O Church, Arise!

From the physical renovation to the pandemic this year, our church has become very different from what we were used to for almost a year now. Do we still need to physically gather together or do zoom sessions suffice as corporate worship? How have you been using your gifts to serve the church? Do you see the church as a God-ordained means to sanctify you? How have you been evangelizing the lost and discipling believers through the church? What is the church’s role and response to COVID-19? Do we understand the role and purpose of the church in light of redemptive history? I hope you’ve considered these questions, or at least, begin to consider some of these. As we prepare to move back into a newly renovated physical space for corporate worship, I hope that this article will help each one of us to soberly consider what the church is, its mandate and our God-given role as members of this church as God has determined our allotted periods and the boundaries of our dwelling place since eternity past (Acts 17:26). So, it is not by chance that you and I are in TTDIGC, but God with His own hand has planted us here, where by His grace, in this part of His vineyard, we grow, serve, love and die for one another.

In the New Testament, the church is primarily designated by the Greek word ekklēsia, meaning “those who are called out”, and this also refers to any “assembly” or “congregation.” Used in a specific NT sense, the church of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 1 Thess. 2:14) refers to the community of those who have been called out by God from their slavery to sin through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:7; Eph. 4:1; 1 Pet. 5:10). While it is a distinct NT reality, it is also a continuation of Israel, the seed of Abraham through a new phase of redemptive history. The church’s job in the world is much like Israel’s purpose in the world—to glorify God by showing others His power to reverse the curse. But the church is the final, greater and more glorious fulfilment of OT hopes and patterns through a relationship to the Godhead, brought about by the mediatorial ministry of Jesus Christ. The church is seen as the household of God (Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 5:2-4), His Israel (Gal. 6:16); the body and bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-28; Rev. 19:7); and the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). The church comprises of those who are “called to be saints” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2), just as their OT counterparts were called “a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). Thus, the church is the assembly of the redeemed—those who have been called by God the Father to salvation as a gift to his Son and particularly applied by the Holy Spirit (John 6:37; 10:29; 17:6).

After the ascension of Christ, the church was born on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21; 38-47) in the book of Acts, souls have been added to the church, one at a time, and will eventually reach its glorious fullness when Christ comes to rapture his own (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). In defining the church, it is necessary to underscore the distinction between the universal church and the local church. The universal church includes all genuine Christians throughout time (Heb. 12:23; Rev. 1:5). Scripture further instructs those who are part of the universal church in every generation, scattered throughout the world, to meet together regularly in local assemblies (Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 11:18-20; 1 Thess. 1:1; Heb. 10:24-25). This is because Christians do not just join a local church because it is a good habit for growing in spiritual maturity, but a local church is the expression of what Christ has made Christians to be—members of His body. And it is through the church that the Great Commission is to be carried out to evangelize the lost and make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20; Col. 1:28-29). This is the mandate, purpose and role of the church, as our Triune God gives the church its mission, authority, and power to make disciples, teach and present everyone mature in Christ and proclaim the glory of His grace to both the physical and spiritual world around us.

You may ask, what means have been given to us to carry out this God-given mandate to the church? Our gracious God has given us His authoritative, inspired, inerrant, infallible, immutable, powerful and sufficient Word for preaching, teaching, counseling, all things pertaining to life and godliness and to equip believers for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3; Ps. 19). Here, the Westminster Confession of Faith affirms that “the whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men.” Therefore, we give our lives to minister the Word of God to souls as intended by God to accomplish His work of salvation and sanctification.

We also proclaim the Word who became flesh. John 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Christ is the image of the invisible God and the exact representation of His nature who from all eternity was fully subsisting in the divine nature (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). The infinite, eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient, almighty God takes upon Himself the nature of finite, temporal, dependent, mortal humanity to accomplish redemption. Christ is not only the God-Man, but also the Mediator between God and Man—God become Man in order to fulfil the law man broke, and to pay the penalty of man’s sin (Rom. 5:19). He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). The Father was pleased with the Son’s sacrifice, and now Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father in glory, and is now seated at His right hand, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (Eph. 1:21), where He ever lives to make intercession for His people before the Father, able to save to the utter most those who draw near to God through Him (Heb. 7:25). This the Christ we preach, adore, and worship in this church!

Besides preaching the Word, God has also given believers spiritual gifts, prayer, the practice of “one another” commands, corporate worship and sacraments, godly leadership, discipleship and church discipline in the local church to carry out His divine mandate (Acts 20:20; Matt. 18:15-35; 1 Tim. 4:13; Eph. 3:14-5:2; Gal. 6:1-5; Heb. 3:12-14; 10:24-45). Every believer is called out of the slavery of sin and death and called to proclaim the excellencies of Christ, serve, edify and build up one another in the context of a local church (1 Pet. 2:9). Just as the Israelites were redeemed as a collective people, believers under the New Covenant are also redeemed as a collective people and looking forward to the final Exodus when Christ returns to gather His elect from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, for He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to reign upon the earth for His glory (Rev. 5:9-10).

While the church continues to struggle against sin in this fallen world, we must expect some opposition, along with many temptations and trials. But my brothers and sisters in Christ, we are engaged in a good cause, and we have a mighty Saviour, a tender Shepherd, and a prevailing Advocate! He knows where His church is going and what she is struggling with, and He has engaged to support, to guide, to guard, to purify and one day to dwell with His Bride in a new heaven and a new earth forever in glory, love and joy. So, friends, we must lay down our lives for one another and for the sake of the church. Why is the church so important you ask? The church is central to the redemptive work of Christ because Christ left His Father in heaven to purchase a people for Himself, and so, the church is not on the margin of God’s plan of redemption but at the center of it. Likewise, it cannot be on the margin of your plan or your life, but at the center of it. The church, therefore, is an entity comprising a people from every tongue, tribe, and nation who profess the true religion of one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God (Eph. 4:4–6). May we all remember that as our Lord tarries we are only called to do two things: to evangelize the unsaved and to encourage the saved. And if either of those things are taken from us, then we might as well go to heaven for it is far better to be with Christ (Phil. 1:21-24).

“The fact is, brethren, we must have conversion work here. We cannot go on as some churches do without converts. We cannot, we will not, we must not, we dare not. Souls must be converted here, and if there be not many born to Christ, may the Lord grant to me that I may sleep in the tomb and be heard no more. Better indeed for us to die than to live, if souls be not saved.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)