Covenant Presbyterian Church

Think with me for a moment of the number of churches you pass by on any given day. Each one stands in its particular corner of the Lord’s vineyard, struggles with its own sins, and confronts evil with the grace and power of Jesus Christ. I often think of the pastor of the little church down the road from me: what burdens is he carrying? Is he feeling right now like Paul often felt: "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?" (2 Cor. 11:29). Does his congregation appreciate his efforts, pray for him, and submit to his guidance? What wayward soul in his congregation is he seeking to reclaim for the Savior? Do they practice church discipline? What is their governmental structure? Is God blessing them to reach the lost? The body of Christ is not limited to our congregation. When one member of our body, or any other body, suffers, we all suffer; when one rejoices, all rejoice. Should we not lament the fragmentation of the church, the prevailing thought that each congregation stands alone, is its own little kingdom, with little connection, support, knowledge, or even concern with the trials and tribulations, joys and victories of other bodies?

Instead, we have embraced commercial Christianity. Rather than viewing one another as different parts of one body, with different gifts, degrees of grace and understanding, and opportunities for love and service, we have become competitors. Church growth statistics verify this; the majority of church growth is really church shuffling prompted by discontent with prior church connections, seeking better programs, or pursuing that ever illusive feeling of "God." Growth and movement, at least in the west, is not usually the result of new conversions but dissatisfied believers, whether for good or poor reasons. Sometimes, of course, this is necessary, but the prevailing spirit of competition, arrogance, and self-directed spirituality is not conducive to church unity, partnership in the gospel, or appreciation of the church on the corner, the small or large body seeking to do its best, with the light and grace God has given to it, to do the work of the Savior.

What concerns me most about our fragmentation is the inability and inconsistency it produces in reclaiming straying sheep. It is a fact of experience and of revelation, whether or not one theoretically affirms the necessity of church discipline, that every Christian congregation, save the most compromised and watered-down, is forced at times to deal with "bad leaven," individuals that refuse to live in a manner worthy of the gospel, thereby influencing the congregation toward evil (1 Corinthians 5). Should not we be concerned with the efforts other congregations make to discipline disobedient sheep, encourage those who undertake this most difficult aspect of body life, and do our part to support and assist them to reclaim wanderers? Should we not be intensely concerned for congregations that do not practice church discipline, churches that consider it a badge of honor and a sign of openness to ask no questions when one applies for church membership? This is a pressing problem for the peace, purity, and unity of the entire body of Christ. Sometimes the dangerous leaven simply moves to another congregation, which exerts little if any effort to safeguard the faithful members of the body. This is a travesty, an insult to the honor of Jesus Christ, and evidence of our unhealthy isolation from one another. If we do hear of an instance of church discipline, we are often suspicious and think that the offender is the victim. Rarely do we make any effort to understand the causes. Where is our appreciation and support for congregations who are attempting to take the word of God seriously?

And this is really the issue with respect to church discipline: will we or will we not take seriously the effect of God’s word upon the souls of men? The Bible is clear that the gospel is a double-edged sword. To those who by God’s grace believe, it is an aroma of life; to those who according to God’s will reject the gospel, it is an aroma of death (2 Cor. 2:16). Jesus said that he came to introduce a sword (Matt. 10:34). The gospel of Jesus Christ is not an offer of cotton candy, feel-good, moldable, self-help spirituality. It is a call to forsake sin, embrace Jesus Christ as our only hope in life and death, and to declare war upon the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is an absolute call. When the apostles preached the gospel, you will look hard to find a message that did not end with a warning of judgment; this is the reason their preaching was so effectual. The gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed not as a "take it or leave it" item on an already-crowded spiritual smorgasbord but as the very word of God, confronting sinners with their danger, the richness of God’s grace and love, and the peril of approaching judgment against those who do not repent. When the church proclaims this gospel and no other, Jesus unsheathes his sword and begins to sweep clean his threshing floor (Matt. 3:12). His word exposes the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12). Jesus purges as his word is proclaimed (John 15:3).
As the church on the corner, large or small, faithfully preaches the whole counsel of God, we can therefore expect a measure of purging, exposing, and chaff removal. This is a sign that Jesus Christ is present by his Spirit, sifting and cleansing his church. And as this always brings with it a measure of discomfort among the sheep, the only way we can persevere during such times is to have more regard for the honor of Jesus Christ than we do for our own opinions, more fear of him than squeamishness, more trust in his sovereign presence in the church than in our own wisdom and feelings. He walks among the candlesticks. He will, if his word is truly honored and proclaimed, purify and cleanse. We must support one another in such times. We must respect each body that seeks to be faithful to the word of God and respects the headship of Jesus Christ over his church. We must humble ourselves under his hand and submit ourselves to his word.
This is a very difficult age for faithful churches. There are many options for church consumers. Because we are sinners, however, we are not so much "seekers" as "hiders." I find it, then, to be a vivid example of tragic irony that the most dominant movement in the church today, the so-called "Seeker Friendly" movement, is based upon a faulty doctrine of man. He is not, according to Scripture, seeking God; God is not in all his thoughts (Ps. 10:4; Rom. 3:11). Churches built around the idea that man is "seeking God" and that right packaging of the "gospel" brings the desired results, are rarely willing to unsheathe the sword of our Savior’s mouth with all its challenging breadth. It would be too controversial, too divisive, too - well, the very thing Jesus said of his word - confrontational. And yet, the church on the corner that rejects this error, may find itself dwindling, struggling for existence, or paying the social and public opinion cost of faithfulness to God. It may be Baptist or Presbyterian, an Independent or Bible church, but I am concerned about it. I am one with it. I remember Jesus’ prayer that his church may be one, even as he is one with the Father, that the world may believe that the Father has sent him (John 17:21). And I know that this unity cannot occur without truth, for only through the truth are we sanctified in common submission to God (John 17:17). So, though for doctrinal, organizational, or logistic reasons I may be unable to worship with my fellow-believers, I feel myself to be one with them. They are doing a great, necessary, and difficult work. I want to join with them, support them, and pray for them.
Perhaps the day will soon come when the Spirit of the Lord will sweep through the body of Christ, uniting us in common confession of Christ’s Lordship, salvation by grace alone, and the authority of Scripture. I would like nothing more than for the body of Christ to experience more practical unity, interaction, communication, mutual interest and support. As sheep prone to wander, we are in need of the accountability that only broader unity can support. I pray for local pastors, for the Lord to direct them in their study of God’s word, embolden them against the world’s opposition, and use them to gather his sheep. I pray that they will be faithful with the light they have. I love the church on the corner. It may only be an arm, or finger, or even an eyelash in the body of Christ, but it is still necessary and useful. I pray God will strengthen it. I pray God will make us one of them and use us to feed his lambs, correct them when necessary, and gather them into one body under Christ the Head.