Real Fellowship - One Church
I often hear the question, “Where do you go to church?” I used to answer the question, “Church isn’t a place you go to; We are the Church.” It seems like somehow that message has been by-passed. I've been praying a great deal about how to answer this in current days. I'm not just ignoring the question. I'm also not offended at anyone for asking it, and I don't want my tone to come across that way. It is a question I hear often, but it is a question I really struggle with. I don't really like the question, because I feel like it often comes with a reflexive judgment or stereotyping: labeling people according to their denominational or particular affiliation, rather than simply acknowledging people as the family of God, who truly know Jesus as Savior. As soon as I mention the church group I regularly fellowship with, others who don't go there immediately categorize me as being "not with them." Otherwise the question is used for judging people on the presumed level of their spiritual maturity: if they "go to church," how often they "go to church," or what day(s) of the week they "go to church." I'm not accusing anyone specifically of having that motive, but I'm not unaware of the larger scope of how it is used. I don't really believe most Christians get what "going to church" actually means, rather than facilitating the end goal of what "going to church" is supposed to accomplish -- communing with God (especially) and then with others (aka “fellowship”).
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7).
In other words, you can go to church 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and still not fellowship with God or other believers. This communing can potentially occur wherever we are gathered in His name: even if some portion of that is on Facebook like this, at work or school, or even in the traditionally-thought-of location of a "church" building. I don't find Jesus or His disciples asking the question anywhere in the Bible, and I can't imagine seeing very many people asking others this in the early church. There was only One Church in any given location: "The Church of Jerusalem" "The Church of Philadelphia," "The Church of Kalispell," etc. For those who know me with any degree of depth or for any considerable length of time, they understand the consistency of my conviction about this -- that it is not merely an excuse to pursue sinful ambitions and forsake God, disrespect God-given offices of pastors, prophets, evangelists, apostles, and teachers; or otherwise encourage anyone to "forsake the assembling of ourselves together." If anyone is questioning: “Do you fellowship with God and other believers? Are you accountable? Do you engage in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God? Do you pray with other believers regularly?” The answer to all these questions is unequivocally “Yes.” God sees and knows all, and judges much better than people do in this regard, especially when their motive is less about actual communion and friendship and more about garnering people into attendance for the sake of counting heads or otherwise discrediting someone they don't like or isn't involved in their organization.
Beyond this, for all the praying I hear of "God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven," I don't often hear this applied to unifying the Body of Christ (even though I am personally praying this now). The reason is simple: the end results of this prayer might have very shocking and catastrophic results. Because in heaven, there is only One Church, or as the Bible puts it: "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism." It is really time for a full-on REFORMATION in this regard.
This is something I recently wrote for a couple groups I moderate: It is our core belief that there truly, literally, and actually is "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." This also means that there is only ONE Church, and we seek to walk out the prayer that Jesus prayed, "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." This means a complete unity inside of who Jesus and the Father are. The implications of this are much more severe and difficult than some people want to admit, especially those who hold positions of influence and power in the Church or para-church and rely upon these positions for their livelihood. We do not give token "lip-service" to unity in the Body of Christ as some do. We strive relationally to live in love and acceptance of all who are true believers and reject every form of overt or subversive sectarianism and attitude or spirit which divides people away from God's unending love, purity, and unity with His Spirit and the whole Body of Christ. We acknowledge every legitimate gathering, whether large or small (even 2 or 3 that are gathered in His name) and the mature ministers He has commissioned to build up His Church. We resist those who otherwise try to condescend to other groups, control or subjugate people "after themselves" (Acts 20:30) or their particular, individual entity exclusively or make merchandise of them (2 Peter 2:3). Christ is and always will be the Head -- the "Shepherd [Pastor] and Bishop of your souls" (1 Peter 2:25), the Father, the High Priest (Hebrews 4:15). We do not hold judgement based upon "where you fellowship" or if you are "part of a church." If you know Christ as Your Savior and Lord, you are part of the Church--our Church, and we are part of yours -- without exception, without a need to "join". We will instead seek to enjoy the presence of Christ with you immediately and love you unconditionally. It is our prayer that His people will soon identify as merely His children and that denominational and non-profit structures (501c3s) will merge (or otherwise dissolve) regionally and virtual-regionally under His headship, sharing in every way His life, provisions, and graces. "How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity…For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore!" In other words, we practically value and identify as "Christians" first, and anything else, second; we disavow and resist anything which stands as a barrier to complete unity with Him, His will, His authority, and His Kingdom.
“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7).
In other words, you can go to church 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and still not fellowship with God or other believers. This communing can potentially occur wherever we are gathered in His name: even if some portion of that is on Facebook like this, at work or school, or even in the traditionally-thought-of location of a "church" building. I don't find Jesus or His disciples asking the question anywhere in the Bible, and I can't imagine seeing very many people asking others this in the early church. There was only One Church in any given location: "The Church of Jerusalem" "The Church of Philadelphia," "The Church of Kalispell," etc. For those who know me with any degree of depth or for any considerable length of time, they understand the consistency of my conviction about this -- that it is not merely an excuse to pursue sinful ambitions and forsake God, disrespect God-given offices of pastors, prophets, evangelists, apostles, and teachers; or otherwise encourage anyone to "forsake the assembling of ourselves together." If anyone is questioning: “Do you fellowship with God and other believers? Are you accountable? Do you engage in the preaching and teaching of the Word of God? Do you pray with other believers regularly?” The answer to all these questions is unequivocally “Yes.” God sees and knows all, and judges much better than people do in this regard, especially when their motive is less about actual communion and friendship and more about garnering people into attendance for the sake of counting heads or otherwise discrediting someone they don't like or isn't involved in their organization.
Beyond this, for all the praying I hear of "God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven," I don't often hear this applied to unifying the Body of Christ (even though I am personally praying this now). The reason is simple: the end results of this prayer might have very shocking and catastrophic results. Because in heaven, there is only One Church, or as the Bible puts it: "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism." It is really time for a full-on REFORMATION in this regard.
This is something I recently wrote for a couple groups I moderate: It is our core belief that there truly, literally, and actually is "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." This also means that there is only ONE Church, and we seek to walk out the prayer that Jesus prayed, "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." This means a complete unity inside of who Jesus and the Father are. The implications of this are much more severe and difficult than some people want to admit, especially those who hold positions of influence and power in the Church or para-church and rely upon these positions for their livelihood. We do not give token "lip-service" to unity in the Body of Christ as some do. We strive relationally to live in love and acceptance of all who are true believers and reject every form of overt or subversive sectarianism and attitude or spirit which divides people away from God's unending love, purity, and unity with His Spirit and the whole Body of Christ. We acknowledge every legitimate gathering, whether large or small (even 2 or 3 that are gathered in His name) and the mature ministers He has commissioned to build up His Church. We resist those who otherwise try to condescend to other groups, control or subjugate people "after themselves" (Acts 20:30) or their particular, individual entity exclusively or make merchandise of them (2 Peter 2:3). Christ is and always will be the Head -- the "Shepherd [Pastor] and Bishop of your souls" (1 Peter 2:25), the Father, the High Priest (Hebrews 4:15). We do not hold judgement based upon "where you fellowship" or if you are "part of a church." If you know Christ as Your Savior and Lord, you are part of the Church--our Church, and we are part of yours -- without exception, without a need to "join". We will instead seek to enjoy the presence of Christ with you immediately and love you unconditionally. It is our prayer that His people will soon identify as merely His children and that denominational and non-profit structures (501c3s) will merge (or otherwise dissolve) regionally and virtual-regionally under His headship, sharing in every way His life, provisions, and graces. "How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity…For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore!" In other words, we practically value and identify as "Christians" first, and anything else, second; we disavow and resist anything which stands as a barrier to complete unity with Him, His will, His authority, and His Kingdom.
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