LectureshipIssue.com

Options to the Local Church

by Peter McPherson

THE ALL-SUFFICIENT LOCAL CHURCH

Inasmuch as the local church is complete and all-sufficient as God has designed it - to function in an organized manner in the completion of His work and offering of worship to Him, we are not at liberty to organize optional religious bodies that compete in some way with His plan. This is true whether that other organized body be denominational or merely a product of zealous but misguided brethren. Whether it be a church supported Missionary Society, a Centralized or Sponsoring church concept, or an Individually supported missionary society (call it what you will - a Foundation or whatever). Ideally any other body that is so organized needs to be repudiated and rejected.

OTHER ORGANIZED RELIGIOUS BODIES

If another organized body of God's people is formed and it functions in the realm of doing the work assigned to the local church of Christ, and of and engaging in the worship that God has assigned to the local church of God, however good intentioned, however innocent looking, however harmless in appearance - it is in fact an affront to God Almighty and to His wisdom that planned and prepared the local church for those very reasons.

QUESTION

If a human organization of God's people can arrange for and engage in one work that the Lord has assigned to a specific organized body of His own choosing (like preaching the gospel in Lectureship Program sponsored by an organization called, shall we say the "XYZ Foundation," then why could not that same human institution conduct worship on Sunday including the Lord's Supper? If the one, why not the other? What makes the one the exclusive work of the organized church and the other not?

WHAT RESTRAINTS PREVENTS ONE AND NOT THE OTHER?

I sincerely ask "why" if a human organization can engage in one work that has been specifically assigned to the local church, what hinders that same human organization from engaging in one more function that has been specifically assigned to the local church by God. Would not the same restraints that prevents a human organization from arranging for and partaking of the Lord's Supper also prevent it from the work of preaching the gospel - it too being a God assigned work of the only collective of God's people, the local church?