Each person has a different background, upbringing, life experience, education, and so on. Therefore, we approach things with a unique perspective. Because of this, people can look at one event, fact, or piece of information and react very differently. A simple example of this is in the realm of sports. A fan of one team can watch a game with a fan of the opposing team, and though there is just one outcome (one team wins the game), one fan will celebrate while the other is disappointed.
Following the Babylonian captivity, God’s people assembled in Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. When the foundation of the temple was completed, two contradictory reactions were made to it.
“Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away” (Ezra 3:10-13).
This is an example of people viewing an event from different perspectives and reacting accordingly. Those who had never seen the first temple shouted for joy. Those who had seen the first temple and knew from personal experience the difference between the two wept.
This was not a matter of right and wrong. The people who rejoiced were not wrong to do so, nor was it wrong for the ones who wept to react the way they did. Yet the need at that moment was to build the new temple. Their different perspectives were understandable and were even fine to have as long as they did not hinder them from doing the work the Lord wanted them to do.
In this article, we will consider how to apply this principle to the state of the church. We all have different perspectives (new Christian vs. mature Christian, new church member vs. long-time church member, new to the area vs. long-time resident, etc.), yet the truth of God’s word and our responsibility to carry out His will are the same. We need to come together from these different perspectives and work together for the cause of Christ.
Regardless of our perspective (which is shaped by our background, upbringing, life experience, education, and more), there are a few points we need to remember.
The Past Will Always Be “The Past”
We must learn from the past. This is one of the reasons why the Scriptures have been revealed to us. Paul wrote, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). In addition to what we can learn from the word of God, we can also learn from those who have gone on before us. In speaking of the example of Abel, the Hebrew writer said, “Through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).
We can model what we do after the past (when appropriate, of course). In all things, we must follow the pattern that has been revealed in the New Testament (cf. 2 Timothy 1:13). But we can also follow the example of others who have followed this pattern. Paul told the brethren in Philippi, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Philippians 3:17). The Hebrew writer also encouraged his readers to do this: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).
However, we must not allow the past to hinder our work in the present. The wise man spoke of the age-old tendency to look back to the “good old days” when he said, “Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Reminiscing is fine, but not when we allow it to hinder our efforts in the present.
The reality is that the church today will never be 100% like the church of the first century because there are no living apostles (cf. Acts 1:21-22), prophets (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10), or eyewitnesses of Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:6). Yet this should not hinder us from carrying out the Lord’s work. We have been given “everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) in the Scriptures, which equip us “for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
In the same way, the church today will not be 100% like the church of previous years either. People move away, fall away, or pass away, and others will be added to our number.* Whatever happened in the past (good or bad) should not keep us from doing the Lord’s work now. We need to have the attitude Paul described in his letter to Philippi, in which he talked about “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” and “[pressing] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
The Present Is What We Have
Since the past (good or bad) is the past, we need to build from where we are.
- Whatever is lacking needs to be added – Paul told Titus that the churches in Crete were “lacking” because they did not have elders to oversee them (Titus 1:5). This will be the case when a church does not have a plurality of men qualified to serve in that capacity. However, the congregation must work to address that situation.
- Whatever is weak needs to be strengthened – The Hebrew writer said, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:12-13). Individually and collectively, we need to grow in the faith and become stronger in Christ.
- Whatever is good needs to be encouraged – The brethren in Thessalonica were commended for their brotherly love, yet Paul told them to “excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10). If we are acting faithfully in the Lord’s service, we need to continue in that.
- Whatever is wrong needs to be corrected – When the Lord addressed the church in Ephesus, He cited many things they were doing well (Revelation 2:1-3). Yet they also needed to repent because they had “left [their] first love” (Revelation 2:4-5). Anytime we have sin in our lives, we need to repent. If our congregation has been teaching or practicing anything contrary to the Scriptures, we need to correct that.
The past cannot be changed. Therefore, we need to make sure we are doing what is right in the present.
At the same time, we must not forget the past. When we learn how to overcome challenges, we may need to remember how we did it in case a similar situation arises in the future. There may be opportunities we can take advantage of because of our past experiences. There is wisdom to be gained from experience, including learning from our mistakes. This was the wise man’s point when he said, “The glory of young men is their strength, and the honor of old men is their gray hair” (Proverbs 20:29). As we have already noticed, we are to “imitate [the] faith” of those who have gone before us (Hebrews 13:7).
The Future Is Where We Are Headed
We cannot go back or stay still. We either “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14) or we “drift away” from the Lord’s way (Hebrews 2:1). So we must keep moving forward.
- Keep growing as God wants us to grow – Paul wrote, “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). We are to work together to help all of us grow stronger – individually and collectively.
- Keep doing the work He has given us to do – Paul told the brethren in Philippi, “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 3:12-13). We have a responsibility to obey the Lord and help carry out His work.
- Yet we must never move beyond what He has given us in His word – John warned, “Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 8-9). If we fail to remain within the bounds of the Scriptures, we will lose our fellowship with God. We are to make progress in our work for the Lord and add to our faith, not progress beyond His word into apostasy.
Moving forward, we need to remain mindful of God. When the people laid the foundation of the temple, they praised God and gave thanks to Him because “He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever” (Ezra 3:11).
As we move into the future, we need to “[fix] our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and do all things “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).
Conclusion
The past is settled, the present is reality, and the future is inevitable. Although we all approach these from different perspectives, the truth does not change. Therefore, we need to be guided by truth in all that we do.
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*For more on this point, see the article, The Future of the Church.
