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When a person becomes a Christian (follower of Christ) they are immediately part of the “Body of Christ” which IS the church until He returns to establish His kingdom on earth for 1000 years. The question comes in this day and age…which physical church do we belong to?

Last I knew we had over 108 different denominations in the USA with the label “Baptist”. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia there are well over 20,000 Christian denominations globally and growing based on all the “churches of what’s happening now” being established somewhere almost daily.

The cycle seems to be people leave established churches over personality, cultural, or theological differences. They then build a church around their families and like minded people who all feel displaced or unaccepted in traditional religious churches and seeking higher levels of relationship in their understandings of the faith. As some of these startups grow around a dynamic personality or “preacher”, they start expanding their startup into new startups and pretty soon…voilla!…you have a new independent denominational network or “Brand” of church. Maybe this is God’s design for reaching more people outside of diminishing traditional church structures, but it is too often built around personalities and even cults who don’t share the core tenants of Christ’s Gospel or want to expand with their own versions for “modern times”.

As my family and I have felt led to move on from the church we have been serving for four years, we have been visiting a number of churches in our city mostly where we know people. Like most, we have narrowed our search to churches where we align with their theological confession, but even in that, there is such a variety of personalities, teachings, and emphasis…it can feel daunting to make a decision where to go and who to fellowship with.

There is also the factor of the relationships at our past church(s). In my heart and mind, I am still connected to many brothers and sisters in my past churches but there seems to be a strong tendency where people feel you are rejecting THEM when you move to another church. For me that has not been the case, but I can’t control what others perceive or feel. I know my own heart on this.

As I review Paul’s New Testament teachings on “The Church” as being the body of Christ, I do not view “Church” the same as a majority of believers.  I have always viewed the church of my hometown as ALL of the churches that proclaim the Gospel of Christ as ONE. The perfected church to me would be one where all work together of “one accord” to do the work of sharing the Gospel of hope, providing for the needs of the community (especially the poor), and bring up FAMILIES in the fear and admonition of God through Jesus Christ. Theoretically, I should be able to go to any Christian church in town and worship freely in spirit and truth. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the reality and we Christians have accepted the worldly influences and constructs of worship by race, economic levels, cultures, and languages. The “Tower of Babel” still exists spiritually in the literal and virtual towers of church hierarchies. Religion can simply be a form of idolatry. Church people often do not communicate well or openly with each other.  Rather, for many church is a place we come and present our best sides forward and often cover up the sin and doubt that so often attacks us. Church is a place many come for their own entertainment, edification, or need for belonging. None of that is wrong in and of itself. We all need stimuli, edification, and to belong to something greater than ourselves. Yet, it is my sense that most believers miss the purpose and potential of what church membership and spiritual service is all about.

I am reminded of a quote from my previous blog on “Relationship versus Religion” from A.W, Tozer…

“God is a Person and can be known in increasing degrees of intimate acquaintance as we prepare our hearts for the wonder. It may be necessary for us to alter our former beliefs about God as the glory that gilds the Sacred Scriptures dawns over our interior lives. We may also need to break quietly and graciously with the lifeless textualism that prevails among the gospel churches and to protest the frivolous character of much that passes for Christianity among us. By this we may for the time lose friends and gain a passing reputation for being holier-than-thou; but no man who permits the expectation of unpleasant consequence to influence him in a matter like this is fit for the kingdom of God”.   

There are many ways to apply this quote, but for me it signifies that IF our faith is built simply around the constructs of organized churches or religions, we might miss the whole meaning of the experience and discipline of being part of a church. Per my Biblical understanding a church’s purpose, meaning, or significance will be based on the level of self or corporate sacrifice that will be made to serve and help others. That starts within the membership where we love and serve each other in the Body of Christ and then extends to quickly taking the power of that love and power outside the walls of a church. The church is the PEOPLE, not a building or a program. If buildings or programs keep us from fulfilling what the Spirit of God has instructed us to do or be like, we should sell or destroy those buildings as idols and move on in the Spirit.

As we have visited some of these churches, my main question to pastors or members has been “what is this church’s approach to evangelism and discipleship?”.  Are we gathering together just to make ourselves feel good and edify ourselves…or are we truly preparing ourselves and encouraging each other to carry the Gospel of Christ to the lost? Are we honest or serious about the Great Commission? I have little time or desire to sit around in a circle singing “Kumbaya” with fellow believers. We are in the midst of spiritual warfare with the world. We will lose the war if we don’t have true love of the brethren or deal with the darkness surrounding us or sometimes in us. An hour in a church service is not going to fulfill the calling of assembling ourselves together.

Finally, a number of people tell me in these times they get their church by observing “online”. I spend a lot of time pursing and listening to preachers and music online also, but I do not count this as “going to church”. To be part of the Body of Christ, you need to physically and emotionally be WITH the Body of Christ. Christianity is not a self gratifying faith. It is a faith of sacrifice and service to others…directly AND indirectly. As the world continues to divide and conquer us through confusions of doctrines and manipulation into false WOKE philosophies of everyone being OK just the way they are…we more than ever must unite with true fellow believers and combine our lives…mind, body, and spirit… to speak the truth in love and stand together against these tides of confusion and false understandings of faith and belief.

If you believe in the Gospel as expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and strive to live accordingly, you are part of my church. Whether you worship quietly standing in place, or jump up and down in emotional glee in response to what God has done for you in Christ…you are part of my spiritual family. Whether you love classical Christian music, southern gospel, black gospel, contemporary christian, christian rock, jazz, or blues…I only care about what you stand for apart from all that noise. We are to love one another as the church everywhere…not just those within our own building, denomination, or style.

So, let all who profess and are united in Christ build THE church together in my town…and wherever YOUR town is.