chris cobb

(I am going to try something I am probably incompetent to do: write a short blog entry.)

 Another way (see last entry for context) in which the centrality of the Church in the plan of redemption can be seen is this: to whom are all of Paul's epistles written, with the exception of the pastorals and Philemon? Answer? Churches. The churches at Rome, Corinth, in the province of Galatia, at Ephesus, at Philippi and Colossae, and in Thessalonica. To whom are the pastoral epistles written (this is a real toughie)? To two pastors, Timothy and Titus. To whom are the rebukes and encouragements of Revelation 2 and 3 written? Churches in Asia Minor.

What's the point? Simply this: The centrality and priority of the Church in the New Testament is assumed by its writers. That's obvious by the addressees on many of the New Testament books.

God did not intend believers to walk alone, but in company with other believers. How are you doing with this part of God's plan? Are you submitted to it? Are you committed to it? You should be, believer.

It is of little consequence where a church meets. A house, a storefront, an ornate building, an open-air market, in a field. What is of consequence is that it DOES meet. You simply can not separate the importance of the Church from the New Testament without doing great violence to the document.

Posted by chcobb at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sometimes I tell people that "I would have made a good lighthouse keeper," because I enjoy solitude and don't often experience a felt-need for being with people. In fact, I more often have a felt-need to be away from people! When folks at church hear this, they usually chuckle, and think I am kidding. What would such a lone-ranger be doing occupying the position of a pastor?

The problem is, I am not kidding. The other problem is that such an attitude (my attitude) fails to recognize what God has actually done in Christ. He has created a new community-the church-a community of redeemed people who display His glory (Eph 3:21), and who are intended to be interdependent, accountable to one another, and serving one another (Eph 4:11-16). A quest for constant solitude and autonomy is frankly wrong. It is sinful selfishness expressed in rebellion against what God has clearly stated in the New Testament.

OK - my secret is out. I mean, having confessed this sin on the Internet, it is REALLY out! I have been exposed! Everybody knows!

Actually, that's not a problem, because I have already confessed this from the pulpit. After all, church is a place where sinners like me who have already been radically forgiven by the grace of God in Christ, gradually learn to be radically transformed by that same grace into what God intends for us to be. So, I am in good company, and yes, I am actually working on this problem of profound selfishness that I have, along with numerous other problems.

But it is not a trivial problem. And I am seeing more and more of this same sin in the lives of other believers. What it amounts to is a rebellion against God's purpose for the local church. American Christians (in particular) have the weird ability to separate two things that cannot truly be separated: being individualists, we attempt to separate our relationship with Christ from our relationship to His local church. Let me state this in more graphic terms: if Jesus Christ is the Head, and the local church is the manifestation of His Body (Col 1:18), then we are attempting to separate the Head from the Body. And what's worse, we are telling ourselves that this is acceptable. We think we can worship and please God even while we disregard His church. But we are completely ignoring the Scriptures on the topic.

Some might try to argue, "but I am part of the universal church", or "my Bible study group, well, that's my church." OK, as long as your arrangement with the universal church or your Bible study group can withstand some simple tests, I would say that you are on solid ground. Let's find out. . .

• Does your group have identified pastors and deacons who exercise spiritual authority over you? After all, Paul tells us that God gave those to the church (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Tim 3) and empowered them (Hebrews 13:17).

• Does it have teachers who are doing the job of guarding the doctrine of the flock (2 Tim 4:1-4)?

• Is it teaching the Gospel accurately, and taking care to guard the purity of the Gospel that is taught (Gal 1:6-10)?

• Does your group practice the Lord's supper (1 Co 11:17-34)?

• How about baptism (Matthew 28:19-20)?

• How about exercising the discipline of believers who are in gross sin, is your group doing that (Matthew 18:15-20)?

• Is your group sending out missionaries (Acts 13:1-3)?

• Is it keeping lists of widows who qualify for benevolence from the church (1 Tim 5:9)?

• Is it receiving financial offerings (2 Corinthians 8-9)?

• Does it have an identified group of people for which you are obligated to practice the "one-anothers" of the New Testament?

If your group does not pass these tests, then not only are you sharing in my sin of individualistic autonomy, but you have yet even to admit it. You haven't even recognized it yet.

Let me encourage you to do what I, even as a pastor, am also learning to do. First, repent of this sinful disregard of the church. Then, submit yourself to a local body of believers. Be committed to them, serve them, be accountable to them, love them, pray for them, learn from them, contribute to them, join them, be part of the life of a local church, "which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). If I can do it, surely you can!

Posted by chcobb at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)