Unity in the Church

In Ephesians 4:1-3, Paul says, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  In an effort to show their tolerance and love for others, many churches have focused on building unity among various doctrinal groups.  A church in Farmington, New Mexico will allow anyone who claims to be a Christian to join as a member of whatever group they choose, whether Baptist, Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist, or some other group, with no concern for their differing beliefs.   Various other groups do not even limit themselves to those who claim to be Christians, accepting Moslems, Buddhists, etc., in the belief that understanding and unity is the most important thing. 

In I Corinthians 11:17-22, Paul condemns such practices.  “Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.  For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.” 

The conflicts or heresies between the different groups prove that some have no real love for God or they would obey him.  Joining together and overlooking those differences weaken the church, leaving people confused about what is needed to serve God, often leading to more conflict over what practices will be used in the church.  It would actually be better for them to go back to their own home church than to try to try to unify despite the differences. 

Acts 15:1-2 describes the first major conflict in the early church.  “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”   The teachers from Judea were teaching that grace through faith was not enough to save a person, one also had to keep the Law. 

In Galatians 2:4-5 Paul said that these teachers were pretending to be Christians in an effort to gain control of the churches and change their beliefs.  “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. “  The apostles and elders refused to allow them to bring such doctrine into the church even temporarily. 

In Titus 1:7-11, Paul is specific that bishops or pastors and church leaders need to be sound in their doctrine so that they can deal with the various attempts by false teachers to pervert the gospel and lead people away from the truth.  “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.  For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.”

 Unity ought to be the byproduct of sound doctrine, not the primary goal.  Good, sound biblical teaching will eliminate the doctrinal disagreements, as people begin to understand what God has said.  To ignore or treat those differences as unimportant implies we really don’t care about God and are only concerned with the emotional high we get from being part of a group.  It is really no different than taking part in a rock concert, a political rally, or some protest movement, and really has nothing to do with God or the Holy Spirit.  

Motivating People to Reach Others

In our present world, a great deal of effort is spent on advertising the church in hopes of gaining new members.  Ads appear on television and radio, on billboards and in flyers everywhere.  Visitation programs, revivals and soul winning campaigns and membership drives are promoted to try to draw people to the church.  Every Christian is taught that it is his responsibility to reach out to others. 

Interestingly, Jesus used none of these techniques in spreading the gospel.  In fact he frequently instructed people not to tell anyone about him.  This included the leper who was healed in Matthew 8, the parents of the girl who was restored to life in Luke 8, and the disciples in Matthew 16:20.  His own brothers insisted he needed to do more to publicize himself if he was to gain a following in John 7. People flocked to hear Jesus despite his not trying to publicize himself, when they saw the difference he made in other people’s lives.   Even his enemies could not deny that the changes were real, although they refused to believe on him.   Those who benefitted from his miracles found it almost impossible not to share what he had done. 

In today’s world, almost every grandparent is eager to talk about their wonderful grandchildren and their accomplishments, and teenagers drive their friends to distraction talking about their boyfriend or girlfriend.  Because they love their grandchildren or their boyfriend or girlfriend so much they want everyone to know about them.  Nobody has to tell them to talk about them, but may have to ask them to talk about something else. 

Similarly, if Christians love the Lord and appreciate what he has done for them, they will not need to be instructed to go out witnessing.  Jesus will be the most important subjec6t on their mind and they will naturally talk about him.   If we want to motivate our people to witness, instead of spending time on motivational programs, we need to spend time teaching them who Jesus is and how much he loved them, encouraging them to fall in love with him.  As they do so, witnessing will come as naturally and easily as telling about one’s grandchildren or boyfriend or girlfriend.   It will no longer be a chore or a duty, but a pleasure. 

At the same time, the better they get to know him the more like Christ they will become, according to II Corinthians 3:18.  “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”   As the people see the changes in their lives they will begin to understand That Christ has made a real difference and be drawn to learn more in hopes of seeing similar changes in their own lives.   This will have a far greater impact than any amount of advertising or church building campaigns could ever have. 

This approach has another important effect on the church.  The pastors and teachers will be free to spend the time that otherwise would be spent on motivation on teaching the church instead.  The people will not experience the frustration of hearing similar motivational messages repeatedly, but will be constantly learning and growing closer to Christ and becoming more like him, making them more effective as witnesses. 

It is the method Jesus used, but it also the method Paul used in starting numerous churches.  Initially the results may take a little longer, because it takes time for people to grow, but ultimately, they will be far more productive.   A person may be able to get fruit sooner by grafting and trimming a tree to cause it to become a dwarf, but maximum fruit will result by taking the time to help it grow to full size.     

Focus on the Basics

Several months ago I read a study of why some churches remained comparatively small while others went on to become mega churches.  They concluded that, in general, smaller church leaders focused on relationships.  Medium sized church leaders tended to focus on programs such as the music program, youth programs, senior programs, etc.  Leaders of large churches tended to focus on organization, much like the leaders of major corporations.   Leaders of small and medium congregations were encouraged to become more focused on building their organization in order to grow their churches. 

Unfortunately, such an approach overlooks the most basic principle of Christianity.  Christianity is about developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   As the relationship with Christ grows, it begins to affect relationships with one’s family, coworkers, and other Christians.  Without the relationship with Christ, the other relationships are merely human relationships having nothing to do with Christianity.  Even a small church can lose their Christian nature if the focus shifts to other relationships, rather than the relationship with Christ.  Medium and larger churches need to make a special effort to focus on that relationship with Christ if they are to avoid becoming merely a religious business. 

To build a church that is pleasing to God we must start with the understanding that God created mankind and that he loves them as we see in John 3:16-17.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”  The depth of his love is sown by the fact that his demonstration did not depend on our response to his sacrifice, according to I John 4:10.  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The depth of our love for God is based on our understanding of his love for us, as I John 4:19 tells us.  “We love him, because he first loved us.”   Real love requires getting to know even the unpleasant sides of a person.  I Corinthians 13:6 tells us real love “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”  Infatuation produces an unrealistic picture of a person but real love wants the truth.  We must understand that not only is God a God of love and mercy, he is also a God of justice and wrath, and will not ignore sin.  Ephesians 5:5-6 warns, “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”

Only as we understand how much God hates sin can we begin to understand how much he loves us, that he is willing to forgive us and cleanse us from all our sin.  As we begin to appreciate the depth of his love for us, we begin to want to show our love by pleasing him.  In John 14:21, Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”    We will begin to focus on what he wants, not to gain his favor, but to show our appreciation.  John 14:24 warns, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”

Jesus and God will manifest themselves to those who love him in miraculous way, and II Corinthians 3:18 promises that as a result, we will become increasingly like him. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 

Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us.   “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

For God’s purpose to be fulfilled, Pastors and teachers will have to help us get a complete understanding of who Christ is and how much he loved us.  They will have to teach about his love, mercy, and grace but also about his judgment and wrath against those who reject him and his standards.  The focus will have to be on building a relationship with Christ rather than on other things.  If we focus on our job of edifying or building the Christians, God will build the church. 

 

The Purpose Of The Church

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave what is known as the Great Commission, a brief statement about the purpose of Christians and the church in the world.   “Go ye therefore, and teach 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: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” 

The word teach in verse 18 is translated from a Greek word meaning to disciple, to cause to become a student, and speaks of winning a person to Christ.   That the KJV translates it “teach is especially significant, indicating that we win people by demonstrating and teaching them certain basic principles and causing them to want to be followers of Christ, not just to avoid eternal damnation.  This is exactly what is indicated in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Once they have become believers,  we are to baptize, or immerse them in the basic doctrines so that they understand the roles of each member of the trinity in their salvation. 

Finally, we have to go beyond the basic doctrines listed in Hebrews 6:1-2 in our teaching.  “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. “   Only then will the church be fully prepared to fulfil the Great Commission, according to Hebrews 5:12-13.  “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.”

To enable the church to reach this point, God has provided various positions in the church, as Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us.   “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 tells us the teachings of the Apostles and prophets provided the basic foundation for the church, centered around Jesus Christ and his teachings.  “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

Once the doctrinal foundation had been laid, evangelists, or as we call them today, missionaries carried the gospel to peoples who had never heard, laying a foundation for local churches.  Pastors and teachers then build on that foundation, to finish the job.  The goal is to bring every Christian to such a relationship with  Christ that they are fully equipped to live the Christian life and to win and teach others, so that the church is able to edify or grow itself without having to depend on other churches for leadership or support.  

Building the Church

In our modern Christian circles we are often told it is our responsibility to build the kingdom.  Christian leaders work constantly to build the biggest ministry or church they possibly can.  We attend seminars and read countless books on how to build the church.  Unfortunately, it seems we have forgotten some very important facts.   

For twenty years, I worked as a plumber.  Time after time I was given a floor plan and the keys to a partially finished house and asked to install the plumbing.  The walls were framed up and the roof trusses were in place.  The plans told me where the various fixtures went  and what kind were to be used.   My job was to install the water, sewer and gas piping in the walls so that everything would work properly when the building was finished.  In the process, I had to be careful not to weaken any of the structural members in an unacceptable manner.    I was only the plumber and could not change the floor plan to make it easier for me, or just put the pipes where I felt like.  I had to do my job according to the builder’s plans.  The same was true for the framing carpenters, the electricians, the roofers, and the drywall installers.    

In Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”   Jesus is the builder.  He has given us the keys so that we have access to the kingdom so we can get in to do our job, but he has not given us freedom to change the building, to suit ourselves.  He is depending on us to do our job properly so that everything will work when the job is done.  Unfortunately, many have assumed that his giving us the keys gave us the authority to do whatever we pleased without concern for what he intended. 

Paul used similar imagery in I Corinthians 3:10-15, referring to himself as a master stone worker and concrete worker, who has laid the foundation according to the builders plans.  “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” 

While Paul had laid the foundation, it was crucial that each tradesman who followed him build according to the builders specifications, hot according to their own plans and ideas.  Ultimately, all of the work will be inspected and tested and anything which doesn’t meet the specifications or pass the test will be destroyed, just as any of my plumbing which did not meet the builder’s specifications had to be cut out and replaced.   If we want to be rewarded for our work, we are going to have to follow God’s specifications and plans rather than those of the “experts” who sponsor the seminars or write the books telling us how to build a bigger church.   We must realize he is the builder, not us. 

Understanding Prophecy VII

As we have gone through Daniel 11,it has been apparent that various portions of the prophecy refer to different periods in history.  In fact, Daniel 11 has already given us a general outline of history from about 500 BC until the time the Anti-Christ assumes power during the Tribulation period.  As we have seen, some of those prophecies have already been fulfilled, some are in the process of being fulfilled, and others are to be fulfilled in the future.  The remainder of Daniel 11 describes the actions of the Anti-Christ during the last three and a half years of the Tribulation. 

Many other prophecies refer to a single time period or to single region of the world.  By taking time to compare the different prophecies, we can get a better idea of where they fit into the overall picture and how they relate to us.  For example, Matthew 24:1-15 refers to the same period we have looked at in Daniel 11, while Matthew 24:16-31 refers to the Tribulation period itself.  Revelation 2:1-3:22 is devoted to the church age, from the time of the Apostles to the start of the Tribulation.  Revelation 4:1-19:31 primarily details the events during the tribulation period, while Revelation 20:1-4 talks about the Millennial Period and the rest of the book talks about the new earth and the eternal kingdom. 

Many of Isaiah’s prophecies relate to different countries, telling what will happen to them in particular period, while others describe the coming of Christ, or what things will be like during the Millennium.  By taking the time to learn who the prophecies apply to, and when they are to happen, we learn a great deal about what to expect in different situations and can prepare accordingly.

Prophecy makes up about one fourth of the entire Bible, and since all Scripture is from God and has value to us as II Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, it is crucial to take the time to understand what those prophecies teach us.  Sadly, many prophets and prophecy teachers have interpreted the prophecies to support and advance their own agenda with little or no concern for whether they are interpreting it properly, depending on people ignorance to allow them to get by with their false interpretations. 

Many teachers use prophecy and fear of the Lord’s return to get people to make professions of faith in Christ.  We need to remember that as Romans 10:17 tells us, “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Real faith will only come from what God has said, not a human interpretation, and as 1 John 2:21 tells us, “…no lie is of the truth.”  Exciting as the false interpretations may be, they actually prevent people from developing true faith. 

By applying the principles we have learned, we can get an accurate understanding of What God desires us to know, but it will require us to spend the time studying for ourselves rather than simply accepting what others tell us.  In the process, we are very likely to find that some of the things we have been taught are incorrect and need to be changed.  

Understanding Prophecy VI

We can be sure of the details of the prophecies that have already taken place, because we see many details that were not included in the prophecy.  Similarly, we can have a pretty clear understanding of the prophecies that are happening around us, such as the Islamic efforts to take over other countries.  As we look into the future, however, we have only the prophecies themselves to base our understanding on.  While we know certain events will happen, we have only limited understanding of the events leading up to them or the exact details of those events.  A detailed understanding will not be possible until we see some of those events unfold. 

Even inspired prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel or Daniel had limited understanding of the prophecies they made as we see in Matthew 13:16-17.  “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”  While we have a general and in some cases quite detailed outline we do not know everything about what it will be like.  Let’s look at Daniel 11 again for an example.

“He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.  After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.  Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.” (Daniel 11:17-19)

As we have already seen, efforts by Islamic forces to take over other countries will lead to a major war involving an alliance of many nations in an effort to limit their aggression, but it is unclear whether the alliance will be one of several already in existence, such as the UN, NATO, the EU, or some completely new alliance that does not yet exist.    Daniel tells us, that whatever alliance this may be will conquer the Middle East and force Israel to accept a treaty they do not want. 

Once the Middle East has been subjugated, the alliance will turn its attention to the islands.  Since most of the world’s islands lie off the coast of Asia, including those of japan, Indonesia, Micronesia, etc. it is probable that they will turn to that region, successfully conquering some of them.   A single nation, possibly China, will stand against them, and decimate their army, and cause the alliance to collapse. 

The collapse of the alliance will result in union of nations to protect themselves, according to Daniel 11:20.  “Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.”  Their efforts to raise money for a strong government will result in an economic collapse, just as efforts to rebuild countries after a war have caused economic collapse in the past.  Throughout history, such economic collapses have often led to revolution and enabled dictators to take power, and this time will be no different.  

Daniel 11:21-24 describes this.  “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.  And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.  And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.  He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.”

This final ruler is the one Christians refer to as the Anti-Christ.  Our knowledge of history enables us to understand the prophecies as to how he will come to power, but they do not tell us who he will be or when he will come to power.    When we have spent the time studying the scriptures, and the history, and meditating on them, the Holy Spirit enables us to comprehend some of what the prophecies mean, but that does not mean we will understand every detail.  He does not want us to be distracted by details that are not relevant to our Christian life, but it is critical that Christians know things are going according to God’s plan.  H has given us an overview so that we can understand his plan and have an understanding of what to expect in the future, as it affects our daily Christian lives.  He does not need to constantly give new prophecies to bring us up to date.