White Wing Messenger? - Church of God of Prophecy

The church is
nothing less
than God’s
strategy for
covering the
earth with
His Gospel
and building
His Kingdom
on earth.
4 WWM JUNE 2011
The Primacy of the Local Church
When Paul described the church to
Timothy, he used some lofty and farreaching
language: “. . . the household of
faith, the church of the living God, and the
pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy
3:15). I believe that Paul used these words
because he understood the vital role God
had in mind for the local church in His
eternal plan. The church is nothing less
than God’s strategy for covering the earth
with His Gospel and building His Kingdom
on earth. The church is the presence
of Christ in the world to do the work of
Christ, transforming life and culture to
His will.
There is one facet that is primary to
this purpose; it is the local church. There
we find a community of faith where
believers gather to nurture one another in
the life of Christ while they invite others
to join the family and experience that life.
Being a local church is not easy, but it is
the design of God where relating together
in Christ’s life and purpose as believers
and the “yet to become believers” has
the potential to deliver the world from
darkness. It is just that fantastic and
miraculous to be the body of Christ as a
local church. It is God’s vital key.
No other aspect of God’s Kingdom
has this potential without morphing
into some form of a community of
faith—in other words, a local church.
Denomination and movement centers
have their contributions to make and
can provide healthy infusions to the
local church so that their calling is made
more attainable. Serving accountability,
corporate synergy, mission, vision, and
leadership development are just a few
ways these centers contribute to the
success of the local church. Parachurch
ministries contribute with specific focus
ministry offerings for local churches
to select as they feel called, or as they
feel need. The range of their potential
contributions creates a wide spectrum of
specific ministry ranging from missions
to music and beyond. Still both of these
must understand that they cannot be
the church, but they contribute to the
empowerment of that primary facet of
the body, the local church.
I realize that when the average church
in North America is far less than 100
members, one begins to wonder if God
was thinking straight when He chose
this as His strategy. And we all would
admit that the plan does not seem to
be working at optimal level in so many
places and many times. Yet even in those
less-than-perfect settings, the genius of
the local church can be uncovered if one
looks closely. Believers relating together
to nurture and build up one another in
an environment of grace and love—now
that is powerful! And all of this is done in
the atmosphere of Christ’s presence. He
is there in His church. How many millions
are hurting in this world and would be
drawn to such a community if they only
could “taste and see” firsthand once?
Pastors and lay leaders, we offer this
issue in the hopes that local churches may
renew their realization of this high calling
and critical role to be played in God’s
eternal plan for the earth. As each of
these units, no matter how large or small,
reproduces faith, and even reproduces
themselves, God’s influence will saturate
cities, regions, and, ultimately, the world
as God has designed.
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