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Engel’s Strategy Classic: The Church: Resistance or Renaissance?
By chris | February 13, 2008
From the 1975 classic “WHAT’S GONE WRONG WITH THE HARVEST” by James Engel
The Church: Resistance or Renaissance?
If one were to stop at a gas station in Rollingwood and ask directions to First Church, the attendant no doubt would answer by giving the address of the church building. This is the common conception that identifies the Church with the visible institutional structure.
The Bible takes quite a different view. The visible manifestation is not even mentioned. Instead, the Church is viewed as the Body of Christ — the true laity or people of God (1) organized under one Head, Jesus Christ; (2) equipped by God to perform His functions; (3) ministering to each other; (4) ministering to the world; (5) characterized by a lifestyle of obedience; and (6) reproducing itself individually and corporately.
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A Body Organized Under One Head
The apostle stated for all time that Christians “are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:19-21). And Christ is given as “head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22, 23).
The Church, then, in its biblical essence is a live, functioning organism. It may or may not have a building. In fact, the very erection of a building all too quickly can divert focus from the true nature of the Church and focus it instead on the building itself and the actions therein. This “edifice complex” is often one of the most significant manifestations of advanced effectiveness crisis.
How does the Church function under the control of the Head, Jesus Christ, when He is not physically present on earth? There must be avenues for communication, one of which is prayer. Prayer, properly conceived, indeed is two-way communication in which praise and adoration and petitions are made to God through the Lord Jesus Christ, and answers are received. Furthermore, specific guidance and direction are received from the Holy Spirit, who will “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Consequently, Christ truly could say to His disciples with respect to His good works, that they would do “greater works than these” (John 14:12).
Worship is yet another means of communication that, quite frankly, is often misunderstood and misused by the Church. The typical 11:00 AM. worship service is a curious phenomenon. While formats vary, most follow this kind of pattern: announcements, hymn, Scripture reading, prayer, hymn, collection, special music, sermon, and benediction, followed by the exodus. What is it about this type of service that warrants use of the word “worship”? One of the authors asked this question for many years and finally came to the conclusion that what most of us call worship is nothing more than a lecture with hymns! This seems to be a far cry from the practices of the Old Testament saints:
Sing a new song to the Lord telling about his mighty deeds! For he has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness. He has announced this victory and revealed it to every nation by fulfilling his promise to be kind to Israel. The whole earth has seen God’s salvation of his people. That is why the earth breaks out in praise to God, and sings for utter joy! . . . Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! … Let the earth and all those living on it shout, “Glory to the Lord.” (from Psalm 98, Living Bible)
True worship was a joyous occasion of giving united praise to God, focusing on His attributes, raising one voice of adoration for His greatness. It is an occasion for the Body of Christ to communicate with God collectively and to acknowledge His deity. 1
Most of our so-called worship services fall far short of this model. The sermon, for example, is a means of teaching, and, as was pointed out before, it is by no means certain that it deserves the central place we have given it. Why don’t we be honest and say that we really are having an 11:00 A.M. hour of instruction? There is nothing wrong with that as long as we don’t mix the service of praise and the service of instruction.
We wonder what might happen in the Church if the true meaning of worship were to penetrate the Sunday morning service? Perhaps joy would be contagious and a sense of the miraculous would once again pervade God’s people. A dream? Perhaps. Whatever the case, worship is communication from God’s people to Him, and its rightful function must not be ignored.
Equipped by God
God has left His Church on earth for a ministry of reconciliation, and He has equipped it to perform all its proper functions. First, the Holy Spirit is a divine presence for guidance and empowering as already was mentioned. Second, the Body of Christ is characterized by the presence of spiritual gifts. Some of the gifts itemized in the New Testament (Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 12-14) are leadership gifts: those of teacher, evangelist, apostle, and prophet. Other gifts given for the work of ministry include miracles, healing, administration, tongues, and additional gifts that no doubt are given as the need arises. Those gifts that are particularly related to ministry in the world are evangelism, prophecy, and apostleship.
It is not our purpose to develop here the significance of each gift, since this has been done adequately by others. 2 It should be stressed, however, that surveys are now beginning to disclose that most Christians either do not know their spiritual gift or do not know how to exercise it within the Body. Therefore, a fundamental ministry of cultivation of the believer is to uncover these gifts and train the believer in their use. 3
It must also be noted that the development of gifts is virtually impossible under the conditions of Sunday-morning-only Christianity. Many of us seem to be content to let the work of the local church reside in the person of one man or a limited paid staff. Our task is only to attend, act interested, keep awake, and then leave. But let’s face it, this kind of church life is nothing more than a sham. The Body of Christ is not meant to be made up of spectators.
Church organization is another inhibiting factor. Do you remember Al Cranston’s comment in chapter 1 about the organization at First Church? He said it was even better than his down at the plant. First Church has established its constitution, complete with an organization chart that provides for deacons, commissions, and committees. A slate of candidates is proposed each year by a nominating committee for election to the Board of Deacons. The Deacons, in turn, appoint the membership of the various other organizational groups. The problem arises from the fact that this organization virtually precludes the recognition, development, and exercise of gifts.
In the first place, no one ever inquires whether the candidates for election meet the job description laid down in the book of Titus and elsewhere. Those who are elders or deacons really are to have spiritual oversight of the church, not just the business management function. If they don’t have the gifts for this purpose, they shouldn’t be elected!
Furthermore, committee slots are mostly filled by those who somehow can have their arms twisted so they will say yes. But should anyone who doesn’t have the gift for teaching be permitted to teach? Should anyone administrate without the gift of administration? Do you see what we are driving at? God really cannot work through an organization chart, which is just man’s invention, unless it provides for a stafl equipped by God to perform the functions. No wonder we are often characterized by impotence within the Church!
Now a final word. for the pastor. What precisely is his function in the Body? His biblical job description is that he has been raised up “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12, 13). In other words, his primary ministry is one of cultivation. Now, does that mean he must be a good sermon-giver to perform this function? Of course, it may help, but we should not confuse the ministry of cultivation with that of giving the Sunday morning sermon!
Also, the role of the pastor is one of serving as the “playing coach.” Others are to do the work. Yet, many pastors want to keep their hands on the reigns, partly out of fear that the work won’t be done well if they don’t do it. This kind of an attitude, however, violates the biblical mandate. The role of the pastor is not one of getting things done through people; rather, it is one of developing people into men and women of God. A focus on using people in the program of the church is a vicious and nonbiblical dead end.
First Church is in an effectiveness crisis in large part because its very organization tends to head it in nonbiblical directions. The development of gifts, if it takes place at all, is only secondary. Tom Bartlett contributes to the problem by taking more authority and responsibility than he would if he were taking his God-given job description seriously. The Church will continue in its stage of relative impotence until these facts are recognized and serious steps taken to insure, first, that everyone is helped to find his gifts and, second, that the ministry of the Church falls to those who have been equipped by God for these purposes.
Ministering to Each Other
The book of Acts unfolds an exciting story of the church of the first century. All things were mutually shared, deep intimate fellowship was sought, and Christians developed a true sense of community that was characterized by love and acceptance. What about the church of today?
Most of us recognize the importance of fellowship. What we mean by this, however, is often a far cry from the New Testament pattern. We seem to have fallen into a non-demanding social relationship and use it as the standard. What has happened to that kind of love within the Church whereby we would “lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16)? Ray Stedman has issued a prophetic warning:
Jesus said the church is his body, that he is the life of the body. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.” But in many places today it seems the life has gone out of the body. In the early church all Christians were intimately and actively involved in the vibrant life of the body. Their witness to unbelievers coupled with their deep love for each other rocked the Roman world. And it must be so again. 4
This all-important ministry of true love within the Church is once again receiving the attention it deserves. There is no question that what is now known as the body-life movement is bringing a revolution. Masks are coming off and Christians are rediscovering the meaning of agape love. Small groups are springing up everywhere for the purpose of discovery and exercise of gifts, prayer, praise, mutual edification, and serious Bible study. Opportunity is given for the Holy Spirit to work freely — to teach, to heal, to work miracles. Church discipline is exercised where needed, and this performs the long-neglected but vitally needed role of demanding that Christians truly live for Christ.
Ministering to the World
As the individual believer finds his “place to stand” through small groups and through an understanding of how to exercise God-given gifts, a new vitality of outreach emerges. True evangelism is the overflow of a God-enriched life, and the entire body engages, to one degree or another, in sharing the Good News through lifestyle, deeds, and words. In addition; there is healthy recognition that Christ was concerned also for the physical and other nonspiritual needs of man. Thus, the Church is characterized by a full-orbed ministry following the example of Christ, and its presence will be felt in a community.
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