Church, the building

Last updated on July 29, 2020

 

The Church was given a lot of latitude to accomplish it's mission.

 

Though not specifically stated, it is implied as Christ didn't leave us a lot of rules as to how "Church" is to be.  However, the Church should infer that there are things it should do as Christ Himself stated, or He did so through the Apostles, by His giving of Kudos.  Likewise, the Church can infer the things it shouldn't do by the condemnation that Christ Himself stated, or through His Apostles, that the Church was doing wrong.  of course there were there also the some specific instructions that Christ did leave for the Church that it was to follow; not following these instructions can only be intrepid as wrong.

 

As I mentioned earlier, Christ intended for there to be one Church.  All Christians working together for a unified cause.  Obviously, there would be differing groups of people around the globe that would be able to adjust to a given location for the purpose of delivering the Gospel.  What has happened is that the Church splintered into divisions that appeal to personal interest instead of focusing on the primary task of the delivering the word and caring for His people.

 

Instead the Church at location, we now have the 1^st Christian Church of someplace.  The Westside Free whatever at where ever.  The United Christians of the Northside.  Obviously, I made these names up but can drive through any town that has more than three churches and get the idea.   Though on occasion, differing congregations will work together, more often than not, they are in competition with each other.

 

Thus the One church is wasting resources because of piety rituals, music preferences and unfortunately the saddest, doctrinal issues.  There should be no doctrinal issues in the Christian Church.  Just follow the Bible folks!  Leave your whim’s and desires at home.

 

The origin of the splintered church began in Europe.  People started leaving Catholicism.  Unfortunately, a lot of the ritual came to the new churches when they started.  Now days, the church further splits because their members want different music.  Want different colors painted o the walls.  Don’t want a playground or expansion.  Don’t want the communion wafer and juice passed at the same time.  We don’t want a big church.  Really stupid reasons for splitting.  But I’m getting off topic.

 

Originally there was to be one Church. When needed, that Church became the Church at Emphasis.  When another church was needed, it became the Church at Macedonia.  And so on.  But what did the original Church look like?

 

It was BIG!  In Acts 2:41, we are told that 3,000 people were saved that first day of hearing the Gospel.  In Acts 4:4 another 5,000 people.  These were in Jerusalem.

 

And let me point this out for churches that don’t offer an invitation hymn after the preaching; after the message, they asked what they should do and Peter replied, “Repent and Be Baptized”, and 8,000 became Christians!  What would have happened if Peter had spoken and then “Good-Night all” and walked off stage?  How many would have become believers?  How many would have been able to figure out what to do next on their own?

 

OK, so the first Church was big.  8,000 people.  And not a single First-Baptist, Free Methodist, or Grace Heaven anywhere.  What a problem.  Though were not told specifically through one verse, we are told that they did meet at the Temple and in the Synagogues as well as in people’s homes.

 

At first the Apostles would act as the Elders and the Teachers and make their rounds to these locations.  As others learned the Christian faith, then thy would have been elevated into the ranks of Elders and Teachers.

 

I cannot find any reference in the Bible as to where the first physical dedicated Church was so it is very likely to have been long after the writing of the New Testament.

 

Life and communities were very much different in the early Church.  It would take a while and may have never truly occurred, but getting over the different status’ and ethnic groups would have been difficult.  Besides the issue of the Jew-Gentile (or Jew-Barbarian) was the issue of Free-Slave and master-servant (this was more of an indentured servitude thing).  And though there may have been some issues even among the Apostles, Jew, Gentile, Free, Slave were all preached to.  A melting pot of community and region.

 

The Bible also states that most of the new converts did try to follow what they were taught and were very devoted to the Christian faith.  Of course there were a few problem people.  When money needed to be raised to help really needy Christians, nearly everyone jumped in.

 

The Church grew quickly.  Apparently, the training and teaching matched pace for the most part.  Nowhere have I seen that they stopped preaching and trying to reach people because they ran out of teaching resources for those that was already converted.  It may be possible that the Church leaders were not quite mature enough as, especially Paul, went back to correct a lot of the Churches that were started.  Also, Christ, in John’s Revelations, condemns the Churches pretty well.

 

Though tasked with everything of an Elder, the preachers of the New Testament had to do more.  Unfortunately, most of the preachers were failing and many purposely taught a false gospel to take advantage of the people.

 

Sometimes, even today, there are preachers out there that intently mislead people.  But I would imagine that most are just mistaken or have become confused in their doctrine or teaching.

 

I would like to point out that the Church is not a building.  We often say that were going to church; to a specific location, but in reality, hopefully, you’re going to where the Church is; where a group of Christians are.  The location is immaterial.

 

I would also like to suggest that Church is even more than just the people.  So what if a bunch of people are there.  Church is a group of Christians that meet in and for fellowship, to support each other and to edify one another.  And if it is a healthy church, then it will also go into the community, sharing the Gospel and inviting that community back into itself.

 

So why the heck are there so many different churches?  Why so many different congregations and denominations?  The main reason is our selfishness.  As Christians, we haven’t shaken off all of the bad.  So we get wrapped in what we, I, want.  I want stained glass windows.  I want an organ, I want the color blue, I want a playground, I don’t want a playground.  We want to expand, we don’t want to expand.  We want to use hymnals, we want the screen.  We want music, we don’t want music.  You have to speak in tongues, no you don’t.  It’s crazy.  It shouldn’t be.

 

And instead of pulling our resources to achieve the Great Commission, our money pools are split.  Now there are 2 buildings to have to maintain.  2 buildings to pay electricity on.  2 pieces of property to mow.  Etc.  2 of everything dividing our resources instead of polling logistics and such on one and using the rest of the resources (people, money, building, etc) to winning souls.  Multiple this times how many churches in a community?

 

I was disappointed the other day, while talking to an elder, he asked if I had considered starting my own church.  I wouldn’t have thought the individual would think another splinter would be good.  We don’t need more congregations, we need to harmonize and consolidate what there are for the purpose of exposing more people to the Lord.

 

Another reason for Church splits are Denominationally; though some are not denomination but cultural.  There is denomination that believes that music during their service is wrong.  I don’t know what they feel about music in general.  Others don’t believe in baptism.  The list goes on.

 

Some churches ascribe to a particular Bible translation;  saying that this version is the inspired version while others think it is another version.  The truth is about the inspired Word of God, it is all in the original Hebrew, Greek and Latin.  Everything else is a translation.  There are differences in the translations.  There has to be or there would only be one translation.  Here is not the place or time or time to get into the translation debate.  But for general purposes, all the common translations are sufficient.  There is also nothing wrong with a congregation choosing to use on translation as that helps to keep everyone reading the same when studying.

 

So what does the Church look like now?  I personally don’t think it looks anything like Christ intended or what He wants.  He left man to care for it.  And He told us how to do it.  And I feel we’ve blown it.

 

Man is imperfect.  Living in Christ we can become a new creation; but we still have some imperfection.  And since the Church is people; is Christians, it is going to have it’s flaws.  Every congregation.  Every denomination.  Every person.  Every member.  And even every leaders.

 

But despite this, we are told to not give up meeting regularly (Hebrews 10:25).  That’s a tough one for people that don’t see any change happening or coming, have become burnt out, or are tired of the hypocrisy.  But if we’re Christ followers, we have to leave our cross behind and get back to church.