The church is now and has always been a spiritual body.  Paul once said that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  This truth is totally ignored in the denominational churches of today.  Instead of making the spiritual work of the church as revealed on the pages of inspiration (evangelism, edification and benevolence, Ephesians 4:12) the primary focus, most churches today place those things in the back seat and make recreation, entertainment and social issues the major concern.  Fun and frolic has replaced the gospel in many denominations.  Where will it all stop?  I’m not sure about the answer to that, but I do know that turning the gospel into something social and reducing the church into nothing, but a social club is without divine authority and therefore sinful (Colossians 3:17; 2 John 9-11).  Denominational churches used to simply serve donuts and coffee on the grounds before, after or in between services (something bad enough since there is no Bible authority for it), but now they use their facilities for dinners, dancing and movies.  Again, I ask where does it all stop?  The reason I can’t answer that question is because, in truth, there is no telling.  When the Bible is discarded and people begin to seek after their own heart and eyes (Numbers 15:39), rather than making sure that there is book, chapter and verse for whatever is practiced, there is no stopping point.

Sadly, there are even local churches of Christ who have been led into believing that the work of the church is social.  Consider the flyer below as proof.

You might be able to find the world’s greatest chicken dinner at the Midwest Church of Christ, but what you won’t find is authority for a local church using it’s building as a club house to host secular events.  Have we forgotten that the only authority for a building in the first place is generic.  God said that the church must assemble (Hebrews 10:24-25).  Thus, a church must have a place to assemble.  The church building is like the tools that Noah used in building the ark.  God specified “gopher” wood in the building of the ark, but the tools used, He left up to Noah’s discretion.   Noah had specific authority for the wood used in building the ark and generic authority for the tools used in following God’s command to build an ark.  We have specific authority to assemble and generic authority for the place  that allows us to carry out God’s command.  Now, since the generic authority for the building is inseparable from the command to assemble, to use the building for other functions of a secular, recreational or social nature is unauthorized.

One cannot find in the Bible the church ever engaging in social reform.  The reason for this is not because social matters are not important.  The truth is social matters are very important.  Stopping abortion is important.  Fighting against the acceptance of homosexuality is very important.  Slowing down crime and violence in our neighborhoods is very important.  But that is a job for individual Christians to engage in, not the church.  Homosexuality was just as prevalent, probably more so, in the Roman society of the first century as it is now, but Paul never encouraged a local church to hold a pro family rally.  Why not!   Was it because Paul didn’t think family was important?  Of course not!  It was simply not the work of the local church, and today it is still not the work of the church.  The church is a spiritual body with a spiritual work to do.  Local churches of Christ help society by changing hearts and winning souls one at a time through the preaching of the gospel.  That is all they did in the first century church, and if it was good enough for Paul, Peter, James and John, and the rest of the early Christians, it should be good enough for us.  Whether schools are allowed to post the Ten Commandments or not is a social issue, not a church matter.  Judicial tyranny is a social issue, not a church matter.  Gay right laws are social issues, not a church matter.  Now individual Christians have the right to get involved in these kinds of issues if they choose to, but for the church to do so is unscriptural, unauthorized and a failure to abide in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11).  It is clear from the flyer on the opposite page that some brethren are not just drifting from the New Testament pattern, they have hopped on a speed boat and are racing toward secular denominationalism.