BD #9 - Autonomy Of The Local Church | Matthew 28:16-20 

Opening Remarks:

Last week we started looking at truths related to the local church. In the acronym we’ve been using, the second one listed is “Autonomy of the Local Church.” So we started by studying what it means for a church to be local.

Based on the definition of the Greek word for church “ekklesia,” a church is a called out assembly. That was the understanding of those who heard Jesus first use the term in Matthew 16.  

It Is, By Nature Of Its Definition, Local

As assembly is only an assembly if it comes together in a particular place. The majority of references to “church” in the NT are to a particular assembly in a particular geographical location. The church is not a universal organism.

A Church Is Visible

This is obvious if an assembly comes together. People can’t come together and not be seen. The church is not an invisible organism.

A Church Is Organized

The NT usage of “ekklesia” was understood to mean a group of people that come together for a specific purpose. According to the NT, the purpose of the local church is to do the Lord’s work, which is largely the Great Commission of Matthew 28.

A Church Is Constituted

An assembly is an exclusive entity. According to Acts 2:41, a church is made up of a baptized believers. In order to enter into membership as part of the assembly, the two requirements are salvation and baptism.  

Knowing these things, the New Testament church is a local, visible assembly of baptized believers, organized to carry out the Lord’s work. 

We ought to view no other earthly institution any higher than the local church. No other organism or institution is doing anything more important than a NT churchy. Which means we ought to be more committed to it than anything else we commit to.

So studying the nature of the church like we did last week then leads to how we should operate within the church. If it’s something that important, what do I need to do in order to get on board.?

 I.    The Mission Of The Church

Matthew 28:16-20

Christ is addressing the apostles and He gives them a mandate, what we traditionally call the Great Commission. This defines the purpose of the church.

The Great Commission means, first, that every church should make individual disciples, second, to build up the church by baptizing those believers, and third, to teach and instruct what Christ commanded.

God’s plan for missions is: Evangelism, Baptism, and Discipleship.

That’s the mission of a local, NT, Baptist church.

And there’s a fourth part of this: If it’s a local church’s responsibility to carry this out, then it should also be our Commission to plant NT churches so that more Evangelism, Baptism, and Discipleship can take place. If a church is local, then it ought to be on our heart to see what we have here duplicated somewhere else.

The Mission seems simple, but it’s often misunderstood.

For example, you’ll meet people that talk about what the church should “do for them,” or what they’re looking for in a church. Services, programs, etc.

But according to God’s Word, our purpose, our mission as a church is divided into these four categories: Evangelism, Baptism, Discipleship and Church Planting (or missions, which is church planting overseas). It’s through these efforts that our mission, given by Christ, is carried out.

Evangelism

Acts 5:42 makes this statement about those early Christians: “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

Evangelism is giving the gospel. It’s proclaiming the Good News about the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the theme of the entire Bible! We should look for Him on every page. The OT looks ahead toward Him. The Gospels look at Him. The rest of the NT points back to Him.

Even Jesus Himself on the day He arose from the dead when He talked to those disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27) “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

In John 5:39, Jesus said of the Scriptures “they are they which testify of me.”

Evangelism is the duty of every Christian. All of us are to the share gospel. And the topic of our conversation should always be Jesus. Jesus Saves. That’s our message.

Knowing that helps you fulfill your part in the church’s purposed, hen’s the last time you taught or talked about or preached Jesus outside these walls or outside these walls?

If this is our mission, a Christian that isn’t proclaiming the good news is missing their purpose.

Evangelism is also the duty of our church collectively. We are to do whatever we can as a body together to spread the gospel message.

So again, if you’re not giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are not helping contribute to our church mission. And it’s not about a program. It’s about a heart. It’s a mindset. Do we have it?

Baptism

Baptism is the immersion of new believers into water to publicly profess salvation in Christ, and identify with a church. Baptism follows conversion.

Turn to Acts 2. (Read verses 36-41).

A church is not only to preach the gospel, it is to baptize believers. Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit because it is done with God's authority.

We will deal with baptism in greater detail at a different time, but suffice it to say that is a significant and essential part of our Baptist doctrine.

When’s the last time someone you won stirred these waters?

Discipleship

In Matthew 28, Jesus said “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, (evangelism) baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (baptism) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” (discipleship)

When individuals are born again and they follow through with baptism, it is the church's responsibility to teach them the things that Christ taught.

If you are still in Acts 2, go back to where we left off. (Read verses 41-42).

Our Mission as a church is not complete just because a person professes salvation and is baptized. As the early church did, we have a responsibility to teach them the apostles' doctrine.

They must begin to learn the truths concerning Jesus Christ, the commandments He gave, the writings of the Apostles, and the Old Testament foundation on which those things have been laid.

This is part of our Mission.

Have you ever mentored another believer to grow in Christ?

Why aren’t you on board with discipleship?

If you’ve been saved for any length of time, you ought to be able to help someone else grow. We have a discipleship program, and if you’re interested in taking something through or going through it with someone else, let me know and we’ll get it started.

Now, it does take a commitment. A time to get together during the week. And you say, “I’m busy.” I know. We all are. But are we too busy to engage in one of the core commands given to the NT church?

Getting involved doesn’t just grow them. It grows us. We must do something with discipleship.

But we must also commit to the growth that takes place through corporate efforts. We assemble and preach and go to SS classes and hear teaching. That’s an important part of growth as well.

There’s a movement to get away from assembly times and focus on Bible studies. I’m not opposed to Bible studies, but they are supplemental to the function of corporate growth as a church family coming together.

A new believers first step ought to be to make a habit of meeting with their church family. SS, Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.

Church Planting (Or missions)

Not only are we tasked with evangelism, baptism, and discipleship within our own community, we are to seek to see new works started in different places that carry on the work of evangelism, baptism, and discipleship.

We’re going to call it church planting, but it could mean missions as well, which is simply church planting in other places besides where we live.

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus, speaking of Peter's confession, told Peter “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus is speaking of the church as an institution. In general. Meaning, His church would be around until the end of time when He comes to earth to rule bodily and there’s no more reason for the church.

But that first church at Jerusalem is long gone. So what did He mean?

Well, He meant that churches would reproduce themselves so that they would exist in every place possible until the church age ends. Churches are God’s plan to spread the gospel around the world and baptize and evangelize disciples to be like Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at Acts 8 (Read verses 1-4). Because of persecution, the saints were scattered everywhere. This resulted in new churches being established. Was this an accident? Was God's real plan for all of them to stay in Jerusalem? Absolutely not! God used this persecution to fulfill His plan.

Turn to Acts 13 (Read verses 1-3). Now God is taking people from the church at Antioch and sending them to start even more churches. This is known as Paul's first missionary journey.

But how do we know this was a church-planting journey?

Well, most of the first missionary trip involved Paul and Barnabas going through the cities of Galatia, places like Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Derbe and Iconium. One of the first Epistles Paul wrote was the Letter to the Galatians. In the first sentence of that Epistle, you will see that it is addressed to the churches of Galatia. Which means Paul established churches in those places.

The reason Eastside Baptist Church is involved in world missions is because the Scriptures command us to.

We have a Church Planting conference next month to increase our heart for new churches and encourage others in their efforts. We’re about to see a church planted in Luverne in a few weeks because that’s what the Bible says we’re supposed to do.

Our missions is Missions, preaching the gospel, baptizing those who believe, teaching them in the faith, and starting other works to do the same.

And we the Commission came directly from Jesus Christ.

He transferred His Father’s authority in Matthew 28 to that church in Jerusalem and thus, by reproduction, to every NT church that was produced thereafter.

Which means that Jesus Christ gets to choose what a church’s missions is.

Why? Because…

II.  Jesus Christ Is The Head of the Church

Turn to Ephesians 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”

Go to Colossians 1:18, “And he (Christ, vs 13) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

The pastor has authority to lead, but even that is a delegated authority granted Him through Jesus Christ, who is the actual Head.

As the writer of Hebrews says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (13:17)

So Pastors do have authority from God, but the fact that a Pastor will give account to Christ means the church isn’t his, it belongs to Jesus. It’s a matter of stewardship, not ownership.

That’s why we have no pope or archbishop. Jesus Christ is the head of the church. It’s His Word we’re preaching and teaching and following.

Because Christ is the head, a New Testament church is not ultimately under the authority of a religious denomination.

We don’t answer to any other church. Now, we can still cooperate with other churches like us, seeking to further the gospel. The kingdom of God is bigger than Eastside Baptist Church and working together with other local churches is a Biblical pattern.

Here’s the point: We get our authority from Christ and answer directly to Him. That’s autonomy.

That has been a Baptist distinctive for a long time.

Someone wrote this, “Each church has the absolute right of self-government, free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; that the one and only head of each church is Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for churches of like faith and order to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel, but that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the free will of the church is final.”

That’s being Independent Baptists.

We answer to no one except Christ. We are guided by His Word through the leadership He has placed in our local church.

So what does this have to do with our Mission?

We got our mission from Him, and we answer to no one but Him.

Which means we’re autonomous, but it also means we’re responsible for the mission.

We believe in autonomy. But with autonomy comes responsibility of membership.

If we don’t invite others, no denomination is going to swoop in and rescue us.

If we don’t get involved, no hierarchy is going to send people in to do the work.

We love autonomy, but autonomy means responsibility.

Which means the success or failure of EBC lies squarely on our shoulders.

And that success or failure will depend on how seriously we take the Great Commission.

So, knowing that, what area do you need to get more involved in regarding the GC?

Conclusion:

If the church’s purpose is the Great Commission, that means your purpose as a member of Eastside is fulfilled as long as you are involved in that process. So how are you personally involved in the G.C.?

What is your involvement in Evangelism?

How about your involvement in seeing people that you win be Baptized?

What will it take for you to get involved and Disciple someone?

How committed are you to Missions through giving or even considering that God might use you to be a part of a church planting endeavor?

Your view of the significance of the Local Church is likely impacting how involved you are in its mission.

Your perception of the church should impact your operation in the church.

The higher your view of the church, the greater your investment.

Attendance

Serving

Giving

Praying for

Leading

Being engaged in services

Inviting others to

Seeing souls you win baptized

Mentoring or discipling

Your commitment reflects how significantly you view your church.

And your commitment will determine our church’s failure or success.

Autonomy means the success of Eastside lies squarely on our shoulders.