have applied that principle to church in pubs and bars across the country.  So, we must first answer the question:  Is the early Acts Church the ideal or the standard?  The simple answer is, no.  Let me explain why.

As the New Testament unfolds, progressive revelation (God reveals more of His will/plan as time progresses) continues. What was happening at the beginning of the book of Acts was not the ideal for all time. Remember, the beginning of Acts was the embryonic stages of the church.  It had just been established.  The foundation for the church had not even been laid yet (Eph. 2:20).  As God continues the process of inspiration we gain further insight into how Christ's church is supposed to operate both universally and at the local level. So, what we see at the outset of the church is a lack of order because it's new and relatively small. As time unfolds and the church grows, God's word gives more specific directives on leadership of the church and order when she comes together (1Cor. 11-14, 1 Tim. 2, Tit. 1, etc.).

Obviously, there are valid disagreements and preferences involved when it comes to the exact ecclesiological structure of the church (although I have my own convictions :). I also understand that people have been hurt by the "institutionalized" church and therefore have a strong reaction against them. But, just because the local church has problems and is full of sinners, doesn't mean we need to abandon the entire concept and picture of the church that God has instituted.  My goal is not to argue for a denominational structure, but to simply point out what components are absolutely necessary for a church to be a church.  There are also large disagreements about the purpose of the church.  If you want the most complete definition of the church given in Scripture, it would have to be Ephesians 4:11-14.

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,  to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:11–14 ESV)

Simply put, the church exists to "equip the saints for the work of the ministry."  That ministry is to share the gospel with the World and make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).  The church is not a social club, it's a body of believers that are coming together with a common purpose and goals.  So, what are the components that make up the church?

Among the most crucial ingredients of a church are qualified, gifted, tested and appointed elders (1 Tim. 3). This is why Paul says to Titus, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—” (Titus 1:5 ESV)  Every church must have a leadership structure that lines up with the Word of God.  One of my greatest struggles with the home church movement is that often, they have no qualified leadership.  They are often self-appointed leaders and have not been commissioned or affirmed by other gifted and qualified men.  I also believe that the Bible affirms a plurality of elders, this is often lacking as well.

God's Word tells us or indicates that the church is a local gathering of believers that gather to practice the Lord's supper, baptism, corporate worship, giving tithes and offerings and to be fed by the preaching of God's Word.  It's a place of mutual ministry, where we can minster to one another using our God given spiritual gifts.  It's a place where we can be exhorted, encouraged, helped and loved. It is a place where we can deal with sin in a biblical manner (Matt. 18) and stir one another up to love and good deeds. 

That is, in a nut shell, the purpose and components of the church.  If we miss these ingredients, we don't come out with the God intended result.  Can some or most of these things be done in a smaller setting?  Yes. Can good stuff happen where all of these things are not present?  Yes.  Are there negative consequences when some of these elements are missing? Yes. 

Next time I'll deal with some of the possible consequences of a gathering that lacks these elements and I'll walk through what each of us should be looking for in a local church.

For His Glory,

Ian