Plain Truth 1962 (Vol XXVII No 08) Aug - Lcgmn.com

Au,gust, 1962
WHY A CHURCH?
(Conti,,1I,ed from page 28)
What DID Christ commission His [fue
Church to DO?
What IS irs place in this pulsating
world of the 60's?
The GREAT JOB of the True Church
Jesus not only btl-ill His true Church
-He gave it a JOB to perform! He
commiuio1zed that Church to catry on
rhe work He had only BEGUN!
This plain and simple truth has been
so long BURIED and HIDDEN from the
worJd that it sounds SHOCKING, STAR­
TLING when we hear it today-but it's
true! Jesus Christ brought the Gospel
of the Kingdom of God to this earth!
(Matt. 4:17, 23).
He said the Farher expressly SENT
Him to accomplish this great WORK of
preaching and teaching the Gospel
(John 12:49, 50). Jesus said, "My
Father WORKETH hitherro, and I WORK!"
(John 5:17).
The WORK OF GOD Jesus accomplished
was many-fold. But a MAJOn
PART of that work was the private
teaching and training of His disciples
(Jtttde1lts l
learners), vigorously preparitl.g
them to CARRY ON the great work
He had begun.
He said, "Herein is my Fathet glorified,
that ye bear much fruit; so shall
ye be my disciples" (John 15: 8). But
what was the fruit they were to bear?
Jesus had sene them out rwo by twO,
saying, " .. , as ye go, PREACH, saying
"The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is at hand
.'" (Matt. 10:7).
Later, after His paning instructions
to Peter, and all (he disciples, Jesus
COMMISSIONED His Church about to
be built. He commanded them, "GO ye
therefore, and TEACH ALL NATIONS,
baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son, and of Ole Holy
Spirit, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE
ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE
COMMANDED YOU. , .." ( Matt. 28: 19).
He tOld rhem to GO, to PREACH rhe
Gospel of the Kingdom of God! (Mark
16:15).
Then Christ gave a concrete PROMISE!
He said, " ... and la, I AM WITH YOU
The PLAlN TRUTH
ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END Of THE
AGE (margin )" (Matt. 28:20).
He had promised "I WILL NEVER
leave you, nor forsake you!" Jeslls proved
He was ALIVE after His resurrection,
and confirmed "the word, with signs
following" (Mark 16:20).
The great JOB Jesus Christ gave to
His uue Church to perform was to
CARRY ON the work He had begun, He
commissioned them to PREACH AND
PUBLISH the Gospel of the Kingdom of
God to ALL THE WORLD, saying "And
THIS GOSPEL [the SAME GOSPEL HE
BROUGHT) of the Kingdom shall be
preached [and PUBLISHED] in all the
worJd for a witness umo all nations,
and then shall the end come" ( Man.
24:14 with Mark 13:10).
JUSt as Christ had proclaimed the
good news in advance of the coming
GOVERNMENT OF GOD on chis eareh,
so He commissioned His true Church
co CARRY ON with this great work! He
said, "Ye shall nor have gone over the
cities of Israel, till (he Son of man be
come" (Mat. 10:23 ) .
Can we begin to comprehend ?
The Church was established for a
PURPOSE. It was NOT to become PART
and PARCEL with THIS WORLD, which
God labels as Babylon the Great and
commands every true child of His to
COME OUT of ( Rev.18:4,IJohn 2:15 ),
but to preach the good news of rhe
Kingdom of God TO the world-going
TO [he world wieh the Gospel, bur noc
being OF the world (John 17:14·16).
Jesus said the Father had SENT HIM
INTO THE WORLD--for a JOB! That
job was to WARN the world, to preach
to the world the warning of its impend·
ing DOOM, and also to proclaim to the
world the GOOD NEWS that GOD would
step in, and interve1'~e in human affairs
before ir was coo lace. 1l1en He said,
"As THOU [the Father] hast SENT ME
into the world, even so have I also
sem them [His Disciples, His NEW
TESTAMENT CHURCH, His BODY!] inca
the world!" (Joho 17:18 ).
The JOB of the Church IS NOT,
shocking though it may sound, co CON­
VERT the world! Ir is NOT to CHANGE
the world. It is NOT co build "churches"
co make the community a "nicer place"
co live, CO keep children off the streecs,
to help stimulate civic pride, at ANY
Page 43
of these vague and unrealistic ideas of
men-but the JOB of the Church is co
preach the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
OF GOD TO THIS DYING WORLD AS A
LAST WARN ING MESSAGE-AS A WIT­
NESS, juse before the CLOSE of the age!
Jesus said, "and THEN shall the end
come!"
Where is chat SAME, IDENTICAL Gospel
being PREACHED? WHO is really
DOING that PROPHESIED work of God
coday?
Where is thac true Church of which
Jesus spoke-the Church He built-the
Church He still RULES today ?
It was prophesied to be a Ll'ITLE
flock, little·known by the world, suffering
vicious anacks and persecution, bur,
true co Christ's prophecy, GROWING
until it became a GREAT WITNESS TO
ALL THE WORLD--a 'witness the' 'Ulo1'ld
could flO longef IGNORE!
Thar Church, the CHURCH OF GOD,
GOD's Church, the ONE and ONLY
CHURCH JESUS BUILT is on this earth
today! Jesus said so.
Somewhere, somehow, there is on this
earth a small but faithful group. living
by che commandmenrs of God ( Rev.
12: 17), following the WORD of God,
not only preaching but PRACTICING the
words of Christ-and proclaiming to
all (he world (he GOOD NEWS of the
coming KINGDOM OF Goo on this earth
-the way the world WILL be-TO­
MORROW!
Those completely DECEIVED by the
false god of THIS WORLD ( II Cor. 4:4)
ca ll the simple acceptance of these plail1
scriJ;tu,ral tmths you have seen in YOUR
OWN BIBLE "exclusivism!" They somehow
have allowed themselves to CAST
ASIDE the plain, direct, dear teachings
of Christ Himself-somehow accepring
the vague notion thac the "church" is
a kind of non-endty, a vague, nebulous
"something" in (he hearts of men, or a
collection of MANY conflicring. differing
organizarions!
It's time YOU were really h011est with
yourself. Ie's time you faced the /.ruth­
SQUARELY! Paul asked che Corinthians,
"IS CHRIST DIVIDED'" (I Cor. 1: 13).
The thundering answer from thac
Christ HIMSELF is-"THERE IS ONE
BODY!" May God help you to come to see
char body, and to really WANT Christ
to PUT YOU INTO it!