How To Kill The Local Church

            This is a somewhat, unusual title for a sermon I think. Surely, that is not what we want; we don’t want to kill the local church. The reason I chose this title, though, is because we are not going to be looking at this subject from our own point of view, but from that of one who seeks to do injury to the local church, whether intentional or otherwise. In just a moment, we are going to make a list of five things that such a person could do to achieve his goal and to see that the doors of the church building are closed and that the Lord’s church no longer assembles together in any particular community.

            There are many different groups that have formed among our brethren. There are singing groups such as the Sunshine Singers at Freed-Hardeman. There are evangelistic organizations such as House to House and Heart to Heart. There are youth groups and organizations like Lads to Leaders and Leaderettes. There are children’s homes and Bible schools, as well as youth camps. There are brotherhood schools and colleges. Each one of these groups are established around some particular focus or area of concern: children, evangelism, music, education, etc. What if there was a group whose focus, or point of interest, was the destruction of the church, not education or children, or something like that, but closing the doors of as many meetinghouses as possible? What would they look like; how would we know them from the rest of the church? May I suggest to you that they would look just the same as the rest of us? Does someone who went to Freed-Hardeman look any different than someone who went to Harding? No, of course not. The child who is a Lads to Leader member is not going to look any different from some child who went to the Surprise Valley Youth Camp. In much the same way, someone who would be a member of a group to destroy the church from the inside out would not likely stand out from any other member of the church, so far as appearances are concerned.

            Many of these groups will have their annual lectureships and conferences. When you go to one of these things you will usually find different booths set up for many different groups and things. You can usually buy books and CDs and things like that. If this group to kill the local church were to have a conference, what types of materials would you expect to find? You would probably find many of the vary same books and CDs. When they assembled together for lectures and things, they would word similar prayers, quote passages from the same Bible, and sing songs from the same hymnals. These would be members of the very same congregations that the rest of us are members of. These would be people that worship with us, fellowship with us, and that we consider to be brethren. They would stand right next to us and sing, “Blessed be the tie that binds” right along with us. They’re not going to wave a flag or wear a T-shirt that identifies who they are; they will blend in with all the rest. On the outside, they would look like all the other sheep, but on the inside, wolves: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves” (Mt. 7:15). Paul warned the Ephesian elders: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30).

            Those who can cause the most damage are those who you least expect. When we know that someone wants to hurt us we put up our defenses and we look out for it, but when it’s someone that we think is on our side, very likely, our defenses are going to be down and we are going to be more vulnerable to attack. Satan knows that and he uses that! Here is an interesting passage for you to consider:

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Cor. 11:13-15)

            Now, we know that this group bent on destroying the church would not have some written manual that they would circulate among themselves, but let’s just pretend that they would. What would we expect to find in this manual? What would their method of attack be? Let’s make a list of things that we might expect to find in such a book.

Item 1: Make Sure That No One Is Told About The Church

            The church is not some type of exclusive country club; it is not just for a privileged few. The church is for whosoever will. Christ died on that cross for the sins of the world, for everyone, and so all may come to Him and be saved, whosoever will. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). It doesn’t matter what someone’s skin color is, how much money he makes, gender, or nationality; what matters is how a person responds to the gospel. “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mt. 12:50).

            The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Ro. 1:16), but only if we obey it, and we can only obey it if we hear it, which means that without the gospel, a person is lost. All we would have to do to kill the local church is to not share the gospel with anyone; don’t tell anyone about it. People cannot respond to what they never hear. If we don’t teach it and no one responds to it, it won’t be all that long and we’ll all be gone and the church will die out. It is vital to mere existence of the church, we must all obey the great commission and “preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16:15), if we don’t, the church will die, no “if”, “ands”, or “buts” about it.

Item 2: Insist On Getting Our Own Way All Of The Time

            A good and effective technique to use in killing the local church is to be as selfish as possible. Just forget that it is not your church, personally, and that everyone is important, only care about what you want and think about everything and at all times. No matter what others are trying to do and accomplish in the church, unless it is done your way, throw a fit about it. Let everyone know that you are unhappy. Get on the phone, go and visit your neighbors, and tell them all about it. Do whatever you can to undermine those efforts. See if you can keep it from happening and don’t forget to say, “I told you so” if you are able to accomplish your goal in preventing it. If you can’t get anyone to listen to you, threaten to withhold your contribution until you get your way. That’ll show ‘em, and you can kill two birds with one stone that way—it will get people’s attention and just may hurt congregational efforts that require church funds. If that doesn’t work, threaten to place membership somewhere else. Many times, if you give people enough hassle and headache every time they try to do something, it won’t be long and they’ll just stop bothering with it all-together; it’s just not worth it. That way, other members will be discouraged and the congregation won’t bother with anything anymore.

             All that is needed is two people that have to have their way all the time to disagree about something to split a congregation wide open. What if the congregation decided to put curtains up in the auditorium? So, someone goes out and gets some curtains and puts them up. The next time the congregation assembled together there were purple curtains over the windows. Someone else says, “I can’t worship with purple curtains in the auditorium, those have to come down.” Then the person who put them up says, “no, they’re staying right where they are.” So, the relatives of this person side with them and the relatives of the other person sides with them, and before you know it, the congregation is split over purple curtains. Instead of doing what they are supposed to be doing, they’re fighting over the color of the curtains. That’d by terrible. It happens though As ridiculous as that sounds, things like that have happened before. Maybe instead of curtains, though, it’s the color of the carpet, or something else equally insignificant to the purpose and mission of the church. Extreme selfishness can kill a church.

            What ought we to do? “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another” (Ro. 12:9-10).

Item 3: Complain As Much As Possible

            Griping and complaining has always been an effective way to kill the church. If someone sits in your pew, complain about it. If they move to another pew, complain about them suggesting that you would even care about such a thing. Make sure that everyone in the church hears about it. Put it in the bulletin if you can. It doesn’t really matter hat is being complained about, just complain about something; that’s the point—just complaining.

            Don’t let an opportunity get by you to criticize someone. There is perhaps no more effective way to get people to quite participating than to criticize them for trying. If someone comes into serviced one day wearing a T-shirt, go and tell him how disrespectful that is and that he shouldn’t come unless he wears something more appropriate, you just may never see him again in services (Not that it’s not important to dress appropriately for worship, but it is more important to that a person is there at all). If you happen to sit next to someone who sings like a bullfrog, tell him or her about it and it is very possible that there will be no more singing from that person in public. What a shame! And, by the way, there are ways that that can be communicated to a person other than by coming right out and saying it—moving to another spot and/or other types of body language can be just as effective. If someone prepares the communion trays and uses something other than Welch’s grape juice, make sure they know that you need Welch’s brand, and they just may decide not to prepare the communion any more.

How should we be? “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another” (Ro. 14:19). Edifying another and seeking “after the things which make for peace” is just the opposite of unnecessary and persistence complaining and criticisms. Before we begin to think that complaining is no big deal, let’s consider the Israelites who died out in the wilderness. A big part of their problem was that they were murmurers.

Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted….Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. (1 Cor. 10:5, 6, 10)

Item 4: Do Not Get Involved

            All it would take for a congregation to die out is for everyone to just not get involved, to do nothing. Don’t make any personal commitment to what the church is doing. Whatever it is that needs to be done around the building, let someone else worry about it. Let others prepare the Lord’s Table. Let others do all the visiting. Don’t attend gospel meetings, or if you do, don’t bring anyone with you. Don’t worry about fellowships or VBS’s. Just don’t do anything. In nearly every congregation I have been a part of, it seems that there has always been a small core group within the congregation that did just about everything for the entire congregation. Sometimes it’s left up to the elders and preacher of a congregation. That’s not right; it isn’t fair; and it isn’t scriptural. Every member of every congregation is important and badly needed. Every person has some talent or ability that is unique to that person and when that person won’t get involved, it hurts the rest of the congregation. When only a small group is left to carry the burden of the entire congregation, it drastically restricts the effectiveness of that congregation. You can only accomplish so much with so many people. Additionally, if the members of a congregation won’t get involved in things enough times, the church may just stop trying to do things; those who are doing their share, as well as everyone else’s, may eventually just burn-out and give up.

But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof. (1 Cor. 12:20-27)

When Paul wrote a letter to the Christians at Rome, notice what he said in Romans 1:7-8: “To all that are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.” He wrote to all the Christians there, not just a few active members. Let’s look at a couple more examples. “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:2-3). “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in the whole of Achaia” (2 Cor. 1:1). We are all Christians and equally responsible for the work of the church. What the Bible says to the Elder, preacher, deacon, Sunday school teacher, etc., it says to every Christian. We may not all fulfill the same roles within the church, but we are all equally responsible for being active in the church. There are no clergy and then laity in the church, just Christians striving and laboring side by side for the same cause. If there were those that would be clergy in the church, then I suppose we all would be clergy because we all form a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). But, how can there be clergy without laity, are we not all Christians and Christians only. We are all to “shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). 

There are some who don’t have a choice about getting involved much of the time, they aren’t able to, but I’m talking about choosing to not get involved and do things. There is a big difference between not being able to and just choosing not to. If we are unable, then we really don’t have a choice in the matter. If we are able, but just don’t, we are hindering the local congregation.

Item 5: Cause As Much Confusion Doubt As Possible

            Cause as much confusion and doubt in people’s minds as possible. If people can be caused to be so confused that they can’t tell what’s right anymore, they can become paralyzed by indecision and a lack of knowledge. Convince people that we just can’t tell what truth is for sure. Which, by the way, is far from the truth. The Bible says, “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32). Ignore that and other such passages that confirm the knowability of the Scriptures and convince folks that we just can’t be that sure. Write and publish books as a member of Christ’s church, but denounce Bible truths and attack as many things about the church as you can. When people’s minds are full of doubt and skepticism, they will be far less likely to follow the truth and strife and discord will result among brethren as some continue to fight for the truth while others are being led astray. If it ever gets to the point where people just do not know what is right anymore, they can be lost for lack of knowledge: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children” (Hos. 4:6). We must study the Bible so that we will know what the truth is. If a book can help us to better understand the Bible by teaching the Bible, that’s fine. But, it is only helpful in as much as it harmonizes with the Bible.

            This confusing and misleading people was going on in the first century, and it is still going on today.

But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Pet. 2:1-2)

            So, what do we do about it?

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. (Ro. 16:17-18)

We must not allow ourselves to become confused and doubtful of the truth because of “smooth and fair speech.”

            Have you ever played “pin the tail on the donkey”? You put a blindfold on someone and spin them around so that they can no longer tell which way is the right way, and then they try to pin a tail on a picture of a donkey. A person can become so disoriented by religious fiction and books and sermons full of religious error, that it is as if they have been blindfolded and turned in circles until they know longer know which way is right. In order to kill a local church, all that is needed is for the seeds of skepticism and doubt to be sown in the hearts and minds of its members and before long, unless it is corrected by the truth, it will become disoriented and lost. We must remain firm and steadfast in the faith.

Conclusion

            So, what is the point of this lesson? Is there an organized group of people that are members of the church trying to go around in an organized effort to kill local churches? No, but there are many, many members of the Lord’s church who are involved in every one of these ways to destroy the church. Maybe they don’t even realize it, I don’t know. I do know, though, that there are brothers and sisters involved in every one of these activities. Here is the point of this lesson. It is not about trying to think of everyone we know who might fit into one of these activities; it’s not about pointing fingers; it is about self-examination. In Second Corinthians 13:5 we are told to “examine” and “prove” ourselves. So, let’s each one ask ourselves, “do I fit into any of these five things? Do I keep the knowledge of the truth to myself? Do I insist on getting my way all of the time? Am I always complaining and criticizing unnecessarily? Do I choose not to get involved or participate? Do I sow the seeds of confusion and doubt in the minds of others and mislead them with respect to the truth?” If we have answered “yes” to any of those questions, then we are doing the very opposite of what we are supposed to be doing. We need to repent and stop doing those things that are going to hinder the church and start doing those things that are going to help it.