1 Tim 3:15 – But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The Church, the “House of God” is supposed to always be the pillar and ground of the Truth. The primary commodity that the Church should possess and the thing that it should most loudly proclaim is the truth…..the whole truth. We should value and cherish the Truth as much as we do Love because the two go hand-in-hand. The Apostle Paul stated that true Love “Rejoiceth *not* in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the TRUTH” (1 Cor 13:6), there is no conflict between the two. We should not be ashamed to stand for the truth no matter how divisive it may seem to be and with absolutely no regard for the diminishing standards of popular culture and it’s warped definition of “truth” or “love”. Jesus was *hated* by the world for this very reason, he said that the world “hates me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil (Jn 7:7)”. I think we forget that fact, or think it was just the religious leaders of his day that hated him, no popular culture hated him too. So, we need to be careful to not water down the message to accommodate either.

If one of the Apostles, or faithful patriarchs of old were to attend our Church service and then describe it, the top attribute that they should recognize is that it is clearly a place that upholds and strongly proclaims the truth with no holds barred. Not only should it be declared, but it should be declared by able ministers in such a way that “is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (Heb 4:12)”. The strength of the truth proclaimed should pierce men’s hearts and it’s members should come away after each meeting strongly challenged by that truth and equipped to “come up higher” in their daily walk with God. They should come away hungering to “know” Him in a more full and deeper way, to put away anything that hinders and to become better followers; more completely conformed to the image of Christ, who is the way, the TRUTH, and the life.

If that is not happening, then what’s the purpose? If the Church is waffling in its message, holding back on aspects of the truth to become more palatable and less offensive to contemporary culture, then it has missed its primary mission. If the service and messages are fashioned and “tailored” to get people in the door and make them comfortable and agreeable then it is not really “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” but more of a local “christian” social club or entertainment venue. The Church is supposed to be a place where the saints are trained and equipped for the work of the ministry and edified to grow in all aspects unto Him who is the head. Whether or not we get people in the door and fill the chairs should be of no concern at all. In the epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul gives us an excellent and very complete picture of the purpose of the Church and the operation of the five-fold ministry:

Eph 4:11-15 – And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

Ironically, I think if the Church focused exclusively on the declaration of the truth and its mission as just described, caring nothing for how many people may come through the doors, it would likely be bursting at the seams with “The Lord adding to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47).