“The Church: An Overview of Basic Ecclesiology and Healthy Church Life”
The Doctrine of the Church as Central in God’s Redemptive Plan (Scripture references from ESV)
We are in a series of messages- biblical responses to basic questions about the church:
Message 1: What is the church? – we saw what makes the church uniquely significant and consider membership in it.
§ Recognizable Distinction between Church and World compels Membership
§ Early Directories indicates Membership
§ Teaching on Leadership suggests Membership
§ God’s Commands to Christians require Membership
§ Church Discipline involves Membership
John Hammett, “The dominant New Testament idea of the church is a concrete assembly, one with a recogniz-able membership, marked out by a distinctive, disciplined lifestyle”
(Hammett and Merkle, Those Who Must Give Account, 12-13).
John Stott warned against “that grotesque anomaly, an unchurched Christian. The New Testament knows nothing of such a person. For the church lies at the very centre of the eternal purpose of God. It is not a divine afterthought. It is not an accident of history. On the contrary, the church is God’s new community. For His purpose, conceived in a past eternity, being worked out in history, and to be perfected in a future eternity, is not just to save isolated individuals and so perpetuate our loneliness, but rather to build His church, that is, to call out of the world a people for His own glory” (Stott, Living Church, 19). He said, “The church is supposed to be God’s new society, the living embodiment of the gospel, a sign of the kingdom of God, a demonstration of what human community looks like when it comes under his gracious rule” (Stott, Living Church, 66).
• Practical Significance –
“Submitting to a local church: 1) Identifies us with Christ [assurance of salvation]. 2) Distinguishes us from the world. 3) Guides us into the righteousness of Christ by presenting a standard of personal and corporate righteousness. 4) Acts as a witness to non-Christians. 5) Glorifies God and enables us to enjoy his glory. 6) Identifies us with Christ’s people. 7) Assists us in living the Christian life through the accountability of brothers and sisters in the faith. 8) Makes us responsible for specific believers. 9) Protects us from the world, the flesh, and the Devil” (Leeman, Surprising Offense, 267). “Entering the
kingdom of God means submitting oneself…to the rule of God and trusting his provision of salvation. If Christ then hands aspects of his rule over to the church to function as his proxy,…the converted one is immediately ushered under the authority of the church” (Leeman, Surprising Offense, 199). God’s glory and salvation is proclaimed through healthy local churches.
As R.B. Kuiper asserts: “The Scriptural rule is that, while membership in the church is not a prerequisite of salvation, it is a necessary consequence of salvation. Outside the visible church “there is no ordinary possibility of salvation’ (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXV, Section II)” (Kuiper, Glorious Body, 112).
• Terms of Membership – Upon what conditions may one enter into the church?
Regenerate church membership entails church members providing a fundamental understanding of the gospel, credible profession of faith expressed through personal holiness and demonstrated in believer’s baptism, and willingness to covenant as a Christian with other specified Christians. Those coming from a church of like faith and practice must be transferred with legitimate reason and previously in good standing.
2. Qualified Leadership
• Elder-led (or Pastor)
o Elder: Calling and Qualifications
1 Tim 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9; 1 Tim 4:1-10; 2 Tim 2:24-25 1 Cor 9:3-14; 1 Thess 5:12-13; 1 Tim 5:17; Heb 13:7, 17
o Elder: Role and Responsibilities –
Elders preach and teach God’s word and shepherd the church toward Christ-likeness in their worship, ministry to one another, and disciple-making of all nations. They oversee the ministry of the church. They instruct and lead the church in the church’s use of the keys of the kingdom. The only qualification that relates to an elder’s function (other than as a faithful shepherd of his family) is that he is “able to teach” in some beneficial
capacity over the church. He must hold the truth firm with ability to instruct as well as rebuke with sound doctrine and graciously correct his opponents (Tit 1:9; cf. 2 Tim 2:24- 25). Specifically, pastors lead the church by exhorting with Scripture (2 Tim 4:1-2; Tit 1:9), engaging in oversight (1 Tim 5:17; 1 Thess 5:12-13), encouraging as a caretaking shepherd (Acts 20:28; James 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1-2), establishing prudent policy (Acts 15), equipping the church for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12-16), emulating the example of Christ (1 Pet 5:3-5), and enriching the church by raising up other leaders (2 Tim 2:2).
• Deacon-served
o Deacon: Calling and Qualifications - 1 Tim 3:8-13 o Deacon: Role and Responsibilities – Acts 6:1-7 3. Elder-Led Congregationalism
A form of church government in which the gathered members of a local church acting in Jesus’ name hold the final authority (under God’s Word and in conjunction with the elders) for all essential matters of their local congregation as it pertains to doctrine, membership, leadership, and discipline. Each church in the New Testament orders its own affairs as complete with authority in itself. Though independent in authority, local churches are not to be isolated in ministry. Like-minded churches should minister to one another by providing wisdom, accountability, care, and combined efforts in missions.
These two streams of authority (that of members and leaders) are designed to harmonize for fruitful ministry:
• Church authority:
• Elder authority:
As Leeman concludes, “Polity, rightly practiced, guards the gospel, matures the
Christian disciple, strengthens the whole church, fortifies its holy integrity and witness, and equips the congregation to better love their neighbors in word and deed” (Leeman, Don’t Fire Your Church Members, xiii). A biblically-ordered church is then a ministry-oriented church.
“The Church: An Overview of Basic Ecclesiology and Healthy Church Life”
The Doctrine of the Church as Central in God’s Redemptive Plan
(Scripture references from ESV)
We are in a series of messages- biblical responses to basic questions about the church:
Message 1: What is the church? – we saw what makes the church uniquely significant and consider membership in it.
Message 2: How is the church ordered? – we saw what the church should look like and how to organize it.