In our 2017 Christmas production, The Walton’s Family Christmas, John said he liked to view God in his way. It was acknowledged on several occasions that this was this case. I fear John’s view of God is descriptive of many in our culture and many who deem themselves to be Christians. It is also true of how people view church. They say they can do church however they want as if God has nothing to say about it. Some of you might have run into or know individuals who share these views. Some of you might be these individuals. Therefore, this week I begin a series discussing what the Bible teaches about the church.

The word church is sometimes used to describe a building that Christians gather in. Also, many claim to love Jesus but want nothing to do with His bride (the universal church) and her visible representations (local churches). They say they can do church at home. They say they do it through the television or informally amongst friends or family. This understanding of church, when put under the microscope of Scripture, is wanting and begs several questions. Is Jesus okay with these beliefs and feelings about His bride? Did Jesus come to establish a building or for his people to sit before a tv watching false teachers spout lies or half-truths? In light of God’s word, the answer to all these questions is no. Scripture teaches a lot about the church, but for today we will be focusing on two characteristics of the church: it is universal, and it is local.

Universal Church

The universal church is every Christian everywhere and always. To clarify what I mean by the terms I am using I will explain. A Christian is anyone who has responded to the gospel in repentance and faith (Rom 10:9; Acts 2:37-38). By everywhere I am saying that the universal church is not limited to geographic location. A person doesn’t have to be an American or white to be a legitimate Christian. By always I mean that the universal church is not limited to time. It includes every Christian who has lived, who is living, and whoever will live. Scripture speaks of the universal nature of the church in several passages (Acts 9:31; 1 Cor 6:4; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18). Scripture is also clear that the Universal Church is made visible by local churches. The local church is now where I will focus my attention.

Local Church

A local church is a group of Christians in a specific place and time who have committed together in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As with the definition of the universal church, I provided above; I believe it would be helpful to define the terms I use in the description. A local church, first of all, is a group of Christians. It is not a rough individual it is many individuals. It is not just group but is a group of Christians. The biblical requirements for someone to be considered a Christian are repentance of sin and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, I make sure in my definition to say that it not only a group of Christians but a group of Christians in a specific place and time (Acts 8:1; 1 Cor 1:12; 1 Thes 1:1). A local church is made up of Christians who have committed to each other is in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. In being committed to Christ, a group of Christians may and should unite together to be obedient to Scripture. They are to serve and love one another as a way of obeying Jesus. Furthermore, they join each other in extending the glory of Jesus to the utter ends of the earth by proclaiming the gospel of Christ. In serving the Lord Jesus Christ certain marks or characteristics identify a healthy and faithful church. The list that follows is not comprehensive but will give you a sampling of those which are essential and or neglected. Some of these marks were first brought to my attention in Mark Dever’s helpful work, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church and others from my study of Scripture.

1. Biblical Theology: Theology is the study of God and everything that relates to God. As Christians, our primary source for understanding God and how everything relates to Him is the Bible (Acts 20:27; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Ps 19:7-14). Therefore, our beliefs and practices must be in line with what it teaches for the reasons that it gives. For what the Bible says God says.
2. Biblical Gospel: The gospel is the good news of God’s salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:1-4; 1 Cor 15:1-4).
3. Biblical Mission: a church’s mission is to make disciples of all nations. Included in a local church’s mission is preaching to those who don’t believe and nurturing those who convert to spiritual maturity (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
4. Biblical Conversion: Is where a person trusts Jesus as savior and submits to Jesus Christ. Conversion is made possible through the Spirit of God sovereignly awakening the dead sinner through the proclamation of the gospel. Conversion is the fruit of the Spirit’s work and therefore it cannot be coerced, caused, or manipulated by any effort we make, but is dependent wholly on the work of God (Eph 2:1-10; Titus 3:3-7; Col 2:11-15; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Our responsibility is to proclaim the gospel trusting that God will call whom He pleases.
5. Biblical Membership: a church should know who is included in its membership and who is not (1 Cor 5:12-13; 1 Tim 5:9; Heb 13:17). In Scripture, a church should only accept those who are converted and baptized into its membership (Matt. 28:18).
6. Biblical Discipline: a church should hold its members accountable when they have done wrong or taught something contrary to sound doctrine. If a member refuses to repent, then the church should remove that person from membership and no longer refer to them as a brother or sister in Christ. The church in this action is not saying they know a person’s heart as to whether or not they are legitimately converted. It is saying that the church recognizes the fruit, or lack of fruit, of the person, leads the church to believe that their profession of faith is false. In doing this they hope the person is moved to repent (Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor 5:1-11; 2 Thes 3:6-15; 1 Tim 1:20, 5:19-20; Titus 3:9-11)
7. Biblical Leadership: A church should have officers. The two offices taught in Scripture are the offices of elder and deacon. In Baptist life, we refer to elders as pastor. In the new testament these terms, along with overseer, are used interchangeably (Acts 20:17, 28). Christ stewards elders the task leading the church spiritually under Him (Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:1-4). Deacons are to tend to the physical needs of the church (Acts 6:1-7).

Unlike what some say the church is more than a building and it finds its expressions in local congregations throughout history and the world. The rest of this series of blogs will give biblical definitions, defenses, and applications for some of the marks stated above. In the meantime consider what has been written and the questions and applications at the end of this article.

Questions and Applications:

1. Be a part of a local church by becoming a member and being involved in its work.
2. Understand that church is more than a building. It is the people who follow Jesus that have covenanted together to serve Jesus and each other.
3. If someone were to ask you what the church was, how would you answer?
4. If someone said that you could be a Christian without being a part of a local church, how would you respond?
5. Does our congregation excel in any of the marks above? If so, which ones? Explain.
6. Does our congregation not do so well in any of the marks above? If so, which ones? Explain and state what actions might need to take place to be more in line with them.