The Doctrine of the Church and a Pastor’s Ministry

Why the Doctrine of the Church Matters

I grew up in a land with beautiful houses of worship (or at least they once had been before they devolved into tourist attractions). When I was converted to Christ, it was hard to rid myself of the notion that the church isn’t a building but a community of believers. In this article, I’ll set forth seven truths about the church that are biblically sound yet often misunderstood or neglected. It is my firm conviction that firm adherence to these seven truths, and the actual practice of each of these, would considerably strengthen the local congregations of which we are a part, and the universal church as well. How does the doctrine of the church affect a pastor’s ministry?

7 Truths to Teach about the Church

It is a curious fact—but a fact nonetheless—that the term “church” is found only twice in the Gospels (both in Matthew), and there in a non-technical sense. It is only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that the church originated as a community of believers in Jesus the Messiah made up of believing Jews and non-Jews. While Jesus primarily spoke of the kingdom of God, especially in form of parables, highlighting various dimensions of the universal and eternal reign of God, Jesus, in the present, appointed the church as an outpost of the kingdom. What are some of the major truths about the church that we will do well not to neglect in our preaching and teaching?

1. The church is not a building but a community of believers.

In the early stages of the Christian movement, people gathered in homes as committed Christ followers who “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). When, in his letter to the Romans, Paul sends greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, he refers to “the church that meets at their house” (Rom. 16:5). Philemon and Apphia, likewise, had a church that met at their home (Phlm. 2). Only later did churches acquire real estate and erect sanctuaries, culminating in the Middle Ages, which saw the building of magnificent cathedrals. Thus, biblically speaking, the church is a community of believers regularly gathered for teaching, fellowship, prayer, and the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

2. We are members of both a local and the universal church.

I have met some ardent church members who loved their own church but cared little for the church down the road. In fact, however, we are members both of a local and the universal church. As pastors, we need to balance our desire to instill commitment to our church with the humble recognition that God’s work is not limited to our walls. Rather, God is building his kingdom in many places, and we should rejoice in that and encourage the members of our church to do the same. We need to encourage an ethos of being citizens of God’s kingdom alongside local church membership and remind people that they’re part of the global church of the ages.

3. The church is not our church; it is Jesus’s church.

I’ve also been in some churches where the pastors acted as if the church in which they were serving was their church. The church they were serving was in fact not their church; it was Jesus’s. As Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). Paul regularly affirmed that “Christ is the head of the church” (e.g., Eph. 5:23; cf. 1:22; Col. 1:18). Therefore let’s not act if the church we’re serving is our church. God has graciously called us to steward Christ’s church and shepherd his people.

4. The permanence of a given local church is not guaranteed.

Revelation features Christ’s letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. But where are these churches today? Or what about the church in Bath, England, that I set out to visit several years ago that, to my dismay, had turned into a coffee house where waiters served lattes and cappuccinos? Too often we act as if the permanent thriving and survival of our local church is a foregone conclusion; it’s not. Rather, we must be faithful to pass on the faith to the next generation and serve Christ in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).

5. The primary purpose of the church is to make disciples who make more disciples.

Jesus preached to multitudes, but he didn’t love the big stage. Nor was he swept away by the accolades of the masses like many celebrities are today. Jesus called disciples to follow him. He trained them thoroughly for over three years, teaching them how to pray, share their faith, and make disciples themselves. Then he told them, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21), and said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18). The Great Commission presupposes Jesus’s model of disciple-making and is re-articulated by Paul (2 Tim. 2:2). The primary purpose of the church, like Jesus’s, is to make disciples who make more disciples.

6. The church is to be led by mature, qualified men who are accountable to God, each other, and the congregation.

Church leaders are prime targets of Satan (1 Tim. 3:7). How can those in charge of Jesus’s church be safe from the devil’s assaults? The answer, at least in part, is: “Accountability to God, each other, and the congregation.” That is why God, in his wisdom, has put the leadership of his church in the hands of a plurality of mature, qualified men, patterned after the elder model in the ancient synagogue. As “shepherds of God’s flock,” Peter writes, elders should be “eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2–3).

7. God’s people are to reflect Jesus’s heart of compassion for a needy world.

There are many churches with impeccable statements of faith, sound doctrine, and biblical preaching. Many also excel in food and fellowship and programs for their youth and other members of their congregation. But while edifying believers is a vital part of our charge, do we ourselves, and do we encourage people in our congregations to, reflect Jesus’s heart of compassion for the needy? Jesus, give us a heart of compassion for the needy and show us how to show active deeds of love toward those less fortunate than us!

Conclusion

Thank God for the church! Let’s not be too critical in view of the many imperfections we see. Jesus is still building his church, and he calls us to believe in him, not in his all-too-fallible followers of Jesus (or even leaders!). It’s easy to despair when we see disunity, lack of care, or even hypocrisy in those who call themselves Christians. Let’s resolve to be part of the solution, rather than being problem people, and do our part in fulfilling Jesus’s commission to make disciples of all nations who, in turn, will make more disciples, in the confidence that Jesus’s words will not fail: “I will build my church.”

Note: This post originally appeared on the Focused Pastor website.