I don't need this??

I want to be real candid with you. Do you ever say the church is not for “me”? "I love Jesus I just don’t need the church."

All we do is stand up, sit down, sing, listen to a sermon, give money, and shake a few hands anyways. Besides I can sleep in and get a dynamic message from Joel Olsteen, Stanley, Hayford or whatever your flavor is. In fact I can sit in my favorite rocking chair and turn on a good FM station of worship songs and reflect. I would rather connect with God in nature. So why bother with the church, they are just a bunch of hypocrites anyways. I still have my “personal” relationship with the Lord, my “own” spiritual journey. And so people are concluding it is not that relevant to my life and letting it go.

Let me ask you, is that biblical? Seriously is God ok with that thought process? To unplug, disengage, quit the church. Yes I know the church as a whole is to blame for doing some dumb things, however, two wrongs don’t make a right.

The church (as a whole) was not created by man, it was God’s idea. God is passionate about the church; He refers to it as His bride. Paul can’t talk about marriage without referring to the symbolism of Christ’s relationship to the church (Ephesians 5:31-32). The epistles which form a large part of the New Testament were written not to individuals but to the church. When people made Jesus the leader of their life they became a part of the church, and so we comprise His body “in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence (Ephesians 1:23).” If you believe you don’t need the church try this (I don’t recommend it but it will make the point) take your hand and chopped it off, then see how much life is in it on its own. In the same way God created this interconnected body that derives life and health from the head (Christ) as we live in community with His body.

If you are saying or you hear it said “I love Jesus I just don’t need the church….” Rick Warren said it is like standing next to your friend and saying “I like you but I can’t stand your wife, or I like you but can’t stand your body.” Jesus is in love with the church, He died for the church; His plans are unfolded through the church. How can we say we are growing in Christ but moving away from His passion. Too many are letting our fiercely independent culture steal the joy, satisfaction, and purpose He created you for in His body.

Resist the strong current of today’s culture that gives the excuse…
I am just too busy
It’s not worth the risk
I don’t really need anyone
I’ll get burned if I get too close
If I reach out, I will look foolish

Please join us as we continue a new series called “Church Refocused” and get refocused on what God’s purpose is for the church and what your part is.