1LoverofGod
Well-known
By Dean Dwyer
September 4, 2023
Let me ask a question that some may struggle to answer. What is the purpose of the church? To answer that, as we always should do, let’s turn to Scripture. Acts 2:42 provides a clear answer: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
What we glean from that passage is that there are four key activities carried out by the church, for the church, in the church: learning (and teaching) Biblical doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread (communion and celebratory meals) and prayer. Although these were the priorities of the early church, these same practices should be considered normative for the church today.
To the believer who is solidly grounded in the Word of God, the thought of permitting the church to be tossed to and fro by false doctrine is unthinkable. Yet, more and more we see the church accommodating the vain philosophy of man. For what purpose? To be accepted by the world.
Satan has worked hard for many years to distort the clear witness and teaching of the church. In many ways, his goal is to ensure that when the world looks at the church it sees not the church, but the world. Sadly, his strategy has been wildly successful, particularly in this Laodicean church age.
Take for instance a recent news article which sought to address the decline of faith in the United Kingdom. The article read, in part: “A poll of Anglican clergy found a desire for significant changes in teaching on sex, sexuality, marriage and the role of women to bring the church more into line with public opinion.”
Let me emphasise that – they found a desire for significant changes in order to bring the church more into line with public opinion. Is that God’s desire for the church? No! But it certainly is Satan’s desire. Again, he wants the church to look and sound exactly like the world.
A W Tozer once said this: “Religion today is not transforming the people – it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society – it is descending to society’s own level and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender.” How true those words continue to be.
Read Further:
September 4, 2023
Let me ask a question that some may struggle to answer. What is the purpose of the church? To answer that, as we always should do, let’s turn to Scripture. Acts 2:42 provides a clear answer: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
What we glean from that passage is that there are four key activities carried out by the church, for the church, in the church: learning (and teaching) Biblical doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread (communion and celebratory meals) and prayer. Although these were the priorities of the early church, these same practices should be considered normative for the church today.
To the believer who is solidly grounded in the Word of God, the thought of permitting the church to be tossed to and fro by false doctrine is unthinkable. Yet, more and more we see the church accommodating the vain philosophy of man. For what purpose? To be accepted by the world.
Satan has worked hard for many years to distort the clear witness and teaching of the church. In many ways, his goal is to ensure that when the world looks at the church it sees not the church, but the world. Sadly, his strategy has been wildly successful, particularly in this Laodicean church age.
Take for instance a recent news article which sought to address the decline of faith in the United Kingdom. The article read, in part: “A poll of Anglican clergy found a desire for significant changes in teaching on sex, sexuality, marriage and the role of women to bring the church more into line with public opinion.”
Let me emphasise that – they found a desire for significant changes in order to bring the church more into line with public opinion. Is that God’s desire for the church? No! But it certainly is Satan’s desire. Again, he wants the church to look and sound exactly like the world.
A W Tozer once said this: “Religion today is not transforming the people – it is being transformed by the people. It is not raising the moral level of society – it is descending to society’s own level and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender.” How true those words continue to be.
Read Further:
feeding the flock, helping individual members be salt and light, carrying out The Great Commission, etc. 
