Why I Don't Go To Church

Col 1:24 - Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church,… NASU
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• The Building Is NOT The Church

When I was a minister of God's Word and preaching in a located ministry I would always teach periodically that we should not invite people to church. When people invite you to church they are mistakenly indicating that the building is the church, which it is not.
 
I taught that what we should say is "Would you like to come and worship God with me?"
 
We would worship God in a building where we would sing praises to Him, Christians would fellowship with one another and we would fellowship with God when we would partake of communion.  We would worship God when we listened to His word be expounded upon by the minister giving us instructions on how to live a Christian life to the glory of God.

• What Is The Lord's Church?

 One important Christian doctrine to understand is what the Lord's Church is and what her mission is. The word "church" comes from a compound Greek word "ekklesia" and this means "called out".
 
Christians are people who have been called out of the kingdom of darkness into God's Kingdom, which is a synonym for the Lord's Church.
 
We can read this in 1 Pet. 2:9-10 - But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 
 
The Lord's Church is people who have been called to leave their life of sin and enter into the body of Christ, which is the Lord's Church.
 
We don't go to church. Christians are the Church.
 
I have included a few passages of scriptures that discuss the church in the first century and as you read them I hope you will be convinced the Church passages are referencing people and not a building. 

• The Church Was Persecuted

Acts 8:1-3 - And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. The believers in Christ were the ones persecuted and scattered.
 
Acts 11:21-22 - And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.
 
Acts 12:5 - So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.  The building isn't praying for anyone, but the members inside the building do.
 
Acts 14:27 - When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. The good news was how the gospel was converting people and this was told to the members of the church.
 
1 Corin. 15:9 - For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  We know Paul persecuted Christians before being struck by the bright light and listening to a message from Ananias. 
 
Eph. 1:22-23 - And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body,…  Paul tells us Jesus is the Head of the church and the church is the body of Christ.

• The Church Is Loved By Jesus Christ 

Eph 5:25-27 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
 
Christ loved the church and died for her. If you are a Christian you should never think that you don't matter in this world. You would be wrong. Jesus died for you because you were and are important to Him.
 
Eph 5:29-31- for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body.
 
Col 1:18 - He is also head of the body, the church;…
 
1 Tim. 3:15 - but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God,…
 
After reading these few scripture passages one is able to see that the church was persecuted, ravaged, prayed fervently, gathered together, and was loved by Jesus Christ.
 
The church is considered the "Bride of Christ" and at the end of time when Jesus returns He is not coming for buildings. He is coming for His Bride aka His Church, His people.
 
Jesus is the Head of the church. He is the one we are to look for when anything is troubling us. He is the one we are to pray to when we want to express our thankfulness.
 
I hope this Sunday you will not say you're going to church, but rather remember you are a valuable part of the church everyday of the week. You are a part of the body of Christ and you are the one Jesus died for.

You are something.
 
Think About These:
 
The worship service isn't to make people happy. It is to help them be holy.
 
The mark of a great church is her ability to lead others to Christ, not build buildings.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word