Just what is the church supposed to do today?
Mar 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
I was listening to a television program the other night. It was one of those panel question & answers shows and on this particular night the panel was supposed to represent a balanced slice of the church of today. (I am often puzzled by the selection of those chosen to speak on behalf of the church.)
A viewer asked the question as to why the church doesn’t make climate change the main focus of its work today considering climate change surely held ‘position of the highest morality’ to our modern society!(the viewers opinion).
I have to answer that question from a Biblical viewpoint! After all, the Bible is the Churches basis of all that it believes and adheres to. So firstly and quite simply, the Bible tells us quite succinctly what the role of the church has been since its inception on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in the Books of Acts chapter1.
Secondly, the One in charge of the church then and still today is Jesus Christ, as it is on His death and resurrection that the faith and doctrines of Christianity stand, and His commandments as to what the church should do.
Jesus being the Head of the church gave Christians (the church) absolute clarity as to what their main focus and role was. It is the spreading of the Gospel (the Good News) to the world of Christ’s dying on the cross at Calvary and His death, being the payment of sin for all those who accept His sacrifice was for their sins.
The church of today has lost its way since it stepped away from this commandment given by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Since this direction has been taken by much of the church today, we have therefore seen that the Bible has been replaced as that which directs, guides and equips the church, by social movements, man’s philosophy and political activism.
The heart of the problem is still the problem of the heart. It has nothing to do with the climate. It has everything to do with the wickedness of man but thankfully the Bible also tells us that God sent His Son into the world to bring salvation to all those who would receive Him.
When you attend a church, that is a church that truly represents Jesus Christ, there should be the preaching of God’s Word, the worship of the Lord Almighty and the sacraments of baptism, communion and the adherence to all that the Bible teaches on how we should now live to honour God!