The Local Church

 

Basic Christian Doctrines 43

 

1.   The Local Church is Part of the Universal Church.

 

The local Church is that visible part of the invisible church in a given locality. It does not include every believer in the world, only a few. It is part of the larger group, just as each believer is part of the Church at large. In one way, the two should match each other. All members of the Universal Church should be members of a Local Church (sadly, some are not). Conversely, all who are members of the Local Church should be members of the Universal Church (sadly, many are not). Just as there was an Israel within Israel (Rom. 9:6, 27), so there is a Church within the Church, as it were. The NT speaks of local churches in Ephesus, Colossae, etc, localized by cities, not nations, class, race, etc.

 

2.   The Main Purpose of the Local Church is Worship.

Worship is the prime directive, the raison d’etre, our reason for existence. This is true of both the Universal and the Local Church. A local body does not exist for good things which are not essential, such as pot luck suppers. Some NT churches engaged in a meal called the agape (I Cor.10-11). It could be useful, but was to be cancelled if detrimental to essential purposes of the church. Nor is charity our main purpose for being. We exist here for the same reason we will in Heaven: worship. Nothing should hinder this purpose or detract from it. Worship is not "having a good time". It is not fun, entertainment, or emotionalism. It is the reception and reflection of God's glory. It is meant to please God (entertain Him, if you will), not us. Any local church that does not worship God is failing in its purpose. If it doesn't get back on track, it should close its doors. Each Christian can and should worship God alone everywhere, but especially together in the Church.

 

3.   Worship is to Be Regulated by the Word of God.

God tells us how He will be worshipped, and He tells us how in the Bible alone. He does not leave it to our imaginations, for we are prone to idolatry, which is the very opposite of worship. Nor does He leave it to majority vote, fads or fashions, what is popular at the moment, etc. Nor does He allow us to borrow from pagan forms of worship. We call this the Regulative Principle of Worship. God is not pleased with our little inventions, gimmicks, etc. On the other hand, true Biblical worship is pleasing to God. God will reveal His glory to His people only through Biblical means, and in turn will receive only Biblical worship. Done properly, it is spiritually uplifting, not boring. It is the very vestibule of Heaven on Earth. We should therefore strive to follow it.

 

4.   The Church is to Build Up Its Members.

This is the second main priority of the Local Church. We are to edify one another, individually and collectively. We can do this through fellowship, use of our spiritual gifts, encouragement, charity, and other means. When the Church comes together, the main means by which it is edified individually and collectively is through the faithful preaching of the Word of God. All members are to be involved in the work of mutual edification. The strong have a special responsibility to help the weak. By ministering to each other, we minister to Christ.

 

5.   The Church is to Preach the Gospel.

This is the third major purpose of the local Church. All Christians are to spread the Gospel. But there is a sense in which we are to do it together (prayer, encouragement, etc). Without it, we get lazy and fat and self-centered. With evangelism, we retain spiritual vitality.

 

6.   All Christians Should Belong to a Local Church.

Membership in a local church is not an optional extra. It is commanded by God. Failure to do so is rebuked in Heb. 10:25. We all need to be members of a local Body, under the guidance of God-ordained elders, accountable to them and the Body. God permits no "lone ranger" believers. We are sheep that need to be in a flock with shepherds. We are to be members of a team. We may shop around for a while to find a good one within a reasonable distance, but there is a difference between church-shopping and church-hopping. We are to be members, too, not merely guests. And one can belong to only one local church at a time.<![endif]>

 

7.   Only Christians May Belong to a Local Church.

Just as there are only true saints in the Universal Church, there ought to be only true believers in each Local Church. The Bible teaches a “regenerate-only membership". A candidate needs to give a valid profession of faith, including evidence of being born-again and an acceptance of the basics of the Gospel. A membership that is part Christian, part non-Christian is a recipe for eventual disaster. Israel in the wilderness was a mixed multitude, and their problems often began with the Egyptians who tagged along. Unbelievers are to be removed from the membership roll, but are to be encouraged to attend.

 

8.   A Church Should Have One Main Weekly Meeting.

I Cor. 10 and 11 and elsewhere describes this under the phrase "when you come together". God has always had an appointed time and place of worship for His people. Today, it is the local church meeting on the Lord's Day. Sunday is not the Sabbath in the sense that the main duty is to refrain from work. It is the Lord's Day, in which the main duty is worship with God's people. Much of the pattern of the meeting of the NT local church was patterned after the meetings of the Jewish synagogue. Attendance at these meetings is mandatory, not optional. All Christians should attend and participate, unless providentially hindered by legitimate excuses (illness, being out of town, in jail, works of mercy, etc). Sadly, too many saints allow sports, family visitors, rest from Saturday activities, TV shows, and other such trivia to keep them from what God commands for their good.

 

9.   The Weekly Meeting includes Several Activities.

The Bible mentions several things that are essential to this weekly meeting. One is the reading of the Scriptures. Another is the public preaching and teaching of the Bible by a gifted man (not woman). Then there is prayer, the singing of hymns, evangelism, fellowship, weekly Communion, the use of spiritual gifts, baptism, the collection, and perhaps one or two others. Optional are things like pot luck suppers and foot-washing. Forbidden are things which are not in Scripture. There is liberty within Biblical lines as to how the legitimate functions may take place (who, how long, what order, etc).

 

10. The Church Should Strive to Conform to God's Ideal.

No local church is perfect. All need improvement. Occasionally God may send revival. We can pray for it and repent of anything that hinders it, but only God can send it. On the other hand, we can and must work hard for true reformation. We need to be "reformed and always reforming" so as better to conform to God's ideal as laid down in the Bible. No church has the luxury of coasting, nor of being defeated by lethargy. It is Christ's Church and it is our privilege and duty to be in it and work for it to His glory.