Church, by definition is not a building, not a place of
worship, not an organization.
As
Neil Cole likes to say: “We are the church.
Where we go the church goes.”
“God
does not dwell in temples made by human hands.”
Stephen, before being martyred.
Church is not a come-and-sit service to attend.
“The church’s
true nature is best seen by the life that Jesus modeled: he took the life of
the kingdom everywhere that he went—out into the world that he was ministering
to.” Roger Thoman
Church is not a passive gathering where some participate and
others just listen.
“The
bleachers are beginning to empty as 707 million action-oriented Christians
start to pour out onto the playing field and discover the joy and challenge of
every-member ministry.” Jim Rutz
Church is not a professionally-led entitity.
“In
the New Covenant we do not need a human priest (pastor) to mediate or pray for
us as we now have a High Priest as our mediator… Having a pastor as our priest violates our
own priesthood as it leads to hierachization, compartmentalization and
fragmentation and makes us lazy laity… Priests do not lead worship but the Body
of Brethren (Body of men, women and even youth) minister to each other.” Victor Choudhrie
Church is not a business.
“In
the first century in Palestine Christianity was a community of believers. Then
Christianity moved to Greece and became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome and
became an institution. Then it moved to Europe and became a culture. And then
it moved to America and became a business. We need to get back to being a
healthy, vibrant community of true followers of Jesus.” Priscilla Shirer
Church is not a club that isolates from the rest of the
world.
“One
of the greatest forms of love, as exemplified by Jesus, is to fully join with
people and live among them.” Roger
Thoman
“We
have to learn to live in the smoking sections of life.” Neil Cole
Church is not separate from ‘everyday’ life.
Reorient
your own personal paradigm. Your business, workplace or home, wherever you
spend most of your time, is your ‘primary nuclear church’. Victor Choudhrie
Church is not something that can be contained by walls or
controlled by man.
“But
what I saw in Kenya, I also see in America and other parts of the world. The
virus is leaking. The Reformation of the 21st Century, led by the Holy Spirit,
is taking Christianity out of containers into the open spaces of the
neighborhoods and nations of the world.”
Brooks Thoman
Sometimes it is in the process of unlearning what church is
not that we can make room for becoming more of what God made us to be.
Comments
6 responses to “What Church is NOT: Reviewing Some Basics”
Church can not be defined in programs, models or methods
It is the present Jesus being active through His body the believers on the vehicle of the Holy Spirit proclaiming, honoring and obeying the Father so that he can build his church as we seek the Kingdom build on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus as cornerstone and the five fold ministry in full action through men and women of faith. Church a manifestation of God Glory on earth.
The church has many forms, styles, and appearances, but the real litmus test is function.
Almost everywhere in America the church is understood to be a building. Even Christians who say the people are the church almost always say on Sunday mornings we are going to church. Is there any way out of this thinking? Ask the believers in China how they define the church
The Church is not a homogeneous group of people with the same interests coming from the same demographic. The church at its best is a blended and diverse group… a body made of many parts with many gifts and many callings, joined and welded together by the life and blood of Jesus.
The Church always has two open chairs at the table; one for the fresh presence of Christ and one for the newcomer.
Awesome article!
Yes so deeply is the “building” concept ingrained into the minds of church going Christians, that even when discussing with them the benefits of getting the terminology right, they will still continue calling their building the “church”.
I’ve also done some digging of my own, and wrote a 2 part article about how the word “church” even managed to make its way into the Bible:
http://newcovenantgrace.com/organic-church/how-did-the-word-church-make-its-way-into-the-bible-pt1/
http://newcovenantgrace.com/organic-church/how-did-the-word-church-make-its-way-into-the-bible-pt2/
Keep up the awesome work with your blog!
In Him
Andre
Church, by definition is not a building, not a place of worship, not an organization