Country Club Churches (2)

Country Club Churches (2)
Tim Haile

To their shame, many religionists are using the Lord’s holy name and purposes to satisfy their own selfish and carnal desires. They misuse the word "Christian" by applying it to their recreational and social activities. They misuse the term "church" by applying it to their social organizations. They misuse the Lord’s money by paying for things that have nothing at all to do with the divinely revealed work of the church. They have adulterated the true religion of Christ in their efforts to draw and please the crowds. The church building is not our personal playhouse to do with as we see fit. We are bound and obligated to abide by the will of God as to what we do with that building. Authorized uses of church buildings are clearly set forth in the New Testament.

The Church Building is an Expedient. Authority for a place to assemble is inherent in God's commands for the church to assemble. The church building is therefore authorized as a lawful expedient. That is, the building “helps” us do what God wants church assemblies to do. Any passage of scripture that authorizes the church to assemble also authorizes the use of church facilities that are adequate to accommodate that assembly in the accomplishment of its purpose. We shall view several of these assembly passages in a later connection. For now, let us consider the basic concept of expediency.

An expedient is something that facilitates in the accomplishment of God’s will. It might be described as a better way of doing a thing. That is, God has not specified how the particular thing may be done, and under the umbrella of general authority He permits men to use their own judgment. The matter of general authority must not be overlooked. In order for a thing to be expedient it must be (1) lawful (1 Cor. 6:12) and it must serve the purpose of (2) edifying (1 Cor. 10:23). It is lawful for saints to assemble outside in the snow and freezing rain, but such is not profitable or conducive to worship. A church building is, therefore, a worship expedient.

Some Other Expedients: Songbooks are authorized by this principle. Since God has commanded singing in the assembly (Ephesians 5:19; Col. 3:16; Hebrews 2:12), songbooks may be purchased and used. Why? Because songbooks help us in carrying out the command to sing. The same is true of a baptistery. An easily accessible pool of water facilitates in implementing the command of baptism. Rather than having to search for an adequate supply of water, we have the water at our disposal, in a convenient location. It is not wrong to baptize in a natural stream, ocean, lake, or pond, but it is much easier to have an adequate container of water readily available to us. The command to baptize authorizes the use of a baptistery.

Church buildings are in the same category as song books and baptisteries: they help us to fulfill divine commands. This rule is important to remember. It emphasizes the need to respect Bible authority in the use of the Lord’s money, and consequently, in the use of the church building. The “country club” church mentality conditions people to use their church buildings for just any practice they want. We will consider this more in our next article.

If you are in our area, please join us for worship and Bible study at our building located at 125 Hilltopper Ave, Bowling Green, KY 42101. We meet each Sunday at 10:00AM and 6:00PM for worship, and Sundays at 9:00AM and Wednesdays at 7:00PM for Bible study. Our radio program is aired each Sunday morning at 8:00AM on the WKCT 930AM band. Phone: (270) 842-2049 – Email: timhaile@mac.com.

Tim Haile, for the Parkway Church of Christ