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A Christ Centered Church
The church of the Bible is the church where Christ is the very heart, soul, and center. If we would be the New Testament church, we must be Christ centered. Our emphasis, theme, burden, and message is to be Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We want to learn how we can detect a Christ centered church.
First, we ascertain that it is right and necessary that the church be centered on Christ because He is the head of it. It is His body. He founded it and Is the foundation of It. He purchased it with His own blood, reigns over it as King, and has all authority pertaining to it. Christ is the Savior of the church. Without Him there would be no church of Christ. It would be highly Improper for the church to be centered or identified without anyone or anything else other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
There is no separation of Christ and His church. Some seem to think that emphasis on the church In some way detracts from Christ. They like to talk about "churchianity" as opposed to "Christianity." That is a trite phrase, but also one of the marks of a soft, false teacher who speaks lightly of the church. The early evangelists and apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, preached Christ and His church. It was not either/or with them. The relationship between Christ and the church demands both be preached. You cannot preach the head without the body, nor the Savior apart from the saved, nor the King separated from His kingdom. And why should anyone want to attempt it? Beware of digressive tones that would separate Christ and the church.
In Word
The Lord's church is Christ centered in Word. The church Is the "pillar and ground of the truth." (I Timothy 3:15). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). "But we preach Christ...," Paul wrote in I Corinthians 1:23. "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (I Corinthians 2:2). Christ told His apostles to "preach the gospel." (Mark 16:15). Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian (Acts 8). Whatever Is revealed In Scripture concerning Christ, or related to Christ, as all Scripture is, Is to be preached. He is to be glorified, praised, and presented as the One to whom people are directed. It Is His will that is to be taught.
We are to proclaim Him as Lord (Philippians 2:11), as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16), as the Savior of men (I Timothy 1:15), and as the Christ (Acts 2:36).
For those who call themselves preachers to spend their time offering reviews on secular books, politics, economics, military advice, biographies of prominent and famous people of the world Is to misuse the pulpit. The church is to proclaim the doctrine of Christ, by which is meant the doctrine Christ taught and authorized to be taught. Titus 2:1, "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine." II John 9-11, a passage even many brethren seem to have removed from their Bibles, "Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed. For he that biddeth him Godspeed is a partaker of his evil deeds." Paul warned against any so-called gospel other than what he had preached and that brethren had received (Galatians 1:6-9).
In Work
As In Word, the church must uphold Christ In Its work. There is always the danger that a church will "major in minors, and minor In majors." Particularly Is this a danger In a time of digression, such as we now witness about us. Many present day churches of Christ are getting away from the mission of the church, providing entertainment, recreation, gymnasiums, secular education, little league games, virtually invading the realm of the home, and being nothing much more than a poor man's country club. When a church fulfills Its mission it will be busy. But it can be busy and still not be doing what the Lord commissioned the church to do.
The prime work of the church is to glorify God and spread the gospel of Christ throughout the world. The members are to live Christlike lives. There is a realm of benevolence to relieves the suffering of the needy. Also the church must build itself up, not just numerically, but more important, spiritually, a work called edification. But we must never "let the tail wag the clog."
One of the marks of digression historically has been for the church to become organically and financially involved in areas of activity for which there is no Biblical authority. When this happens the divinely assigned work of the church lags and becomes a sideline, if not eliminated. As an example, some churches have been financially unable to assist men to go into foreign fields of labor because their payments on their recreational facilities kept them burdened. Such a church could not qualify as a Christ centered church.
In Life
The church must show itself Christ centered by the daily lives of its members. The disciples are called Christians (Acts 11:26). One who is a Christian is a baptized believer, in Christ, following Christ, imitating Him in his life. A Christian who strives to live like Christ will not conform to the evil of this world. What the world sees of Christ, in many instances, is only that which is reflected in the lives of those who profess to he His disciples. When there is not that distinction due to godly living in the Christian's life, how can the church be called Christ centered?
A deadly, sinister relaxation and liberal permissiveness has gripped the world, even the religious world, in morals and ethics. The sinfulness of this world was once opposed by religious people. But now, openly, such things as drinking, dancing, lasciviousness, adultery, immodesty, gambling, smoking, divorce, etc. are tolerated among so called Christians. The love of this world, with its greed, prestige, pleasure, social standing and power Is far too evident among even members of the church. Such behavior has compromised the truth, and can be found In most any congregation. This ought not so to be. Too many brethren act as if this does not really matter. But it matters to the point that it has brought reproach on the holy name of Christ and His church.
Voices in the world, and some in the church, admonish brethren to "liberalize or lose members." Some elderships, fearful of losing members and finances, have relaxed their stand for truth to accommodate the worldly-minded members. Some who are of that stripe have gone out from us, but many others have simply been tolerated, and that toleration is sinful.
God or Men
We need to ask ourselves if we seek to please men or God. In Jesus' day some turned and walked with Him no more because of His hard sayings. But He never did retract His hard sayings to accommodate those who rebelled against them, nor did He apologize that His truth offended them. Nor should we. When we teach today what He taught, and what the inspired men taught, we may witness the same reaction among many people. But so be it! As much as it pains us to see anybody turn away from the truth because they love this evil world, like Demas, we have the duty to stand for the truth regardless of the reaction among others. Already too many have taken their eye off the goal and looked so longingly at the "fleshpots" of spiritual Egypt and of this earthly life.
It would be an indication of good spiritual health when brethren would become alarmed arid aroused when they hear of teaching and practices among them that are not Christ centered, regardless of their source. It would be good if brethren would become disturbed when the doctrine of Christ, at whatever point, is defied and sin openly condoned, especially in the ranks of the church. A Christ centered church is one whose members conform to Christ in their living.
This is Our Task
To build and maintain a Christ centered church in a sinful world is a difficult task. There are pressures from without and within to compromise, and depart from the truth, escape the hardship, and be at peace with everyone. There has developed a "go along to get along" attitude that has engulfed the thinking of many brethren who were once sound in the faith. These pressures are not likely to lessen, but in all probability increase as society generally becomes more arrogant, defiant, materialistic, and self willed. But still we must plead for a Christ centered church.
To do what God expects of us demands that we adhere to the pattern revealed in the New Testament. Even though some today denounce what they ridicule as "pattern theology," this is still what God demands. A Christ centered church is not made one by beautiful buildings, large numbers, big contributions, many activities, acceptance by the community, a membership composed of the wealthy and prominent, a "namby-pamby message of surrender, compromise, and accommodation of sin and faise doctrines. Only by strict allegiance to "thus saith the Lord" can there be a Christ centered church. It is the task of every Christian to see that the church is just that way.
The church is composed of people who have been washed clean of their sins by the blood of Christ when they believed and obeyed the gospel being baptized into Christ for the remission of sins, and God adding them to the church. The church depends on Christ, and Christ must be at the very core of all pertaining to the church. He is to have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).