I have spoken in previous posts about the church, but in some ways I have held back for fear of offending people. Here is the light that the Lord has given me on this subject. I certainly do not claim to be perfect or to have seen all there is to see.
First of all, I believe that the church is made up of all born again believers. I believe and know that there are many, many precious believers that love Jesus very much that go to institutional churches. But I believe that this is not God's highest for these believers.
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22
"You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5
"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." Mark 3:25
So, if we take the position that God's church is made up of every born again believer, which I believe we must, what is the state of the holy temple our God wants as a dwelling place for Himself? Think of being a stone in a building. There are none more important than the others. Certainly you are built closer to certain stones and your relationship with them will be different, but you are still inextricably united with every stone in the building.
The way a brother described it a few weeks ago was that it is as if there has been an explosion. There are living stones scattered all over our town and there are little clumps here and there, but there is no building because we are not together. Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one (John 17).
Brothers and sisters, the institutional church system we have been born into breeds division. It says if you disagree with me, we'll just split and it's no problem because you can just go across the street where they agree with you. Then God has a divided house. And a house divided against itself cannot stand.
God wants a house to dwell in. He wants to be the Father of a family. He wants a royal priesthood. He wants a body to express Himself. He wants a pure and spotless bride for His Son. He wants a united church against which the gates of hell will not prevail.
I would assert that none of the desires of God's heart will be truly fulfilled within the system of the institutional church. Do not hear me saying the Lord doesn't use the institutional church because in His mercy He certainly has used it throughout the years. But I believe that the Lord is now calling His people out.
He is calling us out, unto what? That's the question... We've never seen it. We see glimpses of it in scripture. Brothers and sisters living life together, meeting in each others' homes day by day, praying, being of one mind. The church coming together and one has a teaching, one has a revelation, some speak in tongues, some interpret, some prophesy, some share a psalm. Healings, workings of miracles. Elders, deacons. These are all to be part of it. But we must ask the Lord to build His church. Unless He builds the house the laborers labor in vain. Let us be willing to be living stones, fitted together, built together with rest of the saints to be a dwelling for our God.
First of all, I believe that the church is made up of all born again believers. I believe and know that there are many, many precious believers that love Jesus very much that go to institutional churches. But I believe that this is not God's highest for these believers.
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22
"You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5
"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand." Mark 3:25
So, if we take the position that God's church is made up of every born again believer, which I believe we must, what is the state of the holy temple our God wants as a dwelling place for Himself? Think of being a stone in a building. There are none more important than the others. Certainly you are built closer to certain stones and your relationship with them will be different, but you are still inextricably united with every stone in the building.
The way a brother described it a few weeks ago was that it is as if there has been an explosion. There are living stones scattered all over our town and there are little clumps here and there, but there is no building because we are not together. Jesus prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one (John 17).
Brothers and sisters, the institutional church system we have been born into breeds division. It says if you disagree with me, we'll just split and it's no problem because you can just go across the street where they agree with you. Then God has a divided house. And a house divided against itself cannot stand.
God wants a house to dwell in. He wants to be the Father of a family. He wants a royal priesthood. He wants a body to express Himself. He wants a pure and spotless bride for His Son. He wants a united church against which the gates of hell will not prevail.
I would assert that none of the desires of God's heart will be truly fulfilled within the system of the institutional church. Do not hear me saying the Lord doesn't use the institutional church because in His mercy He certainly has used it throughout the years. But I believe that the Lord is now calling His people out.
He is calling us out, unto what? That's the question... We've never seen it. We see glimpses of it in scripture. Brothers and sisters living life together, meeting in each others' homes day by day, praying, being of one mind. The church coming together and one has a teaching, one has a revelation, some speak in tongues, some interpret, some prophesy, some share a psalm. Healings, workings of miracles. Elders, deacons. These are all to be part of it. But we must ask the Lord to build His church. Unless He builds the house the laborers labor in vain. Let us be willing to be living stones, fitted together, built together with rest of the saints to be a dwelling for our God.
