Visible and Valid: The Local Church

• 425 Pages
• Paperback
• Fully indexed
• Detailed Table of Contents

Modern attacks on the local church

The teaching of a universal, invisible church encompassing all believers is an invention of the Protestant Reformation - this "doctrine of men" has been adopted by many who consider themselves Baptists. 

The thought that the local church is a relic of decades ago and no longer has any place in today's world is a teaching comfortable to the lost as well as the seeker-friendly, emerging church movement.

The resulting confusion 

• Did Christ start one church that would practice Baptism by immersion, and another that would baptize by sprinkling?
• Did Christ start one church that would preach salvation by Grace and another that would preach salvation by works?
• Did Christ start one church that would believe the eternal security of the believer, and another that would believe salvation can be lost?
• Did Christ start one church that would believe doctrine is important, and another that would believe it is not?

The common response is typically along the line of “churches may believe differently, but they are all churches.”  Are they?  Is that what the Bible teaches or is that merely a common presupposition? If children are taught that “things that are different cannot be the same” then why is it that so many adults believe that anything that calls itself a church must be a real church?

An invisible, universal church?

Many people are taught to believe that “the church” is everyone who is saved – as such, this “church” can’t be seen because it is mystically invisible and it is quite large as it includes every saved person, so it is universal. This book will demonstrate that this teaching is false.  In fact the “church” is local and can actually be seen because it is visible.

The universal church teaching has been embraced by the majority of denominations. Many of them feel comfortable claiming a distinction between their local church where they are members and the supposed universal church.  This distinction has created a falling away in the respect for the authority and necessity of the local church.

Worse, the overall effect of the universal church teaching has produced a generation of believers who openly wonder whether the local church has any real place in today’s society.  The intimacy of local church life has been replaced by the anonymity of mega-churches and internet churches; the authority of the local church has been replaced by the pastor-less small home Bible groups and come-as-you-please non-denomination congregations.

Today’s church-less believer claims authority over the ordinances and the right to fulfill the commission any way they choose.  They baptize who they wish, wherever they choose and in any manner they please.  They “evangelize” without regard to seeing congregations organized and churches planted. 
Simply put, for church-less believers the church is not only invisible but the local church is invalid.  The local church is a relic whose existence is not an absolute necessity for them.  At best, localized churches have become glorified community centers, social halls, and business networking hubs.

The bible teaches a visible and valid local church?

Through a systematic examination of the Scripture, this book will help you understand the Bible’s teaching regarding the church that Jesus Christ started: that it is visible – you can see it; you can meet its members; you can know their friendship; you can rejoice with them; and join with them.  You will learn that it is also valid – it is still relevant; it has purpose; it has power; and it has persistence. Most important, it is visible because Christ began it and it is valid because it follows His teachings.

The first part of this book will show that Christ began His church and that local churches have existed ever since the first church’s inception; the second part of this book will show that true, or valid, local churches follow Christ’s teachings.

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