Beth-El Baptist Church

11/23/2008

Greg Tomlinson


Is the local Church now dead?


There is a current teaching within Christendom that claims that the need for and even God's approval for the local gathering of believers is now over. Essentially the claim is laid out that the only people left in the local assemblies are actually unbelievers who are deceived into believing that they are true believers.


  1. Why might people believe that the local church is dead?

2 Timothy 4:3-4 Revelation 11:3-10

1 Peter 4:17-18 Matthew 24:15-16

Acts 20:29-30


Paul has continually warned the people of God about a coming apostasy in which people will no longer want to hear the pure word of God but will seek out teachers that will tell them many wonderful things. Many of those bringing the heretical teachings will even arise from within the church. There is Peter's identification of a form of judgment beginning at the church. The book of Revelation clearly depicts the death of the witnesses of God.


By looking at much that is occurring in the broadcast local churches, it is not difficult to see that there is something terribly wrong with the modern local church. Their leaders preaching about health and wealth but not about sin, judgment, righteous, and the redemption in Jesus Christ alone. New churches are counseled to seek out information about what the people in a local community would like to see in a church and then seek to meet that. There is the sense that there are people out there that are actively seeking out to find God and the church needs to be friendly to them and encourage them without offending them.


  1. Does the Bible ever indicate that the local church ever dies?

Revelation 11:3-10 Acts 27:29-32 cmp 2 Corinthians 11:25

Luke 21:20-21 1 Peter 3:20-22

Mark 13:12-14 cmp Isaiah 2:2-3; 30:17-19


There are some deaths and destructions that are often associated with the local assembly. The two witnesses are destroyed, is one Israel and the other the church? The problem is that the witnesses are identified as truly operating in the power of God and are therefore faithful and are not meant to be indicative of the local assembly but of true believers. The shipwreck of Paul is sometimes used as symbolically representing the destruction of the church. The problem here is that the church is never identified as a ship while Jesus Christ is. Also, Paul was shipwrecked three times so that would imply that the church is destroyed three times. There is the call to flee into the mountains when the abomination of desolation is seen. The problem here is that the gospels do not tell us after fleeing to the mountains, then what. Isaiah does tell us what will happen in the mountains, His house will be built and all nations shall flow into it. Therefore, God is not talking about the destruction of the church but its exaltation by God as it is faithful.



  1. How long should Christian's continue to gather together?

Luke 19:11-14 Ephesians 4:11-15

Matthew 10:22-23 Revelation 2:20-26


The scriptures are clear that we are to continually gather together until Jesus Christ comes again and the church is unified in true faith. These issues definitely make it clear that the true church is never dead and that we are to continue meeting together.


  1. What is the purpose of the local assembly?

2 Timothy 4:1-2 1 Peter 4:14-16

Hebrews 10:22-25


The local assembly is called to be together for the preaching of the word (primary function), for the edification of the body (other believers), and to glorify God in the midst of persecution. What is called the church in the New Testament is the 'eklesia' or the assembly of the called out ones. It does not matter whether or not you call yourself a church, fellowship, assembly, or whatever. When people gather together for the cause of Jesus Christ in order to teach and preach the Word of God and to edify the brethren, it is an 'eklessia', a church.



Summary:


There is nothing in the scripture that clearly identifies the end of the “church age” nor the necessity of exiting from the local assembly. On the contrary, we are called to gather together until Jesus Christ returns again. This is even more important as the end of time draws near. This is the result of the persecution against the body of Christ and we will need the encouragement of the Word and of the brethren in order to endure to the end.