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The Church has Left the Building

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Imagine a typical Sunday morning with a typical Sunday morning scene. The alarm goes off a little later than usual, reminding you that it's time to get ready - not for school - but for church. You hastily get dressed and half-heartedly scarf down a skimpy breakfast, locate your sometimes-hard-to-find-because-you-haven't-read-it-lately Bible, then head out the door with the fam.

As you turn the familiar corner that leads to your local place of worship, you notice something very strange. More than strange, actually...in fact it's quite disturbing. Instead of a parking lot and a building, there is a liquor store and a casino.

You blink twice to make sure you're not hallucinating, but each time you open your eyes it becomes clearer and clearer that your church is gone. In a semi-panicked fit of a religious fix need, your family wheels the car towards the nearest church - a measly two blocks away. But to your shock and awe, this church is gone as well.

Two hours and twenty attempts to find a church later finds you home, trying to make sense of it all. Where have all the churches gone? If they are gone, will they ever be rebuilt? If they aren't, what does that mean?

At this point you come to a conclusion that may be one of the worst conclusions possible:

If there is no church building...there is no church.

Why is this a poor conclusion? Because it reflects a common misconception about church that has spread across Christianity and spread our cultural influence as thin as butter scraped over too much bread.

In fact, I think it might be a good thing if all the church buildings disappeared, because it would remind us of a core truth that the early Christians lived and died for:

The church has left the building.

Did you know that Christians didn't even meet in big structures until 300 years after it started? They met in caves, catacombs, and anywhere else they could find. Why? Because they knew that the church isn't a building...it's a body. The church is a living, breathing tribe made up of true believers who have truly trusted Christ as their only hope of salvation.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we have cool buildings with stained glass windows and heated pews...but don't let the glare of the stage lights off the pulpit (or the pastor's head) blind you to the fact that the church is not found in the walls of a structure, but in the gathering of the saints. The word "church" originally meant "called out ones", because as Christians we are "called out" by God to take the message of His love and forgiveness to a world that desperately needs to hear it.

Which is kind of tough to do when your definition of church is confined to a physical address. This is why I think it's time to get back to the basics and picture church as so much more than a Sunday morning thing from 9-10:30 am with coffee and doughnuts. Let's also see church as a 24/7 thing with words and actions.

And how does this happen? Well, it starts with seeing the church service as a training ground to serve Christ in the every day world. Church is a means to an end, not an end in itself. We meet, worship God and hear His word on Sunday so we can be better prepared to tell the world about Him Monday through Saturday. Here's the way Jesus put it:

I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. (Matthew 16:18)

When I was a kid, I thought this verse meant that Jesus would help us build this strong building that would protect us from hell.

I was wrong.

What Jesus is saying here is that He will raise up an army of true believers called the church that even the powers of hell itself would be powerless against.

That's quite a different perspective - don't you think? And don't you also think it's about time you started thinking about your involvement in the church? People who are bored at church are clueless about church. We worship God together as a tribe so we'll do it in everyday life. We learn from His word so we'll be better prepared to share Christ with our family and friends. We take communion to remind us of the most important message of all. We give back to God to demonstrate we are not a slave to money. We serve at the church so we can show our freedom from selfishness.

Is this starting to make sense? I hope so, because those who miss the true meaning of church miss a great opportunity to live life to the fullest. Which is why you need to remember a very important truth:

Don't just GO to church...BE the church!

Head: What you need to know about this truth

The church is not a building, rather it is defined as the "called out ones" made up of all people who have put their trust in Jesus alone for salvation. All believers need to be involved on Sunday so they can serve God Monday through Saturday.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Being in Jesus' tribe called the church is an amazing thing. Just like in Star Wars, you are part of the rebel alliance - meaning you rebel against Satan and his kingdom. This also means you serve under the greatest Commander in the history of the universe...are you ready to serve Him? The story below illustrates the kind of attitude we should have because we are a part of the "called out ones":

In 331 B.C. Alexander the Great marched towards India with his armies. Alexander had already conquered much of the known world, and he would stop at nothing to have it all. Alexander was a strong leader, and every soldier was willing to follow him, no matter what the cost.

Alexander the Great had a strong campaign to take over the world, yet encountered some difficulty upon the arrival at a certain walled city. As Alexander approached the great city, he peered up towards the King who stood firm upon the stone wall and shouted: "My name is Alexander the Great, and I demand you surrender immediately!" Laughing, the King asked, "Why should we surrender to you?" He then proceeded to explain how they outnumbered Alexander's troops, and they were more than prepared to defend the city.

In response, Alexander turned to his 100 choice troops and commanded them to line up in perfect order facing the cliff. Each did so obediently in respect for their leader. Alexander then ordered them to start moving. One by one they began marching toward the edge of the cliff. The first soldier stepped off the cliff and pummeled to his death, as did the second, third, fourth , all the way until the eleventh man.

When Alexander finally yelled, "HALT!", he gazed back at the King who was completely astonished by the obedience of the men-and the utter respect they had for Alexander. He surrendered immediately, and Alexander went on to conquer the civilized world.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Get involved in the church by putting your heart into worship, your head into the Bible lessons, and your hands into giving and serving. If you don't know where to start or how to do this, ask your pastor, youth leader, or trusted adult to help you get involved in the church. But don't stop there! Use what you have learned and experienced to share Christ with everyone you meet in every day life. Again, don't just GO to church...BE the church!