What Good Is Church?

We live in a time in the Western Church where people are seeing less and less value in attending church. They say that God is omnipresent and in our hearts so why can’t we just be part of the invisible church? Why can’t we be Digital Disciples and just watch pastor-teachers online and fellowship in Christian forums and chat groups? Why can’t we just meet in houses in small cell groups? Indeed, it seems like a myriad of questionings and rejection of what is called traditional church.

People have issues with organized religion. I am against any kind of religion organized or not. However, for the sake of argument if organized religion has issues unorganized has far more issues. Most people I have met that claim to be part of the invisible church seem to have invisible works providing little to no impact on the community or anyone.

While small groups are good to have there is no one human cell that can live on its own for very long. Neither did God call us to be a scattering of cells, but to be one Body.

Indeed, God created one temple for an entire nation. We complain if we have to travel more than ten miles to a church when we may drive forty miles to work. Paul wrote to THE Church at Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi and Colosse. Jesus spoke to THE Church at Sardis, Philadelphia, etc. not to the numerous churches in each city.

Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. At this moment, it looks like that will be the one prayer He doesn’t get a yes answer or at least not until the Rapture. Indeed, if we are heeding the Holy Spirit that guides into all truth then we would be speaking the same thing and working in one Body because there is only one truth to every issue of life not one for you, one for me and one for the other eighty churches in town.

There is obviously a disconnect between the Head of the Church and the Church. The Head should be telling the Body what to do. When it does not we have a problem with the Body because it has been blown to pieces by error, pride, power, sin and men’s philosophies.

Since I am not in another country where if you preach less than three hours the congregation feels cheated lets try to do a quick look at why corporate Church is a good thing.

A Place To Be Encouraged

Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 

24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

25  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. 

It would appear that even in the first century some decided that meeting as a Body was not necessary or chose to go off and do their own thing. John said that “they went out from us because they were not of us” meaning they were not saved. That is true of some today. Tares will come and go usually after they tear up the Church or at least try. I had a lady at one church say that she wondered if she could be the one to destroy the church. WOW!!!

Others may have had authority issues or wanted to be the authority. Others may have thought they had a new and better way to do things. Solomon was right on when he said that there was nothing new under the sun. Man’s problems in every generation are the same old problems labeled with other names.

The believers were told to hold fast to their profession of faith without wavering. Many who are no longer in church are dealing with wavering faith. When their faith was strong they could not wait for the church doors to be open and they wanted to be with fellow believers every chance they could because the bond was strong.

When a sin or a tragedy came into their life they started missing here and there until they stopped altogether or became one of the SMOs (Sunday Morning Only) or worse the C&E Christians (Christmas and Easter). Their faith wavered and their attendance dropped.

Sometimes it is because it has become all about themselves when the Word says we should consider others. The Greek for consider literally means to observe them fully. Keep an eye on others so they do not fall away. When we are all about what we can get out of church looking only for our blessings we are in peril ourselves of falling away or becoming the sit, soak and soured saints who do not want to bless others.