10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
10250 North Freeway @ West
Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
The Responsibility of Church
Relationship
by H. Frank Fort
Lesson Seven
The Mission of the Church Requires Faithfulness
In this last lesson in this series, we wish to verify the truth of the subject. Some have "joined" the church whom the Lord did not add. Luke wrote that, "The Lord added to them...those that were saved." (Acts 2:47 ASV) God hasn't added any other kind. Some, however, have "crept in unawares." (Jude 4) Paul warned the church at Ephesus, through her elders, "that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you," (Acts 20:29) and in recognition of this probability, he wrote to the church at Corinth as follows: "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves how that Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (II Cor. 13:5) Peter said "brehtren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure." (II Pet. 1:10)
All of the children of God "are called and chosen." (Rev. 17:14) Paul said to "the election of God," (I Thess. 1:4) called in Rom. 11:7, "the election," and "elect" in I Pet. 1:4, "God...called you by our gospel," (II Thess. 2:14) and in their "belief of the truth," Paul said "God hath...chosen (elected) you to salvation." (II Thess. 2:13)
Now the "called and chosen" who are also "faithful" (Rev. 17:14) are seen with Christ in the warfare of the text. Being called and chosen put them among the children of God, but being faithful put them in the fight. So is it now. We are to "fight the good fight of faith," (I Tim. 6:12) and "endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (II Tim. 2:3) We are not to ride the coupling pole, nor drag our feet while the rest of our brethren bear the burden of battle.
For failure to assume our responsibility toward the mission of the church, we must face the displeasure of God both here and hereafter.
1) Here, "the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God," and "when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord," (II Cor. 11:32) as a result of which we may be "weak...sickly...sleep." (II Cor. 11:30) "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous." (Heb. 12:11) What is the purpose of chastening? "Afterward (if responded to) it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness." (Heb. 12:11) If not, it may result in death physically. (I John 5:16, James 1:13-16, I Cor. 11:30)
2) Hereafter "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ," (II Cor. 5:10) "every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Let us therefore not judge one another more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Rom. 14:12-13) There "every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor," (I Cor. 3:8) whether "reward" or "loss". (I Cor. 3:14,15) The law of the harvest is this: "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6:7) Therefore, "let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." (Gal. 6:9) Again, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (I Cor. 15:58) "So run that ye may obtain." (I Cor. 9:24)
The mission of the church is to "teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." The promise to those acting in support of this mission is, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:19-20) Where the conditions are met by the church, which enable the promise of v. 20 to be kept, we find the church living up to its responsibility of being "an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 2:22)
I would like for us to consider some things involved in the commandment to "teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded."
The commandment involves only such as have been discipled and baptized as is seen from v. 19. They are thereby "added to the church." (Acts 2:47) Then these are to be taught to observe all things which become their duty as members of the church and having been "baptized into one body;" (I Cor. 12:13) each member is to make it his duty to see that "the whole body" is "fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part. Making increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Eph. 4:16) Each part is to work according to the measure of his own ability. One is not expected to faithful above his ability, but "as of the ability which God giveth," (I Pet. 4:11) "to every man according to his several ability." (Matt. 25:15)
Now let us observe some of the things which God requires each member of the church to do "as of the ability which God giveth." Unless providentially hindered, every member of the church is obligated "to observe to do" the following, and he sins against God and his brethren in his failure to do so.
1) He is taught by both precept and example to attend church not once a month, nor twice a year, but every Lord's Day. In the early church, on the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, we read that "they were all with one accord in one place." (Acts 2:1) Paul, in writing to "the house of God" warned the members thereof to "consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is." (Heb. 10:21,25) There are many things which God's people are to do while assembled, that cannot be done scripturally otherwise. But if any one has the responsibility of assembling, then every member has it, unless hindered from doing so by reason of circumstances over which he has no control. Notice:
a) "When ye are gathered together," (I Cor. 5:4) the church is to exercise it's authority "in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ" as to the "judgment of things pertaining to this life," (I Cor. 6:4) as related to "them that are within." (I Cor. 5:12) Fellowship is to be extended, maintained or withdrawn by the church and every member is accountable for the "binding" or "loosing". (Matt. 18:15-18) He who refuses to share the responsibilities of fellowship sins against God. This is not to be taken lightly. Every relationship has its responsibilities as well as privileges; if we would share the latter, let us also share the former.
2) One cannot sin against God as to church attendance without also sinning as to the Lord's Supper. In God's plan, "upon the first day of the week...the disciples came together to break bread." (Acts 20:7) Why? God's Son had said, "This do in remembrance of me." (I Cor. 11:24) He did not say, "do it if you happen to be in church." He said, "This do ye," (I Cor. 11:25) and put the responsibility on the members to be in church, by saying, "When ye come together to eat, tarry one for another." (I Cor. 11:33) If we tarried until some got there, we never would eat the Lord's Supper. For this supper, the members, subject to the authority of the church to which they belong, "Come together in the church...into one place...to eat (the Lord's Supper)." (I Cor. 11:18,20,33) This church is responsible for the fellowship in doctrine necessary to the edification of itself," (I Cor. 11:17-19) but the individual is responsible for that which others cannot see." (I Cor. 12:28) If one sins against God, as to attending the worship service, he adds to that sin, this sin regarding his failure to "shew forth the Lord's death," (I Cor. 11:26) and thus, like "the rebellious children" of Israel they "add sin to sin." (Is. 30:1)
3) There is another sin which members commit who do not go to church. The sin of withholding that which belongs to god, which is covetousness. Christ said, "Beware of covetousness," (Luke 12:15) and Paul called it "idolatry." (Col. 3:5) It is written "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gathering when I come," (I Cor. 16:2) On the day when we are to assemble, "the day which the Lord hath made," (Ps. 118:24) and designed, through the resurrection of Christ, to be a day wherein we "will rejoice and be glad," a day also appointed to commemorate, through the Lord's Supper, the death of Christ, is the day when we are to be constantly reminded that all we have and are, is due to the Lord's blessings. The obedient can see it and will so regard it. "Let every one (rich and poor) lay by him in store." To what extent? "As God hath prospered him." Thus will the financial responsibility be mutually and equally assumed, "by an equality" (II Cor. 8:14) "to prove the sincerity of your love" (II Cor. 8:8) and for this "God is able to make all grace abound to every good work." (II Cor. 9:8) What does this mean? It means that he who is prospered of God, and out of that prosperity returns to the Lord, will be enabled by his God to "abound to every good work." God says do it. It is sinful to disobey. "Upon the first day of the week," the day of assembling, the day of victory, the day to remember, the day to worship together, "The day which the Lord hath made."
4) There is also the sin of not praising God. "Speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Eph. 5:19) Thus Paul wrote "to the saints which are at Ephesus." (Eph. 1:1) By so doing, they were to be found "teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord;" (Col. 3:16) thus we jointly praise "the head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:18) Notice "teaching and admonishing one another." How could this be done unless the members of the body are assembled? Paul, having told the members of "the House of God" (Heb. 10:21) to not forsake "the assembling of ourselves together," (Heb. 10:25) to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name...with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Heb. 13:15-16) It is, however, as "lively stones" in a "spiritual house" that we are to "offer up spiritual sacrifices." (I Pet. 2:5)
These things we know to be right, and James wrote, "to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin." (James 4:17)
Paul, writing to "the church of God at Corinth," calls it the "Temple of God." He showed that there were certain promises made to it, which depended on certain clear cut conditions. Among the promises was this: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them." (II Cor. 6:16)
1) God dwells in the church, as the "habitation of God." (Eph. 2:22) It is the only assembly on earth in which He does dwell.
2) In the church, wherein God dwells, there will be zeal for the things of God, and compassion for the lost, hence the church wherein God dwells, is the church with which God walks, and this church is carrying out the commission of Matt. 28:19-20.
Thus Paul said, "Having therefor these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (II Cor. 7:1)
Let us make God's House the gathering place on the Day of divine appointment and render unto the Lord, the glory that is due His name. The rest of the week will then be made to serve the interest of God's obedient children. (Rom. 8:28)
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"