HE I CAL

G By John M. Otis

Introduction

We live in an age where there are professing Christians who have lost sight of the purpose of the local church, who do not fully grasp the importance of its ministry in the plan of God. There are those who believe that one really does not have to be an integral part of a local church to grow as a Christian. There are those who no longer see the value or the centrality of preaching in the worship of God. It is not uncommon that "preaching of sermons" in Sunday morning services is giving way to differing types of methodologies, such as the use of overhead projectors, power point presentations, drama skits, etc. Hence, the nature of the church and its mission is undergoing a transition today. We must ask ourselves if all these innovations are biblical. We surely don't want to do anything that would be displeasing to the Lord of the church since it is His church.

The church of the Lord Jesus Christ will always be of central importance in God's plan for humanity. The church is the apple of God's eye, as it were. The church is the bride of Christ, for whom our Lord shed His precious blood in order to redeem from the ravages of sin.

Worshipping the Lord at home with one's family and skipping Sunday worship at a local church is not acceptable; neither is going to the lake on Sunday, missing public worship, even if he studies the Bible, claiming that one can worship God by enjoying His creation; neither is being heavily involved in parachurch organizations and missing local church worship on Sunday. There is nothing wrong in all of these things in their proper context. But God inhabits the praises of His people when they gather for public worship. The Lord loves the roads that lead to Zion. He that cuts himself and his family off from regular involvement in a local Bible believing church cuts himself off of the blessings of God.

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This article seeks to give a very brief overview of the necessity of the ministry of the local church. A much more detailed explanation is found in my booklet, "The Necessity For Joining A Local Church,"which one can learn how to obtain at the end of this article. I have listed fourteen principles that express the vital importance of the ministry of a local church. This does not mean that these are the only principles or an exhaustive list necessarily, but they are principles derived from the Scripture's testimony.

Principle 1: The Church is a dynamic organism that has an invisible and visible aspect. By invisible, we mean that it is the church that consists of the whole number of God's elect, spanning the centuries. It is the church that encompasses all those who have been redeemed by Christ's blood or who will be redeemed in space and time (Matthew 1 :21). The term "invisible" simply means that no one but God can see the hearts of men. We know from Scripture that not all who profess Christ are His elect (Matthew 7: 21-23).

The visible church consists of all those in the world that profess Christ together with their children. To this visible church Christ has committed all those ordinances ordained in the Scripture for the gathering of and perfecting of His people (Westminster Confession Of Faith, chapter 25 sections 2 and 3).

Principle 2: The Bible normally views Christians as part of a local body of believers. Not only is the church an organism (I Corinthians 12: 12-30), it is also an organization or institution under the rule of elders (Acts 2:39; 11 :22,25,26; 14:23; 15:2-4,22; Rom.16:3-5; Col. 4:15; I Thess. 1:1; James 5:14; Revelation 2:1,8,13,18; 3:1,7,14). This visible church is international in scope, encompassing men from every tribe and tongue.

Principle 3: The Christian must be under church authority through elders. For a local church to exist, it requires a plurality of elders. The Bible distinguishes two types of elders - preaching elders and ruling elders. This distinction is not one of differing authority but of specific function. Whereas all elders are the shepherds or pastors of the local church, not all the elders are called and gifted to be preachers.

The elders have a tremendous responsibility toward the congregation, and the congregation has a responsibility toward the elders. Elders are to be the spiritual shepherds of God's people (Acts 20:28; I Pet. 5:1-4). The congregation owes respect and obedience toward their elders (I Thess. 5: 12, 13; Heb.13:17).

One of the most important reasons that people need to be a part of a local church is that they are commanded by God to submit to elders, who watch over their souls, which would be impossible if one were not a part of a local church. The elders are God's gift to His people to protect them spiritually and to give wise counsel in major decisions.

Principle 4: Christians ought to seek out a Bible believing Presbyterian Church to join. This does not mean that Presbyterian churches are the only legitimate, true churches on earth, but it does mean that church government is very important in the life of a local church. We speak of the Jus Divinum of Presbyterianism, which means "the divine right of Presbyterianism." A careful study of the Scripture reveals that the form of church government that the Bible teaches is a presbyterian form of government.

The dynamics of Presbyterianism is that the elders are elected by the congregation to be their representative heads to rule in the church. Though these elders are accountable to the people in one sense, they are fundamentally accountable to the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ. The elders are the vice-regents of Christ in Christ's church. The elders represent the law of the king of the Church to the king's people.

There is a true court of appeals in a Presbyterian church that does not officially exist in other forms of church government, and there is a connectional ism

that exists among differing local churches in various localities.

Principle 5: The Christian is commanded to be under the preaching of the Bible. This should be one of the most important things that a person needs to look for when it comes to joining a local church. There is a tragedy in the ministry of many local churches today - it is the abandonment of the authoritative preaching of the Word of God by one ordained and called to officially preach God's word. Entertainment, skits, etc are becoming increasingly popular, often replacing exegetical and expository preaching.

The ministry of the local church is not to be an entertainment center, but it is where God's people come to hear Christ preach to them through His preachers, bringing to bear God's commands to them( Rom. 10:14-17). It is to be a place where God's people are equipped for the work of ministry (Eph.4:12-16).

Principle 6: Christians are commanded to be baptized and to baptize their children, which is the domain of the organized church. One of the primary functions of the local church is the right and faithful administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. These sacraments are not optional. Now, this does not mean that these are absolutely essential for one's salvation per se, but the Bible does not picture persons as Christians who do not submit to these ordinances. When people believed in Christ they submitted to baptism with their households (Acts 2:38-47). When they gathered on the Lord's Day for corporate worship the church observed the sacrament of the Lord's Supper (I Cor. 10: 16,17; 11 :23-26).

Principle 7: Christians are commanded to regularly partake of the Lord's Supper, which is the domain of the organized church. The necessity of partaking of the Lord's Supper is clearly set forth in Scripture: Mat. 26:26-29, I Cor. 10:16, 17, 11:23-26. We are commanded to remember the Lord's death through this sacrament. If a person is not a member of a local church, he cannot obey an express command of the Lord.

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The Necessity of Joining a Local Church

Principle 8: The Bible allows only lawfully ordained ministers to perform the sacraments. The testimony of the Scripture is that the apostles, evangelists ordained of God performed the sacraments (Matt. 28: 18-20; Acts 8: 12,38; 16:15,33; 18:8; I Cor. 1:14-16). No man can take this honor and responsibility to himself (Heb. 5: 1,4). This means that fathers cannot baptize their children, members of the congregation cannot gather individually to partake of the Lord's Supper. Young people cannot be baptized at youth camps by church members. The elders have the responsibility to examine all those wanting to partake of the Lord's Supper, seeing that the unworthy participation in the Supper can have very serious consequences.

Principle 9: For the Christian to be under authority means that he must submit to the discipline of the church. To the elders of the church Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to bind and to loose, that is, to determine who is in the visible church and who is not (Matt. 16: 19; 18: 15-18). The elders are to endeavor as a body of rulers to maintain the purity and peace of the church, something of which individual members should do as well but not on the same level that is expected of elders as the guardians of the church.

Principle 10: The local church is the training ground for evangelism. One of the two primary thrusts of the local church is the reaching of the lost with the gospel. Each Christian has a responsibility to be a witness of Christ (Acts 1 :8) and to encourage these people to come to the local church to hear the official preaching of God's word by one called and ordained to preach (Rom. 10: 17). Members of the congregation need to be equipped (trained) in how to be effective witnesses in the community.

Principle 11: The local church is the context for spiritual maturity. The other major thrust of the local church is the perfecting of the saints (Eph. 4:11-16). In the proper use of each other's spiritual gifts, the church edifies one another to be better Christians. The local church is where we can minister to one another's needs, share one another's burdens, comfort those in pain, and encourage those to strive after holiness. This is why Hebrews 10:24,25 exhorts us to not forsake

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the assembling of ourselves together. We must encourage each other and stimulate each other to love and good deeds.

The person who thinks he can be a lone ranger Christian is sadly mistaken, and that person will not be blessed of God. This person is open game to the vile tactics and schemes of the Devil who wants to destroy Christians.

Principle 12: Corporate Worship is commanded on the Lord's Day. The fourth commandment sets forth the necessity of not only resting on the Sabbath day but also worshipping on this day. The Scripture reveals that Jesus Christ is our Sabbath rest and His resurrection from the dead on the first day of the week (Sunday) is how the fourth commandment is to be observed in the new covenant.

Those that neglect worshipping with God's people on the Lord's Day are sinning against the Lord and should not expect God's blessings. Church members should be attendance to all public times of worship that the elders have mandated to be done on the Lord's Day.

Principle 13: Participation in para church organizations should not be viewed as a substitute for the ministry of the local church. The ministry of para church organizations can have a beneficial value for God's people if they do not seek to compete with or seek to replace the ministry of the local church. These para church groups should be tied in with the local church. Nowhere in Scripture do we see such ministries carrying out the function of the local church.

Principle 14: Christians are to publicly pledge their loyalty to Christ and His Church by solemn vows. It has been the practice of the Presbyterian Church for many years to require those requesting to join the church to take certain vows of church membership. These vows are given to those whom the elders have discerned to have a credible profession of faith and who have an understanding of the nature and use of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

Rev. John Otis

Conclusion: The local church is the ordained institution on earth to reach the lost and to perfect the saints. It is absolutely indispensable for the proper growth of Christians. It is a necessity, not an option. The professing Christian who does not see the need of joining a local Bible believing church is one who knows not the Scripture. The refusal of one to do so would cause serious doubt about the person's profession of faith. The reason being is that the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of all genuine Christians, convicting them of the need to be under biblical preaching and teaching, and showing them their need for the encouragement of their brethren.

If you haven't joined a local church yet, then make haste to do so for your sake and your family's sake. The local church is God's institution to minister to you spiritually.

This article is a brief outline of the author's 49 page booklet entitled, "The Necessity For Joining A Local Church." The cost of the booklet is $ 2.00 plus shipping. For ordering copies, one can call Rev. John Otis at 361-225-2339 or even visit www.westminster-rpcus.org. One can also listen to sermons by Rev. Otis by visiting sermonaudio.com

John M. Otis is the evangelist and organizing pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Mission work for Covenant Presbytery (RPCUS) located in Corpus Christi, Texas.

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