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WHAT DOES THE CHURCH DO FOR US?

(Matthew 16:18b-19)
July 25, 2010

    Once a Christian minister was debating an atheist, who claimed the church was obsolete and no longer made a difference in the world.  Finally, the minister asked him a question.  “Sir, if you were stranded, late at night alone on a desolate city street, and suddenly heard pounding footsteps behind you, and saw a bunch of burly young men coming toward you, would it or would it not make a difference to you to know whether they were coming out of a bar or out of a church?”

    Jesus said, “I will build my church and the powers of evil shall not overcome it” (Matt.  16:18).

    That’s a tremendous statement.  Today many people feel that they can live Spiritual lives apart from the church; but that’s not Biblical.  After the day of Pentecost, every convert became a member of the church.  The Scripture says, “The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47, jkv).

    Now, let’s see what this early church did.  What activities did it include?   

    1.  First, they taught.  The Scripture says, “For a whole year Saul and Barnabas met with the church and taught many people there” (Acts 11:26b, edb)

    2.  Second, they prayed.  The Scripture says, “While Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him” (Acts 12:5, nlb).

    3.  Third, they sang.  The writer of Hebrews said, “In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Heb.  2:12b, kjv).

    4.  Fourth, they had fellowship.  Peter said, “They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to . . . teaching and fellowship . . .” (Acts 2:42, edb).

    5.  Fifth, they helped people.  Paul said, “They ministered to those who were really needy, but not to those who were able to provide for themselves”  (1 Tim.  5:16, amp).

    6.  Sixth, they baptized and observed the Lord’s Supper.  Luke said, “Those people who accepted what Peter said were baptized . . . They joined with the other believers . . . sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer” (Acts 2:41-42, edb).”

    7.  Finally, it’s very important to note that both men and women were leaders in the early church.  This was a big change from Judaism.  Paul said, “Our sister Phoebe, a deacon in the church in Cenchrea, will be coming to see you soon.”  He also said, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila. They have been co-workers in my ministry for Christ Jesus . . . Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit.  Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me” (Rom.  16:1,3-4,6,13, nlb).

    In fact, the New Testament church was absolutely inclusive.  It welcomed Jews, Gentiles, men, women, saints and sinners.  Someone said of the church, “Nobody is too bad to come in; and nobody is too good to stay out.”

    Sometimes we get discouraged, but remember when Jesus started his church, the Pastor (Jesus himself) was being executed.  The chairman of the board (Peter) was out cursing and swearing that he had never even been a part of the church.  The treasurer (Judas) was committing suicide.  Most of the rest of the board members (the Apostles) had run away.  A few ladies from the Women’s fellowship were about the only ones who showed much faithfulness.  Yet, even at such a time, Jesus believed in this church.

     He said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of evil shall not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18, nlb).

     So, why is the church so important in a Christian’s life?

I.   FIRST, IT IDENTIFIES US AS A BELIEVER.

    Jesus said, “All those who stand before others and say they believe in me, I will say before my Father in heaven that they belong to me ” (Matt.  10:32, edb).

    Paul said, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom.  10:9, edb).

    We confess our faith and make a public a profession of our decision by joining a church and by being baptized.

    Once, an old man walked a long way to church every Sunday—rain or shine.  Furthermore, he was almost totally deaf.  A neighbor was curious and asked, “Say fellow, you go to a lot of trouble to attend that church every week.  Can you hear the music?” “No, Sir.  Not much,” he answered.

    “Well, can you hear the prayers.”  “No, Sir,” he shook his head.

    “Can you hear the sermon?”  “No, Sir.  Not a word!”

    “Then why on earth do you go?”  “Well,” the old man replied, “I just want everybody to know which side I’m on!”

    Faithfulness in the Lord’s church shows everybody which side we’re on.  It identifies us as a believer.

II.   NEXT, THE CHURCH GIVES US A SPIRITUAL FAMILY.

    Paul said, “Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters” (Gal.  6:10, nlb).

    It’s comforting to know that anywhere in the world when you meet a Christian, you are family.  The church unites all ages, genders, races and nationalities.  Paul said, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us” (Col.  3:11, nlb).

    Paul compares the church to the human body.  “Each one of us has a body with many parts, and these parts all have different uses.  In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body. Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to all the other parts” (Rom. 12:4-5, edb).

    Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.  This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally.  If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” (I Cor.  12:13, 25-26).

    You know if any organ is detached from the body it dies.  A heart or a liver cannot live on its own.  It’s the same with a Christian.  We need to be connected to the body of Christ.  We need a loving support group.

    Many years ago, Albert Schweitzer gave a beautiful parable concerning our responsibilities to one another.  He told about a flock of wild geese that had settled to rest on a pond.  One of the flock had been captured by a gardener, who clipped its wings before releasing it.  When the geese started to resume their flight, this one tried frantically, but vainly, to lift itself into the air.  The others, observing his struggles, flew about in obvious efforts to encourage him; but it was no use.  Therefore, the entire flock settled back down on the pond, even though the urge to go on was strong within them.  For days they waited until the damaged feathers of their fellow goose had grown sufficiently to permit him to fly.

    Likewise, in the church, we must be patient with each other and encourage each other.  We are a family.


III.   FINALLY, THE CHURCH GIVES US OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE OUR RESOURCES AND TO USE OUR ABILITIES.

    We each have a vital role to play in the church.  Paul said, “The body has many different parts, not just one part.  The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”  In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary” (I Cor.  12:12,14,18,21-22,27, nlb).

    Every single individual in the congregation is important.  Once, a group of boys built a shack in the woods.  Each boy had contributed his share of old lumber.  With a lot of pounding, sawing and sweating, they succeeded in assembling these odds and ends into a little cabin.  It was a demonstration of the importance of cooperative effort.  Here, by pooling their two-by-fours, planks and shingles, they created a shelter from the wind and the rain. 

    Unfortunately, the kids had only enjoyed the shack a few days when one boy got mad about something.  Suddenly, he was outside prying off his boards.  Then, another boy said, “If he’s quitting, so am I.”  Then he got busy tearing off what belonged to him.  One by one the other boys joined in.  That shack came down ten times faster than it went up.  In no time at all they were out in the wind and the rain again. 

    This is a perfect example of the wisdom of working together and the perfect example of the destructive nature of conflict within the church.
    Also, notice that Paul said even the weakest may be very important.  A member of one church tells this story.  He said, “Connie was a handicapped girl.  One Sunday she read the Scriptures. 

     She stumbled proudly through the Bible passage in a long sequence of garbled sentences, long pauses, and jumbled phrases.  Finally, the reading was over and the congregation was exhausted.

    Connie didn’t notice the exhaustion.  She was happy.  Her face was full of pride.  Her eyes were sparkling with the joy of accomplishment; her heart was warm with knowing she had served her church and shared her faith.  She would remember this day for a long time.  How wonderful it was, she thought, to no longer just be a spectator.

    Fortunately, she was not able to read some of the indignant faces in the congregation, or sense what a few people were really thinking.  If she had, she would have been devastated.   

    Some members mumbled, “This is an outrage.” 

    An emergency board meeting was called and the pastor was confronted.  “How did this happen” they demanded.  “Why did you allow such a thing.”

    The minister replied softly, “Connie wanted to participate in our service.”

    “Well, let her stand at the door and pass out bulletins, but don’t have her read!  The church,” they said, “is not a place for incompetence.”

    But that pastor believed that the church is the place where the incompetent, the unfinished, and the imperfect are welcome.  And Jesus agrees.  He said, “The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child” (Matt.  18:4).

    Paul also agreed.  He said, “Those parts of the body that seem to be the weaker are really necessary.  And the parts of the body we think are less deserving are the parts to which we give the most honor . . . ” (I Cor.  12:22-23).

    The moral principle here is that the church must value and respect every person’s contribution.  The church is no better than its members.  Who is worse?  The one who doesn’t believe in God, or the one who believes in Him, but doesn’t serve Him?  The one who doesn’t believe in the Bible, or the one who believes in the Bible, but doesn’t read it?  The one who doesn’t believe in prayer, or the one who believes in prayer, but never prays?  The one who doesn’t believe in the church, or the one who believes, but never attends, doesn’t support it regularly, and very often criticizes it?   The church needs to have fewer “ought to’s” and more “how to’s.

    Jesus died for the church.  Paul said, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph.  5:25).
    If he died for the church, surely we can live for the church.

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(WC1946)

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