Why Can't I Go to Church?

In our day and time it seems the most common transition into a witnessing scenario is after a conversation has been started with someone to ask them if they "go to church" anywhere. It is an easy and simple enough question that quickly garners an idea of where the person stands spiritually by their response. If they respond, yes I go to "such and such" church, you make a quick calculation about what they believe based on the label or brand of their church. If they say no they most likely give you a reason why without you having to ask. Such reasons might be they work every Sunday, they used to go but they haven't found anyplace they like, or that the church is full of hypocrites. Instantly, we feel we know how to respond back to them now. Typically, we tell them they need a better job so they can have off on Sunday, that they need to try your church because you know they will like it, or you get quiet because you don't know how to defend the people sitting in in the pew. There is a problem with the question we ask and with the response we give to their answer.

First, you can't go to church because you are the church! No where in the New Testament does the word church mean a building. In Acts, the Lord added to the church daily those that would be saved. Buildings don't get saved people do. When the Apostles wrote letters to the Churches at Corinth, Ephesus, and Philippians, they were writing to the people who followed Christ in that city. A building cannot read a letter. You are the church. You may be the church that meets at "such and such building" or be the group of people who themselves by a certain name to identify you in the city from other groups of people meeting in other places but you are still the church.

In our wrong use of the word church, we have created a subliminal flaw in the people. By calling the building church over and over we create a in people a sort of disconnect that relieves them of responsibility and accountability to be the church. It reinforces the spectator mentality that has become too much the norm in our day. When you gather together as the Church where do you meet. The church is a group of called out individuals. We want to always turn ourselves into a building but the command of Jesus was to go into all the world. We are called out of sin and out of every nation and ethnos to be a people of God who go into the world and preach the Gospel, make disciples, teach the commands of Christ, feed the hungry, set loose those that are bound, to literally be the redeeming person and action of Christ to all peoples.

Maybe the next time, after you start a conversation with someone, say did you know I don't go to church anymore? When they look at you funny and ask what you are talking about you can tell them that you are the church and Jesus Christ lives in you to go about doing good. By the way, what can I do for you? Think about it and see if your witnessing needs a radical new approach. And let's not go to church or have church, but let's be the church out in the world.