The Church Part II

Dear friends let us continue on with our study of the church, that is the visible organism that is to be alive rather than dead in this present age. Yesterday I left off with the point of the individual believers membership into a true independent new testament church, and how the individual church is autonomous that is self governing. You see as we read through scripture I can point out every single church that was established and I cannot see where these single church's ever had anybody but a single pastor as the leader. I say all of this because it gives rise to substitute organizations to do the work of the responsibility of each autonomous congregation. For example, the church was given the duty of caring for the widows, Acts 6:1, but now welfare does that. The church was also told to take care of the poor and needy, Gal. 2:10; but now the Salvation Army has taken over that role. You see if you cannot commit yourself to a church ( a local body of like minded believers) then you will become para-church and fall into the misconception of universalism, or liberal theology in which will errode the need for separated, sanctified living from its members. Now I think I have rode this horse long enough, if we haven't figured out the need for a local assembly then I will be more than glad to carry that on through separate discussion via e-mail. I would like to look at some of the scriptural purposes of the church versus what a lot of people "think" the church should be. I made a statement yesterday of the church not being a meeting house of men to gather together just to debate the worlds problems for we know according to II Tim Chapter 3 that in the last days there will be perilous times, that is my friend, this world is not going to get any better no matter what they tell you about the advances of science. That is why I believe every member of their local congregation should be aware of some of the tasks and responsibilities that the bible teaches, and quite frankly some of these renewed my thought process after I started studying them out. In no real numerical value on the order that I mention these I will start off with the need of the church to glorify God,

1. To Glorify God-I mean why else would we gather together after a long and tiring day or week of work with life's problems facing us? The church should glorify God through its preaching and ministry (1 Pet 4:11), through its fruitbearing (Jn 15:8), through its giving, through our acknowledging of Gods Son, since this is the foundation of the church, and the bridegroom who will receive His bride one day. The church should also glorify God through its witnessing, through its loving, and its love for the Word of God.
2. The church has been given the command to evangelize the world in Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8 supports this role.
3. The church is to instruct believers (Mt 28:19, I Tim 4:6), dear friend I know for a fact that our modern day schools puffed up with all this worlds wisdom is not about to help you in your spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, much less mention Him unless it is in opposition as to what the Lord did for us individually and for the church.
4. Not only does the church have the responsibility to instruct believers, but to edify believers for the work of the ministry(Eph 4:11, 12,16).

Friend there are many more points that I would like to share with you but time would not allow me to go on today. Again, I will follow up tomorrow with more of the purposes of the church and see if we can't examine ourselves while reading in the bible and see if where we are choosing to go to church fits the example of a local independent new testament church?