Promises and Secrets
A website for those not afraid to examine their beliefs, compare them to the real world, and make sure they fit.
Essential Church?
VIEWPOINT
Unfortunately, contrary to majority "Christian" opinion, the Bible does not even imply that going to church is necessary or suggest that it is desireable.
FACT
Most people who call themselves Christians feel that going to church is essential to being in the will of God. In fact, they feel attendance is necessary if a person has any hope of going to Heaven.
VIEWPOINT
Under Construction.
VIEWPOINT
Define "Church"
Searching for some terms on the Internet the other day, I came across a website that discusses the concept of "Church" (Called Out: Now What? by Steve Simms, subtitled Ecclesia is not a church). The word "ecclesia" or "ekklesia", from the Greek, has been translated in modern Bibles as "church", which is very loosely correct, but is hardly ever used in the correct meaning of the word.
By very loosely, I mean that the Greek word kuriakos means "of the Lord". It can be a building (church), a house, car, or a dog, if it is dedicated to the Lord (you get the idea). The real origin of the word "church" is an Old English word "cirice" (WordSense). As you can see by the spelling, this is a lot closer to the word "church" than is "ecclesia". You can go to "cirice", but you are supposed to be the "ecclesia". Ecclesia is the term used by Jesus to refer to those "called-out ones" He commanded to "come out of the world". He spoke of people, not buildings. His people are the ones who submit to Him as their Lord, and do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
).
"Ommmm...Be...the...church...ommm..."
Now, this seems to be a hard concept for some people to grasp, but let's try. Ready? The Bible never says to "go to church". We are to gather in assemblies, worship together, praise God together - everywhere we go. Nowhere are we told to support a large,fancy building with stained glass windows, monster spires, curved sloped roofs, air conditioning, kitchens, classrooms, offices, plumbing, sewers, electricity, and a million other things that put a burden on the people to support something for a short visit or two each week. Go ahead, point out the verse that obligates us to do that. We are to "be the church" to our neighbor. That means act like it, speak like it, teach like it, share like it, love like it, and do all that right where you are. Never are we advised to "go to it".
Essential? Why?
I found a book by Thom S. Rainer and Sam S. Rainer III called essantial church?, which immediately captured my attention. The main thought starting out was that too many young people are not involved with any church because it is "not essential" to their lives. The authors go on to describe all the things that churches do to increase their membership, without making any of them mean enough to become an essential part of one's life - especially the young people. In my usual contrary manner, I think this is the wrong approach.
The church should not be that which is essential to people. I know, I know - WHAT!?!? What is a "church"? Well, let's stay correct and say "ecclesia". It is a group of people called out of the world to spread the gospel about Jesus. The young people of today are admonished to go to church and sit in the pews listening to a pastor who is twisting scripture to make it so banal that no one feels any danger living in the world. They are assured that they are saved and cannot lose that salvation, no matter what. So, in their minds, why do they need to go to church?
An essential is something that is necessary. Sharing the gospel, studying in groups, and learning about Jesus and the Father are essential. Every week we have meetings at our homes with friends and discuss the Bible, compare interpretations, share news of others in need, and we do just fine. We don't dress up, schedule the plan for each meeting, or pass the offering plate. We are the church, and we help those in true need with our tithes and offerings. That is essential to spreading the word, and the love, of the ecclesia. We don't need expensive, double glass, lockable doors on the front of a building that is usually empty. That building also costs taxes and maintenance. Not essential...
Another thought
Sticking my neck out a long way here, but I think "going to church" takes the "burden" of sharing the gospel away from us and places it on the pastors. The trouble with that is that each "church" teaches something different about what God expects. When was the last time you studied the Bible to be prepared for the sermon at church. Did you even know what the next sermon was about before you arrived? During the sermon, could you ask the pastor to explain a passage or his comment on a passage? How about putting forward a mild disagreement with something he said that contradicted the Bible? Your pastor spends a lot of time preparing a sermon (or did once if he uses an old sermon). Then he has to take the time to present it. You? You had to make sure the kids were ready to go, drive to church, then sit for the sermon, drop money in the plate, and go back home. Same routine every week. No study required.
Here's a challenge for you. Call up a friend and invite him or her over for a Bible study. You know, one where you pick a subject between the two of you, and then read about it in the Bible, discussing what you read. During that study, if you have a question, ask it. Ask his or her opinion about the meaning of a passage. Ask if they think God meant what the Bible says He said. Ask what they think we are to do when our life hits a situation that matches that under study. You may find that a "simple" Bible study will prompt extra interest in a study rather than listening to a one-sided sermon while sitting in a comfortable pew.
Where to start? Prepare...
I got a little frustrated the other day in one of our meetings. The son of my friend lives in Utah, while we live in Washington state. His son, let's call him Bob, has three sons of his own ranging in age from 13 to 14. When they joined the group (over a cell phone connection), my friend suggested that we start reading the gospel of Luke. While going through the passages in the book, the discussions mentioned salvation and Jesus dying on the cross for us. At the end of the discussion, I asked the "kids" if they understood what the word "salvation" means. The answer was an outright "No." I asked them if they understood what "sin" means. They thought it meant breaking the ten commandments.
"Back the truck up..."
That bothered me. Here we are trying to "study" something that we have not even defined well enough for young men to ask questions. I attempted a quick explanation of original sin, Jesus' preaching, His death and resurrection, and His qualification to save us. Think about that. How much of that will sink in to a 13- or 14-year-old over the phone? We have since decided that once we finish the book of Luke, we should go back to Genesis and walk through that story. S-l-o-w-l-y. We need to explain what happened in Genesis, why God regretted making man, the destruction of almost all of the human race, and the "restart" with Noah's family. If that doesn't generate some questions, or at least explain some hard things about life and God's rules, then I don't know what to do. But, I'm willing to try.
We need to explain what happened in the beginning, why men need "saving" and from what, what it means to be saved, and understand why people can't just keep on ignoring the instructions of God and still expect to "go to heaven". We need to make sure that everyone knows there are real consequences to disobedience. We need to define "disobedience". We think everyone understands things the way we do, but this was a perfect example of that assumption being dead wrong. Finding out what God wants and getting people on His track is the whole purpose of joining the ecclesia. You can't make that kind of decision properly without knowing the costs - and benefits.
That is the essential "church", or better yet, "ecclesia"
Just remember that we have only received one Bible from God. There is only one story in it. However, from that one book, we have managed to create 45,000 different denominations of churches globally (LiveScience) who believe radically different things. This means that somehow we have found that many ways to interpret the word of God. He has only one set of instructions in His book. Those instructions include the creation of a holy day that the vast majority of "Christians" ignore every week, a diet of approved foods to which few pay any attention, and commands not to be mixing pagan practices with their "Christian" practices. It's not like they are hidden in the Bible, but people seem to listen to these sermons of pastors who say it is fine to ignore the instructions of God. The problem is that if God meant what He said, very few are going to find the destination they seek (Matthew 7:13-14
13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
).
If you disagree with this definition of "church" or assembly, let me know and I will be glad to publish your definition on the other side of this page.
Disagree? Find an error? Contact us at glenjjr@gmail.com and give us your view.
VIEWPOINT
Under Construction
