Simply going to ‘church’ (or finding the ‘right church’) is often regarded as the most important thing in a Christian’s life. Is this true, or should we rethink our priorities?  Is it enough to simply find the ‘right church’ and then encourage others to join it? It is commonly taught that we win people for the kingdom of God by inviting them to ‘church’. Yet there is no such teaching in Scripture! People go to ‘church’ for many reasons.  Some attend weekly meetings to honour family tradition, others, because they believe it makes them better people, and others, because they think that the mere attendance at a ‘church’ is enough to please God.  Some go to Sunday morning meetings simply because they are lonely and in need of company. The act of attending ‘church’ on Sunday mornings does not save them.

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It is made clear in Scripture that God alone is responsible for deciding who will hear the truth and respond to it, and thereby enter his kingdom; “When he was alone, the twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.  He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, - they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”  (Mark 4:9-12) 

In John 17:17, Jesus prayed this for his disciples; “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”  We also, are sanctified by believing the truth, not by membership in any earthly organisation, nor by attending any weekly meetings. God’s word is truth and it is given to us to live on. Yet sometimes, we are so desperate to fit in (and to be seen as ‘nice people’) that we are afraid to speak the truth, in case we offend someone or encounter resistance.  The reality is, that speaking the truth will always attract resistance, but the truth is crucial to us, so it must be spoken and it must be believed: “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:32). We must hold on to it and we must speak it.  Just as Jesus told the Jews who believed him; “hold to my teaching”!  This is repeated for our benefit in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians - “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:2).

 

Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthian church, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes it grow.” (1Cor. 3:6-7).  The word of God (the truth) is the seed; if it is not planted then it cannot grow.  But it is God who grows it – as Jesus said, “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).   

It is God that decides who will actually hear and respond to the truth.  We can do nothing more than simply speak “the truth” when we are called to, and let God do his work with it.  That is; we can plant the seed or water the seed, but only God can make it grow. Those who hear the truth but reject it will perish.  “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.” (2 Thes. 2:10). People either believe the truth and are saved by it, or they reject the truth and perish. Convincing them to join a church makes no difference! The Lord Jesus made this very clear to his apostles:  “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.’” (Mark 16:15-16).

If we are to mature in Christ, then two critical concepts must be understood clearly.  These concepts are “forgiveness” and “repentance”. To put these concepts into the right context, we need to completely accept the truth about who we are.  We are sinners!   We do not cease to be sinners the moment we are born again, for it is written, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” (1 Tim. 1:15). God is calling his people to repent, and our repentance is an ongoing process. If we do not understand the magnitude of God’s patience and ongoing forgiveness; then we will not desire to press on with our repentance. This is why we have the letters from the apostles; so that we can learn to obey the commands of our Lord Jesus. That is - so that we can continue to repent. This is why we are told; “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil. 2:12). If the truth is not preached in the congregations of the saints, then repentance is hindered rather than encouraged. Sadly, many preachers are trying to be popular, rather than faithful, and this only leads people astray.  I am writing in general terms at the moment but I will go on to point out some specific false teachings in the following pages (also refer to other topics e.g. Baptism, Marriage, Creation vs. Evolution, The Tithe etc.).

We must understand that our first priority should always be to obey his word in our own lives, rather than preach it to others.  We are clearly told, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in this world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12). It is the holiness of our daily lives that will be recognised by outsiders. Not that we are motivated by the opinions of outsiders; we live our lives to please the Lord.  But if we are focussed on our service to God and the repentance that comes from our desire to please him, then we will live our lives differently from the unbelievers, and this will be noticed. We must be faithful to the Lord’s teaching!

In spite of this, many congregations try desperately to make themselves attractive to outsiders, by watering down the truth rather than upholding it.  It should be obvious to all, that if we dilute the truth in order to get people into ‘church’, we are not saving them - we are simply deceiving them! 

The truth saves, so the truth must be spoken for the sake of those whom God is calling. As it is written, ”How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.’  But not all Israelites accepted the good news.  For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’   Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:14 -17).

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This does not mean that every believer is called to be an evangelist, or a teacher. Not every believer is called to preach. Those who preach the word must be sent by God, rather than accredited by man. For it says “And how can they preach unless they are sent?” It is God who decides our role in the body; it is not a matter of human desire. “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of fullness in Christ.” (Eph. 4:11- 13).

Those who are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers should do so in line with the teachings that were given to Timothy.  These evangelists are chosen and equipped by God for their specific task. 

We are not all evangelists, but we are all gifted in some way.  However, most of our gifts are to be used within the body of believers, rather than outside.  It is written, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.  Now to each one, the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Cor. 12:4-7). It says that “each one” is gifted “for the common good”.  And again, “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining the whole measure of fullness in Christ.” (Eph. 4:12- 13). If we simply turn up once every week and listen to a lecture, how are we using our gifts for the common good?

It is a good thing to get together with other Christians and encourage one another with scripture, to pray and sing together. 

As it is written, “Therefore, encourage one another with these words” (1 Thes.4:18).   We do not encourage one another with idle flattery.  We do not endeavour to build up one another’s self-esteem.  We encourage one another with the Scriptures!  With the promises of our Lord Jesus Christ!  “With these words”!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”. (Col.3:16).

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another  - and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24-25).

Meeting together is a good habit and we should not give it up.  However, the common thread in the above scriptures is that every one contributes - It says;  “encourage one another”, “teach and admonish one another”, “spur one another on towards love and good deeds”.  

When we gather together with other believers, it is not simply for the sake of being present.  It is to acknowledge Scripture as the authority in our lives. It is also to contribute, according to our gifting. We should be finding out what is happening in the lives of other believers, so that we can make our contribution into their life. We have the word of God to “spur one another on towards love and good deeds”. 

The letters from the apostles are written to ordinary believers. They are not intellectual textbooks, or theological documents that require a degree to interpret. They are letters.  Only a few of these letters are written to individuals.  (Paul’s letters to Timothy are an example of this). The bulk of them are written to entire congregations, and they are intended for us. These letters are encouragement and instruction from the Holy Spirit for all believers.  We can verify this in the introductions.  For example, Paul’s letter to those in Rome says, “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Rom. 1:7).  In the introduction to his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul writes, “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ - their Lord and ours.” (1 Cor. 1:2).  These letters are intended for us!  Christ’s apostles wrote these letters to ordinary believers, to encourage us to live holy lives for our Lord.  They belong to believers, not to any so-called religious hierarchy or any group of theologians.  That’s why it says, “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18).  How can we encourage one another with these words if we do not know “these words”? 

Scripture does not tell us that everything taught in Sunday morning meetings should be received as the truth.  Nor does it say that everyone who attends these meetings will automatically benefit from them.  In fact, Paul writes this to the Corinthian church;  “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good.” (1 Cor. 11:17).

  

Paul spends most of his time in this letter, trying to correct the harmful habits that have accumulated within the Corinthian church.  He is writing to people just like us, who have been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit; yet their congregation was a mess! They were losing their way.  And this was happening in the first century of the church.

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Did Paul ever say (as many now say) - ‘Don’t worry about this stuff, because there’s no such thing as a perfect church’?  Of course not!  He made every effort to correct them and lead them towards repentance and holiness. He urged them to change their ways.  Here are just a few quotes from his first letter to the Corinthians: 

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among the pagans:  A man has his father’s wife.  And you are proud!”

“Flee from sexual immorality”.

“Expel the wicked man from among you”

“Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?  Shall I praise you for this?  Certainly not!”

“The very fact that you have law suits among you, means that you have been completely defeated already”  

The Corinthian church was a body of born again believers, which needed correction, rebuking and teaching. They needed to repent!  Nothing has changed!  God is still calling believers to repent today!

Many congregations now are in the same mess as the Corinthian church, because they have replaced the truth of Scripture with the traditions and doctrines of men.

The point I am trying to make is simple. Bad things happen in churches and these things need to be pointed out and expelled. Those who had been running the affairs in the Corinthian church had obviously lost their way. They were not leading the congregation in line with the teachings of Christ.  We should not be falling into the same trap. We have the teachings of Christ clearly laid out for us by his apostles. Just as the Lord commanded them to do - “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. 

The important thing in the gatherings of believers should always be that scripture is the absolute authority.  The Bible is the word of God.  It must be taught and it must be revered.  It does not matter which man is speaking, as long as he speaks “the truth”:  “For all men are like grass and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (1 Pet.1:24).  All should be open to correction. All should be willing to repent. God’s word is truth, and it should always be seen as the absolute authority.