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The Relevance of the Church (No. 1)
Eugene W. Clevenger
The church is being maligned today perhaps as never before in its history. In former times it was mainly from outsiders, but now it is from its own members and leaders. To illustrate, recently I had some ministerial students in one of my classes who affirmed dogmatically that the church of Christ is just another denomination. Again, one man who had preached for years confessed that he could no longer emphasize the church in his preaching; he is now content to preach Jesus. The cry is heard from many quarters, especially from young people, that the church is no longer relevant to the people of our generation. It is a sad day for the Lord's church when Bible professors must spend their time trying to convince young preachers of the validity of our claim to undenominational Christianity. It is more than tragic when supposed gospel preachers will not see that to preach Christ is to preach his church and that the church is as relevant today as it ever was. When the relevancy of the church is doubted or denied by its leaders, it must be obvious to those who love the church that we face momentous problems and grave dangers. In discussing the subject, there are some questions to be asked, and the first one is,
WHAT CHURCH IS RELEVANT?
When we speak of the relevance of the church, certainly we are not talking about any denominational church. Many members of denominational churches sincerely believe that their particular denominations are most important and relevant to them. However, if by "relevant" they mean that the denomination is vital to their spiritual needs and necessary to true spiritual life, the New Testament denies such relevance. It will be noted more in detail later, but I am saying that one may believe that something is relevant to him when actually it is not, and conversely, one may deny the relevance of something which is most vital to him and his spiritual well-being. The church that is relevant is not a denomination.
Frequently the word "church" refers to a local congregation of Christians. The New Testament teaches that membership in a local church is both desirable and necessary for Christian growth and service, but it is not a congregation that is under discussion. Rather, it is the entire ecclesia of God, the body of Christ, the called and the saved-it is the apostolic, New Testament church that we are affirming to be relevant. For anyone to deny that this church is relevant to the people of our age, or any age, is to deny the relevance of salvation, for Christ is the Savior of this church, his body. (Eph. 5:23.) It is to deny the relevance of the atoning blood of Christ, for with his blood Christ purchased this church. (Acts 20:28.) If the Lord's church has no relevance today, the truth of God has no significance and meaning, for this church is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. (1 Tim. 3:15.) This church which I maintain is relevant is the church purposed by God (Eph. 3), purchased by Christ (Eph. 5), and perfected by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4). The relevance of God, Christ, and the Spirit to the men of any age is the relevance of the church of Christ. Everyone who believes the Scriptures acknowledges that the New Testament church was relevant to the needs of sinful man. It follows that if the church of which we are members is the New Testament church, the church of which we are members is relevant to the people of the twentieth century. If the first century church was relevant but the church of which we are members today is not, the church of which we are members is not the church of the New Testament. I maintain that the Restoration Plea is valid-the church of the first century can exist in this century--and not only can it exist, it does exist, and I am a member of it. Therefore, the church of which I am a member is relevant to the people of our day.
Let us consider next the question, WHAT DOES RELEVANT MEAN?
In trying to determine whether or not the church is relevant to our age, the meaning of relevance must be established. Webster defines "relevant" as "bearing upon, or properly applying to, the case in hand; pertinent." For something to be "pertinent" it is "applicable to the present; timely; related to the matter in hand or subject under consideration." In these definitions the words bearing upon, applicable, timely, and related are evident. Therefore, if the church is relevant, it has some bearing upon something, it is applicable, timely, and related to somebody. The question of the church's relevance, then, is the question of the church's meaning, significance, and importance. If the church is meaningful, significant, and important, it is relevant.
This, however, is the charge against the church. It is irrelevant, they tell us, because it does not relate to the needs of twentieth-century men; it has lost its significance to the people of our day; its life is no longer meaningful; its preaching is no longer applicable; what it does is not important any more. In the thinking of modern man, the church is as outmoded as the horse and buggy. There is no longer any need for it. But look at the meaning of "relevance" again. It means "bearing upon the case in hand." What is the case in hand? If the case in hand is people's concern and care for the church and what the church stands for, it is readily admitted that the church is not relevant. Most people out of the church and too many in it do not like the church, they do not appreciate it, they have no real love for it. In a very real sense, the church does not "grab" a lot of people. So, what do we conclude? The church is not relevant to them. If this is the point of reference, the church is irrelevant. However, if the case in hand is man's spiritual needs, forgiveness, salvation, character, holiness, the church today still has a bearing upon the case in hand whether men will admit or not. To deny relevance does not obviate relevance!
Let me illustrate. Is God relevant? Is he relevant to those who have crowded him out of their lives by materialism? Is God relevant to Madelyn Murray O'Hair? If the case in hand be merely one's estimate of God or love for God, God is most irrelevant to these people. But if the case in hand be something different, as man's need of God, God may be more relevant than such people would like to admit. Look at Jesus. Was he relevant to the people of his day? There was no beauty in him that they should desire him; he was despised and rejected of men; the majority of the people did not "take to" the Lord. Therefore, we conclude that Jesus Christ was not relevant to the people of his day? I deny it. The despised carpenter of Nazareth was most relevant because he was the answer to their spiritual needs, notwithstanding their rejection of him. In the same way, the Bible is regarded by many as archaic, inapplicable, and thus irrelevant to twentieth-century man. It is relegated to the waste basket as a dead letter. Its teachings have long been outmoded. But who is willing to agree that the Bible is irrelevant to the people of our age? Not I. Even if everybody denied the relevance of the Scriptures to modern man, that would not make them irrelevant. And so it is with the church!
"The church is no longer relevant because people are not listening to our message," they tell us. Many were those who turned a deaf ear to the Savior, but his message was the most significant, applicable, and important message that anyone could refuse to hear. Their refusal to hear did not make his message irrelevant, and for people of our time to stop their ears to the message of salvation which the church is proclaiming does not mean that the church is irrelevant. Again, proof that the church is no longer relevant is that "people are not coming to our church services any more." If the time ever came when no outsider attended, the services would still be significant and important for the members, and even if our members quit coming, would that mean that the divinely-ordained injunction to assemble is insignificant, unimportant, and irrelevant? The point which I make is this: the church's message of redemption is relevant regardless of who denies its relevance, and the church's services are vital to spiritual maturity and acceptance with God no matter how strongly their relevance is denied. The relevance of God's church is not dependent upon the whims and fancies of men. Its relevance is rooted deeply in the needs of men, and those needs are the same today as they were nineteen hundred years ago.