CHURCH ON THE MAIN STREET [Part 3]: A Tale Of Two Churches!

...continued from part 2.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my

church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Mat 16:18 KJV)

At this point it is imperative for us to examine what or who the scriptures refer to as the Church and also get an understanding of the place of the local assembly. Let me state upfront that I am in no way encouraging Christians to shun gathering of fellow believers, for to do that, would be to go against the scriptures. However we need to get hold of the right concept of Church as clearly set in the scriptures because this is pivotal to our effectiveness in fulfilling our mandate of making disciples of all nations.

The very first place the word ‘church’ is mentioned in the bible is Matthew chapter sixteen verse eighteen where Jesus speaking on the premise of Peter’s revelation of who he is, stated that ‘I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’. At this time Jesus had not died and resurrected and therefore the lineage of Christians had not begun but it is still clear that Jesus was referring to the group of people who would believe in his death and resurrection and thereby gain eternal life. [Jhn 3:16]

Jesus’ idea when he used the word ‘church’ to describe this group of people was set in the then Greek socio-political context. The word church is ‘ekklesia’ in Greek and literarily means ‘a body of people called out’ and also refers to an ‘assembly or congregation’. It was generally used then to describe a group of men who come together to discuss politics and influence what became law in ancient Greece. In the above passage, Jesus obviously used it to describe the body of people who would believe in Him. Christians are ‘called out’ from the world as it were. According to the meaning, it also refers to the church gathered in any particular place.

So we have two paradigms as far as the church is concerned: the ‘church gathered’ and the ‘Church; the body of Christ in all of creation’. Let’s consider these two perspectives in some detail.

THE CHURCH GATHERED

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at

Cenchrea: …. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life

laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of

the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house…. (Rom 16:1-5 KJV)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: (Eph 1:1 KJV)

To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and

peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Col 1:2 KJV)

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his

house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of

the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. (Col 4:15-16 KJV)

And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy

house: (Phm 1:2 KJV)

The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth

Marcus my son. (1Pet 5:13 KJV)

The concept of the church gathered is not strange to this generation of Christians. Almost everybody that professes to be a Christian knows that we gather together in fellowship even though some don’t attend any Christian gathering except on New Year eve! The concept of the church gathering in a particular place did not however start in the recent centuries but date back to the earliest church times after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A cursory scan through the Epistles will instantly reveal that the early Christians believe in gathering together in fellowship. This is not to say that some of the brethren then didn’t shun such gatherings. In fact, it is because some people had developed the habit of not fellowshipping with other Christians that Apostle Paul wrote in the Hebrew letter encouraging them not to forsake the assembly of fellow Christians [Heb 10:25]. I believe this advice comes in handy for so many Christians who are in the habit of shunning Christian gathering. I know of an elderly man who has not attended any Christian gathering for years and his reason is that there are too many negative things going on in those gatherings. You see, no matter what this man puts up as excuse for his attitude, he is in direct contravention of what the scripture portrays.

The advantages that accrue to us when we fellowship with fellow Christians more often than not surpass any negatives we might experience. Consider these following advantages of Christian gatherings:

A] Spiritual Support; 1 Cor. 14:26, Rom 14:19, 1 Th. 5:11. When we gather together we give ourselves the opportunity to build up each other spiritually. We have the opportunity to receive instruction from others who might have greater insight in some areas than we do. In the book of Acts chapter four [Acts 4], we see that the apostles that were arrested by the ruling class went back to their company after they were released.

The bible says they went back to their own company [fellow Christians] and reported all what the rulers said to them. Then the bible says they all lifted their voices to the Lord in one accord.

B] Mental and physical support; Rom 12:13-15, Acts 6:1-3. We receive support that builds up our mind when we fellowship with one another. We have people to rejoice with or mourn with us as the case may. We always know we are not alone but can access help when we need it. Many times Christians rally around each other to also provide physical and material support. All these go a long way in helping us live the life God has designed for us.

It is also in our local assemblies that pastors, teachers, apostles and so on usually have the opportunity to carry out the mandate God has given them which is to equip the saints for the work of ministry. As we have seen, the church gathered is God’s idea. It is in his divine plan and purpose for the body of Christ.

Before I leave this point however, I would like us to note one very important difference in the way the Christians gathered in bible times and how we gather now [or maybe our understanding of it]. If we look at all the scripture verses listed at the beginning of this sub-topic, we will discover a trend. Christian gatherings were referred to on the basis of their geographical location. We see the epistles being written to the church [AT] Colosse, the one at Cenchrea, at Ephesus and at Babylon. We see the church gathered being referred to as the church [IN] the houses of Nymphas, Archippus and Priscilla and Aquila. The point here is that people were referred to as the church and where they meet was used to describe or distinguish them from other saints in other geographical areas.

There is a difference between the church at Ephesus and the ‘Ephesus church, No 4, Salt Lake Drive, Downtown Georgia’, for example. The former was the way the church gathered as understood in bible times while the later is the way the church gathered as understood in our time. These days, when we refer to church we almost always mean the particular place where Christians meet on specific days and time instead of to the people [saints] who meet in those places. I am not saying our local churches are in the wrong, but I am challenging the MINDSET that has arisen from this arrangement because I believe that is why we are yet to see the saints in all of creation shine our light in this present darkness.

THE CHURCH: THE BODY OF CHRIST IN ALL OF CREATION

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to

the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from

the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all

principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not

only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet,

and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of

him that filleth all in all. (Eph 1:19-23 KJV)

If we do not have the Church [body of Christ] in creation we cannot have the church gathered. Someone once said that the church [referring to the church gathered] is the only institution Jesus established but I do not know how he came to that conclusion except that he has interpreted the scripture from the point of view of our present experience. The bible clearly teaches that Jesus was the beginning of another breed of people, those who have received eternal life and are therefore the righteousness of God in Christ because they believe in Jesus, [Rom 5:12-18, 2 Cor 5:17-21, 1 Jhn 5:11-12].

Jesus didn’t die and resurrect so that we can have different kind of local church institutions. No! He died so that a new breed of people can arise; these people are called the Church. These people meet in different places and times for important reasons which I have highlighted above. However people, not the buildings, make the Church.

The purpose of the Church [the body of Christ] is to extend the kingdom of God in all the realms of this world; it is to make disciples of all nations. Ephesians chapter one says that God gave Jesus to be the head over the Church which is his Body and the fullness of him that fills all in all [all means all, no exclusion]. The Church is God’s medium of extending his rule in all creation and that is why Jesus said that we should allow our lights to shine before all men through our good works so that they can come to the Father. It is why the scripture refers to us as Christ’s ambassadors [2 Cor. 5:20]; we are his capable representatives on earth. While we assemble in different locations to edify, inspire and equip ourselves we must not forget that we have actually been sent to the main street.

...to be continued.

CHURCH ON THE MAINSTREET [Part 2]: The Peter Syndrome

And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and

John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the

fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and

glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and

Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should

accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy

with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men

that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said

unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three

tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing

what he said. (Luk 9:28-33 KJV)

On one of Jesus’ many trips to the mountain to pray he took along three of his disciples, Peter, James and John [the three musketeers, you may say!]. As usual they were fast asleep while Jesus was praying! The bible says that by the time they awoke, what they saw was Jesus with his appearance changed and his cloths had become blinding white. They also saw two men talking with him whom they recognized as Elijah and Moses. Right after these two Old Testament Prophets left Jesus, peter made a profound statement, ‘master, IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE. Let us build three tents, one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses’. The amazing part is that Peter made this suggestion AFTER Moses and Elijah had left the scene! At first, peter’s suggestion might have seemed like a good idea. After all, wouldn’t that be a sure place to experience the presence of God, a fixed place where we can come together as Christians and meet with God? I am sure as you read this you might be wondering how silly Peter must have been but before you cast the first stone consider the very action of the body of Christ [the Church] as we go about our business of being Christian. Today, when we refer to the church, it is almost always in terms of what happens in a certain building on special days! Church to many of us is the white building at the corner of main street where we ‘worship’ God on Sundays and where a pastor preaches every service day and counsels church members on how to deal with their many problems. The mindset of the average Christian considers Church as the place of meetings where we come together.

Therefore to a large extent, the focus of the body of Christ has been on our local church programmes and church activities. You may be wondering what is wrong with what I have just highlighted. After all, many good things happen in church [that is, the building and its related paraphernalia] and I agree completely. The problem however is that we have allowed our gathering in a building stop us from being and doing exactly what Jesus wants us to do in its fullness. We have allowed our church buildings where we gather become the central of God’s work in our lives and in the rest of creation. We have confined the power of God inside our ‘tents’ and are then seeking to bring the nations to it. When Apostle Peter said what he said at that time, the bible states that he didn’t know what he was saying. The Message translation of the bible says he blurted out without thinking! That may sound harsh but the truth is, the Church [the body of Christ] is not meant to be contained in buildings just like the light from a candle is not meant to be contained in a bucket.

What Peter wanted to do was create the first local church building and maybe call it ‘First Church of the Transfiguration’. Christians have developed the same mindset that Peter had on that mountain; we believe that it is good for us to be here [that is, in our various local churches] and when we leave after service on Sundays we do not extend the power and character of the God we serve to the world around us. We are not salting the earth neither are we lighting the world. We have effectively kept our candles under the buckets of our church gathering and men can’t see our good works so they can’t be drawn to Jesus. The problem is not our gathering as believers, the problem is that we behave as though all what God wants to do can and is being accomplished in the four walls of our church buildings. Too many Christians are hiding inside our church buildings.

It is this mindset that makes Christianity seem like religion. It is as though we ‘go to church’ [this is technically an aberration because we are the Church so we can’t actually go to church] to just accomplish the rituals and rite of the religion. Many believers are absolutely clueless on how to relate what the preacher said on Sunday to what they might be going through at work, in their businesses or at home. We have created a dichotomy between what we hear and do in our churches and the rest of our lives. We think the special things we do at special times when we meet on special days in special buildings are the sacred while every other thing is secular. The problem with this kind of thinking is that it separates us from the very people we have been sent to reach.

It is also no wonder then that Christians live ‘dual lives’ so to speak. Because we have our ‘church or Christian lives’ and our ‘secular lives’, we tend to do whatever we please in these ‘secular lives’. The same person who is so pious on Sundays and regularly encourages the preacher from the ‘amen corner’ might become the devil’s workshop during week days. Christians who sing in the choir on Sunday swear like devils on week days. Some greet you with ‘bless you’ at every opportunity but you wouldn’t want to have any business dealings with them because they will con you out of your hard earned money. If these people shake your hands, you had better count your fingers after the shake!

It seems to me that this paradigm of church is the very reason why there are still less than two billion people [out of about seven billion people] who are Christians. So much for evangelizing the world. This method of being church is not reaching the world with the Kingdom. When we talk about the ‘unchurched’, more often than not what we are referring to are the people who do not come to our church meetings regularly or at all.

When Jesus said that he would build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, he definitely wasn’t referring to our local church buildings and the meetings we hold in them. The reason why your local church congregation may be growing is that God is building his Church, the body of Christ and not buildings. Therefore, we need to make being Church in all creation, not the gatherings and activities in our local churches the focal point of our living. Let me share this short story with you. There were two friends, Johnson and Kelvin, who decided to go camping on the mountains during their annual leave from work. On the first day after a tedious climb up the steep slope of the mountain with their big backpack contributing to the drudgery of the climb, they got to where they could camp out for the night. After setting up their sleeping tent and eating a light meal, they retired into the tent to rest their tired body. Around 4 am in the morning Kelvin woke up to discover that their tent had been stolen. Alarmed, he woke Johnson and asked him what he saw. Johnson still very much in dream land replied that he could see a clear sky with beautiful stars above. To this Kelvin replied, “Idiot, can’t you see that our tent has been stolen?”

Just like this story, someone needs to ‘steal’ our tents, figuratively speaking! We have to move from our present way of 'DOING' church and start 'BEING' the church God will have us be. We have to pull down this mental stronghold that keeps the best of our experiences in God inside the four walls of our churches. We must put our candles on the candle stand so that it may give light to the whole room.

CHURCH ON THE MAINSTREET [Part One]: The parable of a Candle stick.

This series is actually from a yet to be published book I wrote. I will be bringing this discourse to us chapter by chapter at intervals of 2 to 3 days.

Candles have played a prominent part in human history and have been used by man for centuries. The Romans are credited with developing the wick candle, using it to aid travelers in the dark and lighting homes and places of worship at night time. The Romans relied on tallow, gathered from cattle or sheep suet, as the principal ingredients in making candles. Though it was not until the Middle Age that beeswax, a substance secreted by honey bees to make their honeycombs, was introduced into the candle making process. Beeswax candles were a marked improvement over those made with tallow, for they did not produce a smoky flame, or emit an acrid odour when burned. Instead, beeswax candles burned pure and clean. However, they were expensive, and, therefore, only the wealthy could afford them.

It was during the 19th century that most major developments affecting contemporary candle making occurred. In 1834, inventor Joseph Morgan introduced a machine which allowed the continuous production of molded candles by the use of a cylinder which featured a movable piston that ejected candles as they solidified.

Further developments in candle making occurred in 1850 with the production of paraffin wax made from oil and coal shales. Processed by distilling the residues left after crude oil was refined, the bluish-white wax was found to burn cleanly, and with no unpleasant odour. Of great significance was its cost - paraffin wax was more economical to produce than any preceding candle fuel developed. Candles were an absolutely important part of life before the advent of electricity. In simple terms, candle was to them in those generations what electricity is to us now.

It was based on this understanding, Jesus states in the book of Matthew five verses fifteen that the purpose of lighting a candle is to give light to the whole house.

…Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it

giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they

may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Mat 5:15-16 KJV)

Jesus was only stating the obvious. No normal thinking person would light a candle and then cover it with a bowl. That would be ridiculous isn’t it? I have not met anybody in his or her right senses who would do that.

In custom with speaking valuable words, Jesus makes a very important statement relating our lives to lights that should shine in the world. He however did not do this without expressing a trend that would arise in the Church in later years. Jesus made this statement in admonishing us to let our light to shine before men that they may SEE OUR GOOD WORKS. Obviously, men can’t see our good works if we keep these good works hidden. A good question you might want to ask at this point is how in the world we could hide our good works? Before answering that, I would like to express my discovery that most of the stories and parables that Jesus told while he walked the earth were derived from his observation of everyday life. So probably he went visiting a certain disciple in his house on a very cold winter night. As was expected the house was lit with candles placed at strategic places to give illumination, facilitating sight and human movement to prevent collisions. 

Maybe as Jesus was discussing the politics of the city with these disciples he noticed a little child who was playing with a candle stick and then putting the lighted candle under a bowl. He must have watched with fascination the reaction of the kid’s parent. The parents most likely told the child sternly how naughty he was and explained to this ignorant mind how lighted candles are not meant to be placed under a bowl. Maybe and just maybe that was how Jesus got this particular analogy.

And after considering our actions as his disciples, he says to us ‘men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ Why on earth would Jesus say that to us? Maybe we [Christians] are like that little child; who have hidden our candles, hence the light it shines [our good works] is not visible to world we live in. Please note that if hiding our light was not a possibility, Jesus wouldn’t have given that analogy. The reason there is darkness in the world is because our light isn’t shinning. Darkness is the absence of light not the opposite of it.

...to be continued.

THE PROBLEM WITH RELIGION

To become a popular religion, it is only necessary for a superstition to enslave a philosophy. Dean Inge

Christianity is absolutely definitely not a religion. Adisa Oludare

As you start reading this discourse I beg you to open your mind and allow the Holy Spirit to breathe his word into you because I am about to blow the cover off some of your most concrete beliefs. I say this because the subject of religion has been a recurring decimal in the world over the many generations of human existence and it is still such a hotly contested issue globally. 

Many people have stated their beliefs about religion both in support and against it. Considering the arguments for and against it, it seems religion and it attendant paraphernalia has assumed a status bigger than any other global issue. According to the Oxford Dictionary, religion is ‘the belief in the existence of a god or gods and the activities that are connected in the worship of them’. The Chambers Dictionary on its own part defines religion as ‘a belief in or recognition of a higher unseen controlling power or powers with the emotion and morality connected therewith’. With this definition it is clear that many of the world’s organized institutions based on a belief of the existence a god or higher controlling power can be safely described as religions. From this standpoint, Christianity is also generally referred to as a religion; we believe in the existence of a God.

The central core of every religion can be traced to man’s quest to make sense of the world and how he can control or influence it’s element for his own well being (note that this is what also gave birth to science). Thus we have religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, New Age, Maoism and etcetera. Despite all the lofty promises and assertions of various religions none seem to have been able to deliver us from personal and global problems and dilemmas. Why? Simple, they simply do not have the answer and this also applies to the ‘Christian religion’. My purpose in this discourse is however to help us see that Christianity is not a religion.

The first direct and compelling truth is that nowhere in the Bible did we see Christianity being referred to as a religion. In fact, the word religion was only mentioned five times in the whole of the scriptures. Three times in connection to the Jewish religion and the other two in the book of James chapter one viz:

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jam 1:26-27 KJV)

As we can see, Apostle James enlightens us on what real religion is and that is engaging in acts of benefaction and living a life of moral fidelity. This is the central message of most religion, not just Christianity.

The second point to note is that Jesus did not at any time, directly or indirectly, suggest that the reason he came to the world was to establish a religion! I have checked through the Gospels and I couldn’t find a single instance. If the progenitor of our faith didn’t give us a religion, where did we find one? So what did Jesus bring to us? This is what Jesus himself said:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (Joh 10:10 KJV)

Jesus didn’t come to give us religion; he came to give us life, hallelujah! I don’t know about you but I am always excited by this portion of scripture that lets me know what I have at the instance of Jesus Christ. You see friend, Christianity is not a religion rather it is a ‘faith based relationship with God that guarantees us an abundant and eternal life’. The often quoted book of John chapter three verses sixteen states that when a man believes in Jesus, what he gets is a life not a religion. It would have been an utmost stupid idea if Jesus had to die just for a religion to be established. Any man anywhere can create a religion in almost an instant.

The assumption that Christianity is a religion has rendered many of us Christians chasing the shadows rather than the substance and has robbed us of the power inherent in sustaining a vibrant fellowship with God through his Holy Spirit. We have substituted religious rites and rituals for a vibrant relationship with the Almighty God. How pathetic!

Lastly, it is clear to me that religion is not God’s idea. How do I know? In the story of recreation in genesis chapter one and two, when God created man in the form of Adam and Eve, God did not establish a religion as the basis of relationship between himself and man. He didn’t establish a set of rituals and rites to be followed meticulously in the worship of him. Rather what God did was to establish a relationship based on inter-personal fellowship between himself and man. However, this relationship was severed with the fall of man and ever since man has devised several ways in re-establishing this relationship in form of the several religion we have today. Therefore if God didn’t establish a religion in the beginning, it is then crystal clear that Jesus couldn’t have come to establish a religion as that would have been anti God’s eternal plan.

 So my friend, if your Christianity is based on rituals, rites and activities of your denominational or local church without you sustaining a vibrant and personal fellowship with God, you are just playing religion and you are missing it big time!