Why Is The Church In The World?
Why Is The Church In The World?
Mr. Lewis S. Mudge, Jr., chairman of the "Committee on Theological
Study of the Bases for the Church's Action in the World," wrote a book
entitled, "Why is the Church in the World?" It was published by the
Board of Christian Education of the United Presbyterian Church, USA. It
is an excellent appraisal of the role most modern religious
organizations are playing in our world today. He described his study
as, "... not ... to develop the Christian ideas of the individual's need
for forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ. This was not the task set
for it. Rather, it was charged with thinking through the meaning of
involvement of Christians in the world. We must never forget that the
good news is for the whole man: his physical health, his spiritual
needs, and the part he and other believers play in human society. The
fact that some Christians seek to work out their faith on the political
and social frontiers does not for a moment mean that the life of the
traditional worshiping congregation is invalid. Nor need the continuing
life of the parish undermine the credibility of what some activist
Christians are trying to do. On the contrary, recent experience
suggests that both traditional parish life and activist political
involvement could profit from mutual understanding and support as
complementary Christian vocations." (Pages 83-84).
The quotation from Mr. Mudge reflects the thinking of most modern
religious institutions who focus a large portion of their interests on
the socio-political life of man. They are not altogether void of
concern for the spiritual side of man, yet with the differences that
prevail so prominently in modern religions, a common bond is found in
making man more comfortable, better educated, and in general, more
prosperous here on this earth. It is a gospel of social and political
orientation more than a gospel of pure salvation from sin. What do you
think of this? Today on this program, I want to investigate this
question in our continuing series of studying the church Jesus said He
would build. Please stay tuned.
he West End Church of Christ presents these fifteen minute sermons
each Sunday. We have only one reason for doing it -- we want to preach
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lesson.
Why did Jesus build His church? Why put in here on earth? Did
Jesus give it a specific and unique task to perform? These questions
have been part of an on-going debate for centuries. The clear line of
difference stands between those who advocate a mission of Christ's
church as concerned with the "whole man" and those who see only a
spiritual mission for the church. The quotation from the Presbyterian
publication is quite clear. If Christ did commission His church to be
active in the betterment of the whole man, then certainly man's health,
wealth, contentment, happiness, and political status should be included
in all activities of the church. On the other hand, if Christ was
concerned exclusively with the spiritual salvation of man, education,
politics, physical wellness, and entertainment are no part of what
Christ expects His church to be involved in.
If Christ's church is to be a socio-political organism in this
world to better living conditions on planet earth, there is ample
evidence that many are doing, at best, just a second class job of it.
Those who provide everything from sandwiches to sermons, gymnastics to
imagined gifts of healing, demonstrations to divinations, and the like
are running a close second to just about any purely humanistic
organization in existence. What religious group can successfully
compete with the Red Cross, the Heart Fund, the United Way, the A.C.L.U,
or the other purely humanly devised and operated institutions? Even
when churches seek to provide entertainment for those of the world, in
whom they are interested, how does the ecclesiastical entertainment fare
when pitted next to rock and roll concerts, television, or sporting
events? It may be time for religion as a whole to re-assess its
involvement in worldly and purely humanistic endeavors.
The focus of the modern church is on "this world." Please note
what a prominent Catholic author stated. "We must desire for all men
what we desire for ourselves: civil rights, health, adequate education,
development, civilization, and culture. Over half the world is deprived
of some major need. Yet our American contribution to the economies of
backward and starving nations is one-half of one percent -- less than
what we spend annually on cigarettes and chewing gum.
"Vatican II Council II speaks plainly of the scandal of so-called
Christians who are unconcerned with the poor and deprived of the world:
'Some nations with a majority of citizens who are counted as Christians
have an abundance of this world's goods, while others are deprived of
the necessities of life and are tormented with hunger, disease, and
every kind of misery. This situation must not be allowed to continue, to
the scandal of humanity. For the spirit of poverty and of charity is
the glory and authentication of the Church of Christ'." The Church in
the Modern World, no. 88)." (Ibid. page 428). Wilhelm, Anthony, Christ
Among Us, Christ's Church in the World Today, Paulist Press, New York,
1981, page 427).
All of this brings us back to Jesus and His church. To what
intent did He put His church on earth? The answer can be found in both
a positive and negative manner. First, let's consider the negative.
The absence in the New Testament of any of the varied activities in
which Christians were participants in social and political activities
argues that someone has missed the point in today's religious scene. No
hospitals, orphanages, retirement facilities, shelters for abused women,
unwanted pregnancies, drug addicts, or the like are in evidence. Nor
does one find any of the leaders of Christ's church either involved
directly or indirectly in any kind of political or social protest
movement. There is simply nothing in the New Testament indicating that
the church Jesus built engaged in that. Nor is there any indication
that the church was set up to entertain society in general, and
Christians in particular. The negative side shows the lack of evidence
that the primary focus of modern day religion was of any concern at all
to the early church.
Positively, the primary focus of the church Jesus built was the
salvation of the human race, not from poverty, disease, or political
errors, but from sin. Sin was the opponent of the church Jesus called
His own. The world into which Jesus placed His church was one of
corruption, dissipation, and degeneracy. The government of Rome wins,
hands down, in being historically the worst violator of human rights.
There was the worst form of abuse of one's civil rights called
"Slavery." Human were looked upon as chattel property, bought and sold,
as mere live stock. Yet not once, did any of the inspired writers deal
directly with the injustice of slavery, or any other form of human
misery. They dealt the very core of the problem -- enslavement to sin.
To free man from sin, the church Jesus built, pressed itself to the
limit. The one weapon in their arsenal was the gospel of Christ.
Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the
Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed the
righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, the
righteous shall live by faith" (Romans 1:16-17). Whatever power is
required to make the world better, in God's definition of "better," is
achieved only through the gospel of Christ. This cannot be some watered
down, modified, or modernistic gospel -- it is the gospel Paul preached.
The social gospel is a concentration on making this world a better world
in which to live. The gospel of Christ is a concentration on making
those who now live in this world fit to live in the world that is to
come. The only way that is accomplished is through salvation from sin.
Paul added, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war
according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the
flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds);
casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against
the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought to the obedience of
Christ" (II Corinthians 10:3-6). With such weapons a war is not waged
against poverty, hunger, ignorance, and what may be deemed as a wrong
political affiliation. Spiritual weapons are weapons used against
spiritual powers which war against the soul. The gospel of Christ is a
weapon which is designed to be wielded against the citadels of sin.
Conquering the sin problem is the first order of business for the Lord's
church. Man's better living conditions on earth are by products of a
his right relationship to God.
Jesus had the perfect opportunity to practice the social gospel
view of personal rights and justice. A young man came to him and
demanded, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me" (Luke
12:13). A young man's legal and financial rights were being violated.
Jesus was called on to settle the matter. His reply probably astounded
the young man, and it will likely astound many today, for He refused to
get involved. He said, "Man, who made me a divider over you?" (verse
14). As if to underscore this, He added, "Take heed, and keep
yourselves from all covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth" (verse 15). According to
our Master, a man may have his legal and civil rights awarded to him,
but be lost eternally. Those who think of this world as our final and
permanent home, no doubt, would differ with Christ, but those who
believe in Him, and seek to follow Him faithfully, realize just how true
His words are. And, as He refused to become involved in the affairs of
this life, so should the church He called His own.
The church of Christ is not of human origin, nor is it set up to
accomplish purely human objectives. It is a spiritual body, ruled over
by a spiritual head, governed by a spiritual law (the gospel of Christ),
and is engaged in the great spiritual mission of saving the lost through
the continued spread of divine truth. Churches that turn aside from the
saving gospel to the social gospel pervert the truth, render themselves
ineffective against sin, and leave the wrong impression on the unsaved
as to just exactly what Jesus had in mind when He put His church here on
this planet. Hopefully, these remarks will help each one of us to
appreciate the truly spiritual mission and position of Christ's church.
It is not an entertainment society, a place for hand-outs, or a
religious-political institution. It is truly the spiritual body of
Christ that has one mission and one alone -- the salvation of men and
women from sin.
If you have any question at all about this topic, or if you would
like extra study materials on it, contact us. If you would like to
receive the Voice of West End call or write West End Church of Christ,
1609 Parkside Dr., Bowling Green, KY. 42101. Until the next time we
have this opportunity to be with you by radio, may God richly bless you
and yours. Good bye.
Radio Sermon No. 62, Page 1
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Children's NT Studies
