And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Matthew 18:18

Even though the church universal, the body of Christ, has a sure foundation in Christ Himself as the chief cornerstone and will be triumphant even during the coming tribulation, it does seem the church, especially the local church, has lost some of her clout in today’s culture. It’s comforting to know that Jesus Christ Himself declared that the gates of hell would not defeat His church and there is sure evidence that our Lord and Savior is still building His church today. Every Sunday multiplied millions adorn both wooden benches and padded seats as they sit together in heavenly places to worship the one true and only ever living, almighty God. Choirs and soloists sing the songs of Zion, and men climb into the pulpits and walk the stages to proclaim the message of the Lamb slain yet standing. 

The verse cited for this newsletter message indicates that the church should be a powerful determining factor in all our relational activties whether that be between one another or between us and God. Here, church discipline is the context and any kind of discipline is not a popular subject, especially when it comes to the church. “They” say that one should never talk politics or religion in any socially mixed group. But the church should not be so enamored by what pleases people, rather she should pay real close attention to what pleases God. After all, the true church is comprised of the elect family of God who have been called out of the darkness and bondage of sin and shame and set upon a high hill of happy light for the purpose of sharing the good news of how
they got there with everyone. The church should never lose heart nor power, because the redeemed of God have been purchased by the highest price that could ever be paid for anything: the blood of Jesus Christ! 

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Psalm 107:2

Say Something 

Sometimes in a marriage relationship when there is a problem, the spouses may deal with it by what is better known as the “silent treatment.” The relationship between Jesus Christ and His church is very much like a marriage. In fact the church is called in various Bible verses “the bride of Christ.” What the church should be talking about is how wonderful her husband is. The church also should not keep her mouth shut when something is said, not said, done, or not done which might hurt the reputation of her most precious and perfect spouse.

Prayer is how we keep connected to our power source. The church won’t say anything until she prays. If we’re not careful, the world and the devil will make us think that flattery and flirting promotes the cause of Christ, but when the smoke clears from all the mush and madness, nothing with any merit or spiritual zing has been said. 

Lots of churches and preachers too talk a lot but say very little. There is a contemporary Christian song which says, “I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about somebody why saved my soul.” The church has a lot to say because God has already said it all. All we need to do is say what God has already said, but say it we must! And when we don’t know what to say, nor even how to say it, we can always pray. When we do that, we’ve really said all that needs to be said. 

Say It With Service 

When we really love someone there is some truth in saying that we can “say it with flowers.” However, when it comes to expressing our love for Jesus Christ, there is perfect truth in saying it with service. Jesus does say that if we love Him we should keep His commandments and that if we want to learn more about Him, we should deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him. The platform the local church provides believers is a springboard for service to the most wonderful master there could ever be. We serve Jesus by serving others! 

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my breathren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40

Serving the Lord Jesus Christ in the church says to others, especially the outside world, that Jesus Christ is truly worth service. Action does speak louder than words. And if we are not serving the Lord, could it be that we’re really saying we don’t care so much for Him and we really don’t appreciate what He has done for us, namely saved our souls from a hot and horrible hell! There is a Christian song that goes along with this point too and it’s a children’s song that should speak for us all: “In the highways in the hedges, I’ll be somewhere working for my Lord.” We never know who’s listening, but whether anyone does or not, God hears us when we not only hear Him but also serve Him. He promises us that when we do that, our house and His house will stand during the stormy times. 

Say It Softly 

The 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, often said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” The idea he had was try to negotiate peacefully, but also make sure you have enough strength in case things go wrong. And things do go wrong in the world and in the church. The strength the church has is the word of God. The Bible is a talking book and if we listen, we’ll know what’s wrong and why it’s wrong, but we’ll also have the light to correct and the strength to connect the appropriate application of God’s word to our wrongs. 

Sometimes it’s not what you say, but how you say it that is most effective. Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” while He hung on the cross. The church does not need to be made up of a bunch of Bible thumpers trying to shout sin out of a person’s life; rather, church members should be engaged in saying out loud that wrong is wrong, but saying it softly. Condemnation is a devilish word filled with bumps and bruises. Reconciliation is a redemption word and invites sinners to the gracious cushion of confession, all the while coming along beside the erring one with whispers of the Savior’s love.

A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1

One thing is for sure: the church needs to keep talking. The silent church is a dying church. The church is the one human witness God has left on Earth and her number one priority should be to be a light in this dark sinful world. The church shouldn’t cover the Lord’s light with culture kosher cashmere, nor muffle her voice with titter tatter tolerance. We are surely familiar with what happens to a church who says nothing about sin and too much about religion. May the good Lord enable and bless us individually and as His church collectively to say something that will hon- or God, to do something in service as church service, and to say whatever we say softly enough so that the vilest sinner whom the Holy Spirit regenerates will find a peaceful, pleasant resting place in the arms of Jesus, His church.

Brother Randy