1. ~ James 1:27 ~

2. ~ James 1:27 ~ Pure and undefiled religion
before God and the Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in
their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
~ James 1:27 ~

3. Pure and undefiled religion?
Then why don’t we have/support an orphan’s
home, care center for the elderly, etc.

4. “If you really want to help people, your church
should stop being so concerned about whether
people have been divorced and remarried, or
whether they want to have women preachers,
or if they choose to use musical instruments in
worship, and your church should give its efforts
and its money to clothe the homeless and feed
the poor like all the other churches do…”

5. Pure and undefiled religion?
Then why don’t we have/support an orphan’s
home, care center for the elderly, etc.
“If you really want to help people…”
[the “social gospel”; “health-and-wealth gospel”]

6. Pure and undefiled religion?
Then why don’t we have/support an orphan’s
home, care center for the elderly, etc.
“If you really want to help people…”
These issues and several others gave an impetus
for a split among churches of Christ in the late
1800s through the 1950s/60s, defining groups as
“institutional” or “non-institutional”
sometimes these distinctions may be called:
“denominational” or “non-denominational”,
“cooperative” or “anti-cooperative” (“antis”),
“liberal” or “conservative”
led to “Christian Church” and “Church of Christ” denominations

7. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institution” defined:
Institutions are structures and mechanisms of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human collectivity. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior. The term “institution” is commonly applied to customs and behavior patterns important to a society, as well as to particular formal organizations of government and public service.
Wikipedia

8. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institution” defined:
Institutions are structures and mechanisms of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human collectivity. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior. The term “institution” is commonly applied to customs and behavior patterns important to a society, as well as to particular formal organizations of government and public service.
Wikipedia
An organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character:
Example: “This college is the best institution of its kind.”
Dictionary.com

9. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institution” defined:
Structure
Formal Organization
Social order
Mechanism
Governing behavior of individuals
The making and enforcing of rules
Cooperation
Transcending individual lives
Identified with a social purpose
Promotion of a particular cause or program, especially of a public, educational, or charitable character

10. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institution” defined:
Structure
Formal Organization
Social order
Mechanism
Governing behavior of individuals
The making and enforcing of rules
Cooperation
Transcending individual lives
Identified with a social purpose
Promotion of a particular cause or program, especially of a public, educational, or charitable character

11. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institution” defined:
“Institutionalism” is the belief that the church may (or should!) carry out its work and purpose by means of “institutions”, which can be ‘far more effective’ than what mere individuals would be capable of doing alone
Structure
Formal Organization
Social order
Mechanism
Governing behavior of individuals
The making and enforcing of rules
Cooperation
Transcending individual lives
Identified with a social purpose
Promotion of a particular cause or program, especially of a public, educational, or charitable character

12. What is “Institutionalism”? (evangelism, benevolence, etc.)
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
Some see the church itself as an institution
(a root of denominationalism, credalism)
WORK
(evangelism, benevolence, etc.)
RESOURCES
(time, money, etc.)
“The Church”

13. What is “Institutionalism”? (evangelism, benevolence, etc.)
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
Some see the church itself as an institution
(a root of denominationalism, credalism)
The presumption:
What God has authorized for any individual is thus also authorized for the church, a collective of individuals
WORK
(evangelism, benevolence, etc.)
RESOURCES
(time, money, etc.)
“The Church”

14. What is “Institutionalism”? (“evangelism”, benevolence, etc.)
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
Some see the church itself as an institution
(a root of denominationalism, credalism)
Some see a need for groups of churches to
support institutions larger than the churches
(a result of denominationalism, ecumenism)
Missionary Society,
Orphan Home, etc.
WORK
(“evangelism”, benevolence, etc.)
RESOURCES
(funds, people, etc.)
“The Institution”

15. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
Some see the church itself as an institution
(a root of denominationalism, credalism)
Some see a need for groups of churches to
support institutions larger than the churches
(a result of denominationalism, ecumenism)
The presumption:
What God has authorized for a
single church is thus also authorized
for any collective of churches
Missionary Society,
Orphan Home, etc.
WORK
(“evangelism”, benevolence, etc.)
RESOURCES
(funds, people, etc.)

16. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
The church itself as an institution
Groups of churches to support larger institutions
Issues (the “institutions”) will change along
with perceived “needs” of the generation:
school, mission, care center, hospital, etc.
the issues are symptoms of a problem, not the
problem itself; must change the errant mindset

17. “I will build My church”
From our very first lesson, we have observed:
Matt 16:18: Jesus, speaking as an architect, says:
“I will build My church”
The architect entrusted His master work to men’s hands!
cp. Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:14-15, 20
Even so, the work and the end product are the Lord’s
cp. John 4:1-3; Acts 2:47b; 1 Cor 3:10-11
But: it is only the architect’s work if it follows HIS plan
cp. Mt 7:21-23 [Lk 6:46]; 1 Pet 4:11 [1 Cor 4:6]
the church is God’s temple, a spiritual habitation
1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:19-22; 1 Pet 2:5 [people – “you”]
as builder of the temple, Jesus fulfills 2 Sam 7:12-16,
being both “Son of God” and “son of David”

18. The Son of David was not building an institution for:
feeding/housing, marrying, teaching, entertaining,
curing, employing, teaching, etc. [a DEEPER need!]
God is
the Focus, not man!
The primary PURPOSE of the church is SPIRITUAL:
“to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God”
1 Peter 2:5
to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you…”
1 Peter 2:9
that “the manifold wisdom of God…be made known”
Ephesians 3:10-11
The primary BLESSSINGS of the church are SPIRITUAL:
Ephesians 1:3-14 – “every spiritual blessing”
They are the result of focusing on God! [cp. Mt 6:33]

19. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
The church itself as an institution
Groups of churches to support larger institutions
Issues (“institutions”) change with “needs”
issues a symptom of problem; mind must change
Focus of church is SPIRITUAL: reconciliation
Jn 4:23-24; 2 Cor 5:20: God seeks reconciliation
“If you really want to help people…”: man’s real
need is spiritual; sin has separated us from God

20. Remember the old addage:
“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for one day;
if you teach him to fish, you feed him for life.”
Jesus did not focus on the physical, but on the spiritual!
cp. Mk 2:1-5; Mk 14:3-9
Physical relief is temporary; spiritual relief is eternal!
cp. John 4:13-14; see also John 5:14; 8:11
Even Jesus didn’t physically aid all those He could have!
cp. Mk 1:32-38; etc.
Jesus does spiritually aid all those who obey Him!
cp. John 3:16; Hebrews 5:9; Mark 16:16
Physical focus reverses Jesus’ exhortation in Mt 6:33
“Seek first all these things and the kingdom of God will be added to you”??
man lost God, then blessing; reconcile w/God, be blessed
cp. Gn 2:15-17; Ex 19:5-6; Mt 6:33; Ecc 12:13-14

21. What is “Institutionalism”?
“Institutionalism” has two major facets:
The church itself as an institution
Groups of churches to support larger institutions
Issues (“institutions”) change with “needs”
issues a symptom of problem; mind must change
Focus of church is SPIRITUAL: reconciliation
Jn 4:23-24; 2 Cor 5:20: God seeks reconciliation
“If you really want to help…”: help reconcile
Church is “burdened” by man’s institutions
cp. 1 Tim 5:16; Acts 6:1-4 [must do it God’s way!]
individual work ≠ whole church’s work [Jm 1:27]

22. Note also: men die when they follow “their own way” rather than God’s!
Isn’t this, after all, “just being nit-picky”?
“If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.” [1 Peter 4:11]
Note also: men die when they follow “their own way” rather than God’s!
[Prov 16:25]
Remember: the focus of the church is to glorify God!
cp. 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Ephesians 3:10-11
God is not glorified when men do things “their own way”
cp. Leviticus 10:1-3; Numbers 20:7-12,24 [Dt 32:48-51]
“Institutions” take focus off God; treat body, but not soul
cp. Mt 16:26 – soul is more valuable than whole world!!

23. Ephesians 3:10-11
“…the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church… according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…”
The focus of the church is to glorify God by restoring to
Him those who were lost because of sin…
cp. 2 Thess 1:9-12; 1 Pet 4:11, 14; Luke 19:9-10; etc.
In Christ Jesus, God has provided for all our need
Spiritually: food [John 6:51], water [John 4:10-13],
rest [Matt 11:27-29], life [John 3:16; 10:10]
Physically: in His context, by His means, if we “seek first
the kingdom and His righteousness, all these
things shall be added” [Mt 6:33; Mk 10:28ff]