Jesus Loves the Church and So Should You: Studies in Biblical Churchmanship [Paperback]

As consumerism and individualism have increasingly affected the way Christians think about church, the concept of joining one's self to the church is becoming decreasingly popular. Church has become somewhere you got o be ministered to without any read commitment or work. This kind of thinking and many others are the result of having an improper understanding the nature of the church and it's place in the life of the believer and it has been detrimental in the lives of many believers.

In His 2010 work, Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You, Earl Blackburn restores a sense of value to the church. Blackburn's central thesis is that the Love Christ has for the church should compel us to be actively pursuing a love relationship with the church. It is a book that paints a big and beautiful picture of the Church using Scripture as it brush. Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You is intended to be used as a study book. Each chapter is followed by a number of probing questions to direct the reader to examine his or her own views of the church and direct them into actively loving the church. This is a must read for anyone who is even flirting with the idea of church. For both Pastor and layman, Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You should give a solid foundational understanding of the church and what it means to be a part of a church.

In chapter one, Blackburn begins by establishing from Scripture that Christ came to the earth and accomplished the work of redemption because or out of a love for the church. Many people talk about the love of God but give little thought to the significance of the object of that love, the church. Love is what best describes Christ relationship to the church. "Jesus' love for the church is not just an emotional cliché to be tossed around with little meaning. His love was demonstrated and can be seen, is a real, tangible way." (9) Blackburn closes the chapter by asking, "How can you say you love Christ if you do not love the thing on the earth that He loves chiefly?" That is not a question that I have ever asked myself but it certainly is a question that searches the heart.

One of the most common attacks against the importance of the church, church membership, etc, is that Christ came to establish the church universal and not the local church. Blackburn addresses that mentality in chapter two by considering the word, "ekklesia" and the original recipients of the New Testament letters. The New Testament is primarily a collection of books written to, for, and about local representations of the universal church. Some of the books of the New Testament are written to the entire church others are written to the pastors of churches but the overwhelming majority of the books of the New Testament are written to or for local churches. One interesting thing that Blackburn pointed out is that of the, "ninety-six percent of the times that the word (ekklesia) is used, it refers to a visible congregation of baptized believers."(14) In other words, the Bible gives much attention to the local and physical representation of the church. Consequently, we must also give much attention to the church.

In a day and age when the church is held in such low esteem and para-church organizations and religious groups are so common, it is important to understand what makes a church a church? What separates a para-church organization and a true Biblical church? In chapter five, Blackburn attempts to define what are the marks or essential elements of a true church. Within the Reformed camp, there has been some disagreement on how many essential elements there are to consider a group of people a Biblical Church. Many of the old reformers believer there were two or three elements, some have seen as many as nine elements. Blackburn lists five essential elements of a true church.
- A true Church is a visible body that is continually under the government and rule of the holy Scriptures
- A true Church is a visible body lead and directed by spiritually-qualified men, who are under the authority of Christ, the Head and answerable only to him and the congregation.
- A true church is a visible body who faithfully, reverently, and joyfully observe the only two ordinances of the gospel.
- A true church is a visible body that compassionately exercises church discipline.
- A true church is a visible body that has a vibrant Christian life.
These are certainly important elements of a Biblical church but I believe the Scriptures would not support the second element as being essential. It may be a minor point of disagreement but, there are numerous examples in the New Testament, 1Tim 1:5 and Acts 14:23, of groups of believers who did not yet have elders or deacons who were considered by the apostles to be a true church. While it is not the ideal, there are times when a church may not have elders but they are still a church.
Beginning in chapter seven, Blackburn moves on from laying a Biblical understanding of the church and god's love for her to discussing how the church should respond to this love that God has for the church. In chapter seven, Blackburn attempts to build a case for formal church membership. In my estimation, Blackburn fell far short on a number of accounts. He began the chapter by saying, "An examination of the NT reveals that certain passages prove that the early churches had a formal, official membership." (49) While he did not define what he means by formal and official, he proceeds through the chapter by equating association with the visible church as formal and official membership. In many reformed churches today, baptism and association is not considered to be a formal or official membership so this chapter left this reader trying to understand exactly what Blackburn is advocating.
Blackburn moves on in chapter seven to examine passages dealing with church discipline, church benevolence, and church leadership to demonstrate that the NT teaches official and formal church membership, not through direct command but by implication. Blackburn's use of Scripture is less than convincing if you equate, "formal and official," to what is practiced is most reformed circles but is very convincing if he is actually talking about association with and baptism into the church. It left a lot of questions unanswered and I found myself reacting strongly against much of what he was saying because I found myself filling in the blanks with what is regularly practiced in many reformed and Baptist churches. I would encourage anyone reading this book to be careful not to swallow Blackburn's interpretation of Scripture in this chapter without a great level of discernment and some further definition of terms.

Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You also addresses some practical topics such as how to select a church. In a day and age when many churches have abandoned sound doctrine and become the consumer, selling whatever people want to buy, Blackburn offers some valuable counsel in how to select a church. He offers eight things to look for in a Biblically ordered church, " Where the Bible is the only guide for faith and practice, the worship of God is reverent and Biblical, a Biblical concept of God, Gospel centered, where there is love for the brethren, evident compassion for the unsaved, where discipline is practiced, and where you will be encouraged and stirred to grow in grace, holiness, love, and Christlikeness." (79-86)

Being a member in a church certainly has many privileges and responsibilities. The local assembly is a place where God intends to minister to his followers in some very special ways and it is also a place where God calls us to exercise our gifts for the edification of others, Eph 4:7. One of those blessings is the benefit of having a pastor care for your soul in a personal way. Malone reminds his reader what a blessing this is by saying, "As sheep need a shepherd, so the people of God need Christ's undershepherds... What a great privilege to have those who are called of God to watch over your souls, care for, steer, guide, and direct you."(101) Whether it is because of the individualistic mindset that plagues America or they tend to focus on the responsibilities, people need to be reminded that it truly is a blessing to be involved as an active member of a church.

Blackburn also highlighted some of the responsibilities of being an active member in a church. The church is not a place to go to be fed, but a house of mutual growth and encouragement, Heb 10:25. "The Lord has given many gracious privileges and advantages that, if we are to partake of them, make us accountable and responsible to Him and each other." (107) So Blackburn reminds his readers that we can not come to the church with a consumerist mindset but with one that realizes with privilege comes responsibility. Coming to church not just to be ministered to but also to do the work of ministry is really the heart behind being a Biblical churchman and it is much needed in churches today.

Chapter 15 of Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You is a helpful chapter for pastors who are seeking to formulate a more sound Biblical understanding of who makes up the church and what is required to be considered part of the church. It is also a helpful chapter for anyone who is seeking to know whether they are qualified to be a part of the church. Under this section, Blackburn mentions five Biblical qualifications for those who are considering or being considered for church membership.
- First and foremost is regeneration. (119)
- Second is a personal confession of faith. (120)
- The third requirement is a godly life. (121)
- The fourth requirement is baptism. (122)
- The final requirement for membership is an unreserved commitment to the church. (122)

The second to last chapter of Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You is entitled, When Is It Right To Leave A Church And How Should It Be done? It is very likely that as many people read this book and are confronted with what a Biblically ordered church and Biblical churchmanship looks like; they find their own present situation lacking so much they are confronted with this question. Here Blackburn gives some helpful and Biblical guidelines for when and why it may become necessary to leave a church and the spirit and methodology in which a church should be left. He presents a cautious approach to how a separation should be made when necessary. "There are situations when it is right to leave a church, let it be done in a manner that will bring glory to God and do good to others." (138) This will likely be a chapter that I will go back and review over and over again because it has some very helpful insights. Anyone who would consider leaving their church would do well to read this chapter first to glean what they can.

All and all, Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You is a worthy read. I would heartily recommend it to a discerning pastor who is looking for a great Bible study book or for the layperson who is considering what it means to be a churchman. Jesus Loves The Church And So Should You is not without it's flaws, as mentioned above, but is still a worthy read and presents a beautiful picture of what it means to be a part of the Bride of Christ.