Enemy of Soul Winning 8
The
An Enemy
of Soul Winning
(For
a detailed study on the doctrine of the church, consult the author's book on
this subject.)
I
could not believe my ears! I was listening to a preacher on the radio. He
announced that it was time to take communion. He suggested that each listener
get a cracker or a piece of bread and some juice and sit beside the radio and
take communion with his other listeners. He then said, "If you do not have
any bread, a banana would be all right. If you don't have any juice, any kind of
liquid, even a glass of water, will do as long as you do it in memory of the
broken body and shed blood of Christ." What a tragedy! What a travesty!
What a total lack of knowledge concerning the Lord's Supper being an ordinance
of the New Testament church!
I
was reading a national publication. It told of an international youth
organization having communion at its annual convention. What a shame to miss
totally the purpose of the Lord's Supper and bypass the institution to whom it
was given!
Over
and over again I hear and read the term, "electronic church." Of
course, there is no such thing as the electronic church, but it is just as
scriptural as the term "invisible church" or "universal
church."
The
word "church" in the New Testament is a "called out
assembly," and it is to have pastors, deacons and members. This called-out
assembly has been given a commission found in Matthew 28:19, 20, "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."
Mark
16:15, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the
gospel to even creature."
The
local church has been given two ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper. The
church is the unit by which the work of God is carried on.
The
following sentences are certainly an oversimplification and at best are a
summary. The New Testament knows nothing about "a church" or "the
church," except as it is given a location. All believers cannot and do not
form a church because all believers have not yet become a called-out assembly.
This chapter is being dictated on an airplane. I am flying from
Shortly
after the beginning of the fourth century, Emperor Constantine supposedly was
converted. He had a desire for all to do likewise, and it has been recorded by
some that he commanded baptism. From this endeavor came the Catholic
denomination. It was named the "universal church," the name
"Catholic" meaning "universal."
Here
the battle started. We then had New Testament Baptist people (though often
called by other names such as Anabaptists, etc.) believing in the Scriptural
doctrine of the local, New Testament church, and we had the Catholic
denomination advocating a universal church. Hence, the battle started concerning
this doctrine, and it wages until this day. Historically, the Anabaptists and
Catholics strongly differed on the doctrine of the church.
With
the passing of the centuries came the Protestant Reformation from which came our
Protestant denominations of today. Of course, the Reformation began as a battle
between Martin Luther and the Catholic denomination over justification by faith;
and though Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and other reformers are to be greatly
admired, they, nevertheless, continued the Catholic originated doctrine of the
universal church; that is, that all believers form the church. The term
"invisible church" is often associated with this doctrine.
As
far as this doctrine is concerned, the battle that once was Catholics versus
Baptists now becomes Catholics plus Protestants versus Baptists.
With
the passing of the centuries something happened that I often call the
"second reformation." As the Protestant denominations became more
liberal, especially on the doctrine of salvation, many churches and pastors and
members became disenchanted with the mainline Protestant denominations. From
this group came what we call "inter-denominationalists." Basically,
they are fundamental Protestants, and much of their discontent with the mainline
Protestant denominations was caused by the same thing that caused the first
reformation - the doctrine of justification by faith. However, just as their
forefathers protested on that doctrine, they did not protest on the doctrine of
the church and continued teaching the doctrine of the universal or invisible
church.
So
the first battle concerning this doctrine was waged between the Catholics and
the Baptists. Upon the first reformation, the Protestants joined in this malay,
and at the second reformation the interdenominationalists were added to those
advocating the universal or invisible church, making it now a battle between the
Catholics, Protestants and interdenominationalists versus Baptists. Sad to say,
because so many Baptist preachers have been trained in inter-denominational
institutions, the doctrine of the universal or invisible church has infiltrated
even Baptist movements and Baptist churches. The usually reliable Scofield Bible
has added fuel to the flame until it has now become in many Baptist circles
unpopular for one to advocate and believe the historic Baptist doctrine that
Jesus started only the called-out assembly, or the local New Testament church,
and that that is the only church in existence and will be until the rapture.
As
we investigate this doctrine of the church, it must be remembered that we are
always talking about a called-out assembly.
1.
There are now New Testament churches. Much has been said about when New
Testament churches started. The Scofield Bible erroneously teaches that the
"church" was started at Pentecost. Of course, we can not accept the
fact that there is such a thing as "the church." There are churches,
and the first New Testament church was started during the personal ministry of
Jesus Christ. Since it is a "called-out assembly," it appears that the
first church was started in Matthew 10:1, "And when he had called unto
him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast
them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." The
word "called" here comes from the same root word from which the word
"church" comes. Here Jesus called out the apostles. Matthew 10:2-4,
"Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is
called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his
brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the
son of Alpheus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus; Simon the Canaanite,
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."
Now
turn to I Corinthians 12:28, "And God hath set some in the church, first
apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then
gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." Notice
that in the church were first apostles. It was in Matthew 10 when Jesus called
out the apostles. Though I would not make an issue of this, it seems plain to me
that this was the beginning of the first called-out assembly or the first
church. I would make an issue, however, that the church was not started on
Pentecost, and that it was started sometime during the public ministry of Jesus.
Notice
please Matthew
Read
Acts
2.
Though the New Testament church was started during the earthly ministry of
Jesus, there were such assemblies in the Old Testament. God never changes His
philosophies. If Christians in the New Testament age need the fellowship of
God's people and compose a unit for that fellowship, for the propagation of the
Gospel, and for the edification of believers, then there would certainly be a
need in every age for a similar assembly. Again, let it be stated that we are
not talking about a New Testament church. However, wouldn't the Old Testament
Christians need to get together? Wouldn't there be a need for edification, for
Bible study?
Notice
Acts 7:3 7, 38, "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of
Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren,
like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the
wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the
3.
There will be a church in the air. Hebrews 12:23, "To the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." In
conjunction with this, read I Thessalonians 4:14-1 8, ' 'For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we
ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
Here
we have what is commonly called the rapture or the calling away or the calling
out of God's people. This will take place at the first resurrection when all the
saved people are called out of the world to an assembly in the air where we will
enjoy the Marriage of the Lamb, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Judgment
Seat of Christ. Then for the first time, all of God's people will be assembled.
Because they will be called out, and because they will be assembled, then and
only then will all Christians become a church, for then and only then will all
Christians become a called-out assembly!
I
make a big issue of this because of the error that many make of bypassing local
congregations because they feel they belong to "the church" simply
because they are saved. These are they who advocate the doctrine of the
invisible church, such as all believers are called in the Scofield Bible.
The
very nature of their work, however, contradicts their doctrinal position, for
those who advocate the doctrine of the invisible church always go to the visible
church when they need money, and, gullible as we are, we in the visible churches
support our invisible church friends, as they bypass us but feed off of us!
It
is also interesting to note that colleges and Bible institutes that teach the
invisible church seem to get most of their students from the visible churches.
Often, however, these same invisible church adherents neglect and sometimes
ignore the local church. Mr. Scofield even calls the invisible church the
"true church," which would imply to me that the local church is not
the true church.
In
one interdenominational institution that has many Baptist students, the students
are not allowed to go to a church on Sunday morning. They have what they call
the "campus church." (There are as many Scriptures for the electronic
church as there are for the campus church!) It might be interesting to visit
that campus on a Sunday evening and a Wednesday evening to see what emphasis it
gives to the very institutions who have made it what it is. They are sending out
preachers to pastor the very institutions that they neglect and overlook. One of
its graduates told me recently that she attended that institution for four years
and never one time went to a Baptist church.
4.
There will be some kind of an "assembly" in the tribulation and in the
millennium. God will not change His mind about the needs of His people. We are
told that there will be multitudes of people saved in the tribulation period. It
seems to me that these people would need more than ever a place of refuge, of
strength, of edification, of encouragement, of Bible teaching, like a church.
Though there will not be "New Testament churches," nevertheless, there
will be assemblies of Christian people who will need such an institution.
Preachers
often erroneously call this "the church age." It should be called the
"New Testament church age." There is no doubt that the New Testament
assembly (church) is a unique one, and there has never been nor ever will be one
exactly like
it.
Bearing in mind that God does not change His philosophies, nor will the needs of
Christian people change, there must be some unit of assembly for the Christians
in the tribulation and in the millennium.
The
Great Commission will likewise be given to these assemblies or, better still, it
will apply to them. Matthew 28:19, 20, "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." Notice the words, "even unto the end of the world." When
will the world end? Read Revelation 20:11, "And I saw a great white
throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away; and there was found no place for them." Revelation 21:1, "And I
saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea." This is at the end of the
millennium, after which we will abide in the New Jerusalem. Until that time,
there will always be saved people who will live on earth, and an unchanging God
will have some form of assembly for them, so it is interesting that the Great
Commission is until the end of the world, which means that there will be soul
winning in the tribulation and in the millennium, and there will be baptisms in
the tribulation and in the millennium. These are church ordinances or assembly
ordinances.
Now
turn to Matthew 26:29, "But Isay unto you, I will not drink henceforth
of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in
my Father's kingdom." You will notice here that our Saviour promised us
that He will one day take communion with us. So we see that communion will be
given and taken during the millennium. Since this supper is a church ordinance
(or an assembly ordinance), it leads us to believe that there will be some kind
of an assembly of Christians until the end of the millennium.
I
cannot emphasize strongly enough that these assemblies will not be New Testament
churches. New Testament churches were started by Jesus Himself probably in
Matthew 10:1, and certainly during the public ministry of Jesus, and will end
when all believers of this New Testament church age are raptured, thereby
forming the church in the air.
During
this New Testament church age, we are to be faithful in attending our churches
just as a soldier is faithful and supportive of his own unit of battle. Suppose
I meet a soldier on the street, and I ask him, "What battalion are you
in?" and he replies, "Oh, I don't belong to a local battalion; I
belong to the invisible army or the universal army. Occasionally I visit a local
squad or platoon or company or battalion, and I think they are all right, but I
belong to the great battalion composed of all soldiers everywhere." My dear
reader, such soldiers would build an army that would never win a battle. There
must be the individual fighting unit, and there must be leaders in that unit. So
God has given us the individual fighting unit called the local church. Without
it we will be as ineffective as an army would be
without
squads or companies or battalions; and the invisible, universal church is as
unscriptural as the universal, invisible army is unlawful!