Articles
We Need Some Of That!
Paul describes the Lord’s church in terms of the human body in 1 Corinthians 12:14-27. The metaphor works not only in enumerating on the many and varied gifts of the body’s members, but also in making the point that the church has needs, like a body of flesh. Paul goes on to say in another scripture that the human body can survive on very little at times (“And if we have food and covering with these we shall be pleased”, 1 Timothy 6:8). Similarly, a local congregation ought to be very cautious when describing or listing its supposed needs, because it actually needs only a few things. Many churches believe they need:
A large and expensive building, to show that they have “arrived”;
A preacher (or staff of them) who is highly educated and comes from a prestigious background;
Middle class families in order to grow;
The latest technological advances in audio or video equipment in order to compete in today’s church “marketplace”;
A large group of young members;
Very few young people, because they often are the instigators of liberalism and change;
An allegiance to one of the organizations in the brotherhood (Guardian of Truth, Florida College, this or that influential preacher or his circle of friends, etc.) to show they are “sound”;
To avoid change at all costs because being “old-fashioned” is a symbol of soundness;
More programs to tempt unbelievers to join the church.
While some of these things might be good for a church (others are definitely not Godly “needs”), having any or all of these status symbols does not mean a church has met its Biblical needs. A child, for example, with a taste for junk food may spend a great deal of time eating candy, soda, and Slim Jims, but he has hardly begun to fulfill his actual dietary requirements – he is, in fact, doing himself a disservice by avoiding what his body needs to grow properly. Sometimes, in the church, we get so hung up on the frills, gimmicks, and desserts of congregational existence that we forget entirely about the metaphorical exercise and vegetables that is supposed to give our church spiritual and sustenance.
In fact, the church needs to be fed on the word of God (1 Peter 2:2), which can come in the form of quality Bible classes, practical and challenging preaching, small group studies, active evangelism, and prayer, singing, and meditation. All of these things are accessible food, no matter how big or small, rich or poor a congregation might be.
