And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24, 25.
The church is not a building- it’s a group of people. The word in Greek is ekklesia, which means a called-out assembly- similar to what a town crier might do to gather a group of listeners to hear some news. Moreover, it’s a group of people who have been called out- that is, people who listen and believe the message that has been presented. And they gather.
Because the ekklesia by definition is a particular grouping of people who are particularly gathered, the natural implication is that there are then some people who are NOT gathered, who will NOT hear. Otherwise, how can you have a particular gathering? When I hear atheists or scoffers complain about how they are excluded or “feel left out” when they attend a church service, I think, “Well, of course.” It would be the same thing if I went to the Rotary Club- I am not a member of the Rotary Club, nor do I have any intention of joining the Rotary Club. So if I attend a Rotary Club meeting, how can I justifiably accuse the Rotary Club members of excluding me? It’s silly. I’m sure that if I wanted to join the Rotary Club, agree to their tenets, and abide by their rules, the Rotary Club would be very happy to include me. But the purpose of the Rotary Club isn’t to cater to anyone who walks through their meeting doors- it is to serve the purpose of the Rotary Club, is it not?
The church is not a place where sinners should feel comfortable. The church is not a place where the bulk of any evangelizing should occur, either. The church is the ekklesia— the group of believers. We meet in the church building for ourselves. We are exhorted and encouraged to live for God in our daily lives, and to tell others the good news we have heard, and these new believer then attend the church services and join the ekklesia.
I don’t know where this thinking entered into our culture that a church is just a building, and that anyone who walks through the doors should be made to feel included. If you want to join the ekklesia, I think that’s terrific! But the common denominator is this: Jesus the Messiah came into the world to save sinners. He was crucified, buried, and risen. And He will return again to judge the living and the dead. And we should walk just as He walked on this earth. Truly, any ekklesia that does not abide by and practice these basic tenets is not the true ekklesia that Jesus and His apostles established.
My opinion has always been that finding out the ultimate truth of a matter is extremely important. Sure, I have thoughts and feelings about things, but knowing the facts about a matter is life and death. I’ve spent the better part of my adult life searching out the facts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. I have come to the conclusion that He is the Messiah, He is God, He did walk among us, and He did rise again. I have no patience for a person who refuses to seek out the evidence but wants to “feel comfortable” or “feel included” without doing their responsibility or their homework.
The only relationship any member of the ekklesia should have with those who are still outside is: be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be made sin for us. Making sinners feel comfortable during a psalmy church service does people much more harm than good, and the purpose of the gathering is completely lost in the shuffle.
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May 20, 2009 at 12:26 pm
“The church is not a place where sinners should feel comfortable. The church is not a place where the bulk of any evangelizing should occur, either.”
Hear, hear! Sing it, sister! The church is the Body of Christ, and only the members of the body belong within the body. We’re supposed to assemble ourselves to enjoy each other, build each other up, correct each other, and equip each other to go out into the marketplace to do Christ’s work: to be witnesses to all, that some might be saved. Not that I would bar unbelievers from assemblies of the Body … but such assemblies are not intended for them, and — if done correctly — should be both confusing and repellent to them. If unbelievers are comfortable in church … it ain’t church, and that’s our fault, not theirs.
Great post!
May 20, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Amen.
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
May 20, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Woah, Rebecca! You’re singing my song … and better than I sing, too!
The problem, I think, has evolved from the Reformation. I remember (vaguely) reading that there was great debate about this. When the Reformers made it mandatory for all to “attend church,” like Calvin did in Geneva, they changed the very definition of the gathering. This was one more of the things that separated the Anabaptists from the other Reformation churches.
Thank you. This is a great post.
May 21, 2009 at 2:42 am
“And we should walk just as He walked on this earth. ” I find that inside the building is rarely where this is occurring. For this reason, I choose to be a member of my own ekklesia and we solemnly study the words and teachings together.
Thank you for your thoughts.