Some Final Exhortations

                        and Challenges

In this series of articles, the
author has attempted to show from Scripture how we can come close to patterning
the meetings and activities of assemblies of believers after those of the early
Church in the New Testament. Due to the tragic divisions that have torn the
Church apart over the past 2,000 years, and particularly since the Protestant
Reformation, it is not possible to live out the New Testament Church in every
detail. But it should be the desire of every blood-bought child of God to come
as close as possible to carrying out Christ’s plan for His Church.

Many readers of Words of Truth,
along with the author, are part of a fellowship in which (1) there is a circle
of assemblies (see March 1998 issue); (2) there is weekly observance of the
Lord’s Supper (see May 1998); (3) all the brothers are allowed and
encouraged to participate in every meeting of the local church for worship and
ministry (see September and November 1998); (4) church discipline is carried
out (see January 1999); and (5) there is closed communion (see March 1999).
There may be a tendency among such believers to have a feeling of smugness that
we—unlike most other believers—are following the order found in Holy
Scripture concerning the Church in this day of ruin. This final article of the
series is intended to remove any smugness and to challenge our hearts and
consciences as to how well we are carrying out in practice the
scriptural principles concerning the Church

The unity of assemblies. If
we really believe in the importance of showing forth the unity of the body of
Christ, then each of us needs earnestly and prayerfully to seek peace and unity
in all matters by showing love, giving up pride, self‑assertion, self‑ambition—though
not giving up fundamental truth—for the sake of the unity of the whole. If I
disagree with the rest of the assembly on a matter, I must not try to force my
opinion (which might make me a heretic), but seek prayerful, non‑threatening
discussions of the scriptural principles involved in the matter. The apostle
Paul summarizes this point so well:"I … beseech you that you walk
worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and
meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:1-3).

In the case where two or more
assemblies in a circle of fellowship are within driving distance of each other,
care must be taken not to fall into a "go to the church of your choice"
mentality. Suppose a family lives 15 miles north of Assembly A and 25 miles
south of Assembly B, both in the same circle of fellowship. With which of the
two assemblies should they be identified? Does it matter? Is it suitable to
alternate between the two? There does not seem to be a clear scriptural answer
to these questions. However, there is a certain accountability involved in
being in fellowship (as implied by there being those who take the oversight in
each assembly and by the need sometimes for assembly discipline). Therefore,
alternating between two assemblies does not fit in with this accountability.
Either Assembly A or B should clearly be the "home" assembly, with
the great majority of one’s time spent meeting and working with that assembly.
On the other hand, visits to neighboring assemblies or to those far away
certainly are not precluded as shown many times in the New Testament (Acts
19:24-28; Rom. 16:1,2; 2 Cor. 3:1).

In the judgment of the author, it
would seem to be orderly in general for one to be identified with the
assembly that is closest geographically. A very practical reason for this is
that it enhances one’s ability to be present at the assembly meetings and to
serve the Lord together with others in that local assembly. There are special
considerations that might lead one to make the geographically more distant
assembly as his/her "home" assembly. For example, one who lives
closer to Assembly A might have a particular spiritual gift that is lacking in
Assembly B. On the other hand, if one is having difficulty getting along with
his/her brothers and sisters in Assembly A and switches affiliation to Assembly
B to escape the problems, this is not a manifestation of keeping "the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." In this author’s judgment, any
decision to affiliate with the geographically more distant assembly should be
done with the complete knowledge, approval, and fellowship of both Assembly A
and B. Anything else would seem to be a practical denial of the unity of
assemblies.

The heavenly character of the
Church. As brought out in the May 1998 installment of this series, the
Church as the bride of Christ has a heavenly Head and a heavenly
hope and its members are heavenly citizens with heavenly
blessings. What a challenge is this for each member of the Church! Our
heavenly-mindedness (Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-4), non-conformance to the world
(Rom. 12:2), and living in the constant expectation of the Lord’s return (1
Thess. 1:10;4:13-18) should far exceed that of other groups that do not
understand the heavenly character of the Church.

Gathering often to break bread.
Do we look forward to these occasions, or has it become just a ritual, or even
a bother? Do we go there expecting to meet the Lord, preparing by asking
ourselves, "What if I were in heaven and called upon to say something to
the Lord; what would I say?" Do we prepare our hearts for these meetings
by meditating on appropriate scriptures and hymns? Do you sisters prepare? Do
you participate—albeit silently—by praying and meditating?

The priesthood of all believers.
Some assemblies that hold to the truth of the priesthood of all believers in
principle have lapsed into almost a one‑man priesthood by
non-participation on the part of most. We live in a spectator society and sadly
this has largely carried over into the assembly.

Are you, my reader, a "silent
priest"? Does week after week pass by without your uttering a word of
praise or thanks in the meeting for remembering the Lord, or without your
praying in—or perhaps without even attending—the assembly prayer meeting? If
so, I suggest that you re-read the section on "Silent Priests" in the
September 1998 issue. Keep in mind that it does not do much good to follow the principle
of the priesthood of all believers if you do not act upon it yourself.

The responsibility of all
believers for ministry and service in the assembly. Each of us needs to ask
on our knees before the Lord:"What do I do in the body and for the Lord?
What is my personal role and responsibility in the local assembly? Once again,
while we may accept in principle that the system of clergy/laity is
unscriptural, do we unwittingly push others in the direction of clergy by our
own inactivity and lack of participation in the assembly? Do we place the full‑time
servants of the Lord who travel among the assemblies on a higher plane than the
full‑time servants of the Lord with secular employment (which comprise
all the rest of the saints)? Do we expect a visiting "traveling
brother" to act in all of the capacities of pastor, teacher, evangelist,
Sunday School teacher, and worship leader, whatever his particular gift might
be? Do we hold back in the remembrance meeting, waiting for the visiting
servant of the Lord to give thanks for the loaf and cup? If we are having a
problem in our assembly or facing a difficult decision, do we automatically
call one or more of the traveling brothers to come and help us, or do we ask
the godly brothers of a nearby assembly to assist? At fellowship‑wide
conferences, do we relax and enjoy ourselves, expecting that the full‑time
servants will take care of all of the preaching and teaching responsibilities?

Do we excel in our concern for the
unsaved? in evangelistic outreach? in active discipling and training of those
newly saved? in visitation of the sick, bereaved, aged, shut-in, and
imprisoned? in seeking to restore those "overtaken in a fault" (Gal.
6:1)? Or do we only excel in our holding of New Testament principles
concerning the Church?

The existence and role of
overseers and guides. It is commonly taught in many assemblies that we
cannot appoint overseers/bishops/elders today since it was only apostles and
apostolic delegates who had that authority. Assuming the validity of this
teaching, there is yet a crucial need to face up to the fact that it is clearly
God’s desire that there should be such overseers in each local assembly. Why
else would the qualifications of an overseer be given to us in the Bible (1
Tim. 3, Tit. 1)? Two things are needed in this regard:First, each brother in
each local assembly ought to examine himself whether he meets the
qualifications of an overseer. If so, he should be very much before the Lord as
to carrying out the role and responsibilities of an overseer (as described in
the January 1999 issue). Further, when qualified brothers do take that
place in the assembly, the rest of the assembly should be willing to receive
any rebuke, reproof, correction, instruction, or warning lovingly and
faithfully given to them by the overseer. Individuals in the assembly could go
even further and encourage the overseer to feel free to come to them whenever
he sensed a slackening of interest or a departure into the world, etc. What a
wonderful way of giving practical encouragement to those brothers who lovingly,
faithfully, and self‑sacrificially do this good and often thankless work.

Carrying out church discipline.
Do we advise those about to be received into fellowship not only of the privileges
of being in fellowship (particularly, breaking bread), but also of the responsibilities,
and that they are now subject to reproof, instruction, and warning by those who
have the oversight (or others in the assembly), and to assembly discipline if
warranted? When receiving children and teens into fellowship, do we find out
how they behave at home—such as whether their parents are having severe
discipline problems with them? And do we notice how they behave at the assembly
meetings—whether they enter into the singing, are attentive to the preaching
and teaching, regularly attend all the meetings, or whether they are frequently
whispering to their neighbor and showing a general disinterest? Do we parents
push our children into asking to be received into fellowship as part of an ego
trip for ourselves? Do we consider assembly discipline for active, continual
patterns of sin other than fornication or adultery? Do we follow the different
scriptural steps of discipline, or just ignore the problem until it calls for
the final, extreme act of excommunication? Do we regularly encourage in one
another greater self‑discipline and striving for holiness?

Let us not become complacent about
following the principles of Scripture concerning the Church. Let us rather seek
to be more faithful in carrying out these principles in our local assemblies.
Furthermore, let us seek to excel in faithfulness to the Lord and to the
Scriptures in every area of Christian living.