The Error Of Churchianity

Some Christians "play" church and go through the motions of worship and never go for the right reason--to worship God--they say, "I didn't get much out of worship today!" (maybe they should concentrate on what they put into it). God condemns us for having worship without our heart in it or hypocritical worship, this is just "memorizing the dance of the pious." A real hypocrite (hypocrite means wearing a mask, or acting in a play) is not one who falls short of his ideals, but one who uses religion as a cover-up and knows he is insincere.

The theme of Psalms is Ps. 29:2, "Ascribe the Lord the glory due to His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Deut. 17 condemns insincere and dishonest worship or sacrifice. Amaziah (cf. 2 Chron. 25:2) was known for doing the will of the Lord, but not with a true heart.

Someone has said that there are 4 persons that we show: The one God sees; the one you see; the one the world sees; and the one your intimate friends see. Let's be careful not to just have a "public persona" and parade our spirituality or piety. Worship should be a delight and our feelings should be in it (or we are blaspheming God--like doing it as a "duty" not because we want to) as the command "Delight yourself in the Lord..." says. In summary: Psa. 84:1 says, "My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord" and Psa. 122:1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

We can worship or be edified in a "crowd," but we need to function in a local body of believers with our spiritual gift. Rick Warren says that there is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and there are many ways to worship. He says we believe, we belong, we become. We are to be committed to our church as a token of our commitment to Christ--they go hand in hand--and then we will grow and be accountable.

I can't stand the legalistic crowd that goes to church thinking that will make them a Christian, like going into a garage will make you a car, or eating a donut will make you a cop. They are called the "nod-to-God" crowd, that thinks it is fulfilling its obligation by a short visit to the local church, just out of guilt. The true Christian wants to worship God and wants to fellowship with other believers with whom he is a "fellow in the same ship."

I think some megachurches miss the boat in worship, you just don't hear people say, "Amen" to the preacher (where is the worship in the Spirit and in the truth?). But different people are at different stages and God has a purpose for their existence--mega-churches aren't where I'm at, because I want to know my pastor personally, not just from afar.

Some think their religious performance is enough to save them. To some, it's only a formality and not a relationship. John MacArthur says, "We can't enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings...Lip service is no good--there must be obedience...You don't get into the kingdom by sincerity, by religiosity, by reformation, by kindness, by service to the church, not even by simply naming the name of Christ; you get there only by personal trust and faith in [the person and work of] Christ." We can have a form of godliness and be empty. The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, yet it was dead (see Rev. 3:1). We can even have "sanctimonious emotions" and not know Christ. There is a difference between knowing the Word and knowing the Author of the Word.

We can have many experiences in church and everyone has a different one, but I believe we should test our experiences by the Word of God and not the Word of God by our experiences. That's an important concept--we are not to become either rationalists nor empiricists (going by reason or experience only), but belief in the Bible (revelation) and sound teaching.

The more we learn the more we realize where the wiggle room is and what is not worth fighting about. We are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Sectarianism is a sin according to 1 Cor. 1, and we shouldn't divide into factions if we can help it.  As Augustine said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."   Soli Deo Gloria!

The Seeker-sensitive Church...

The church is "the pillar and ground of truth," not a safe haven for the lost and happy place for the sinner, who must become convicted and find the truth.  The church is not to be consumer-driven or aim to please everyone and become all things to all people. It can be sound in its doctrine and still miss the boat (it's necessary but not sufficient), for the most important goal is to have the heart in the right place, not to have one's doctrine impeccably correct, which can become a source of pride and faction.  Seekers are not to become comfortable in their sin, but not feel singled out and judged by the members. The church is always in a state of renewal and reform; hence, the slogan of the Reformers:  semper reformanda or always reforming.  Martin Luther said he had only begun his reforms when dying.

The marching orders of the church should always be front and center and the biblical evangel is never to be neglected, keeping the main thing the main thing--the fulfilling of the Great Commission.  The church has a duty to preach the Word and to disciple the family that gathers for spiritual renewal and checkups and to exercise their gifts.  The church should throw out the welcome mat to sinners and be ready to accept people for who they are, after all, it's a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints, and no perfect people need to apply.  Remembering that Christ loved us while we were yet sinners and enemies of the cross!  We learn to love by showing it to those in need of it and the most difficult recipients.  Christ is the friend of sinners and those who realize their sin are on the road to recovery and salvation.  But this doesn't mean the preaching ought to be watered down, dumbed down, nor its gospel domesticated and contextualized to suit the fancy of the listeners.  Let God do the convicting and He will!

The church is more than an organization; it's an organism of a body that functions in a synergistic manner as a family to fulfill the Great Commission. The body together can accomplish more than the individuals can solo.  The evangelical church has become The Church of What's Happening Now doing its own thing, trying to be popular and see how big a crowd it can amass.  What the latest thing is and seems to be the focus is being all things to all people, and not the gospel message. We don't go to church for socializing, but fellowshipping, worshiping, edification, discipling, and ministering--basically getting our spiritual batteries charged and our growth assessed and appraised as we examine ourselves and take a spiritual inventory.  We are there to prepare for the Lord's battle and get equipped for our mission to the lost.

The truly seeker-sensitive church is one where the truth is preached and defended, not where it's watered down and avoided. The sinner needs to hear the gospel which should be the consummation and finale of every sermon. The church is to be the hospital for saints and those who realize their sin.  Outreach starts with the truth being preached as the expository Word of God.  Preachers ought to be biblicists of the first order--men of the Book--who rely on the Word and the Spirit, not their own acumen, scholarship, talents, academic training, for many preachers have been effective without seminary training, e.g., Spurgeon, Moody.   God always honors the preaching of the Word which will not come back void and be used to God's glory to convict and edify (cf. Jer. 1:12; Isaiah 55:11).  Doctrine is important for vitality, but the church shouldn't be content just to be doctrinally correct and pure--orthopraxy (right actions) are just as important as orthodoxy (right belief).

Sinners ought not to be comfortable in their sin and realize they need salvation and came to the right place!  Remember, the church is a functioning family and builds relationships, missions, and ministries. Whenever the body gathers in the name of Jesus, each member should feel free to exercise their gift and feel like themselves in their comfort zone. The seeker is the one who is out of his element and should be convicted of this.  Megachurches often miss the point not seeing the church as a living, functioning body, and become some sort of a personality cult focusing on the preacher, who is more of an entrepreneur, and not the mission and gathering crowds, not families.  If there is no opportunity for the member to serve, then he's in a crowd, not a ministering body that meets members needs and exercises the gifts.  In a healthy church, there is a place for everyone and everyone feels welcome and part of the family!        Soli Deo Gloria!

The Newest Thing

Today's church is not really growing, in fact, it is in a state of decline, and what is happening is just a relocation of the saved from dying churches to ones tuned into the newest thing.  We refer to this as The Church Of What's Happening Now!  You may even find coffee bars selling lattes, and bookstores!   They may also be into self-promotion, marketing their ministry on the media and the church may be built upon one personality who has a reputation and this is akin to being a personality cult--especially if the pastor is "in charge"  of the one-man show.

Many churches are reverting to Catholicism in that the members don't search things out in a Berean style (cf. Acts 17:11), and accept the "authority" of the preacher much like the "cult of death" (i.e., The People's Temple) did to Jim Jones, who was said to speak the Word of God, so that you didn't even need a Bible in church anymore. What happened to the words of Martin Luther:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest?"

Why do you think we have church history to study?  But to avoid the same mistakes and to build on the past, and also to keep that which is good (i.e., 1 Thess. 5:21, ESV, says, "[But] test everything, hold fast what is good").  A vibrant, living, and growing church have members who exercise their spiritual gifts and no one is self-sufficient or even thinks they don't need the body.  The Reformers said that the church was to be Semper reformanda, or always reforming (there's always room for improvement).  Our mindset never should alter from this focus of reformation.  We should never think we've arrived, but we are to preserve the better part.

The church has been known to turn a deaf ear to what's going on politically, and the converse, to get overly involved in partisanship.  The Bible is not a manual for government reform, but Christians should have a biblical worldview and not any secular one.  When you leave God out of the reckoning disaster is sure to follow suit.  Remember, the German church turned a deaf ear to Hitler and didn't stick up for right and morality while they had the chance.  The church is the salt and light of the nation and God uses it to dispense His grace.  You can say a lot of things about the Roman Catholic Church, but they are more involved in outreach and dispensing mercy and good deeds than any other church.  We are not just to minister to the spirit, but to the soul and body as well.  Christ has no hands but ours to reach out to a lost world.

In the modern church, we see many who are "holier-than-thou" and have forgotten what it's like to have a relationship with Jesus.  The only solution is to get into the Word and see themselves for who they are and repent.  Yes, repentance is not a one-time event, but progressive and we are to live in a state of repentance, just like we live in a state of faith.  Living by faith and walking by faith is the only way to grow in Christ.  We must keep our eyes on Jesus and to get reacquainted with Him on a personal basis.  Even seasoned believers can grow distant and become estranged.

That's why we all need the body to give us regular spiritual checkups and to stay in sync with Christ.   No one is an island, a lone wolf, spiritual Lone Ranger, or a rock in God's eyes--we are all members one of another.   Remember, one doesn't defect from Christ as a believer, but gradually slips away and before you know it, he's backslidden.  As an example, he doesn't rebel against the church, but misses on occasion and gradually comes to the conclusion he can get along without it.  "[Not] neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some..." (Heb. 10:25, ESV).

Today's mainstream Protestants are becoming apostate, buying into all the liberal worldview and agenda, even some are known as the Christian left, as opposed to the evangelical right.  The evangelicals are soon becoming outnumbered and few truly independent churches exist.  It is increasingly difficult to find a vibrant, growing fundamentalist church.  Members are transferring from one church to another, and the net effect is zero on the church at large.  Christendom is having little impact on the world because the world is having so much effect on the church.

This is where spiritual self-sufficiency or complacency gets a hold on a believer who falls away from fellowship--and this is precisely what Christ wants of us--us--i.e., to have fellowship with us.  But we must open the door--Christians are the ones who've opened the door!  There are believers who are out of fellowship, living in disobedience, but Jesus loves them and the proof of that is His discipline and rebuke. The verse in Revelation 3:20 primarily refers to unbelievers who need to repent and let Christ reign in their hearts, but it can be applied to believers to help them find the locus of their disillusionment or disenchantment with the church and with Christ.   Soli Deo Gloria!  

Critique Of The Catholic Tradition..

Back in 1517 the professor and Augustinian monk Martin Luther said in effect, "I dissent, I disagree, I protest" to the church of Rome and nailed the famous 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church All Souls in Wittenberg, Saxony, on Halloween night.  Since then there have been irreconcilable differences between the faiths and this started the Reformation, which brought about the Counter-Reformation of the Catholics at the Council of Trent, 1545-63.  In effect, they condemned the Protestants and anyone who believed in their formula of salvation dogma (church accepted doctrine) which is salvation by faith alone (they pronounced them "anathema" or cursed). Justification by faith alone became the battle cry of the Reformation.  Note that the Catholics condemn Protestants, and not the reverse as they said in Vatican Council II that one cannot be saved apart from the Church or that "it is necessary for salvation." What Protestants rejected was that Roman Catholicism is mainly a religion because it adds merit to grace and works to faith and doesn't rely solely upon Christ alone in faith, but faith also in the Church or Pope.  Catholicism is primarily a tradition that adherents follow without questioning authority.

The point of disagreement lies not in the deity of Christ or the infallibility of Scripture but in the doctrine of soteriology or of the study of salvation.  We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and the authority is in Scripture alone.  Catholics take issue at all these points:  They add merit to grace; works to faith; faith in the Church or Pope to Christ; and tradition and the Church to Scripture. Catholics believe that the instrumental means of salvation are the sacraments and as the Church administers them in baptism Holy Communion.  Protestants believe the instrumental means is faith and this is a gift of God so that we cannot boast.  Protestants see Christ as our Mediator (see 1 Tim. 2:5) while Catholics have declared Mary as Co-Redeemer or and Co-Mediator or Mediatrix. Protestants see all believers as priests unto God and we don't need a priesthood.  All believers have the authority to interpret Scripture, however, the responsibility and obligation to do it correctly, and not just the priest, for no prophecy of Scripture is of a "private interpretation" according to  2 Pet. 1:20.

Protestants have nothing against tradition as long as it complies with Scripture or doesn't contradict it. For example, where Catholics have unbiblical traditions or are out of sync or harmony with Scripture are traditions such as:  Believing the Church is built on Peter, the first Pope; there is a purgatory to purge of sin; prayers can be said to Mary and the dead saints (invocation of saints); images are made to kneel and pray before; the mass and sacraments are needed for salvation; salvation is through the Roman Catholic Church; in communion, the elements become the actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation); penance is for the restoration of fellowship; the notion that indulgences are made for the dead in purgatory; veneration and worship of Mary; holy water; canonization of saints; the celibacy of priests; and the repetition of the Rosary.  None of these are based on Scripture and in fact contradict sound doctrine.

Other traditions include the addition of nuns, monks, monasteries, convents, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, All Saints Day, declaring the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ and Head of the Church (per Col. 1:18 Jesus is Head), the infallibility of the Pope, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the immaculate conception of Mary, the assumption of Mary, the crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Basically, the problem lies in the fact that they attribute tradition as having equal authority as Scripture.  Whereas, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees:  "... [T]heir teachings are but rules taught by men."

Vatican II said in the 1960's on the Ecumenism:  "For it is through the Catholic Church alone, which is the all-embracing means of salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained."


This is where contention arose:  Their spirit of exclusion and condemnation which is not based on Scriptural support but only edict and tradition of Rome [declared at the Council of Trent] and the Papists.  Read the blasphemy of Pope Pius the Ninth, the first "infallible" Pope in 1870:  "I alone, despite my unworthiness, am the successor to the apostles and Vicar to Christ.  I alone have the mission to guide and direct the ship of Peter.  I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  They who are with me are with the Church.  They who are not with me are out of the Church."   The Bible says that Christ is the Rock and there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5). Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:4 that "that Rock" was Christ.  They see Peter as the "rock" but Christ only called him "Petros" or rock in Greek, and the truth he expressed as "Petra" or foundation rock" in Greek that would be the Rock of His church.  This church position is highly sectarian (Paul condemns sectarianism in 1 Cor. 1) and is exclusive.

Their veneration of the Virgin Mary as the tradition was declared at the Vatican in 1994 as follows:  "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.  The church rightly honors the Blessed Virgin with special devotion.  ... The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an 'epitome of the whole gospel,' express this devotion to the Virgin Mary."  [Mat. 1:25 says that Joseph had "no union" with Mary until "she gave birth" implying losing her virginity, while Mark 6 and Mat. 13 list Jesus' brothers.] Praying to Mary contravenes the example of the Apostles and seeing her as sinless contradicts her addressing God as her Savior in the Magnificat. The obeisance to Mary was exemplified by Pope John Paul II in May of 1991 when he went to Fatima in Portugal and placed a crown of diamonds on a statue of Mary for saving his life from an assassination attempt. This is no less than the so-called hyper-elevation of Mary and seeing her as without sin through the immaculate conception and crowned as Queen of Heaven.  Pope Leo the Twelfth said, "No one can approach Christ except through the Mother."  He also said, "... [Nothing] according to the will of God comes to us except through Mary."  None of these dogmas are warranted in Scripture and undermine the gospel and the Incarnation.

In short, Rome has declared that there is no higher authority than the Pope, who they see as the direct successor of Peter, who they say was the first Pope [But Paul put him in his place, even accusing him of hypocrisy] and is head of the Church, and in order to be saved one must be subject to his authority, making Protestants heretics.  Relying on Mat. 16:18-19 they say Peter was given "the keys" but Jesus makes it clear in John 20:23 that the right to forgive was given to all the apostles and this was clearly delineated in Scripture--Acts 10:43 says all who believe in Jesus are forgiven!  Roman Catholics always refer to Mat. 16:18-19.  Catholics say Jesus was just talking to Peter when He gave authority, but Peter is the subset of the larger band of disciples and this is reading into the Scripture or eisegesis and to justify their understanding of the church and of the legitimacy of a Pope,  they are taking the verse out of context--the full analogy of Scripture, that is; for Scripture is its own interpreter (see John 20:23) and it never contradicts itself. It isn't wrong to call someone a heretic if you can prove it by Scripture, but they just declare it by church dogma and tradition and cannot base it on any biblical authority. Protestants believe the Bible is sufficient to rule our faith and we don't need tradition, which is acceptable only as it is concordant with Scripture and not in conflict with biblical dogma.  In sum, Roman Catholics believe there is no higher authority than the Pope and it is necessary to be subject to him for salvation [decreed by Pope Boniface the Eighth, in his Bull of 1302].  The reason they accept this is tradition and they believe in tradition as equal validity as the Bible.  Everyone must ultimately ask himself:  What is your rule of faith?

In the final analysis, if you find yourself compromising your faith or not believing sound doctrine is important and worth sticking to, or not sticking to your guns, you are on the way to a falling away. You must be in the know or be privy to what this religion stands for so you will be prepared when God opens the door for you to testify of the truth--He who is of the truth will listen. The adage it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere is fallacious.  Paul spoke of Israel as having a "zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (cf. Rom. 10:2, ESV).   We do not judge Catholic counterparts, but we must be willing to take a stand for the truth when the time is right.

As a quick litmus test of orthodoxy, ask a Catholic friend if he believes in free will.  Augustine said we did with reservations:  We have a free will, but we are not freed.  We are set free upon salvation, not born free--i.e., we don't have liberty, but are voluntary slaves of sin.   Rome has condemned anyone who doesn't affirm the Catholic doctrine of absolute free will--they believe the will is not affected by the fall of Adam, in other words, but remains in a neutral position freely able to choose Christ apart from God's intervention and aid.  Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (cf. John 15:5).  If left to ourselves, none of us would've chosen Christ!

Free will introduces merit and makes some worthy of salvation by their free choice.  A pertinent verse is Romans 9:19 which says, "You will say to me then, 'Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?'"  Another is John 1:13 which says we are not saved by the will of man but of God! If you came to Christ on your own, you probably left Him on your own!  Jesus plainly said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him"  (John 6:44, ESV).  And:  "... [T]his is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father"  (John 6:65, ESV).  This is commonly called the "wooing" or drawing ministry of the Holy Spirit who empowers us unto faith by quickening our spirit and opening our eyes.  We didn't choose our nature and we are only clay in the Potter's hands, but we are free to act according to our God-given nature, disposition, or temperament.  Who said we need free will to be saved--we need our wills made free!  "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure"  (Phil. 2:13, ESV).

The Bible says not to be unequally yoked, and this means you must have a mutual respect and understanding in your faiths, but not necessarily to be of the same denomination.  You must be able to pray together if you want to stay together.  If there is one thing that'll change your theology in a hurry it's falling in love!  Caveat:  The husband is in the role of the spiritual head of the family and must not be derelict or remiss in his duties to take charge and lead.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Getting Something Out Of Church...

Most believers go to church for the wrong reason:  For comfort; for fellowship; to get favors; for making friends; for spreading their agenda or ministry; for the music; for a sermon; ad infinitum.   We may go to church for the wrong motive, but we ought, nevertheless, go:  "Let us not abandon the assembling together of ourselves as is the manner of some (cf. Heb. 10:25), but encourage one another." Today, the typical Christian will die for a church he won't attend!  God wants us to have the right motives, but can work with us even if our motives are wrong--He wants us in church and that is where we belong.

The church is an organism (a living entity) and not just an organization or a business run by some well-intentioned do-gooders.  All the members need each other and no one has all the gifts necessary to make the body function.  We all bring our gifts to share with the body or family we are part of and contribute as God has equipped us. Our gifts are for the edification of the body, and not to be selfishly used for our own service or profits.  We do not peddle the Word of God but make it available without price and without cost.  Our ministry is to the body and in another vein, our mission is to the unchurched or unbeliever.

Someone might say, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!"  That person went for the wrong intent and needs to examine his motives and heart and the doctrines pertaining to the church's raison d'etre.  Christ established the church for the edification of the body and the dissemination of the gospel message to the world at large.  The church's primary goal is to fulfill the Great Commission.

When you go to church do you feel better equipped to do that?  Worship isn't passive, but active, it is contradictory to listen to worship because worship is giving and not receiving.  God has commanded all creation to worship its Creator and corporate worship can only be done in the assembly of believers known as the local church.  There is a special presence of Christ when two or three are gathered together in His name.

The key to worship is surrender and the more one loves God, the more he has to give in worship--there must be a relationship there to build on. Some churches teach that there should be no holds barred in worship and everyone should feel free to be as spiritual as they are inclined to be and not inhibited or concerned about what others think, but the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all worship service and everyone is at a different "stage" or phase, in there spiritual journey and walk in the Lord, and we cannot compare ourselves with each other.  There's no "one-size-fits-all." 

Everything we do in church is worship:  Singing spiritual songs and hymns; giving of our tithes and offerings; fellowshipping and reaching out to others; serving with our gift, and even listening to the sermon is worship!  "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).

We go to church to contribute something of our spiritual gift and to receive from other's gifts in exchange--it is mutual and we need each other; no one is an island to himself.  Look for a church in which you can serve with your spiritual gift.  We only get what we put into it and we shouldn't go unprepared, like showing up without any spiritual preparation or devotion.  We all can minister to another and reach out to those in need with our gift.


Finally, to get the most out of worship, we must empty ourselves, or stop dwelling on ourselves, and get our eyes on Jesus.  The gateway is to focus on others and not be self-centered, but reach out in love to one another.  Emptying comes before filling, and being filled with the Spirit is an imperative because worship is unnatural and we can only do it in Spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).

To conclude:  We are to be active listeners: Listening with a purpose like we want to learn and be challenged.  We don't go to church solely to hear a wonderful sermon and get uplifted, but that may be part of the equation of a well-balanced church attendance.  This may involve taking notes or discussing the sermons afterward--anything that reinforces it and it doesn't end up in oblivion after church.  You will find that the more in the Word you are the more interesting you will find the sermons and the ability to follow them critically and positively.  God commands our respect and attention, and it is sacrilegious to purposely be a distraction and cause others to lose focus on the message.  Remember, God has anointed the minister and has something in mind for you to learn and apply directly to your life.    Soli Deo Gloria!

Churchianity...

Some Christians "play" church and go through the motions of worship and never go for the right reason--to worship God--they say, "I didn't get much out of worship today!" (maybe they should concentrate on what they put into it). God condemns us for having worship without our heart in it or hypocritical worship, this is just "memorizing the dance of the pious." A real hypocrite (hypocrite means wearing a mask, or acting in a play) is not one who falls short of his ideals, but one who uses religion as a cover-up and knows he is insincere.

The theme of Psalms is Psa. 29:2, "Ascribe the Lord the glory due to His name, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness." Deut. 17 condemns insincere and dishonest worship or sacrifice. Amaziah was known for doing the will of the Lord, but not with a true heart. Someone has said that there are 4 persons that we show: The one God sees; the one you see; the one the world sees; and the one your intimate friends see. Let's be careful not to just have a "public persona" and parade our spirituality or piety.

Worship should be a delight and our feelings should be in it (or we are blaspheming God--like doing it as a "duty" not because we want to) as the command "Delight yourself in the Lord..." says. In summary: Psa. 84:1 says, "My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the Lord" and Psa. 122:1 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

We can worship or be edified in a "crowd," but we need to function in a local body of believers with our spiritual gift. Rick Warren says that there is no "one-size-fits-all" for worship and there are many ways to worship. He says we believe, we belong, we become. We are to be committed to our church as a token of our commitment to Christ--they go hand in hand--and then we will grow and be accountable.

I can't stand the legalistic crowd that goes to church thinking that will make them a Christian, like going into a garage will make you a car, or eating a donut will make you a cop. They are called the "nod-to-God" crowd, which thinks it is fulfilling its obligation by a short visit to the local church, just out of guilt. The true Christian wants to worship God and wants to fellowship with other believers with whom he is a "fellow in the same ship." I think some mega-churches miss the boat in worship, you just don't hear people "amen" the preacher (where is the worship in the Spirit and in the truth?). But different people are at different stages and God has a purpose for their existence--mega-churches aren't where I'm at, because I want to know my pastor personally, not just from afar.

Some think their religious performance is enough to save them. To some, it's only a formality and not a relationship. John MacArthur says, "We can't enter through our religious emotion or our sanctified feelings....Lip service is no good--there must be obedience...You don't get into the kingdom by sincerity, by religiosity, by reformation, by kindness, by service to the church, not even by simply naming the name of Christ; you get there only by personal trust and faith in [the person and work of] Christ." We can have a form of godliness and be empty. The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, yet it was dead (see Rev. 3:1). We can even have "sanctimonious emotions" and not know Christ. There is a difference between knowing the Word and knowing the Author of the Word.

We can have many experiences in church and everyone has a different one, but I believe we should test our experiences by the Word of God and not the Word of God by our experiences. That's an important concept--we are not to become either rationalists nor empiricists (going by reason or experience only), but belief in the Bible (revelation) and sound teaching. The more we learn the more we realize where the wiggle room is and what is not worth fighting about. We are to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Sectarianism is a sin according to 1 Cor. 1, and we shouldn't divide into factions if we can help it. Pascal said, "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity."   Soli Deo Gloria!