continued from previous post
6 Headship
“Christ is the&& of the church.”
Eph. 5:23
Just as every house that contains a family should have a head to maintain order, so does the church. We humans tend to want some great leader or organizational headquarters to turn to for direction. Someone whom we can see, hear and touch. But the Lord Jesus is the unseen head and wants us by faith to trust and obey Him. Thus, the church should submit to be governed by the Head’s Word rather than by some human leader or tradition no matter how great these might be. For Christ has been exalted by God over every level of authority and is “the head over all things to the church, ”
Eph. 1:22. You see, Satan can corrupt a human headquarters but he cannot corrupt Christ who lives in
heaven and is greater than all power, praise the Lord. So, why not drink from uncontaminated waters? A body with no head is dead - a body with more than one head is a monster.
7 The Name
“For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Mat. 18:20 - the Lord Jesus
Just as one could easily recognize someone’s house by the name on the door, so the church should be recognized and known only by Christ’s Name. It should never lower itself to adopting the name of a great Christian leader, or fly its banner in the name of a great Christian doctrine. Some who would never dream of preaching salvation by any other Name than that of the Lord Jesus Christ (
Acts 4:12), do not seem to realize that the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is also the only Name under heaven God gives the church to gather in and be known by. Cal. 3: 17, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.“
It has well been pointed out that in early Christianity there were congregations of believers but no Congregationalists; baptized believers but no Baptists; there were elders or presbyters in the assembly but no Presbyterians; there were methods in their meetings but no Methodists; there were bishops (elders) in the church but no Episcopalians; they trembled at the Word but there were no Quakers; they all shared in the blessings of Pentecost but there were no Pentecostals; they were all united in Christ but there were no United Brethren; they were all brethren in Christ but there were no Plymouth Brethren; they all had charisma (gift of grace) but there were no Charismatics; they all believed in the Messiah but there were no Messianics. The early believers simply met in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and so were labeled by the world as Christians.
8 The Glory
“Unto Him (God) be glory in the church by Christ Jesus.”
Eph. 3:21
“In all things He (Christ) might have the preeminence.” Cal. 1:18
Just as your house is meant to serve, comfort and satisfy you, so the house of God is meant for His glory and honor. This is why all adoration and attention should be directed to the Father and the Son, rather than focusing on entertaining self or glorifying some gifted leader. That’s why such holy titles as “Father,” “Reverend,” “Holy Father,” “Rabbi,” “Master” (which is synonymous with teacher or pastor), should be reserved only for the glory of the church, God and Christ. Never should the servant take the master’s titles of honor. Notice how your Bible teaches this in Matt. 23:8-12. Also,
Psa. 111:9 declares, ‘Holy and reverend (awesome) is His name. ” Not one Christian is ever addressed with these spiritual titles in the Bible. Also, any special religious vestments that distinguish one group of Christians from another have no place in God’s house where Christ is worthy of all the glory.
9 The Goal
“Looking for that blessed hope [goal], and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.“
Titus 2:13
Just as every home has a goal as it raises the children, so does the church. It should not be to try to see the world changed into a Christian Utopia through politics or social reform. The day is coming when Christ will return and change it Himself. Our responsibility, as ambassadors for Christ (called out ones - church) with a heavenly citizenship is to be faithful to His Word and represent Him accurately. As Peter the Apostle exhorted, we are “strangers and pilgrims” passing through this world. To try to Christianize a corrupt world which God has appointed for condemnation is like investing in and remodeling a building which the city has condemned for destruction. We are looking for a better country, i.e., a heavenly one that endures forever (
Heb. 11: 13-16). May the church stick to its God-given high calling concerning the world: to proclaim the saving gospel from God’s wrath and adoption into His family.
We can’t improve upon the following statement concerning the church and so we quote:
“Instead of the church pursuing her appointed path of separation, persecution, world hatred, poverty and non resistance, she has used Old Testament Scriptures to justify her in lowering her purpose to the civilization of the world, the acquisition of wealth, the use of an imposing ritual, the erection of magnificent church buildings, the invocation of God’s blessing upon the conflict of armies and the division of an equal brotherhood into “clergy’ and “laity.”
God promises the church that the world will increase in sin in the last days. However, the day is coming when Christ will appear and change it all - the blessed hope of the church.
As you studied these 9 features, it should be plain to see that all church teaching is built around the very meaning of the word ‘church’ - ones who are called out. Above all, in God’s house “Christ is all, ” Co1 3: 11. So you see, church truth is Christ-centered teaching. To look down on God’s church is to look down on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph. 1:23 defines the church as "the fullness of Him. ”
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