When is a church not His Church?

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

1 Corinthians 12:27

The Christian Church today hardly resembles the one that Jesus’ disciples started 2,000 years ago. The Church began on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to man (Acts 2:1-4). Those early believers started meeting together and “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) They studied the Scriptures together, they ate together, and they prayed together. Luke goes on to record that “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47) And indeed His Church has continued to grow since then, so much so that there are now over 2.2 billion Christians and 3 million churches worldwide (World Outlook, 2010 edition)!

And yet despite this incredible growth, His Church today is divided and fragmented. Individual churches still meet weekly for worship but rarely meet with other churches except at denominational gatherings. The Church can be defined as the global body of believers who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their savior. Although all Christians may no longer be unified in our practices, Jesus’ words before his bodily resurrection still remain the purpose of His Church. Jesus calls all Christians, individually and collectively, to “go and make disciples of all nations… and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20) We were not called to build church buildings, make church members, or teach others to memorize the Bible. We are called to share the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ! That is the sole purpose of the Church and the reason it was established.

So, when is a church not His Church? Let me share 6 ways that this happens.

1. When a church accepts cultural values over Biblical teaching.

The Bible is essential for every Christian and is the Word of God that should govern our beliefs and actions. It was written to inform us of God’s commands, His faithfulness, His mercy, His Truth, and most importantly, His Son Jesus. It is the sole document that we must rely on if we are to obey God and put our trust in Jesus. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) When a church deviates from God’s Word and accepts cultural values or practices that do not conform to Biblical teaching, they are no longer being His Church. These churches are man-focused instead of God-focused and are no longer able to effectively make disciples for Jesus Christ.

2. When a church is focused on outward results instead of inward transformation.

Too often churches present their accomplishments instead of Jesus or the gospel to attract non-believers to attend their church or ministries. They tout their membership size, their well-known preacher, their talented praise band, their facilities, and their plethora of programs. While that may be a good marketing strategy, it leaves out the purpose for all of that, which is to preach Christ crucified for their salvation, and to call them to submit to, and follow, Christ. Local churches can be large, well-attended, and well known, but that does not mean that their church is full of disciples – people who desire to know God more and to daily follow Christ. When churches are focused on outward results instead of inward transformation, they cease to function as His Church was designed to function.

3. When a church prefers organizational efficiency over spiritual impact.

There are many churches that strive for operational efficiency. Their services start on time and end on time, and they get people in and out of multiple worship services with ease and efficiency. Their church is equipped with the latest technology to enhance the worship experience and provide instant information and connections. Their church also communicates with its members through multiple channels (email, text, etc.) and updates their website and social media pages daily. And while the church may run like a well-oiled machine, their ministry may have little or no spiritual impact on those who slide in and out of church with no contact or engagement with anyone. When this happens, a church is not His Church as it was intended to be.

4. When a church seeks political solutions instead of discipleship.

When Jesus came to the earth, He never sought political power or a human kingship. As He told Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Jesus came for the hearts of mankind, to show us how to draw near to God and treat one another. His message was one of love, submission, and obedience to God, not political or government control. The Apostle Paul went even further when he said that “everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” (Romans 13:1) Therefore, the role of His Church is to influence and change the hearts of mankind and not to leverage the government to enforce Biblical obedience. While Christians are called to participate in elections and the governing process as citizens, our priority as His Church is always to disciple others to become followers of Jesus. Only when individual hearts are changed will a nation change!

5. When a church is financially stable but spiritually bankrupt.

Jesus said in Mattew 6:24 that “You cannot serve both God and Money.” He meant that money could become an idol that we worship which draws us away from God. When we rely on money instead of God, we no longer trust in God for what we need. How many congregational meetings focus on the finances of the church rather than the spiritual growth of the church? How much money is spent on keeping the church operating while cutting back on expenses for discipleship and outreach? The Church was never called to be financially solid and always in the black. The Church is called to be “Salt & Light” (Matthew 5) and to serve others in Jesus’ name while trusting in God for the financial provision needed to accomplish His purpose. To be His Church a church must remember to “Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

6. When a church lacks a missional emphasis.

As a church grows, there is a temptation at some point to get comfortable with what it does and how it does it. When that happens, the church ceases to change and becomes inwardly focused on maintaining and serving its membership. In the process it becomes deaf and blind to the world around it and no longer attracts non-believers. To remain vibrant and relevant to the community, a church must always have a missional emphasis and be ready to adjust to meet the needs of the culture that surrounds it. It should always be looking for those who don’t know Jesus in order to bring them into their church to find Him! As Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1Corinthians 9:22) When a church ceases to find ways to reach the world with the good news of Jesus, it is no longer acting like His Church.

My prayer is that all churches in the world will be His Church that not only draws people to God and His Word but also leads them to become a disciple of Jesus and follow Him! But they can’t do that without a spiritual focus and reliance on the Lord and His Holy Spirit. As Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord!”