The Christian…and The Church

(from 2005)



Introduction
You will often hear people of denominations state, “This Sunday I’m going to church.” Or “When I go to church on Sunday, I’ll pray for you and your family.” Why do you have to wait until Sunday? And why do you have to go to a building before you pray for someone?
The denominations believe that the church building is where God lives and considers it holy ground (we’ll discuss that in another article). They don’t really understand what the church actually is.
Since I became a Christian, I stopped going to church. I still attend worship services but I don’t go to church.  I don’t forsake the assembling of the saints (Heb. 10:25) but at the same time I don’t go to church.  Confused?
        For most people this statement sounds absurd. It sounds like I’m contradicting myself; saying one thing and then reversing it in the very next breath. So how can a believer in God, who follows the Bible, not go to Church? 




What is The Church?
The answer is that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I’ll always be in the church. I once mentioned this to a co-worker saying, “Right now, while we’re talking in the break room, I’m in the church.  When I go home, when I eat, when I sleep, even when I’m in the shower, I am in the church.” His response was, “Yeah, I feel that way too.” But it’s not a feeling, it’s a fact!
        In Matt. 16:18 Jesus said, “I will build my church”. In verse 19 he told Peter that he would give him the “keys of the kingdom of heaven”. This means that Peter and the apostles will be those who help establish the church (Acts 2:14-42). Jesus built only one church (Eph. 4:5) and the apostles built upon that foundation (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
The church is the body of Christ of which He is the head (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18). It is not the building, but the people of the congregation. Those who are called Christians are the church; also referred to as the “Called Out” (1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Cor. 6:17). If the building were to be destroyed, the church would still be there; as those who are members could assemble somewhere else. You cannot destroy God’s church!
       



How do you become part of the church?
        When a person is baptized, it is then they become a Christian and are added to the church. (Acts 2:41, 47).  An individual is born into God’s family as Jesus states in John 3:5, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (NKJV)
You do not join the church by walking into the building a requesting to place membership. You do that after you become a Christian and want to join a local congregation. It’s all in the wording.


SOME FACTS ABOUT THE CHURCH

1) Belongs to God – 1 Tim. 3: 15
2) The body of Christ – Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:24
3) Christ, the foundation-stone of – Mt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:11
4) Christ, the head and Savior of – Eph. 1:22, 5:23
5) Loved by Christ – Eph. 5:25
6) Purchased by the blood of Christ - Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25
7) Sanctified and cleansed by Christ – Eph. 5:26, 27
8) Subject to Christ – Eph. 5:24
9) The object of the grace of God – 2 Cor. 8:1
10) Displays the wisdom of God – Eph. 3:10
11) God defends – Mt. 16:18; Rom. 8:31-39
12) God provides for it – Eph. 4:11, 12
13) Glory to be ascribed to God by – Eph. 3:21
14) Elect – 1 Pet. 2:9
15) Glorious – Eph. 5:27
16) Unity of – Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 1:10, 12:12; Eph. 4:3-4
17) Baptized into – 1 Cor. 12: 13
18) Added to by the Lord - Acts 2: 47
19) Is edified by the word – 1 Cor. 14:4; Eph. 4:15, 16
20) The wicked persecute - Acts 8:1-3; Mt. 5:10-12; 1 Thess. 2:14, 15
21) Not to be despised – 1 Cor. 11:22
22) Defiling of, will be punished – 1 Cor. 3:17
23) Extent of, predicted – Isa. 2:2; Dan. 2:34, 35, 44

Conclusion
        As was stated before, the church is NOT the building. If you are a Christian, you are always in the church therefore; you do not have to wait until Sunday, and go to a building, to pray for someone; you can do it right then and there.
If someone were to come along and destroy the building, people would say that the church was destroyed. Not true. The members of that congregation, if they weren’t in the building at the time, would meet at another location and continue to worship there. God’s church cannot be destroyed! (Heb. 12:28; 1:8; Lk. 1:33) The church is the kingdom and the kingdom is the church.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

There are No Material Possessions

Image
  Things Not Found on Judgment Day, Part 4   Introduction A tough case was being argued in court. The defense attorney, feeling that he was in trouble, sent the judge a bottle of hundred-year-old brandy. The defendant was fit to be tied. “The judge will kill me,” he said. “Trying to bribe him; we’re dead.” “I don’t think so,” his attorney told him, “I sent it in the other lawyer’s name!”   You Can’t Take it with You In ancient Egypt, Pharaohs were buried with luxurious items such as gold, jewelry, family heirlooms, paintings, and even a chariot. It was said that they would need these items in the afterlife. In the more modern times, people are buried with sentimental items that meant something to the individual. For example, actor Bela Lugosi; known for his role as Count Dracula was buried in his Dracula cape. Princess Diana was buried with a set of rosary beads given to her by Mother Theresa. There are, others, who are buried with their fortunes; money mostly, bu
Read more

Who Wrote the Bible?

Image
  Introduction Several years ago, I attempted to talk to a co-worker about the bible and he wasn’t interested. I was trying to tell him it was written by God; even though he had several human writers. His comment to me was, “Are you trying to tell me that God whispered in the ears of these men of what to write?” At the time, I didn’t have an answer. But it does make one pause and ask the question, who did write the bible? We’ll look at some possibilities below.   Potential Authors AN UNBELIEVER—How ironic would it be if the scriptures were, in fact, written by an Atheist? He would show how foolish it is to waste time worshipping someone, or something, that doesn’t exist. For sure, he would discuss the worship of idols like in Isa. 44:8-19; how one would spend all this time worshipping an inanimate object, hoping to be rewarded. But it isn’t written by an Atheist as they wouldn’t include verses like Psalms 14:1, The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
Read more

The Death of Marriage

Image
  Divorce and the Bible, part 1   Introduction In Malachi 2:16, it is written, “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.” Marriage is an invention of God, divorce is an invention of man, therefore, God hates divorce. And, it’s not just an unscriptural one either. He hates it altogether. In this series of articles, we’ll look at what the bible has to say about divorce.   Definition of Divorce 1828 Webster’s Dictionary —   A legal dissolution of the bonds of matrimony, or the separation of husband and wife by a judicial sentence. This is properly called a divorce, and called technically, divorce a vinculo matrimonii.   Easton’s Bible Dict. — The dissolution of the marriage tie was regulated by the Mosaic law Deut. 24:1-4. The Jews, after the Captivity, were required to dismiss the foreign women they had married c
Read more