Who Owns the Church?

 

Sometimes people will ask me about my church. They assume since I am a minis­ter (“the pastor”) of the church of Christ, that somehow, I have some ownership or say over it. Members do that too. We remark ‘at my church’ or ‘come to my church.’ It might just be a slip of the tongue, but we need to work to correct it. Because it is not ‘our’ church, and that is a particularly good thing! The church of me wouldn’t be a good one. Oh, it might be likable enough, it could be entertaining, and it might have the community’s approval. The church of me could be growing and financially stable but it doesn’t have enough.

You see churches come at a cost. In order to have a group of redeemed, you must have a redeemer. A sacrifice to pay the cost. And I don’t have enough in me. A church founded on me cannot save because I can’t save myself, much less anyone else. Jesus was the only one sin­less, the only one with the blood pure enough to make that purchase. He said He would build His church (Matthew 16:18) and place the saved into it (Acts 2:47). That is the church one should seek.

Many have tried to steal Jesus’ church from Him and make it their own. But the minute He isn’t the head of the church; it ceases to be His. If it is my church, it can’t be His. Any other church, no matter how pretty it is on the outside, is lacking the core of what matters, sal­vation. I don’t want any part of my church; I only want to be a part of His!

[Joshua 24:15] The remainder of this article is being met with much displeasure these days. I am sorry to say it, but many do not like to hear about it. People don’t like the description. They think it is exclusionary, arrogant, and egotistical. For example, when someone asks me what church I am a member of, I often reply, “I am a member of the Lord’s church.” Perhaps I might say, “I am a member of the church you can read about in the Bible.” Again, I could say, “I am a member of the body of Christ,” or of the “church of Christ.” Much of the time the last one gives them what they want. Now they can categorize me into their own opinion about what they think I believe.

Let’s examine that within the light of the Scriptures. What does the Bible say about the idea of The Lord’s church? [Matthew 16:18] “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (the solid rock truth of Peter’s confession stated in v.16 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” [Acts 2:47] “…the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” [Acts 20:28] “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” [Ephesians 1:22-23] “And he put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” [Ephesians 5:23-25] “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” So, if the Lord built the church, is head of the church, and if the church is His body, and it is subject to Him in everything, doesn’t it make sense that it belongs to Him? I think the real problem lies with those who have attempted to organize a “church” to be something other than the Lord’s. Unfortunately, many have accomplished that goal. But as for me and my house, we will continue to let the church be His and urge and teach others to flow into it. I am not, nor will I ever be, a member of the unscriptural, hedonistic “United” church of Christ. Amen!