Sermon Tone Analysis

*Membership & Mission*

*/October 31, 2010/*

 

* *

*Prep: *

·         Transd., Piper: American individualism

·         1 Cor 12, Rom 12

 

*Scripture reading: matthew 28:18-20 (Jewel)*

 

 

Intro

 

·         Happy *Halloween*!

There is a lot of cover today – *Membership*, why belonging to a *church* is *important* and the *mission* of the church, and finally where we are going.

This is the part of the sermon that I am most *excited* about and most *nervous* for.

Prayer

 

 

Love jesus, hate the church

 

Have you noticed that church is becoming increasingly *uncool*?

One guy wrote a *book* about this called, “Love Jesus, Hate the Church.”

He notes that during the past 10 years, approximately *50 million* Christians *left* the church (*1~/6* of the population).

·         The percentage of American adults who attend religious services has dropped from *49*% to less than 32%.

I recently talked to a burned out *church* *planter*, a guy with an MDiv, and he basically said we don’t have to be involved in church, my *wife* and I have it in our *living* *room*.

·         “I don’t *have* *to* go to *church* to be a *Christian*.”

Do I have to go to church?

Q   Let’s hit this head on: Do you *have* to be part of a *local* church to be a Christian?

*A* It’s *complicated*.

First I need to distinguish *terms* – there are two types of churches:

 

·         The *universal* *church* – all Christians everywhere and at all times.

Every Christians are automatically a part of this.

·         The *local* *church* is the smaller group of believers meeting and growing together, under the same leadership.

No, you do not have to be part of a local church to be a *Christian*.

But you also don’t have to *pray*, *worship*, take *communion*, be *baptized*, or grow in *godliness*.

·         We are only saved by *God’s* *grace*, not anything we do, but if these are *lacking*, it is *questionable* if you’ve been changed.

Building the case

 

I am making a pretty *strong* *statement* – being a Christian *without* being *committed* (*not* just *attending*) a local church is as *Biblical* as being a Christian who does not *pray*, *worship*, or strive in *righteousness*.

Q   Where does it *say* that in the *Bible*?

It’s more *complicated* than finding *verses* that spell that out – the *underlying* *assumption* of the entire *NT* is that when a person becomes a Christian, they will become *part* of *church*.

This assumption is so *firm* that they *seldom* talk about it.

·         We all agree that “*don’t* *murder*” is pretty important, but I yet to preach a sermon on it!

It fact, there is only *one* *verse* telling people to go to church (though that is *enough*), because it was so *assumed* they would!

It’s like how there is only *one* *verse* telling husbands and wives to have *sex* – in *most* *situations* that wasn’t a problem.

·         It’s worth noting that of the *66* books of the Bible, only *4* were written to *individuals*, the rest written to churches.

Furthermore, we can look at the *history* of the *church*.

A short history of the church

 

I want to take a few minutes to do so, because I want you to see that “*Christian* *without* *church*” didn’t come from the *Bible*, but from an *American* sense of *individualism* and *self*-*sufficiency*.

 

*Romans 12:2 *  2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

As the Apostles spread the Gospel, they *founded* *a* *church* in every *city*.

Not churches, but a church – the church as Jerusalem, at Ephesus, etc.

These churches met in *houses*, and frequently got so big they had to meet in *several* *houses*, but it was still “*the* *church*,” all the believers united together under *one* *leadership* (e.g.

Jerusalem, Acts 11:22)

 

·         These leaders were called *bishops* and were over the church in each city or region.

The first bishops were *appointed* by the *Apostles*, and then they appointed the next bishop, in order to ensure that that church stayed *true* to the *teachings* of Jesus.

These bishops would get *together*, as the *universal* church, occasionally to decide theological matters.

That is what the “Nicene Council” was, were they created the *Nicene* *Creed*.

·         But if you were a *Christian*, you joined the *local* *church*.

So far, so good.

Even in the face of great *persecution*, the church is *growing* rapidly.

In 313 Emperor *Constantine* ends persecution and later becomes a Christian.

Instantly the church gained *prosperity*, *prestige*, and *political* *power*.

Good thing, right?

No, very bad thing.

It was kind of like they won the *lottery*.

As a result, the *corruption* filled the church, which included profound theological errors, Martin Luth*e*r, John *Calvin*, and many other Christians first tried to *reform*, but then *split* away from the Catholic church.

·         BTW: Happy *Reformation* *Day* (1517).

For the *first* *time* there could be *two* *churches* in a city, one Catholic and one Protestant.

At the same time, they clearly understood that they were still “*the* *church*” and if you were a Christian, you were part of a local church.

As time passed, these Protestant churches began to *split* more and more, until by the time America was founded, there were perhaps a *dozen* significant denominations in *America*.

·         But there was still a *fundamental* *assumption* that to be a Christian was to be part of a local church.

Q   So how did we get *here*?

 

1.

American *individualism* and *self*-*reliance* the same independence that had the positive effect of the Revolution had the negative effect of separation.

 

2.

19th century *American* *Transcendentalism* – a movement that sought to transcend churches, dogma, and any institution, relying entirely on self to experience Spirituality.

·         It is true each of us has a *personal* *relationship* with God, but not at the *expense* of the church body.

Q   Are you getting a sense of how much we have been “*conformed*” to the *American* *pattern*?

The interesting thing is that in *most* *parts* of the *world*, the *church* is still the *central* *factor* of faith.

The Local body

 

As I said, I don’t have a *bunch* of *verse* to say “being committed to a church is a vital part of Christianity.”

Instead, there is the *fundamental* *perspective* Paul describes:

 

*1 Corinthians 12:13 *For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free –   and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Q   What is the body?

Look at the context – the church!

*1 Corinthians 12:14-16, 24b-27 * 14 ¶ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

...But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 ¶ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

The key point here is “*interdependent*,” we need each other – no part can continue to grow and thrive apart from the rest.

Q   Does this *describe* the *universal* church or *local*?

*Local*!

All of the work of church can only be done in a local church – *teaching*, *discipleship*, *baptism*, *fellowship*, *caring* for each other, *discipline*, can only be done in local churches.

Q   Where do we find a sense of *belonging*, knowing that we are *loved* and *accepted*?

The local church!

Q   Where do we “*rejoice* with those who rejoice, *morn* with those who morn?

The local church!

Q   Where do we hear the *Bible* carefully *taught* (because the worst *heresy* happens in *isolation*)?

The local church!

Q   Where are we held *accountable* and pushed to *grow*, to become better *husbands*, *wives*, *parents*, *children*, and *friends*?

The local church!

Stay connected to the body!

Q   So what happens when we *violate* God’s design for faith?

I have something I want to show you, but I warn you that is it pretty *graphic* – a couple years back, 1,600 men in Asia took part in a tug-of-war.

One guy decided to wrap the rope around his arm for better leverage.

What could possible go wrong?

Close your eyes!