~Abraham Lincoln~
What is it that you think of when you think of the church? Big ornate buildings? A large group of people gathering in worship of the Lord? For the most part, our own definition of church might be influenced by our experiences there. Growing up, going to church was something akin to a requirement. You did not miss church unless you were sick or near death. That was my experience in the church. The church for me was coming together on a Sunday morning to worship the Lord with music and the weekly lesson from the pastor. Having experienced this, I can understand how others might have a somewhat skewed view of the church. I was there at one time. I read with sadness every now and then of someone who, after spending so many years in the church, finally decides that they can no longer stomach all that our perception of church involves. I read about a single mother who was ostracized for only tithing two dollars in the collection plate, even though this was all that she could possibly give. I read about the father of a homosexual son and how the church he had attended for so long told him that it was time for him to make a choice...his son or the church. Thankfully he chose his son. Is this the church which God has envisioned for His children? Are we destined to worship the Lord under the totalitarian boot of church leadership? Not so long ago, I became disillusioned with the church that I had attended for many years. To me, it seemed as if the church was no longer about serving Gods people, but their own interests. More than one Sunday we were encouraged to "give until it hurts" not so that we could help more people, but so that we could be the proud owners of a fancy new church building. When I think about it, this is that idea of church that people are leaving in droves. They are not abandoning God, but that idea of who we tell them that God is. No more is this illustrated than the call to worship each Sunday. We are called to come into "Gods presence" in the church, as if this were the only place we can be in the Lords presence. God is far off, and we can only come to Him if we're loyal church goers. Over the past few years, I've learned that this is the error in teaching of the church. You could say that God isn't the center of the church, but that the church is at the center of God.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 1: 22 - 23 NKJV
I have heard a few pastors speak to the fact that the church, as we know it, is not the church of brick and mortar. God is not personified by how large of a church we have, or how ornate our worship services are. These are mans creations all. The truth is...WE are the church. That's right, we who walk through those doors each Sunday morning are the ones who make up the church. We are the church, and Jesus is the head of our church. God doesn't show His favor to those congregations with the fanciest buildings {Acts 17:24}. It is God who dwells in us. The apostle Paul made this point clearly when he stated in Galatians that he, Paul, no longer lived. For it was Christ Jesus who lived in him {Galatians 2:20}. We do not need to walk into a church to be in Gods presence, because He's already in us. I didn't come to this knowledge of Christ in me from any pastors Sunday sermon, but from the advice of a dear friend. I would wager that if more people knew the true nature of what the church really is, that we might just see fewer people walking away from our churches. However, I also know that a big reason for the exodus from the church are it's own teachings. I'm reminded of this each week during our fellowship time when one or more people open up about how their own experiences in the church damaged their own perception of God. How they were taught that God was in heaven and that, as sinners, we could never be close to Him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only did Christ give Himself for the forgiveness of sins {2 Corinthians 5:21}. It is also Jesus who has defeated sin once and for all {Romans 6:6-11}. We are now free, as the church of Christ Jesus, to rejoice in the freedom of being in Him.
"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things."
Acts 17: 24 - 25 NKJV
~Scott~
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