THE CHURCH:
Edifice or Family?
Daniel Valles 9/30/7   www. informedchristians.com

Isaiah 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men…”

Thomas Vincent (1634-1678), remarking about God’s judgment on the city of London after the Great Plague, laid the responsibility for the errors and waywardness of the people at the feet of the churches and of the pastors. They had left preaching the whole Word of God in not preaching judgment and repentance for sin. He soberly remarked, “…when so many pillars were removed, no wonder if the building tumble to the ground.” Similarly today, the pillars of truth are removed from where they are needed the most. Our nation is already reeling back and forth, about to collapse as a swelling wall. Why is this so? Does not America have an abundance of church buildings in every community? Are there not church programs available in every age group and interest? How can there be so many church organizations, yet our nation so cold toward God? Why are there countless hundreds of thousands of professing Christians who are so lukewarm to the things of God that their ‘light’ couldn’t even be seen with night vision? Why are there countless ‘Christian’ organizations, programs, and institutions that are filled with useless salt? Why does one have to search high and low to find a Christian brother or sister who is sold out for God?

One of the leading causes for a lukewarm Christian is that they depend on others for their heating or cooling. Lukewarmness is a state that is reached by itself. Nobody has appliances in their kitchen that are dedicated to making things lukewarm. We either have to heat things up, or cool them down. Ice cream will not freeze itself. Bread will not bake itself. The same is true for Christians. So many Christians remain in a lukewarm state because they depend on their ‘church’ organization instead of growing in Christ to where they can feed themselves. There is a place for discipleship, but your children should soon outgrow the highchairs and bibs.

Why is this so? Why can Christians be so fervent and zealous in their attendance and participation at ‘church’ events, yet have little appetite for the things of God? The answer is that they are never told or instructed in what the Church truly is. Most Christians grow up learning that the church organization down the street is the only God-ordained method of growing in the Lord, and that any other mode is backsliding. Hence, week after week, they perform the same rituals over and over again, ever mindful not to miss a single service – because if they do, then ‘obviously’ they do not love the things of the Lord. Nothing could be further from the truth. This mindset has subtly convinced many Christians that their spirituality is not their dedication and relationship to God, but comes from their dedication to a position (pastor) and to their organization (local ‘church’).

I see so many Christians who are ignorant of what the Church is, that they assume their man-made organization is what the Bible is talking about when it mentions ‘church’. It grieves me because this is one of the leading factors in the lack of discernment among Christians. If any Christian lacks in discernment, then they will make a host of mistakes, both in life and in their faith. Today, we are going to look through Scripture to find out what the Church is, and how that truth affects our walk with Christ and others.

Firstly, let us examine what is the house of God. I Timothy 3:15 says, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” It vexes me to no end when I hear this verse, and others similar, quoted as referring to some individual’s ‘sanctuary’ building. I have heard this verse and I Corinthians 14:40 (“Let all things be done decently and in order.”) quoted as justification that the ushers must be wearing a coat and tie and walk ceremoniously down the aisle to take up an offering. Some people read it as a guideline for how they are to behave in a literal building, all pious, hushed, and serious. They use this verse to mistakenly think (and teach) that the term “house of God” is synonymous with the modern entity called ‘church’. They tout that the church institution is the only pillar of truth and proper teaching. That is baloney, but let us examine why people make that erroneous assumption. In the Old Testament, we find that the term ‘house of God’ is used to refer to a building. Judges 20:18 says, “And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God.” Again, in I Chronicles 22:2, it says, “And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.” The term ‘house of God’ truly does refer to a building proper when it is used in context of the Old Testament Temple. Back then, that was the literal place where God said He would dwell. It was literally His house (I Kings 6:11-14).

Also in the Old Testament, we find that the term refers also to anyplace that God is present. In Genesis 28:17, Jacob exclaims upon seeing the ladder and angels, “…How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” The term ‘house of God’ was referring to God’s presence resting or residing in a physical location.

However, in the New Testament, we find that the term changes in definition. In I Peter 4:17, it says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God…” Well, this doesn’t appear to be talking about a physical place. Indeed, the rest of the verse clarifies what the term ‘house of God’ is used in throughout the New Testament: “…and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” The Apostle Peter states that “us” is the “house of God”. In Hebrews 3:6, we again find this explained: “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” Again, II Corinthians 5:1 says, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Too many Christians confuse the New Testament “house of God” with the Old Testament’s. In the Old Testament, the term “house of God” referred to their physical relationship with God – ie. they could worship God at Jerusalem. In the New Testament, God elaborates on this concept to state that now our relationship is not limited anymore to a physical location, but it is on a much higher level – it is now used in our relation as family.

If we reread I Timothy 3:15 with this mindset, it makes much more sense: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Paul is not telling Timothy how we are to behave at a worship location; but, instead, how we are to behave in God’s family. Notice in the verse, that he outlines that the “house of God” “is the church”. Many Christians would also appear to agree with this. They will nod in agreement that Christians make up the Church. What they fail to recognize is that the Church the Bible is referring to – are you ready for this – is the Church. What I mean by this is that the Church is not an organization called the ‘church’. They have nothing in common except the same spelling. Yet, many Christian leaders try to convince young (and old) Christians that the local, physical organization called the ‘church’ is the same one Christ is talking about as being so pivotal.

If we look at the context of I Timothy chapter three, we find that the entire context is talking about families, fathers, wives, and children. Indeed, in verse five, it states “…if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” How come people have no problem understanding that the word “house” in that verse refers to the man’s household, i.e. family; yet, they will argue with you that ten verses later the same word is referring to a building because it is talking about the Church? In Hebrews 3:6 we verify this family use of the word referring to Christians when it states, “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we…” The New Testament makes is so clear that when it is talking about God’s house, it is talking about His children and only His children! The term “house of God” is the same terminology as the “house of David”, “house of Judah”, “house of Israel”, etc.

The words “house of God” and “church” in the New Testament do not refer to a place, building, organization, institution, or similar concept; they refer to God’s children as a family relationship. In Acts 7:47, Paul clarifies: “But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” The apostles and disciples understood the departure from the Old Testament way of thinking to its new and completed meaning as Christ’s children. In John 2:19-22, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” Jesus Christ, Himself, made it clear to the disciples that He was going to be the Head of His house – the Church, not a building.

It irks me to no end when people use the phrase “going to church”. I know what they mean, but it irks me that their confusing of the term can lead to misunderstanding the term when they read the Scriptures. It shows a mindset that has crept in. Too many Christians blindly accept terms because they are misused instead of searching them out. One favorite verse that is misinterpreted because of this mindset is Hebrews 10:25. It is so often used to beat Christians over the head that they ‘must’ attend their local organization’s every meeting. It says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” I can see how people confuse “assembling of ourselves together” as going to a physical church’s meetings – especially if they are taught that’s what it means. However, we find that that assumption is wrong. Firstly, nothing in the whole chapter provides any context to tie it to any type of organization, let alone one called a ‘church’. In fact, the word ‘church’ is only mentioned twice in the whole book of Hebrews (2:12,12:23), and it is referring to “my brethren” and to “the firstborn” (the saved). Yet, if we look at what the New Testament clearly outlines as the church, we will find what Paul was admonishing the Hebrews to do.

Firstly, Ephesians 5:23 tells us, “For the husband in the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” The New Testament, again, clearly outlines that The Church is a family structure. Just like the man is the head of the household, Christ is the head of His household. In this passage, we should not be surprised that God uses the word ‘church’ when talking in context of a family structure. The ‘family of God’ and the ‘church’ are the same thing. When we look up the Greek words used for ‘church’, we find ekklesia. Ekklesia is “a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community or members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.” (Strong’s Concordance). The word ‘church’ could safely be substituted with the word ‘assembly’. That is why some groups refer to themselves as ‘the assembly of God’ instead of ‘the church of God’. That is what ‘church’ is – it is an assembly of Christians. However, before you limit (or have someone else convince you) that this means whenever we assemble together in a local organized fashion and place that also goes under the name ‘church’, let us look at some more Scripture.

In Matthew 18:20, Jesus, Himself, from His very own lips, told His disciples, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Jesus, Himself, said that if even two people ‘assemble’ together in His name (i.e. Bible study, talk about Jesus, etc.) He will be there blessing it! Yet, I have had people jump down my throat because instead of going to a local organized assembly somewhere, I had a nice quiet Bible study one Sunday morning at my picnic table with two other Christians studying God’s Word and getting excited together reading God’s Word and praying together. What was the difference? One group thinks of ‘church’ in terms as an organization, while the latter thought in terms of a family. In Hebrews 12:23, we find that the book is addressed, “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn…” To the writer of Hebrews, those terms were synonymous! Anyplace where some Christians are assembled, regardless of form or fashion, it is considered an assembly or ‘church’!

I strongly believe that many ‘churches’ in America today think of ‘church’ along Roman Catholic lines – that as an organization with a similar power structure. The Assembly/Church is not a ‘church’ in the sense of the Sunday ritual that most Christians go through the motions of. It is not even limited to the sense of a Bible study. It most certainly has zero resemblance to the modern “cell group” nonsense. The Assembly/Church is a gathering of believers as the ekklesia or called-out people in Jesus Christ that is arranged and likened to a family.

So many Christians have their concept of ‘church’ opposite of what the Bible teaches. Many people think that ‘church’ is a large group of people, and if you are not in a large group, you are backsliding, or stealing people from the pastors. Contrast that mistaken concept with Jesus Christ describing the church in the fewest numbers possible (two or three) and we find that perhaps there is more to ‘church’ than just the cliché of saying that the people make the church, not the building. In Luke 12:32, Jesus again addressed His followers with, “Fear not, little flock…” Oftentimes, the sincere followers of Christ are not in large congregations. Most often they fellowship with each other in small groups throughout the week. Often, most Christians will tell you that ‘church’ is where you go to a building, sing a song or two, pay money, and then sit quietly for about forty-five minutes listening to a pastor preach. However, again, the Bible lays out that the true Church is defined by it interaction and fellowship like a family. Nowhere does God tie the New Testament concept of church with a building or location.

Another verse frequently misunderstood is Acts 2:47: “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Now, if you stick with the modern, high-brow definition of ‘church’ as defined by the average Christian, you might say that some local organization called a church suddenly got a huge attendance and membership boost. However, Christ was not adding to some piddly organization’s attendance roster - He was adding to His family.

Another irk from this verse is that it is used to justify church membership. What a bunch of controlling garbage! I ‘joined’ the Church when I accepted Christ as my Saviour! If I need ‘voting rights’ in my local assembly, then the spiritual fruits in my life should be evidence to be numbered with the Biblical elders. Matthew 7:20 says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Note that it does not say by their church membership. I have seen so-called ‘shephereds’ brow-beat meek Christians into joining the ‘church’ because the ‘Holy Spirit’ led them to. And if you hesitated come time to go forward to join the ‘church’, you got the ‘eye’ from the ‘shepherd’. Whatever is not of faith is sin. By our fruits we should be accepted/accepting into areas of responsibility in local assemblies. I digress. Let’s get back on subject.

The question may legitimately come up, “Didn’t Jesus and the disciples go to the synagogue? Yes, but, they went on the Sabbath to proclaim the Gospel. The disciples and apostles regularly met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Jesus was famous for preaching the Gospel in the synagogues, and He told His disciples that they would be thrown out for the same reason. Also, the disciples and apostles did not go to the synagogues as the ekklesia of Christ – they were bringing the Gospel to the unbelieving Jews. The synagogues were teaching rabbinical Judaism, rejecting Jesus Christ as Messiah.

So, if the ekklesia did not assemble in the synagogues, where did they gather together? In Philemon 1:2, it says, “…to the church in thy house.” Colossians 4:15 – “…the church which is in his house.” I Corinthians 16:19 – “…the church that is in their house.” Romans 16:5 – “…the church that is in their house.” Acts 8:3 – “…he made havock of the church, entering into every house.” Acts 2:46 – “…and breaking bread from house to house.” Notice that in each of these passages, the reference was to in houses. It was not the house or building itself - that was irrelevant. The Christians gathered together at different homes. In Acts 16:13, Paul, and those with him, went to the riverside to gather for prayer. Today, Christians have it all messed up by dogmatically insisting that worship of God can only take place in their ‘sanctuary’, by their rules, and anyone who tries to worship God elsewhere must be backsliding out of some mythical prescribed format.

Yes, Christians are highly encouraged to gather together (Hebrews 10:25); BUT that is the end of the story folks! There are no stipulations added except has to be more than one person to be called an assembly (duh), and you have to be gathered in Christ’s name. Christ left it opened ended, not restricted! This is the heart of what Christ was telling the Samaritan woman at the well! In John 4:20, we find the woman explaining to Jesus what the ‘rules of worship’ were that she was raised with. “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” She was basically saying that our rules says you must do this, and the Jews’ rules say you must do that. Jesus, however, came from a completely different angle. He said, “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Jesus told her that of the two groups she outlined, the Jews were on track as far as what God had prescribed – BUT, that it was about to change very shortly for everyone (His death on the cross). Here, at this point in time, Jesus Christ was explaining that the old terminology about the ‘house of God’ was about to change. Not only that, but everything about our worship and relationship to God was about to change. Jesus Christ was explaining in advance to her that there was no longer going to be a Temple or Tabernacle. There was no longer going to be priests and Levites. There was no longer going to be sacrifices. There was no longer going to be regulations regarding how they came to the Temple Mount. Jesus was telling her that very shortly, our worship toward God would not consist in a location, but on a relationship with God! The new house and family of God that Jesus Christ ushered in was completely opposite of what the Jews had grown up with. The early believers were living out the revolutionary truth that they did not need a building anymore for their worship! So many Christians erroneously think that somehow the modern church buildings take the place of the temple. No! Jesus Christ was emphasizing to the woman that worship and fellowship with God no longer had anything to do with a building! Yet many Christians and pastors insist that we need a building to worship God! If you think I am making a mountain out of a molehill, announce to your pastor and fellow church-goers that this coming Sunday, you will not be going out there, you will be staying at home and having devotions with your family. I guarantee you that the mistaken concept of ‘church’ as an organization is so deeply entrenched and misunderstood that many will look at you in horror as they wonder how you could become so apostate and drag your family away from ‘worshipping at the house of God’. It is a mindset, but it very important to your walk with God.

Jesus Christ highlighted to the woman that worship of God was not going to involve a building, but would depend on only spirit and truth. The two groups the woman mentioned to Christ both had their special locations for worshipping God. Jesus Christ outlined that His formula for worship would actually deliberately exclude buildings as a requirement.

For the early believers, that facet alone was a testimony that set them miles apart from the Judaism that was taught in the Temple and in the synagogues! The Jews could see in these early Christians that they had spiritual freedom from the formality, liturgy, and trappings of religion! Yes, there is attention to doctrine; but, formality and liturgy no longer have a part of our worship to God! Instead of works (attendance, sacrifice, rituals) they could now worship (spirit and truth). At the Temple and synagogues, the average Jew was merely an observer. The rabbis and priests lorded over them; they could not approach God by themselves. The average Jew had scheduled worship of where, whens, and hows. The early believers in Christ were suddenly free from those restraints to where they could now approach God by themselves without formality and liturgy. The new believers now also had more time and access to knowing and worshipping God. So, the question comes up: Why have we put the chains back on?

When we look at the way that the early New Testament ekklesia worshipped God, we find that we have departed in many ways, reverting back to the same things that Jesus Christ was abolishing. In the verses we looked at before, we find that they gathered in a family and home environment. This type of environment is a far cry from the sterile, corporate, formal proceedings called ‘church’ today. Today’s churches are filled with non-committal and shallow greetings disguising the lack of true fellowship with one another. In John 13:34-35, Jesus encourages His house, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Just like Jesus clued the woman at the well to the new changes He was bringing about, He also told His disciples that there were going to be new commandments about worshipping God that overruled previous modes. He told them that instead of the formal, impersonalness of Temple worship where you come in and give you sacrifice to some Levite to sacrifice for you, there was going to be a new house of God set up where the family members were “personable” with each other. Where our relationship with each other was as important as our relationship with God. In the Temple, they did not have to have any relationship or fellowship with the Temple workers. They were separated. One was an observer, the other was a participant. The early Church flipped that on the head to where everyone was equal brothers and sisters who all approached our Heavenly Father the same way. The early Church, because they met in much more personable and friendly surroundings, could bear one another’s burdens, have their questions answered, doubts quelled, and godly fellowship edified. Today’s corporate churches only have token aspects of the characteristics which largely defined the early Church.

Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts us, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” When was the last time you assembled together as ‘church’ to instead of listen to one man speak, actually talk to each other and exhort and edify each other? Today’s churches get far away from the focus on each other – the focus comes on one man, the pastor. Acts 2:46-47 tells us more about the early Church: “…and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily...” It absolutely breaks my heart to see so many ‘churches’ and Christians with a shallow understanding of what true fellowship is. Fellowship is not greeting one another, talking about the sports game, weather, school activities, or some other trivial stubble. True fellowship is not even what takes place in these expensive ‘fellowship halls’ that ‘churches’ build. Most of what takes place in the foyers and halls of churches would classify as social activity. Nothing wrong in that, except that it is mistaken for fellowship. True fellowship is communion and intimate familiarity. How many of the Christians at your local ‘church’ do you know their spiritual burdens and joys? How many of them know your ‘spiritual temperature’ and exhort, edify, and encourage you accordingly? The early church had “singleness of heart, praising God…” not because they all had the same membership, or the same pastor’s mindset, or because they had just started a collective building program – no, they could all praise God because they had a closeness with each other to where they could encourage each other in what was most important to all of them – their with walk with God.

When we examine traits and functions of the ekklesia, we find several things that are different from today’s ‘church’. Firstly, the functions of the early church consisted of: Teaching scripture, exposing and warning against false teachings and teachers, evangelizing the lost, ministering to those in need spiritually and temporally, hold accountable to scripture, provide fellowship, provide corporate worship, pray for one another, and to bear one another’s burdens. Well, is there any difference between the so-called ‘churches’ of today, and the ekklesia of the New Testament? Yes.

Both function (to different degrees) to: teach the Scripture, expose and warn against false teachings and teachers, and to evangelize the lost. *Some* still minister to those in need spiritually and temporally, and *some* still hold accountable to Scripture. However, most modern so-called ‘churches’: do not provide fellowship, do not provide corporate worship, do not pray for one another, and they do not bear one another’s burdens. To go into detail on that, what is missing from the modern, so-called ‘churches’? For the most part, a building defines their gathering. In their minds, any other place than their place must be only under dire, emergency situations, or intense persecution (and even then maybe). For most ‘churches’ the mere act of going to the scheduled meetings constitutes ‘worship’. For most ‘churches’, the family is divided up, segregated, isolated, and separated. The children are whisked away from their Biblical teachers (parents) and further separated into age groups to learn from other fools their age. The women and men sometimes have separate classes, sometimes also further separated by age. The interaction between God’s family members is superficial (at best), and by-and-large the format of service often leaves little time to interact with each other. Most ‘church members’ of today are fellowship-deficient and isolated. Very rarely (if ever) are they corporate with worshipping God. Furthermore, they have virtually little spiritual intimacy and accountability that comes from close assembling. Often, only a few select (publicized) burdens are shared with the whole church (unless you are on the pastor’s black list, of course (or his wife’s, Mrs. Pastor)).

Why has the church forfeited the spiritual freedoms that Christ gave to us? Why do we not contend for our spiritual freedoms as much as we do for our temporal freedoms? The early church enjoyed great freedom largely un-encumbered by the formality, liturgy, and trappings of religion. Today’s ‘churches’ have the sheep convinced that the only safe way to worship God is in a large group of people that you are largely unfamiliar with. Today’s ‘churches’ have subtly re-instituted a separation of clergy and laity, and that somehow the pastor has greater access to God than you do. The ‘churches’ of today re-impose the very same shackles that Christ freed us from! One obvious shackle that the early ekklesia was not encumbered by was the incredible overhead expenses that today’s modern ‘church’ buildings have! The early church met where they could, and their offerings went toward helping missions work, and to help others! Only a penance of today’s ‘church’ budgets go toward true ministry work! Most of it is for maintaining a building they probably use four hours out of the week at most, not to mention staff salaries, landscaping, blah, blah, blah. Even the Temple had huge overheads and constant maintenance expenses. Christ gave out a format that purposely left out a building – and it was to their testimony! Most ‘churches’ teach that a Christian’s obligation it to the building and its functions, not to each other! That is why so many groups of Christians get a big burr under their saddle because they cannot agree on such drivel as the color of the carpet or wallpaper in the bathrooms. The early church would question whether you were truly a Christian if you considered such trivialities as important. In the early church, if you did not like the color of the carpet, you had to deal with it because it was not your house. If it was your house, your guests had to deal with your taste in furnishings. It was not an ‘item’ on the ‘church’ business meeting agenda. Instead of focusing and fellowshipping with each other, most ‘church’ members are only concerned with the pastor’s vision and ministering to his whims. I would not say these are being done purposely (to a degree), but it is largely done through ignorance and by going what men teach about the precepts of God instead of what God dictates! So many Christians never taste of the spiritual freedom that Christ gave His children because they are never taught who they are in Christ!

The ekklesia is a family of believers that has assembled to learn more about the Head of the House, Jesus Christ. Since each assembly consists of members of His family, we could say (in our modern vernacular), that assembling together is similar to a family reunion. At any family reunion, the heads of the households have the most preeminence and focus. Christ is the patriarch and head of our family and each gathering centers around Him. Likewise, at a family reunion, you treat everyone like family. You ask how they are doing, find out what they are doing as a family within the larger family. You treat each other as family, not acquaintances. Even if it is a cousin or brother-in-law that you have never met before, you still treat them like family. Yet, why does modern ‘churchianity’ feel like a stockholder’s meeting?

The goal of Christ’s ekklesia/assembly is not to increase the membership roles (per se), but to be where brethren gather to share the common Faith. Welcoming unbelievers weakens the family structure. Too many ‘churches’ try to make getting the lost into the meeting as the top priority. Unbelievers should never be given more importance than the family of God itself when gathered as the ekklesia. Just like at a family reunion, non-family friends are welcome, but they are not family. The purpose of the gathering is for the family members, not the non-family. Too many good preachers think that the majority of their sermons should present the Gospel. Jesus Christ told Peter three times to feed His flock. The reunion is for the family members, not the non-family. The early Church practiced one-on-one fellowship that strengthened believers against temptations, and worked toward maintaining a clear conscience with each other and God.

In summary, let us examine the precepts by which we fear God. Do we serve God by the precepts that men teach, or by what Christ outlined for His children? On one hand, we find the ‘church’ as defined by the precepts of men. It is a location designated for meeting of believers observing the liturgy of worship. Its formality robs and deprives many blessings from the sincere believer. It impedes the family of God from acting like the family of God.

On the other hand, we find God’s Word defining His House – the Church. It is the assembly of the believers, who are a part of the family (house) of God, without any respect or relationship to building, location, or format. It has been given the freedom to live wholly for God, closer fellowship with Him, and to fellowship one-on-one with the house (family) of God.

“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men…”  Isaiah 29:13

Christian, I know that many of you who read this already find yourselves knowing the deficiencies in today’s churches. Many of you are vexed by the shallowness of ‘churchianity’ in our nation. I have received many emails from brothers and sisters in Christ who ask me if I know of a good assembly in their area, explaining the corruptness or apostasy in their local assemblies. While there is often little that I can do in recommending one, I will pray for you if you write. There are still many godly pastors who can disciple and teach. However, I encourage you to get into the habit of true fellowship with other believers. Make some night during the week a Bible study nite at your house. Invite two or three other Christians over and just spend some time reading God’s Word and talking about it. Share prayer requests. Or schedule a breakfast/coffee time with fellow Christians at a local café before you all head off to work. Pray and ask the Lord to give you wisdom in approaching this matter. If the Lord leads, see if you can be an influence in your local ‘church’. If the church is apostate, or has made it clear that it intends to go its way regardless, then get out. Do not be partakers of their sins. It will be better for you and your family to sit at home on Sunday morning than to be responsible for partaking in taking man’s precepts over God’s. I encourage you to write me if you have any questions or comments. I will do my best, Lord willing, to respond timely with encouragement to each one that writes. Christ is coming soon. Do not spend these twilight days being more man-conscious than God-conscious.

Serve Christ first, and highest above all.

Maranatha!