The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
Our Friendly Church?
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The true Church of Jesus Christ is more than just an organisation, although of necessity it must be organised, otherwise there would be chaos. The true Church is really an organism made up of many parts and various members, just as is the human body. Indeed, Paul takes the analogy of the human body to describe the Church, from which we get the familiar term - the Body of Christ. Think about it! The human body is made up of countless numbers of cells, each connected to neighbouring cells, which in turn are connected to others. In a healthy body, life continuously flows from one cell to the next, and growth is made by new cells springing from those cells in the body where life is the strongest. Let it be remembered, and this is important, growth is by means of every cell reproducing itself.
But enough of the anatomy lesson! How does it equate to the topic suggested by the title of this article? For answer, look at 1 Peter 2:5 where the Church is likened unto “a spiritual house”, made up of “living stones”. The basic principle here is similar to that of the lesson on anatomy above—the strength and life of the body (or spiritual house) depends upon the individual cell (or living stone) being closely linked or joined to all its neighbours. A detached brick or stone is not part of the building any more than a cell on its own is part of the body. No member of a body can claim to be joined to the head, for example, without also being joined to the adjacent members.
This truth is not only very good as a theory, it must also be worked out in a very practical way if the Church is not only to remain healthy, but also to grow. It was so in New Testament times, and the life of the Church today—your Church and mine—still depends upon this secret. What secret, you may ask? The answer is in one word— the secret of Fellowship. Is it truly an accurate description? Thousands of new converts were won for the Lord on the Day of Pentecost through the preaching of the Gospel, but the integrating of those new converts into the life of the Church, the cementing in of those “living stones” into a “spiritual house” to form a vibrant Fellowship, depended upon more than just preaching, important though that was.
How the new converts were established in the Church is described in detail in Acts 2:44-47. It makes exciting reading.
But enough of the anatomy lesson! How does it equate to the topic suggested by the title of this article? For answer, look at 1 Peter 2:5 where the Church is likened unto “a spiritual house”, made up of “living stones”. The basic principle here is similar to that of the lesson on anatomy above—the strength and life of the body (or spiritual house) depends upon the individual cell (or living stone) being closely linked or joined to all its neighbours. A detached brick or stone is not part of the building any more than a cell on its own is part of the body. No member of a body can claim to be joined to the head, for example, without also being joined to the adjacent members.
This truth is not only very good as a theory, it must also be worked out in a very practical way if the Church is not only to remain healthy, but also to grow. It was so in New Testament times, and the life of the Church today—your Church and mine—still depends upon this secret. What secret, you may ask? The answer is in one word— the secret of Fellowship. Is it truly an accurate description? Thousands of new converts were won for the Lord on the Day of Pentecost through the preaching of the Gospel, but the integrating of those new converts into the life of the Church, the cementing in of those “living stones” into a “spiritual house” to form a vibrant Fellowship, depended upon more than just preaching, important though that was.
How the new converts were established in the Church is described in detail in Acts 2:44-47. It makes exciting reading.
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
From this description we get a picture of unity and fellowship, not only in the daily meetings at the Temple, but in every aspect of their daily lives. Indeed, as the new converts became more and more integrated into the Fellowship as a whole, we get the impression that they had so much to talk about concerning the things of God and of His dealings with them, that they ate their meals together in order to find time for the fellowship that was so vital to them. Fellowship is essential to Christian living. So, it would seem, is hospitality.
But there is something else we should notice here. It is the impact made by the way of life of these Christians—it did not go unnoticed by the unbelieving world around them. They saw how much the Lord’s people loved one another, how vital was their Christian life, how much they cared for the needs of each other, how united they were in their daily fellowship and life. As we read, the result was that the Christians enjoyed “the favour of all the people”. It certainly gave the impression of being a friendly Church, so it is not inappropriate to ask the questions, do we in our Church enjoy “the favour of all the people” in the location where that Church is situated? Are we known locally as “The Friendly Church”?
Of course, if we keep ourselves to ourselves, operating almost as an exclusive religious club, failing to welcome new people when they do come, we won’t be known as anything! We certainly won’t enjoy “the favour of all the people”, in fact, we probably won’t enjoy the favour of anyone! How, then, can we project the image of a friendly Church to the people in our locality? The answer is, by showing that we care. So, how do we do that? By adopting the method of the early Church - a principle clearly taught by Paul to Timothy, when he wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2, “The things you have heard me say [1st generation] in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men [2nd generation] who will also be qualified to teach others” [3rd generation]. To put it another way, and summing up the principle in one word, it is soul-winning.
Every truly born-again believer has both the power and the responsibility of winning souls for Christ. Referring back to the anatomy lesson with which we began this article, we can apply this to the matter of soul-winning. In the spiritual life as well as in the physical life, each one born has the power of reproduction. Soul-winning should not be left to the Pastor or the Elders; every Christian believer is a potential soul-winner. Is it not true to say that we view this matter of soul-winning as a bit of a problem? We know we should be doing it, but it doesn’t seem to work. We don’t seem to get anywhere, and so we become very discouraged and give up—if we ever got started in the first place, that is!
The trouble is that we have not applied consecrated common sense to our problems. So it may help if we make a few suggestions here, not laying down rules and instructions in a dogmatic way, but by sharing a few practical observations, which may help us to recognise our problems and possibly overcome them. If we are to be known as “The Friendly Church” showing that we care, we must understand that what the people in the area surrounding our church buildings need more than anything else is friendship and fellowship—nothing opens the heart’s door more quickly than real personal interest and care, and that lays the foundation for soul-winning.
Now, very briefly, those practical observations. We see the thousands of unsaved souls around our church doors, and pray for them in a general fashion week after week, month after month, year after year, hoping that one day our prayers will be answered and the people will come in. But, will they? We may even pray specifically for a number of unsaved souls known to us. This is all good and proper, of course, but if we were each to concentrate upon one only at a time, is it not possible that we might get far greater results in the long run than by praying generally for thousands? Instead of being discouraged by viewing the problem as a whole, and hoping someone else in the Fellowship will do the work of winning souls for Christ (the Pastor, perhaps, or the Elders) we should surely recognise that the responsibility is with each individual to become a soul-winner. There are promises enough in God’s Word to confirm that we are able through dependence upon Him, and in obedience to the principles of His Word, to become “fishers of men”.
We have had a lesson on anatomy, so let us now have a lesson on mathematics! God’s order for the replenishing of the earth after the Flood was the same as His original command, “Be fruitful and multiply”. Multiplication, as any maths teacher will tell you, is not the same as addition. If one person (it may be the Pastor or even one member of the Fellowship), as a result of prayerful and faithful witness, wins one soul for the Lord every month, at the end of six months there would be seven Christians, including himself. That is addition - it is not multiplication. So what is multiplication? It is when each new convert, while being nurtured in the Lord, is at the same time being taught to win others. Continuing our maths lesson, if that one person were to win one soul to Christ each month, and the new converts were each in turn to win a convert each month, at the end of six months there would be, not seven, but sixty-four Christians - now, that’s the result of multiplication!
Of course, if we keep ourselves to ourselves, operating almost as an exclusive religious club, failing to welcome new people when they do come, we won’t be known as anything! We certainly won’t enjoy “the favour of all the people”, in fact, we probably won’t enjoy the favour of anyone! How, then, can we project the image of a friendly Church to the people in our locality? The answer is, by showing that we care. So, how do we do that? By adopting the method of the early Church - a principle clearly taught by Paul to Timothy, when he wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2, “The things you have heard me say [1st generation] in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men [2nd generation] who will also be qualified to teach others” [3rd generation]. To put it another way, and summing up the principle in one word, it is soul-winning.
Every truly born-again believer has both the power and the responsibility of winning souls for Christ. Referring back to the anatomy lesson with which we began this article, we can apply this to the matter of soul-winning. In the spiritual life as well as in the physical life, each one born has the power of reproduction. Soul-winning should not be left to the Pastor or the Elders; every Christian believer is a potential soul-winner. Is it not true to say that we view this matter of soul-winning as a bit of a problem? We know we should be doing it, but it doesn’t seem to work. We don’t seem to get anywhere, and so we become very discouraged and give up—if we ever got started in the first place, that is!
The trouble is that we have not applied consecrated common sense to our problems. So it may help if we make a few suggestions here, not laying down rules and instructions in a dogmatic way, but by sharing a few practical observations, which may help us to recognise our problems and possibly overcome them. If we are to be known as “The Friendly Church” showing that we care, we must understand that what the people in the area surrounding our church buildings need more than anything else is friendship and fellowship—nothing opens the heart’s door more quickly than real personal interest and care, and that lays the foundation for soul-winning.
Now, very briefly, those practical observations. We see the thousands of unsaved souls around our church doors, and pray for them in a general fashion week after week, month after month, year after year, hoping that one day our prayers will be answered and the people will come in. But, will they? We may even pray specifically for a number of unsaved souls known to us. This is all good and proper, of course, but if we were each to concentrate upon one only at a time, is it not possible that we might get far greater results in the long run than by praying generally for thousands? Instead of being discouraged by viewing the problem as a whole, and hoping someone else in the Fellowship will do the work of winning souls for Christ (the Pastor, perhaps, or the Elders) we should surely recognise that the responsibility is with each individual to become a soul-winner. There are promises enough in God’s Word to confirm that we are able through dependence upon Him, and in obedience to the principles of His Word, to become “fishers of men”.
We have had a lesson on anatomy, so let us now have a lesson on mathematics! God’s order for the replenishing of the earth after the Flood was the same as His original command, “Be fruitful and multiply”. Multiplication, as any maths teacher will tell you, is not the same as addition. If one person (it may be the Pastor or even one member of the Fellowship), as a result of prayerful and faithful witness, wins one soul for the Lord every month, at the end of six months there would be seven Christians, including himself. That is addition - it is not multiplication. So what is multiplication? It is when each new convert, while being nurtured in the Lord, is at the same time being taught to win others. Continuing our maths lesson, if that one person were to win one soul to Christ each month, and the new converts were each in turn to win a convert each month, at the end of six months there would be, not seven, but sixty-four Christians - now, that’s the result of multiplication!
Before we leave the mathematics, let’s run through that scenario once again, only this time instead of beginning with just one person, let us say there are six, ten, twenty (maybe more) members of the Fellowship who are so burdened for souls, and that as a result of prayerful and faithful witness, and by applying the principles as taught by Paul, teaching the converts to win others, do you see what would happen? At the end of six months there would be quite a sizeable congregation! Not only would the “downstairs” be full, so would the gallery (if we have one), and the over-flow would be accommodated in the Church Hall with a video link! Wishful thinking? Imagination working overtime? Not if we believe God can do all things, and He graciously allows us to assist Him in the work of soul-winning. But enough of the mathematics lesson!
How do we set about putting into action what we have so far proffered as a theory? Well, let each of us begin by asking the Lord to lead us to one soul, then concentrate our prayers and efforts on that individual. It is a sense of personal responsibility that we Christians need. We may have been helpful generally to a number of people, by a kind word here or a thoughtful deed there, but is that enough? We need to become soul-winners by every means in our power. Our problems may be because we have depended in the past too much upon the preaching of the Pastor, instead of upon the friendship and fellowship we as individuals can give. A mediocre preacher, with a keen band of Christians burdened for souls, can do far more than a brilliant preacher in a church where there is little or no friendship and fellowship.
How do we set about putting into action what we have so far proffered as a theory? Well, let each of us begin by asking the Lord to lead us to one soul, then concentrate our prayers and efforts on that individual. It is a sense of personal responsibility that we Christians need. We may have been helpful generally to a number of people, by a kind word here or a thoughtful deed there, but is that enough? We need to become soul-winners by every means in our power. Our problems may be because we have depended in the past too much upon the preaching of the Pastor, instead of upon the friendship and fellowship we as individuals can give. A mediocre preacher, with a keen band of Christians burdened for souls, can do far more than a brilliant preacher in a church where there is little or no friendship and fellowship.
What can we as individuals do about it? Why not prove God now in this matter and make sure His Church, wherever it is situated, is a friendly, loving, welcoming, family church where warm Christian fellowship and a burden for souls are outstanding characteristics, and we are definitely known locally and throughout the land as… Our Friendly Church… without the question mark!
© 2005 Denis A. Wheadon. All rights reserved. Website: http://www.Pen4God.co.uk. This document is the property of the Author and
must not be displayed on any other websites without permission. Copies may be downloaded and printed for personal use only. Any contact with
the writer or comments concerning an article, can be made by email addressed to: denis.wheadon@Pen4God.co.uk
must not be displayed on any other websites without permission. Copies may be downloaded and printed for personal use only. Any contact with
the writer or comments concerning an article, can be made by email addressed to: denis.wheadon@Pen4God.co.uk
