Why Do We Need the Church?
In last month’s edition of At Grace I began a two part-series based on a recent workshop I presented in our high school during spiritual emphasis week. My workshop was entitled Do We Even Need the Church Anymore? Obviously, my answer is absolutely! The church is a divine institution; therefore, ordained by God for the New Covenant age. Without God’s divine power, the church will not flourish. Methods and approaches in churches will change from decade to decade, but the gospel of Jesus Christ remains unchanged. Through the local church, God reveals Himself to the world. As the body of Christ, the church is called to be salt and light in this wicked age.
All Christians are commanded to serve as an active participant in a local congregation. In this time of moral insanity, we desperately need biblically sound, doctrinally faithful local churches that are unapologetically committed to the proclamation of the gospel. Last month, I considered the question: what is the church? In the previous article I discussed the New Testament imagery used to describe the church. In this article, I will briefly answer the question: why do we need the church? I will provide six reasons the church is valuable to Christians. The church is important because we all need:
1. Instruction and mentors: Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” All Christians have limited knowledge and wisdom, and should be steadily progressing through the sanctification process. All believers have shortcomings. This explains why we all require consistent instruction and mentoring. No one is capable of managing life’s challenges or answering all of life’s questions without the guidance, wisdom, and experience of others. Christians must be taught the Word of God and trained how to apply the Scriptures to life’s problems and questions. As Christians spiritually mature, we must also actively mentor and disciple others. Local churches are called to guide believers through the instructive process of discipleship. We sometimes believe we are capable of teaching ourselves all we need to know, but this is foolish thinking for three reasons: (1) we do not always know what we do not know; (2) we often do not even know the questions we need to answer; (3) we are generally blind to our own shortcomings.
2. Accountability and correction: Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” We all need mature Christians in our lives who love us enough to faithfully speak the truth into our hearts. Holding one another accountable is an important responsibility of the local church. When our attitudes and actions become sinful, we need people who love us enough to compassionately rebuke us with the truth of Scripture. Without accountability and correction, we are in danger of making foolish decisions, which can have devastating consequences. Being active in a church provides the spiritual accountability required to remain faithful to Christ in this temptation-riddled age.
3. Support and encouragement: In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul writes, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.” Life in this sinful world can be difficult and disheartening. The horrific shooting that took place at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee serves as a heartbreaking example of how dark and terrible this world can be. The dear believers at Covenant Presbyterian Church are experiencing the nightmare no one wishes to experience. In the midst of heartache and tragedy, the family of God is called to support and encourage one another. God uses local churches to provide encouragement needed during difficult and trying circumstances. When we feel defeated and alone, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to provide spiritual, emotional, and physical support. Isolated Christians are easy prey for Satan; therefore, believers must remain connected to the body of Christ for their spiritual protection. We are all flesh and blood, prone to discouragement and despair. In addition to our families, the church is to be a place where Christians find support and encouragement.
4. Prayer: James 5:16 says, “pray for one another.” Although individuals need the church body’s hands and feet for support from time to time, we all need the Church’s prayer support all the time. In John 15:5, Jesus reminds us that apart from Him we can do nothing. In our own strength, we are frail and incapable of producing lasting spiritual fruit. We need the power of God upon us to faithfully serve Christ. When the church is aware of the physical and spiritual needs within the body, they can follow James’s instruction to consistently pray for one another. In 10 Power Principles for Christian Service, Warren W. and David W. Wiersbe warn, “The church that ignores the Word of God and prayer is living on substitutes, or perhaps we should say dying on substitutes, no matter how alive the church body appears to be.”[1] Paul commands Christians to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonian 5:17). A significant part of our prayers should be directed toward the spiritual and physical needs of those within the body of Christ. We must pray for others in the church, and they should be praying for us.
5. Godly friendships: Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Who we choose as friends greatly impacts the direction of our lives. Created in God’s image, we were designed to be social beings. Because our relationships significantly influence us, we must carefully and wisely choose the people we trust and befriend. The local church provides a gospel-centered context in which Christians can develop godly friendships. Accountability, correction, support, encouragement, and prayer are most effective within the context of a relationship. Having people we trust to have our best interest in mind helps keep us on the path of righteousness. Ungodly friends can quickly lure us away from the Lord and lead us down the path of folly. God-honoring relationships are essential; the local church is a wonderful place to build a network of believers who love us in the Lord and consistently encourage us to remain faithful to the gospel.
6. Opportunities to invest our spiritual gifts: In 1 Peter 4:10 we read, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” Every Christian has gifts and abilities given by the Lord for the purpose of serving Him within a local assembly. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the imagery of a human body to describe how a church should function. Each local church is comprised of individual parts that are asked to perform particular functions within the body. When all of the members work together for God’s glory, the church becomes a vibrant place of effective ministry. Our giftedness is wasted when we do not sacrificially use our abilities to serve the body. When a member of the body is not fulfilling his or her responsibility, the church is weakened. The church is the context in which Christians are called to invest their gifts and abilities for the cause of Christ.
Every Christian needs instruction provided by faithful teachers and mentors. Without faithful instruction, we will be spiritually weak. We all need accountability to keep us on the path of righteousness and correction when we drift off the path. Without accountability and correction, we are prone to wandering from the fold. During challenging and difficult times, Christians need support and encouragement. When discouragement and despair set in, we are prone to unwise decisions that can lead to horrific consequences. Because we lack strength and wisdom, we need prayer every day. Godly friendships help refine our faith and provide the social interaction we were created to enjoy. Investing our gifts for the cause of Christ is a clear expectation for believers found in the New Testament. All of these spiritual necessities are found within a local body of believers. Christian, you need a local church family, and there is one out there that needs you to sacrificially fulfill your role in service to the Lord.
[1] Warren W. and David W. Wiersbe, 10 Power Principles for Christian Service (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2010), 84.
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