“Do I need organized religion?” What is the local church, and why should I be a member?

The need for organized worship Do the scriptures require “ organized religion ” ? –Group worship, attendance –Common “ creed ” –Accountability –Treasury What is my responsibility to the local church? –Must I believe what the church believes? –Must I live as the church lives?

Review: The One Church What is the “ church ” –ekklesia (ek-klay-see'-ah); from a compound of NT:1537 and a derivative of NT:2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both) (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.) –“ Called out ” from the general population for a specific purpose Secular – Acts 19:32 Spiritual – Mtt. 16:18

Review: The One Church Refers to a body composed of individuals –Also called the body of Christ Eph. 1: “ and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. ” –Can refer to “ full ” church or specific individuals I Cor. 16:19 “ the church that is in their house ” Acts 20:28 in conjunction with I Peter 5:1-2 –Built on common teaching, Eph. 2:19-22 –Those who are saved are added to it, Acts 2:47 –Heb 12:23 – “ to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven ” No references to the church being comprised of denominations, groups, sects or other collective bodies

Review: The One Church Eph. 4:1-6 –“ with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. ” –Anything falling outside these concepts is not of the church

Other uses of the word “church” Refers to –The actual assembled group of saints 1 Cor 14: I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all; however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. –Multiple groups of saints in a given region 2 Cor 8:1 – “ Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia …” –Multiple groups of saints throughout the world 2 Cor 11:28-29 – “ Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. ”

Other uses of the word “church” One church –Relationship with God –Relationship with all others who are part of the church Local churches –Membership born out of common relationship, common subjection to God –All have in common “ one body and one Spirit, one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all ” –Separated by location, local oversight (Titus 1:5, I Peter 5:1-2)

Conformity and the local church Must I believe what the church believes in order to have fellowship locally? Must I conform my life to the expectations of a local group? Must a local church conform to the creeds of other local churches or of a “ central ” church? Does a local church have the right to withhold fellowship a Christian?

Conformity and the local church Does our doctrine originate with the local church? –John 14: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. ” –Gal 1:11-12 – “ For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. ” –2 Peter 1:21 – “ for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. ” If we derive a common doctrine from the head, which is Christ, local churches ought to look very similar

Conformity and the local church Does one head offer multiple truths? –Only in religion can 2+2=4 and 2+2=5 –A local church shows its faithfulness by following the apostles ’ doctrine 1 John 4:5-6 – “ They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. ” –With a common source of doctrine, local churches ought to be recognizable to one another

Conformity and the local church I should conform to the local church as the local church conforms to the head –1 Cor 11:1-3 – “ Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you. ” “ tradition ” = “ ordinance ”, referring to commandments –Heb 13:7 – “ Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. ” … and not try to make the church conform to me –Rom 14:13-14 – “ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. ” … v.16 “ Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil ”

Conformity and the local church All brethren may not agree on every issue –Rom. 14:4-8 – key: “ if we live, we live for the Lord …” –Contrast to Galatians 2:2-5 – when brethren attempted to “ bring into bondage ” as a means of enforcing teachings contrary to the gospel. Gal 5:8-10 – “ This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; ” –As long as God ’ s will is not violated, we ought to conform for the good of our brethren

Next week: The authority and autonomy of the local church What is the church ’ s responsibility to discipline? … to “ screen ” new members? … to conform to churches around them?