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| "Heaven is my throne and Earth is my footstool. Where then is a house you could build for me?" ~ Isaiah 66:1 |
"The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands" ~ Acts 7:48
I often hear people declare to their children as they zip down the hallway . . . "Stop running! You're in Church" - which I suppose is appropriate if there are several other folks in the hallway and you don't want them to run into someone.
I've also heard folks say something like: "Don't use that language . . . you're in church" or "Don't tell lies . . . you're in church" or "Don't [you fill in the blank] . . . you're in church." What confuses me is the line "you're in church" . . . as if being in "church" makes all the difference.
Funny how we confuse the church building with being The Church. We have some major misconceptions going on here.
I recently read an short post from Ransomed Heart Ministries about The Church that REALLY resonated with me.
Here's what it said:
Church is not a building. Church is not an event that takes place on Sundays. I know, it's how we think of it. "I go to First Baptist." "We are members of St. Luke's." "Is it time to go to church?"
Much to our surprise, that is not how the Bible uses the term. Not at all. When the Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each other's homes.
When Peter is sprung from prison, "he went to the house of Mary the mother of John . . . where many people had gathered and were praying" (Acts 12:12).
Anytime an army goes to war or an expedition takes to the field, it breaks down into little platoons and squads. And every chronicle of war or quest will tell you that the men and women who fought so bravely fought for each other. That's where the acts of heroism and sacrifice take place, because that's where the devotion is. You simply can't be devoted to a mass of people; devotion takes place in small units, just like a family.
We have stopped short of being an organization; we are an organism instead, a living and spontaneous association of individuals who know one another intimately, care for each other deeply, and feel a kind of respect for one another that makes rules and bylaws unnecessary. A group is the right size, I would guess, when each member can pray for every other member, individually and by name.
This is the wisdom of Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles into communist countries for decades. It's the model, frankly, of the church in nearly every country, but the U.S.
Now, I'm not suggesting you don't do whatever it is you do on Sunday mornings. I'm simply helping you accept reality—that whatever else you do, you must have a small fellowship to walk with you and fight with you and bandage your wounds. This is essential. [from Ransomed Heart Ministries]
Some excellent thoughts here! It's the reason being plugged into a small group is SO essential . . . regardless of the attendance of the worship gathering you are a part of . . . mega, large, medium, small . . . it's all about true community/fellowship in Christ with others - walking with one another through the ups and downs of this life.
Yes, the 1st Century church was a large body of believers . . . THOUSANDS. There was exponential growth from the second chapter of Acts onward, but these believers met consistently from house to house in small groups to strengthen, encourage, support, and "be there" for one another. You simply can't do that in a mass of nameless faces.
Worship Minister, Gateway Christian Church - www.gcch3.com
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