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The visible church is central to all of God's redemptive purposes. As Paul the
apostle says in Ephesians 3:21, "Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus world without end. Amen." This verse is a doxology and a most
revealing verse regarding Paul's Christian life and ministry. His entire
Christian life and ministry revolved around visible churches. He did not dream
of thinking of Christ without thinking of the church. He understood that Christ
came to build the church (Matthew 16:18). He knew that Christ purchased the
church with His own blood (Acts 20:28) and that He loved the church and gave
Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). The Apostle knew that Christ constantly
nurtures and cherishes the church (Ephesians 5:29) and that He ever lives to
intercede for the church (Hebrews 7:25). Paul comprehended, along with John the
beloved apostle, that Jesus is in the midst of His churches (Revelation 1:11-13a
& 20) and that He continually interacts with them (Revelation 2:6,9,16,&
24; 3:2,8,&18-19).
Saving religion and the Christian life, as defined in the New Testament
Scriptures, demands the visible church. The ministry of the gospel and the Word
of God, as found in the church, produce saving faith. The church's preaching of
the "whole counsel of God" produces gospel holiness, sanctification,
and growth in grace. As Dr. Wayne Mack says, "Attempts to grow in Christ
outside the church is like trying to swim without ever getting into the
pool." The church and its God-ordained leaders serve as a bulwark to guard
believers from going astray and into apostasy. Godly pastors and elders are
there as counselors and friends when believers enter hard times and
difficulties. Being a member of a church will give Christians the love and
service of fellow members. Brothers and sisters in Christ will be there to weep
when you weep, rejoice when you rejoice, and walk side-by-side with you in your
Christian life. Paul knew to think lightly of the church is to think lightly of
Christ. How contrary to the thinking of many Christians today.
In Ephesians 3:21 Paul teaches six important facts about the church. 1) In all
its doings, the church is to be God-centered ("unto Him"). 2) It is
purpose-centered ("be glory"). In other words, the church's main
purpose is that it exists for God's glory. The glory of God is central to
Himself and it is central to the church's existence. Everything God does is
ultimately for His own glory, and everything the church does should be for God's
glory. 3) The church is organization-centered ("in the church"). In
other words, the church is a visible, structured body with a recognizable
membership. 4) The church is to be Christ-centered ("by Christ
Jesus"). Christ is the full and final manifestation of God. Therefore, the
church is to feature every aspect of His person and it is to focus on every
aspect of His work. 5) The church is to be generation-centered ("through
all ages," It is literally, from the Greek, "through all
generations"). The church is to minister and declare God's truth to each
succeeding generation. The church must not yield to the present generation and
be manipulated by its whims and fancies. Each generation must yield to the truth
of God as proclaimed by the church. The generations change, but God's truth does
not! Beware of the person who says truth changes. 6) It is eternity-centered
("world without end" literally "from the age to the ages").
God has put eternity into the hearts of His people and the church lives out its
life with eternity's values in view.
Out of the six facts about the church, perhaps the most important is that of
being God-centered, which is theology-centered. What is theology? It is that
which is thought, said, and believed concerning God given in human terms by the
Holy Bible itself as the divine revelation of God. Dr. Millard J. Erickson
defines systematic theology as "That discipline which attempts to arrange
the doctrinal content of Scripture in a coherent fashion, express it in a
contemporary form, and relate it to issues of practical Christian concern."
(Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology, p. 163)
Theology is paramount to the church. As A.W. Tozer astutely states, "We
being what we are and all things else being what they are, the most important
and profitable study any one of us can engage in is without question the study
of theology." Is this true? Just how important is theology to a local,
visible church?
Without theology the church would cease being the church. The church is not just
a social entity like the Lion's Club or the Rotary Club. It is a body of
baptized believers in Christ Jesus the Lord gathered around a system of beliefs.
If theology is removed, the church becomes just another social organization
sharing a commonality with all the others in the world. Instead, the church is
unique in that it is theology-centered, and that is what makes it the church.
Without theology the church would have no stability. It would not be able to
weather the storms of its existence or the fair sunshine times of blessing.
Churches sometimes go through difficult periods, and when they do so they often
waver. Other times churches go through seasons of great blessings and it becomes
difficult to keep the right focus. Theology helps to maintain stability.
Furthermore, without theology the church would have no sense of spiritual
direction. It would be like a traveler without a map, a ship without charts and
compass, a journey without a destination. What is a church to do when confronted
with certain issues? Respond to them? Know the way ahead? Correct theology gives
a church a true sense of direction.
Yet, we are living in a day where there is not only a neglect of theology, but a
disdain for it. Dr. Robert Godfrey, a noted church historian, correctly observes
". . .many evangelicals have developed a bias against theology and
theological systems. They do not want theology; they want 'the simple gospel.'
They believe that systems are artificial and are forced on the Bible. The Bible
is their only creed. But they themselves end up with a system that is implicit,
unexamined, and sometimes ruthlessly imposed on Scripture." (quoted in
Christ the Lord, p. 120) You often hear modern Christians say, "Don't gimme
doctrine and theology, just gimme Jesus."
At the turn of the 20th century, every university had a department of theology,
and theology was called "the Queen of Sciences." A person was not
considered thoroughly educated if he had not studied theology. Today,
universities have thrown overboard departments of theology and in their place
erected departments of religion. The difference appears subtle and slight, but
it is devastating.
To illustrate my point, let me give you an incident that occurred in the life of
a prominent Christian leader of our day—Dr. R.C. Sproul. He was invited to
speak at a prestigious Midwestern university. Before the lecture, he was shown
around the campus by the Dean. Upon entering the faculty office building, he
notice one office door that read "Department of Religion." That
evening as he spoke to the faculty, he addressed the matter:
"I reminded the faculty that there is a profound difference between the
study of theology and the study of religion. Historically the study of religion
has been subsumed under the headings of anthropology, sociology, or even
psychology. The academic investigation of religion has sought to be grounded in
a scientific-empirical method. The reason for this is quite simple. Human
activity is part of the phenomenal world. It is activity that is visible,
subject to empirical analysis. . ."
"To state it more simply, the study of religion is chiefly the study of a
certain kind of human behavior, be it under the rubric of anthropology,
sociology, or psychology. The study of theology, on the other hand, is the study
of God. Religion is anthropocentric; theology is theocentric. The difference
between religion and theology is ultimately the difference between God and
man—hardly a small difference."
"Again, it is a difference of subject matter. The subject matter of
theology proper is God; the subject matter of religion is man." (Grace
Unknown, p. 10, 11)
Every teaching about God in the Holy Scriptures is doctrine and theology. Every
belief about God is the same. (The same is also true about Christ.) Theology
speaks about the existence and being of God. Theology speaks of God's attributes
and qualities. (Can you name 10 attributes of God, besides Him being loving?)
Theology speaks of His great, powerful, and glorious works: creation,
providence, redemption, preservation, and consummation.
The church exists "unto Him" (God-centered; i.e. theology-centered).
It is not to be people-centered first, as in "The Church That Loves
People," but God-centered, as in "The Church That Loves God."
Theology is important to this church because it is important to God. Dr. Robert
Reymond asserts "Every Christian will be either God-centered or
man-centered." Which are you? Therefore, do not think it strange when you
hear theology as the Word of God is proclaimed from this pulpit. If a church is
to be biblical, it must be theology-centered. Join us as we mine the depths and
riches of theology that are found in God's inerrant Word. See Romans 11:33-36.
As one noted pastor often says, "Ultimately, all things are disciplined by
theology." Amen. |