What Is Church?

In the first century AD, those who followed Christ's teachings were referred to as 'Followers of the Way'.  They usually gathered in their homes and eventually had to hide their gathering in caves as they were targeted by both the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Romans. It was later, after Constantine made it okay to be a Christian, that the term stuck.

Over millennia being a Christian went from being a follower of Christ to being a member of a denomination or congregation that met in a building on Sunday. Then some fractured off and decided the holy day of the week was Saturday. Doctrines were created that laid down rules that members agreed to follow. Eventually, as could have been predicted, there were so many interpretations of what being a Christian ought to mean that Universalism was born that rejected all of Christ's teachings to allow for adaptation to a world view that more or less had one rule - anything and everything except Christ's teaching goes.

But if you are truly a 'follower of Christ' and you read the ancient Scriptures with an open spirit you realize that Christ did not come to establish another religion. He came to fulfill the old covenant and provide a way home to God the Almighty Father. When He said, 'It is finished' He wasn't talking about his human life, He was referring to the end of the old and the beginning of the new spiritual Temple. He lives within us and we are the Temple.

And I might as well toss this is too - DNA does not matter anymore.

Galatians 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Not many realize that the word Temple is referenced eleven times in the book of Revelation and all eleven times it is the Temple that comes down from Heaven. Call me crazy but it is my understanding there is nothing holy on earth anymore. Christ took all that with Him when he ascended to sit with God on the throne.

So, what is church? Is it a building? A denomination? A doctrine? A congregation of sort of like-minded humans? Is there a prerequisite of timing and teaching and gathering on a certain day in a standard 1 hour agenda printed on a bulletin that defines what church is? Is it mantras and repetitive words? Is it a certain kind of music, loud or soft, with musical instruments or not?

Can you have 'church' with your family and friends around the dinner table? Does this count? Does God accept that kind of churching?

Years ago I was listening to a sermon by Dr. Mark Rutland on my car radio. He had so many stories to tell. One in particular has stayed with me all these years. He said there was a man who was held as a prisoner of war in a Vietnamese camp. He was tasked with shoveling the sewage trench every day. Because it was such an unpleasant job, he was always by himself. But he looked forward to his time alone so that he could pray to and praise Jesus as he dug into the muck and threw it over his shoulder. He had church all by himself every day.

Nowadays with so much worldliness infesting what we once referred to as church many have struggled to find spiritual uplifting in a building. But remember that Jesus changed everything to allow for us to have access anytime, anywhere, with others or alone. You don't need a middle man anymore. You don't have to have a preacher/teacher or a leader. You can go straight to the source. All you need is your Bible and an open, humble, willing spirit ready to receive.

I get that this is not a concept for everyone. Many need the formula and the clear delineation. But not all do for all sorts of reasons and so knowing there is an option might prevent the outliers from giving up.

You don't have to give up trying to find a body of Followers of the Way, they are out there, though sadly this is anomaly nowadays, but unless you can't or until you do, you can still have church, One on one with Him. He is quite accessible.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.