A Biblical Case For The Church’s Duty to Remain Open

Christ is Lord of all. He is the one true head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18). He is also the King of kings – sovereign over every earthly authority (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14: 19:16). Grace Community Church has always stood immovably on those biblical principles. As His people, we are subject to His will and commands as revealed in Scripture. Therefore, we cannot and will not allow the government to dictate how we conduct weekly congregational worship or other regular corporate gatherings. Compliance would be disobedience to our Lord’s clear commands. Scripture does mandate careful, conscientious obedience to all governing authorities (in Peter’s words, “not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable” [1 Peter 2:18]). We are to obey our civil authorities as powers that God Himself has ordained, as long as government authorities do not attempt to issue orders that forbid our obedience to God’s law. However, while civil government is invested with divine authority to rule the state, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 do not grant civic rulers’ jurisdiction over the church. God has established three institutions within human society: the family, the state, and the church. God has not granted civic rulers’ authority over doctrine, practice, or polity of the church. Government officials have no right to interfere in ecclesiastical matters in a way that undermines or disregards the God-given authority of pastors and elders.

When any government official issues orders regulating worship (such as bans on singing, caps on attendance, or prohibitions against gatherings and services), he steps outside the legitimate bounds of his God-ordained authority as a civic official. Therefore, in response to the recent state order requiring churches in California to limit or suspend all meetings indefinitely, we the pastors and elders of Grace Community Church respectfully inform our civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction, and faithfulness to Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services. Caesar himself is subject to God. Jesus affirmed that principle when He told Pilate, “You would have no authority over me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). And because Christ is the head of the church, ecclesiastical matters pertain to His Kingdom, not Caesar’s. Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Scripture alone defines how and whom they are to serve (1 Corinthians 4:1-4). They have no duty to follow orders from a civil government attempting to regulate the worship or governance of the church.

Each local church, however, through its elders and their interpretation and application of Scripture, should be the sole judge of the measure of method of its cooperation. The Elders should determine all other matters of membership, policy, discipline, benevolence, and government as well (Acts 15:19-31; 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). As the church, we do not need the state’s permission to serve and worship our Lord as He commanded. The church is Christ’s precious bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-27). She belongs to Him alone. She exists by His will and serves under His authority.

The honor that we rightly owe our earthly governors and magistrates (Romans 13:7) does not include compliance when such officials attempt to subvert sound doctrine, corrupt biblical morality, exercise ecclesiastical authority, or supplant Christ as head of the church in any other way. The biblical order is clear: Christ is Lord over Caesar, not vice versa. Christ, not Caesar, is head of the church. Neither church nor state has any higher authority than that of Christ Himself, who declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18).

We are not making a constitutional argument, even though the First Amendment of the United States Constitution expressly affirms this principle in its opening words: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The right we are appealing to was not created by the Constitution. It is one of those unalienable rights granted solely by God, who ordained human government and establishes both the extent and the limitations of the state’s authority (Romans 13:1-7). Our argument therefore is purposely not grounded in the First Amendment; it is based on the same biblical principles that the Amendment itself is founded upon. The exercise of true religion is a divine duty given to men and women created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26; Acts 4:18-20; 5:29; Matthew 22:16-22). Freedom of worship is a command of God, not a privilege granted by the state.

Christians are commanded not to forsake the practice of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25) – and no earthly state has a right to restrict, delimit, or forbid the assembling of believers. A government policy moves further away from biblical principles, and as legal and political pressures against the church intensify, we must recognize that the Lord may be using these pressures as means of purging to reveal the true church. Succumbing to government overreach may cause churches to remain closed indefinitely. How can the true church of Jesus Christ distinguish herself in such a hostile climate? There is only one way: bold allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ is the one true head of His church, and we intend to honor that vital truth in all our gatherings. For that preeminent reason, we cannot accept and will not bow to the intrusive restrictions government officials now want to impose on our congregation. We offer this response not out of hearts that are combative or rebellious (1 Timothy 2:1-8; 1 Peter 2:13-17), but with a sobering awareness that we must answer to the Lord Jesus for the stewardship He has given to us as shepherds of His precious flock.

To government officials, we respectfully say with the apostles, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge” (Acts 4:19). And our unhesitating reply to that question is the same as the apostles’: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Our prayer is that every faithful congregation will stand with us in obedience to our Lord as Christians have done through the centuries.

Don’t Complain, Start Praying!

“It’s too hot!” “It’s too cold! “I’m too young!” “I’m too old!”

No, this is not the new Dr. Seuss book.

This is the story of our lives.

Have you found yourself complaining about life’s situations or circumstances lately?

I used to think people who complained had a lot of problems, but I've come to realize that people have a lot of problems because they complain. 

We talk about God and how much we love Him and how good He is, but we often live murmuring and complaining all the time.

I read an illustration of a cowboy that was driving down a dirt road with his dog riding in the back of the pickup truck, and his faithful horse in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate a curve and had a terrible accident.

Sometime later, a highway patrol officer arrived on the scene. An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the serious nature of its injuries, he drew his service revolver and put the animal out of his misery. He walked around the accident and found the dog, also hurt critically. He couldn't bear to hear it whine in pain, so he ended the dog's suffering as well.

Finally, he located the cowboy, who suffered multiple fractures, off in the weeds. The cop asked, “Hey, are you okay?" The cowboy took one look at the smoking revolver in the trooper's hand and quickly replied, "Never felt better!"

You see, we often don’t realize the impact and results of our complaining.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were thrown into a Philippian jail for casting out an evil spirit from a young girl. And you don’t see Paul complaining, but rejoicing. He trusted God’s sovereignty.

What if they had been murmuring, complaining, and griping about their situation? What if Silas had said, "Paul, youbig shot. You had to show off and cast the demon out of that girl. Now look at the trouble we’re in. Why couldn’t you have just left that demon possessed girl alone?" 

If that dialogue had been going on between Paul and Silas, do you think the jailor would have asked, "What must I do to be saved?" I doubt it! He probably would have said, "What must I do to stay away from this Christianity thing?" 

God uses our lives to influence others.

This is why the Bible so strongly condemns complaining. 

The murmurings and grumblings of complaints are evidence that we are dissatisfied with the way God is doing things. 

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:11 that “God makes everything work out according to His plan.”

Complaining is unbelief in God’s Word which says, “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28). If the Christian really believes that the Lord is in control of their life and He is working “ALL THINGS together for good,” he will stop complaining and start thanking the Lord for the plan He is working together for him. 

Do you complain?

Think about it for a minute. What are your comments about the weather usually like? How do you speak about your spouse? What kinds of things do you say about your job? Are you truly content with what the Lord determines for you? 

Complaining is just the surface symptom of a much deeper problem--discontentment. 

Contentment is determined by what we believe. And our belief is fueled by what we’re seeing.

Contentment comes by seeing the Treasure.

Jesus was a treasure to Paul. What Paul saw in Jesus was what the man in Jesus’ parable saw in the field:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)

Fifteen minutes before the man saw the treasure, would he have been content to sell everything and buy the field? No way! However, fifteen minutes after he saw it, he was off to the auctioneer. 

What was the difference? He saw the treasure.

The secret to contentment in “whatever situation” is seeing the Treasure that exceeds them all.

A story is told of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. "Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked.

"Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman. 

"Why don't you catch more fish than you need?” the rich man asked. 

"What would I do with them?”

"You could earn more money and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me."

The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?" 

"You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist. 

The fisherman replied, "What do you think I'm doing now?"

Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-13:

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Amen!

Pastor Daniel Heraldez