Introduction:
Austin O’Malley who wrote catchy aphorisms, observed, “There are ten church-members by inheritance for one by conviction.” In mid-90s, an American survey found five most common reasons why people don’t attend a church: 1) Churches are always asking for money; 2) Church services are boring and lifeless; 3) Church services are predictable and repetitive; 4) Sermons are irrelevant to daily life scenario, and 5) The preaching may make people feel guilty, so they leave church feeling worse than when they entered the doors. Well, the Church has been a mistaken institution, despite its unceasing effort to maintain its rightful estate and relevance in a world that is racing after money, material, pleasure and newfangled ideas of social connectedness. British theologian Gerald Vann said, “If you say that the history of the Church is a long succession of scandals, you are telling the truth, though if that is all you say, you are distorting the truth.” Should we expect the church alone to be perfect and fix all problems of the society that is so self-willed? Yet, the Church has a constructive role to play in today’s world.
The Role of the Church:
What is a Church? It is a congregation of believers – saved by grace through faith, called to be holy, baptized by one Spirit as one body, with Christ as its Head; they share resources with one another, without any discrimination of caste, colour or social status; there are individuals with apostolic vision, prophetic insight, evangelistic enthusiasm, pastoral spirit, and teaching ability, who work in disciplined unity, under the oversight of a pastor or a group of elders, to edify the congregation by Scriptures to fulfil the commandment of love; they evangelize the world despite persecution to ultimately stand a chaste virgin to receive Christ at His second coming.
1. The Church primarily Exists to Evangelise the World: While Christian leaders have a right to say what they believe, they appear to expend their energy indiscriminately on a range of issues, some of which may pertain to the state – water or economic crisis, homosexuality or global warming, nuclear holocaust or local politics, contraceptives or genetically modified foods, ecology or human rights, live-in relationship to communal harmony. The Church is to bear the good news that Jesus is the Saviour of the world, from sin and curse – the taproots of all problems that fragment a society. The Bible mandates the church thus: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9).
2. The Church Guards the Truth: The lifestyle of early apostles revolved around emulating the life of Jesus, holiness, prayer, worship, sacrificial sharing, soul winning and preparing people for the second coming of Christ. Once the church proclaims these, it will certainly face rejection, threats, mockery and hostility from a deviant society obsessed with abuse of liberty. C.H. Spurgeon observed, “Gospel’s plain dealing with human sin excites deadly antagonism. Therefore, the gospel itself would make no progress were it not for the divine power. There is an invisible arm which pushes forward the conquests of the truth. There is a fire unfed with human fuel, which burns a way for the truth of Jesus Christ into the hearts of men.” Apostle Jude exhorted, “I …urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). Paul advised Timothy thus: “the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim 2:2). The Church guards the truth with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
3. The Church Edifies the Saints: Edification is the process of building up one’s faith, so that a person will seek to sustain the new nature received upon Salvation, and bear the fruit of the Spirit and exercise the gifts of the Spirit, for the benefit of the Church. An edified believer will live in contrast to the ways of the world, and seek another’s good and build him up as well, in Christ. Church-life facilitates such a lifestyle of faith, where believers will commune with God and one another, and endeavour to know and do His will, according to His high calling. The edified believer serves as the salt and light of the world. To actualise this process, Jesus, gave “some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph 4:11-12).
4. The Church Disciplines the Unruly: Discipline is eroded by wrong company, when discernment between right or wrong is blurred by false teachers and false brethren. The Church obviously has diversity, based on local history, culture, nativity, language, race and context, but when people form factions on these factors and major over minor differences to the advantage of one group over the other, chaos prevails to upset the holy order of the church. Therefore, it is sane to nip indiscipline in the bud. The early church insisted on the discipline of the tongue, discipline of the spirit, discipline of the body, discipline of the mind, discipline in prophesying, giving, caring, sharing, etc. Discipline comes by total surrender of a person to God – man and woman, leader and follower alike. Paul instructed Timothy to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:2).
5. The Church Responds to Persecution with Discretion: Persecution is a predictable reality for a true Church. Theologian Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Jesus taught elaborately on dealing with the reality of persecution: “But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” (Matt 10:16-18). As we obey the great commission, Christ bestows us with the authority to also confront injustice. King Solomon’s bold advice is: “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8). God who delivered Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, knows to deal with every form of persecution. Christ has promised His presence, while the church looks to Him with patience, prayers and discernment, in these last days.
Conclusion:
No other institution as the Church has ever instilled morality in the collective conscience of civil society, since the reckoning of modern history. Former US President Gerald Ford once observed, “For millions of men and women, the church has been the hospital for the soul, the school for the mind and the safe depository for moral ideas.” An old advice: “Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church.” You can be useful to the Lord, first in the Church, then elsewhere and everywhere. Ask not what the church can do for you. Ask what you can do for the church. Let the Church march triumphantly, till His coming!