HE I

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By John M. Otis
Introduction
We live in an age where there are professing
Christians who have lost sight of the purpose of the
local church, who do not fully grasp the importance
of its ministry in the plan of God. There are those
who believe that one really does not have to be
an integral part of a local church to grow as a
Christian. There are those who no longer see the
value or the centrality of preaching in the worship
of God. It is not uncommon that "preaching of
sermons" in Sunday morning services is giving way
to differing types of methodologies, such as the use
of overhead projectors, power point presentations,
drama skits, etc. Hence, the nature of the church
and its mission is undergoing a transition today.
We must ask ourselves if all these innovations are
biblical. We surely don't want to do anything that
would be displeasing to the Lord of the church
since it is His church.
The church of the Lord Jesus Christ will always be
of central importance in God's plan for humanity.
The church is the apple of God's eye, as it were.
The church is the bride of Christ, for whom our Lord
shed His precious blood in order to redeem from
the ravages of sin.
Worshipping the Lord at home with one's family and
skipping Sunday worship at a local church is not
acceptable; neither is going to the lake on Sunday,
missing public worship, even if he studies the Bible,
claiming that one can worship God by enjoying
His creation; neither is being heavily involved in
parachurch organizations and missing local church
worship on Sunday. There is nothing wrong in all
of these things in their proper context. But God
inhabits the praises of His people when they gather
for public worship. The Lord loves the roads that
lead to Zion. He that cuts himself and his family off
from regular involvement in a local Bible believing
church cuts himself off of the blessings of God.
29 the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
This article seeks to give a very brief overview of
the necessity of the ministry of the local church.
A much more detailed explanation is found in
my booklet, "The Necessity For Joining A Local
Church,"which one can learn how to obtain at the
end of this article. I have listed fourteen principles
that express the vital importance of the ministry of
a local church. This does not mean that these are
the only principles or an exhaustive list necessarily,
but they are principles derived from the Scripture's
testimony.
Principle 1: The Church is a dynamic organism
that has an invisible and visible aspect. By
invisible, we mean that it is the church that consists
of the whole number of God's elect, spanning
the centuries. It is the church that encompasses
all those who have been redeemed by Christ's
blood or who will be redeemed in space and time
(Matthew 1 :21). The term "invisible" simply means
that no one but God can see the hearts of men.
We know from Scripture that not all who profess
Christ are His elect (Matthew 7: 21-23).
The visible church consists of all those in the world
that profess Christ together with their children. To
this visible church Christ has committed all
those ordinances ordained in the Scripture for
the gathering of and perfecting of His people
(Westminster Confession Of Faith, chapter 25
sections 2 and 3).
Principle 2: The Bible normally views
Christians as part of a local body of
believers. Not only is the church an organism (I
Corinthians 12: 12-30), it is also an organization
or institution under the rule of elders (Acts 2:39;
11 :22,25,26; 14:23; 15:2-4,22; Rom.16:3-5;
Col. 4:15; I Thess. 1:1; James 5:14; Revelation
2:1,8,13,18; 3:1,7,14). This visible church is
international in scope, encompassing men from
every tribe and tongue.
Principle 3: The Christian must be under
church authority through elders. For a local
church to exist, it requires a plurality of elders. The
Bible distinguishes two types of elders - preaching
elders and ruling elders. This distinction is not
one of differing authority but of specific function.
Whereas all elders are the shepherds or pastors of
the local church, not all the elders are called and
gifted to be preachers.
The elders have a tremendous responsibility toward
the congregation, and the congregation has a
responsibility toward the elders. Elders are to be
the spiritual shepherds of God's people (Acts 20:28;
I Pet. 5:1-4). The congregation owes respect and
obedience toward their elders (I Thess. 5: 12, 13;
Heb.13:17).
One of the most important reasons that people
need to be a part of a local church is that they are
commanded by God to submit to elders, who watch
over their souls, which would be impossible if one
were not a part of a local church. The elders are
God's gift to His people to protect them spiritually
and to give wise counsel in major decisions.
Principle 4: Christians ought to seek out a
Bible believing Presbyterian Church to join.
This does not mean that Presbyterian churches
are the only legitimate, true churches on earth,
but it does mean that church government is very
important in the life of a local church. We speak
of the Jus Divinum of Presbyterianism, which
means "the divine right of Presbyterianism." A
careful study of the Scripture reveals that the form
of church government that the Bible teaches is a
presbyterian form of government.
The dynamics of Presbyterianism is that the
elders are elected by the congregation to be their
representative heads to rule in the church. Though
these elders are accountable to the people in one
sense, they are fundamentally accountable to the
Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ. The elders are
the vice-regents of Christ in Christ's church. The
elders represent the law of the king of the Church
to the king's people.
There is a true court of appeals in a Presbyterian
church that does not officially exist in other forms of
church government, and there is a connectional ism
that exists among differing local churches in various
localities.
Principle 5: The Christian is commanded to
be under the preaching of the Bible. This
should be one of the most important things that a
person needs to look for when it comes to joining
a local church. There is a tragedy in the ministry of
many local churches today - it is the abandonment
of the authoritative preaching of the Word of God
by one ordained and called to officially preach
God's word. Entertainment, skits, etc are becoming
increasingly popular, often replacing exegetical and
expository preaching.
The ministry of the local church is not to be an
entertainment center, but it is where God's people
come to hear Christ preach to them through His
preachers, bringing to bear God's commands to
them( Rom. 10:14-17). It is to be a place where
God's people are equipped for the work of ministry
(Eph.4:12-16).
Principle 6: Christians are commanded to
be baptized and to baptize their children,
which is the domain of the organized
church. One of the primary functions of the local
church is the right and faithful administration of
the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper.
These sacraments are not optional. Now, this
does not mean that these are absolutely essential
for one's salvation per se, but the Bible does not
picture persons as Christians who do not submit to
these ordinances. When people believed in Christ
they submitted to baptism with their households
(Acts 2:38-47). When they gathered on the Lord's
Day for corporate worship the church observed the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper (I Cor. 10: 16,17;
11 :23-26).
Principle 7: Christians are commanded to
regularly partake of the Lord's Supper, which
is the domain of the organized church. The
necessity of partaking of the Lord's Supper is
clearly set forth in Scripture: Mat. 26:26-29, I
Cor. 10:16, 17, 11:23-26. We are commanded to
remember the Lord's death through this sacrament.
If a person is not a member of a local church, he
cannot obey an express command of the Lord.
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The Necessity of Joining a Local Church
Principle 8: The Bible allows only lawfully
ordained ministers to perform the sacraments.
The testimony of the Scripture is that the
apostles, evangelists ordained of God performed
the sacraments (Matt. 28: 18-20; Acts 8: 12,38;
16:15,33; 18:8; I Cor. 1:14-16). No man can take
this honor and responsibility to himself (Heb.
5: 1,4). This means that fathers cannot baptize
their children, members of the congregation
cannot gather individually to partake of the Lord's
Supper. Young people cannot be baptized at youth
camps by church members. The elders have
the responsibility to examine all those wanting
to partake of the Lord's Supper, seeing that the
unworthy participation in the Supper can have very
serious consequences.
Principle 9: For the Christian to be under
authority means that he must submit to the
discipline of the church. To the elders of the
church Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to bind
and to loose, that is, to determine who is in the
visible church and who is not (Matt. 16: 19; 18: 15-
18). The elders are to endeavor as a body of rulers
to maintain the purity and peace of the church,
something of which individual members should do
as well but not on the same level that is expected of
elders as the guardians of the church.
Principle 10: The local church is the
training ground for evangelism. One of
the two primary thrusts of the local church is the
reaching of the lost with the gospel. Each Christian
has a responsibility to be a witness of Christ (Acts
1 :8) and to encourage these people to come to the
local church to hear the official preaching of God's
word by one called and ordained to preach (Rom.
10: 17). Members of the congregation need to be
equipped (trained) in how to be effective witnesses
in the community.
Principle 11: The local church is the
context for spiritual maturity. The other major
thrust of the local church is the perfecting of the
saints (Eph. 4:11-16). In the proper use of each
other's spiritual gifts, the church edifies one another
to be better Christians. The local church is where
we can minister to one another's needs, share
one another's burdens, comfort those in pain, and
encourage those to strive after holiness. This is
why Hebrews 10:24,25 exhorts us to not forsake
31 the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
the assembling of ourselves together. We must
encourage each other and stimulate each other to
love and good deeds.
The person who thinks he can be a lone ranger
Christian is sadly mistaken, and that person will not
be blessed of God. This person is open game to
the vile tactics and schemes of the Devil who wants
to destroy Christians.
Principle 12: Corporate Worship is
commanded on the Lord's Day. The fourth
commandment sets forth the necessity of not only
resting on the Sabbath day but also worshipping on
this day. The Scripture reveals that Jesus Christ
is our Sabbath rest and His resurrection from the
dead on the first day of the week (Sunday) is how
the fourth commandment is to be observed in the
new covenant.
Those that neglect worshipping with God's people
on the Lord's Day are sinning against the Lord
and should not expect God's blessings. Church
members should be attendance to all public times
of worship that the elders have mandated to be
done on the Lord's Day.
Principle 13: Participation in para church
organizations should not be viewed as
a substitute for the ministry of the local
church. The ministry of para church organizations
can have a beneficial value for God's people if they
do not seek to compete with or seek to replace the
ministry of the local church. These para church
groups should be tied in with the local church.
Nowhere in Scripture do we see such ministries
carrying out the function of the local church.
Principle 14: Christians are to
publicly pledge their loyalty to Christ
and His Church by solemn vows. It
has been the practice of the Presbyterian
Church for many years to require those
requesting to join the church to take certain
vows of church membership. These vows
are given to those whom the elders have
discerned to have a credible profession of
faith and who have an understanding of
the nature and use of the sacrament of the
Lord's Supper.
Rev. John Otis
Conclusion: The local church is the ordained
institution on earth to reach the lost and
to perfect the saints. It is absolutely
indispensable for the proper growth of
Christians. It is a necessity, not an option.
The professing Christian who does not see
the need of joining a local Bible believing
church is one who knows not the Scripture.
The refusal of one to do so would cause
serious doubt about the person's profession
of faith. The reason being is that the Holy
Spirit resides in the heart of all genuine
Christians, convicting them of the need to
be under biblical preaching and teaching,
and showing them their need for the
encouragement of their brethren.
If you haven't joined a local church yet, then make
haste to do so for your sake and your family's sake.
The local church is God's institution to minister to
you spiritually.
This article is a brief outline of the author's
49 page booklet entitled, "The Necessity For
Joining A Local Church." The cost of the
booklet is $ 2.00 plus shipping. For ordering
copies, one can call Rev. John Otis at 361-225-
2339 or even visit www.westminster-rpcus.org.
One can also listen to sermons by Rev. Otis by
visiting sermonaudio.com
John M. Otis is the evangelist and organizing
pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Mission
work for Covenant Presbytery (RPCUS) located
in Corpus Christi, Texas.
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