I was sent this little story via email. It was one of those inspirational “forwards” we all love to get. Anyway, I read it and I believe it warranted a response. You be the judge:
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this!
If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it.
If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!
A Churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper And Complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've one for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time, my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"This is my response to the above email:
We love these cute illustrations, but I think the premise of the initial question may be a little off base or much deeper than the originator intended. There are a million reasons why we should attend church--none of which would be thousands of non-memorable sermons! Where is it said, or written, that church attendance, or even a sermon was our "spiritual food?" May I suggest that if a pastor's sermon was our only sustenance, or if the fact that we never missed a church service was the only thing that could keep us alive spiritually, I believe that we would have died on the vine a long time ago!
Sermons alone, even going to church every time the door opens, does not lend itself to spiritual development on any level! Bill Hybels Senior Pastor of the 20,000 plus member Willow Creek Church and its association, now admits that “We made a mistake” when talking about their approach to spiritual formation or development in a recent article appearing in Charisma and Christian Life Magazine. The article written by Michelle Van Loon, goes on to say:
"Hybels popularized the idea that various church programs would help congregations grow. "We had a long-standing belief that the more involved with church activities people were, the more they'd be growing spiritually," executive pastor Greg Hawkins said. "It became a simple equation: increased attendance equals people growing."
Now don’t misunderstand--Church attendance and the preached word has tremendous value; it is there we should gain insight and information about what being Christian is all about. We should develop relationships that extend our family beyond blood barriers, and we should actively pursue the mission of the local church body. However, when the pastor’s sermon or our church attendance replaces the personal responsibility to pursue God, and to seek a deeper revelation of His Word, it simply becomes religious aerobics and has no intrinsic value or sustaining power.
The bible says, through Jesus our example, that doing the will of the father is sustainable food (John 4:31-35):
“31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." 32 But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." 33 Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" 34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
Moreover, it is Paul in his first letter to the Corinthian believers that he writes:
(I Corinthian 3:1-3)
"Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly….”
This worldliness as Paul points out is having our minds set on those things that are temporary, earthly, and ultimately selfish-- and not on the things of God! This mindset cuts us off from our ‘spiritual food’ and retards our development as productive followers of Christ. Therefore, my role as one who is a believer is not to ‘get to church’ but to seek God to ‘find’ His will—which is to be a fully integrated and spiritually productive member of the Body of Christ!
Now, you are asking, “How can I find, or know the will of the Father?” I say it is by personally searching the scripture, by prayer and meditation, by being in the company of other believers, and by following the agenda of Jesus, that one can discern the will of God.
I understand the point and light-hearted nature of the original email, however I wanted to point out that you will not find in scripture where we are called to go to church! Religious leaders love to quote Hebrews 10:25, but it is often taken out of context to justify the religious “requirement” for church attendance. But Hebrews 10 beginning at verse 23 reads:
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. "
As you can read in context of the surrounding scriptures, Paul isn’t telling the Jewish converts in Rome that their salvation is in going to a church service. He is saying, “Hold on to Jesus, the profession of your faith, Why? Because He is faithful! Don’t think badly about each other, but encourage acts of love and kindness! Don’t fear coming together (even though the world hates you and does not understand) but be of good courage and encourage each other even more when you see bad things happening” (My translation). Paul is reminding us that we need one another and that we must be about creating a community by which our thoughts and convictions are heard, supported, developed, and valued.
The “assembling” can take on any form (conversation, dinner, or even a blog entry...), whatever. It is the encouragement, support, and development of self and of others in the Gospel that proves itself of value. I was born and raised in the Baptist Church, and attended more services than I missed, but I believe that change is emerging and that we must develop a true biblical framework by which we may “hear” and receive the charge of Kingdom business if we are to fulfill our personal mandate as followers of Christ.
The Apostle John wrote,
"But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him." (1 John 2:27). John, of course, was not saying that God does not call prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers as Paul drew out in Ephesians 4:10. I believe that John is pointing out a matter of priority and protocol.
If there were no need of men and women to preach the Word of God, it is unlikely Paul would have written: "...How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom 10:14-15). I believe that this also means that we must reexamine the religious role of our Pastors. Pastors were not given to watch over us or to be CEOs (Chief Ecclesiastical Officers). Let us look at Ephesians 4:10 again.
The Bible says that:
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
You see, the problem does not reside in hearing someone preach, teach, or prophesy, as a few have taken John’s words to mean, but the appropriate use of God’s anointing is to prioritize and to do His will. According to the scriptures — Godly men and women are the primary dispatchers of God’s truth, but we must discern and learn how to “hear.”
How many times did Jesus attend what we would call a church service? The apostles? Therefore, based upon the Word of God, there has to be more than religious ceremony that can nourish us, shape us, mold us, lead us, and anoint us—it is by His Spirit!
We are in an age, a dispensation of time, where we are not to “do” church and all its activities, but to “BE” the Church as those doing the works of service and building up the Body of Christ! I am sure that this idea is a little too much for the establishment, or for many malnourished Christians; without organized religion and systematic protocol in our churches there would be CHAOS, right? Ideas such as these amount to each Christian saying, “God knows my heart,” and not do a single thing to change their world, their circumstances, or themselves!
Let me reassure you. You cannot say you believe in God and not do anything to prove your belief! James tells us that, "faith without works is dead!" However, the questions becomes, what is the work that we are to do in the exercise of our Faith? The work is NOT showing up to church, the work is becoming more like Jesus. The work is living by faith and not in fear. The work is taking care of the poor, the widow, and the children. The work is Kingdom work.
Jesus didn't preach, "Go to church." He said, in Matthew 11:
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
He didn't say, go to the synagogue and find me there... NO! Go talk to your pastor! NO! He says come unto me. I will give you rest, instruction, character development, and access to a completely new world. Remember, Jesus came in part to fulfill the law, but also to destroy the religious establishment. The ascension ministry gifts that Jesus gave (pastor, teach, prophet, apostle, evangelist) are for our perfection as a saint... They are my partners in my Spiritual development, not my overseers in any fabricated religious organization.
I hear what you say about the worship service and I agree that there are benefits. However, God is not asking for another song... He is asking for our LIVES! Remember... The song... "I SURRENDER ALL"? With that said, each of us, as believers' are to be Spirit born AND Spirit LED. We don't need a Priest to tell us what is right, wrong or otherwise and then make intercession on our behalf... Christ is our INTERCESSOR! Nor do we need to refer to a Church's bylaws to know if I am living for Christ!
Yes, we need instruction, and fellowship, and possibly a song or two, but after 5 years, or 10 years, or 20, or 30 years when is enough enough! When will we walk FULLY in our purpose and our destiny as God's children and Kingdom Citizens?
Jesus taught through parable and by example, and the multitudes took that teaching and taught others in their families and in their communities. Each one took the responsibility of determining their role in the Body of Christ, and we should too.
