REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH (PART I)
The church, being the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), is a spiritual kingdom. Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Being a spiritual kingdom, the church is unlike any earthly organization. Going back to the first century and understanding how Christians lived their faithful lives is a great encouragement and reflection.
The Approach and Methods with Regards to Evangelism
The early Christians had great fellowship with one another (Acts 2:42,46). They were strong and united internally as a congregation. This great enthusiasm and fervor for the truth spread out from them to those who were outside of the church. We may think of it as how a hot and fervent core radiates its heat and spreads outwards to others. It will be regrettable if, today, there is a perpetual need to motivate members who have lost their love for Christ and a necessity for constantly having to urge them along the spiritual journey. What should have been an outreach to non-Christians has become something which looks inwards with a great expending of efforts to reach out to members. Christians are supposed to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:16) and draw people to Christ. However, apathetic and lukewarm brethren will only drive people away from Christ. Seeing how such a Christian behaves and lives his or her life, a non-Christian will not be interested in finding out about the Christian faith which brings joys and promises of eternity in heaven. This stands in great contrast to the joy, fervor and enthusiasm of the early Christians.
Early Christians believe that every member labours. Everyone is engaged and actively labouring for the Lord. In fact, Paul will later write to the church at Corinth that every member is important and all should work together (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). It will be sad if there are members in the Lord’s church today who shun away from their responsibilities like personal evangelism. They may think that this should be the work of the Bible class teachers, preachers, deacons and elders. In a way, they are in the church to get something out of it and not labour as a result of being in the Lord. This deviates from the Lord’s instruction to His apostles in Matthew 28:19-20 which subsequently also applies to Christians. We are able to see that the first century Christians spread the gospel from Jerusalem, to Samaria and to other nations. Gentiles were also included in the plan of salvation. When members work together, they are united in a common aim to win souls for Christ. Not only that, but they will grow with each other and also “mind the things of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
Early Christians used their homes to gather for worship. There were no church buildings then. Those who hosted others would have been hospitable and there was close-knit fellowship. They used homes to teach others. In addition, they made use of opportunities outside of their homes to teach others as well (Acts 2:46-47; Acts 5:42). We also read of how Paul taught Lydia when he went to Philippi (Acts 16:14-15) and even in an unlikely place like the prison, Paul and Silas preached to the Philippian jailor and his household, and they received salvation (Acts 16:25-34). Thus, we are able to see that these Christians paid visitations, spread the good news through letters, missionary journeys, personal conversations, evangelizing to people overseas and worked in teams.
We are able to see from the commands and examples in the Bible that the mission of the church is to save souls. God wants all mankind to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). There needs to be great effort expended in reaching out to lost souls and evangelizing to them. Jesus said His mission was to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). As followers of Christ, we need to be convinced that His mission should be our mission. Jesus is the head of the church and if the body of Christians (church) does not have the same mission, there will be disunity.
The church also needs to be equipped in order to be able to reach out to others. Christians have to study diligently. If the unconverted Berean Jews in Acts 17:11 could search the scriptures daily, all the more Christians should study the scriptures diligently. We also do not live in silos. Like what the early Christians did, we should work hand-in-hand with one another to spread the gospel to others.
As I reflect on the mission of the church in evangelism, I pray we will continue to understand the need for this work and continually labor in evangelism. Just as how someone brought the gospel to us, we too must bring it to others.
Church Life and Benevolence
We can see the joy, faith, enthusiasm, dedication, endurance, holiness, courage, generosity, prayer and transformation of the early church. The church is the “called out” and hence, Christians are sanctified or set apart from the world to do the Lord’s work. When people are able to see a difference in being a Christian, people will be eager to find out more about the faith.
We read of how the early Christians were concerned about the welfare of others. They sold their possessions and had collections in order to provide for others (Acts 2:45; 4:37; 11:27-30). Such is the nature of the church. The church is concerned about the welfare and well-being of others. Christians will come together to provide for others and to see that their needs are taken care of. In a world whereby selfishness, protectionism and apathy exist, the church stands out as being different from the world. I see the wisdom of God in His redemptive plan for mankind and also the establishment of the church in not only taking care of Christians but also others as well. Personally, I think the benevolent nature of the church is one of the ways of God’s providence in protecting His people from the possibility of sinning through envy. The Bible tells us that we work so as to provide for those who are in need (Ephesians 4:28). Indeed, when a well-off Christian gives generously to a fellow Christian who is in need, it reduces the likelihood of envy by the less well-off Christian.
(We will continue with Part 2 next week)
