What Makes a Building a Church?
The Steeple or The People
My wife recently drove past a church that our family had driven past on many occasion and my children said, “Look mom that church has a steeple” This church actually was a very small log cabin turned into a church building-----at least that is what it looked like. But it had the usual billboard out front with a name, label and logo calling it a “church”.
Does a building have to have a steeple to be an official church building? What made that congregation add a steeple to the old log cabin? Does the steeple make the building or the people any more holy?
Can you just imagine how goofy it looks to place a steeple on a log cabin? It did not match. It did not belong. The goofy steeple is not what is really wrong but it is the heart. How much time, energy and money was spent on that steeple…….and does that change the hearts of the people?
This much is true a building nor a steeple can never change the heart of the people. For only God can do that. It makes my mind to wonder why that small congregation felt the need to put up a steeple after not having one for so long. Do we identify a church with a steeple or its people? A steeple cannot reflect God’s glory. That is something only His true children can do. We tend to get things mixed up. We need to focus our energy, time and money on people not the steeple! It seems that we have forgotten that the believer is to be a pilgrim in this world. This is not our final home. Why are those that call themselves after the name of Christ building structures that look more like monuments of men.
When we feel the need that you have to “make it up”, shouldn’’t we consider what exactly are you trying to sell? Seems like we are trying to market “Salvation”. It is something to think about is it?
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 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. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:10-17
I cannot find a biblical model of the church that speaks of programs, entertainment, compromise, joke telling, video clips, “Self” help classes, Seeker messages, God in a box services, alternate obedience, delegated home leadership, rewards, circus games for getting money, etc…………………
So is it the Steeple or the People that makes the “church”?
The Steeple or The People
My wife recently drove past a church that our family had driven past on many occasion and my children said, “Look mom that church has a steeple” This church actually was a very small log cabin turned into a church building-----at least that is what it looked like. But it had the usual billboard out front with a name, label and logo calling it a “church”.
Does a building have to have a steeple to be an official church building? What made that congregation add a steeple to the old log cabin? Does the steeple make the building or the people any more holy?
Can you just imagine how goofy it looks to place a steeple on a log cabin? It did not match. It did not belong. The goofy steeple is not what is really wrong but it is the heart. How much time, energy and money was spent on that steeple…….and does that change the hearts of the people?
This much is true a building nor a steeple can never change the heart of the people. For only God can do that. It makes my mind to wonder why that small congregation felt the need to put up a steeple after not having one for so long. Do we identify a church with a steeple or its people? A steeple cannot reflect God’s glory. That is something only His true children can do. We tend to get things mixed up. We need to focus our energy, time and money on people not the steeple! It seems that we have forgotten that the believer is to be a pilgrim in this world. This is not our final home. Why are those that call themselves after the name of Christ building structures that look more like monuments of men.
When we feel the need that you have to “make it up”, shouldn’’t we consider what exactly are you trying to sell? Seems like we are trying to market “Salvation”. It is something to think about is it?
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 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. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:10-17
I cannot find a biblical model of the church that speaks of programs, entertainment, compromise, joke telling, video clips, “Self” help classes, Seeker messages, God in a box services, alternate obedience, delegated home leadership, rewards, circus games for getting money, etc…………………So is it the Steeple or the People that makes the “church”?
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