Monday, March 13, 2006

Join the Church of Your Choice?

The above statement is often meant to encourage persons to attend church, somewhere. But, there are several flaws in its reasoning.

You may join a denomination, but Christ’s church is not something you choose to join. Christ’s church is something you are! When you receive Christ's “birth from above” God adds you to his family. You become a part of the spiritual body of Christ. You cannot join it. You can only be born into it! (Or, should I say "reborn"?)

When you are added to the body of Christ, you are expected to gather weekly with other family members. You are expected to assemble for corporate worship and mutual encouragement. Assembled or not, you remain IN the body of Christ, his church. Assembled in a denominational service or in your living room with family and friends, you are still part of the body of Christ, his church, if you actually belong to him.

Just before Christ died, he stood in Galilee on a large outcropping of rock. He proclaimed, “Upon this rock, I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” He wasn't going to build a denomination! He was stating that the grave would not prevent his Kingdom from coming to earth. Immediately after his resurrection, he told Mary to inform Peter and the rest that he was going to Galilee. Paul writes that Jesus appeared to 500 persons in one gathering, see I Corinthians 15. I believe Galilee was the place of the first gathering of his church. His church started on that large outcropping of rock following his resurrection, see Matthew 16.

After Jesus' return to heaven, Peter stands and preaches the gospel (Acts 2). Three thousand persons respond. Luke says God continued to add daily those being saved. God added them to the already existing church of Christ and gave them his Spirit to make them his children. He continues to add family members today. He does the adding! He decides who is in and who is out of relationship with him.You may choose to join a denomination and never be added to Christ’s church. You may be a member of Pastor Bob's church yet never be a member of Christ’s church. You may go to liturgical services and denominational meetings all your life but never be in Christ’s body. You may get thrown out of a denominational church but remain a faithful member of Christ's church!

Christ’s church follows Jesus. Christ’s church centers worship on Christ, not men. Christ’s church owns no property. Christ’s church is part of God's universal spiritual Kingdom. Christ’s church is not about liturgical services, traditional hymns, choirs and choruses, or man-made creeds! These are matters of men. These are part of traditional or cultural Christianity and matters of personal preference. Please don’t confuse the two. You can participate in all of these and never be in Christ’s body! You can participate in all of them and your heart STILL be far from God. You can participate in NONE of them and reside daily in God's presence.

Denominations require tithing. Christ’s church requires 100% of everything you are and own. Denominations are concerned with organizational committees, Bible schools, budgets, pastoral alliances and doctrinal allegiances. Christ’s church is about taking up your cross daily.

So, join the DENOMINATION of your choice but realize Christ’s church is not about religion. Christ’s church is about your relationship to God in Christ!

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