The Universal and Local Church - Evangelism

I. Introduction: We sometimes hear the terms universal and local church. Yet we may have some misunderstanding about what they mean or why it is important.

II. Text:

III. Review of Terms (Chart 1)

IV. We do not find the designations “universal church” and “local church” in the scriptures but the concept exists in the New Testament.

V. Definition

VI. The local church is a church that meets in a particular locality, such as the church in Jerusalem, the seven churches of Asia, etc.

VII. The universal church comprises all believers in Christ.

VIII. Hebrews 12:22-23 – The assembly of the firstborn

IX. The universal church is not made up of churches but people.

X. Authority (Chart 2)

XI. Each local church is self-governing, being ruled by qualified elders.

XII. The Lord gave no ruling authority for the universal church or any means by which the church universal could be activated for service.

XIII. Yet men have often abandoned God’s plan for their own creations.

XIV. The Local and Universal Church in Evangelism

XV. The command to evangelize the world (Chart 3)

XVI. Mark 16:15-16 – The great commission to the apostles

XVII. 2 Timothy 2:2 – Commit what is learned to others

XVIII. Acts 8:4 – Those who were scattered preached the word

XIX. Jesus commanded His followers to take the gospel message throughout the world.

XX. Jesus wanted His believers to spread the gospel throughout the world: With this no one would disagree

XXI. The believers were all members of the universal church (Chart 4)

XXII. Believers in different geographical areas met together becoming local churches (ie., Jerusalem, Antioch, Samaria, Caesarea… in the book of Acts)

XXIII. There were some men who devoted themselves to preaching the gospel

XXIV. Paul and the other apostles are examples of this

XXV. Timothy, Luke, Titus, and possibly Philip, along with other men devoted themselves to God’s work.

XXVI. Romans 10:14-15 – How can they hear without a preacher

XXVII. Ephesians 4:11-12 – Given to the church for edification

XXVIII. God wanted some men to devote themselves to preaching the gospel to the lost and edifying the church: With this, no one would disagree.

XXIX. God also allowed believers to financially support preachers. (Chart 5)

XXX. In the Old Testament, priests lived off the tithes and offerings.

XXXI. 2 Corinthians 11:7-9 – Paul was supported by brethren in Macedonia

XXXII. Philippians 4:14-17 – Paul supported by the Philippians

XXXIII. 1 Corinthians 9:3-12 – Can reap material things/not muzzle ox

XXXIV. God allows churches to support preachers: With this, no one would disagree.

XXXV. In the New Testament, local churches would see the need for the spread of the gospel and sends preachers (Chart 6)

XXXVI. Acts 8:14: “Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,”

XXXVII. Acts 11:22-25 – Barnabas sent to Antioch

XXXVIII. Acts 13:1-4 – Barnabas and Paul sent by Antioch to the Gentiles

XXXIX. God wanted churches to support the spread of the gospel if they had the ability: With this, no one would disagree.

XXXX. All agree that the gospel must be preached throughout the world, that preachers can be sent and supported by churches to do this work. It is biblical. (Chart 7)

XXXXI. The disagreement came when men formed institutions to do what God commanded the churches to do.

XXXXII. Errors in evangelism

XXXXIII. The Age of Reform (Chart 8)

XXXXIV. The early 1800’s in America is sometimes called the Age of Reform

XXXXV. America was becoming a wealthier nation and the middle class emerged as a part of society.

XXXXVI. The religious world was undergoing a period called The Second Great Awakening when church membership was on the rise and an emotional evangelical fervor spread through the land.

XXXXVII. During this period, Americans began to form associations to address a local cause, such as education for orphans, or fighting a national evil, such as drunkenness or slavery (Garraty and Carnes, The American Nation. 282).

XXXXVIII. This period was especially characterized by associations establishing institutions for dealing with social problems (orphans, indigent persons, and the insane) (ibid).

XXXXIX. The religious community was very involved in setting up these associations and institutions.

XXXXX. The rise of the American Christian Missionary Society (From Old Issues Do Not Fade Away by Gene Frost) (Chart 9)

XXXXXI. In this period, the early 1800’s, several men proposed that churches in an area band together to support evangelists.

XXXXXII. When this failed, many called for the formation of societies to support the evangelists.

XXXXXIII. Alexander Campbell proposed that the local churches had a duty to one another and should meet together and form cooperative efforts to support evangelists.

XXXXXIV. At first, these cooperatives were local.

XXXXXV. Soon the meetings grew to state meetings.

XXXXXVI. When this did not work as hoped, the call for societies came forth.

XXXXXVII. Old Issues, p.11 Quote from J. T. Johnson (Chart 10)

XXXXXVIII. On October 24, 1849, in Cincinatti, OH, the American Christian Missionary Society (ACMS) was formed and Alexander Campbell became its first president. (Chart 11)

XXXXXIX. As the societies grew, they were run by permanent administrative boards overseeing work on a national scale.

XXXXXX. The meetings, societies, and officers are unknown to the scriptures.

XXXXXXI. Biblical Pattern

XXXXXXII. The apostles did not form an organization to pool resources for the preaching of the gospel, the churches supported men directly. (Chart 12)

XXXXXXIII. We have no Biblical authority to organize churches into a cooperative, no designations or qualifications for those who would oversee the work, no authority for the means to appoint these officers, and no pattern for disbursing the funds.

XXXXXXIV. It is the institution that chooses the preachers to support.

XXXXXXV. It is the institution that disperses the money as it sees fit.

XXXXXXVI. It is the institution that determines if a preacher is not worthy to continue to receive support and terminate that support.

XXXXXXVII. The local oversight of the work is greatly minimized when the church is not directly involved.

XXXXXXVIII. Also, some of the money is lost to overhead as these organizations pay certain officers, office expenses (electricity, paper, etc.), and marketing costs to raise money. (Chart 13)

XXXXXXIX. Institutions must compete with one another for a place in the church budget to sustain their existence.

XXXXXXX. The existence of these institutions implies that the church is not sufficient to carry out the work of evangelism.

XXXXXXXI. These organizations were divisive.

XXXXXXXII. Churches divided over the addition of the “expedient.”

XXXXXXXIII. The work could be accomplished according to the Bible pattern but men insisted on including their societies in the church budget.

XXXXXXXIV. God commanded a collective of individuals to spread the gospel in the local area and, as they have ability, to support the gospel in other places: it is called the church. (Chart 14)