Has Church Become Optional?
In this day in which we live,
this is a valid question that must be asked.
The answer is obviously NO, but all of the evidence indicates otherwise.
When we look at the lives of those who
call themselves Christians, by and large they feel like church is optional. In fact, many people claim that they have
said “Yes” to Jesus, but “NO” to the church.
First, let me say that it is impossible to say yes to Jesus and no to
His church, for Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we are members of His
body.
I would like to present a few
rationalizations that people have offered for their neglect of worshiping in
the House of the Lord.
1. There are hypocrites in that church—well,
there are hypocrites on your job as well but you still go to work. There were hypocrites in your college classes as well, but you kept going in order to get that degree. There have been hypocrites since Jesus' day, in fact, He called them such, but they are not a reason for us to forsake the House of God.
2. I have a ministry outside the church—this
is a tactic that the devil has used to dupe good people into believing that
they don’t need the church, or that they shouldn't be a part of the church because
they operate a ministry to others outside of the church. It could be jail and prison ministry, feeding
and clothing the homeless, nursing home ministry, ministry to unwed mothers,
and the list could go on and on. However,
I can’t find a single instance in the Bible where a ministry operated outside
of the parameters and oversight of the church.
The church endorsed and set forth ministers and ministries; it was not
as it is today where people say—“me and Jesus have got our own thing going, and
we don’t need the church”. If this is
your philosophy concerning ministry, and you are completely outside the auspices
of a Bible believing church; when and where are you being ministered to? Who is mentoring you? Who or what is your ministry accountable
to? These are valid questions that
should be considered.
3. Sunday is my only day off—typically
church only last about an hour and a half; I don’t think that is too much to
ask of anyone who calls themselves a Christian.
What if you gave your spouse that kind of excuse as to why you never
showed up at home? She would rightfully
think that you didn’t love her as you once did, because there was a time when
you made every effort to be there with her.
Likewise, in the church there are many that at one time felt strongly
about being in the House of the Lord, and making sure their family was there
also. But something happened and church
for them has somehow become optional.
4. My children don’t want to go to church—I
bet you that they don’t want to go to school either, but you make them go
because you know that it’s in their best interest to be in school. So don’t use children as an excuse, be the
parent that you are called to be and say: this Sunday we are going to church as
a family. If you have to work on Sunday,
then tell them we are going on Wednesday night.
5. I don’t agree with what’s going on in that
church—well we must ask, are you a member of that church or not? If not, perhaps you should continue looking
for a church that you do agree with. You
need to ask if this is something unbiblical or just something I personally don’t
like—there is a big difference. If you
are a member, you have a right to express your opinion, but once you have done
so, you should support your church regardless of your personal preference for
the program, as long as it’s not something that is unethical or unscriptural. Please understand that you are NEVER going to
be happy with everything the church does regardless what church you
attend.
The bottom line is this, you
can offer any excuse you want to offer, but there is NO excuse that will ever
stand up under the scrutiny of God’s Word for not attending the House of
Worship and fellowshipping on a regular basis with the saints of God. This is where you gain your strength, by
being around other Christians… “Iron
sharpens Iron”. You need to be in
the atmosphere of worship in the House of Worship with the other members of the
body. You need to hear their
testimony. You need to hear the preached
Word of God. You need to be in the presence
of anointed singing, teaching, and preaching.
To do otherwise is to abandon the biblical pattern that has been set
before us and handed down for generations.
CHURCH IS NOT OPTIONAL!
Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people
do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is
drawing near.
Michael
D. Sanes,
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center
