Churchianity Is Not Christianity

I asked a woman once "Do you know Jesus Christ?" The response I got surprised me a little bit. She said "Do you mean do I go to church? I go to such and such church." No, that's not what I meant. After a little more conversation she gave me the brush off that went something like "I'm fine, thanks for your concern though." Blah blah blah and so on. There's a problem here.

Churchianity is not Christianity.

You can sit in a church for all your life and wind up in hell or never set foot in one and end up in heaven.

So let's set some things straight.

There's one true church. Uh oh. Every time I hear that phrase alarms go off in my head. That's a strong mark of a cult right there. But no, I'm not talking about some group or building. The one true church is made up of all followers of Jesus Christ. The requirement for membership is confessing Jesus as Lord and believing God raised him from the dead. I mean truly. The kind of belief that yields real transformation in a person's life. That new creation kind of belief. The label you are under doesn't matter if you're right with God through Jesus Christ.

Going to church isn't about you. It might seem that way in some, with a polished presentation, lively bands, and feel good messages about how Jesus can improve your life. Some people go there to get their spiritual fix for the week, get recharged with the Spirit, or whatever else someone wants to call it. Whatever the phrase, its about the church goer and not God Almighty.

Going to church isn't about the tradition either. And we all have tradition, whether you're under a label that has been around for a thousand years or one. How much do we focus on the comfy seats, hip bands, and poppy messages with just the right of humor thrown in? Or how about the pomp and circumstance, huge choirs with matching outfits, and preachers in pin striped suits with all the flair? Or how about a holier than thou attitude, overly costumed "clergy", and detailed instructions about when to kneel, sit, stand, sing, shake hands, and so on.

Yes, we're supposed to take something excellent away from church in our hearts. Yes, worship should be orderly. Yes, everything should be done for the glory of God. But let's make sure that it really is, and the way to do that is when we come to church with a heart that knows it's ALL about God. If we forget who we are gathered together to honor, the most organized and polished service in the world is nothing more than rubbish.

Daily life isn't about focusing on "church stuff". Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of "church stuff" that is very awesome. But if in our hearts, we've got nothing more than a "good works" checklist, it, again, is all rubbish. By all means, lead at AWANA, but remember you're there to raise up children to love the Lord. Sing in the choir, but remember you're there to honor the Lord with your voice. Go to the weekly Bible study, but remember you're there to dig into God's Word with other believers, gaining knowledge to better love and serve the Lord for the rest of the week. Go to the prayer meeting, but remember the goal is to seek the Lord's will, not bring him a to-do list. Say yes to the various roles your are asked to take on, but only after getting an okay from the Lord and not just to be a people pleaser. Soak in the teaching from weekend message, but compare it yourself against the Word, and, if it passes the test, seek how you might apply it the rest of the week as well.

In short, as the saying goes, "Only one life, it will soon be past - only what's done for Christ will last." So if church isn't about Christ in your life, then fix it. That means either a new church, a new you, or both!

I will close with this link I came across that I loved. Written so many years ago, it can apply very well today:

http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/chrichur.html

Grace and Peace my friends