Church As Seen From A Distance
by Van Robison
Christians think churches represent
Jesus Christ. That is delusion. Churches represent
church leaders. Most Christians know that cult groups
are not sanctioned by Christ. What those same people
don't seem to ever realize is that "mainstream"
churchianity is not sanctioned by Jesus Christ either.
There are no labels of churches that Jesus Christ came
to establish. Many quote various scriptures to make
people believe that Christ established their
particular brand of church. He didn't!
For many of us who are former long time church attenders,
our perspective of church has radically changed. It is
impossible to see church for what it is until one steps
outside of the organized church system. Naturally all
pastors and priests think God ordained them to positions of
power and control over the lives of common Christian
people. He didn't! You have only one Master--Jesus Christ
(Matthew 23:8).
The institutional church world is crumbling because its
foundation is man-made. Churchianity is founded upon sand.
Jesus Christ is founded upon God Almighty, Everlasting
Father, Immortal Head of the one and only Body. Isaiah 9:6
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and
THE GOVERNMENT shall be UPON HIS SHOULDER (the government
does not belong to pastors): and His name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace."
We all know that other people see us in ways that we do not
and seemingly cannot see ourselves. This is also true of
churchianity. Churchianity does not see itself for what it
is. It is man-made religion. It represents its
pastor-priests who are the designers of what it is. When
confronted with its self image, churchianity becomes highly
emotional in self defense. It quotes scriptures it thinks
it understands, and for which it uses for approval and
authoritative posture. Standing on the outside of
churchianity and seeing it through glass windows,
churchianity is totally naked and exposed to the whole
world for what it really is--customs and traditions of men.
The vast difference between the life and teachings of Jesus
Christ upon which churchianity thinks it imitates, is
dumbfounding and astonishing. How many young "Christian"
men and women engage in war with the approval of their
churches, and think they are doing God a service? Did not
Jesus Christ say "love your enemies", "do unto others as
you would have them do unto you", "love your neighbor as
you love your self", "take up your cross and follow Me?"
Most of the original followers of Jesus Christ were
martyred, not because they were involved in church, but
because they followed Jesus Christ--two totally different
subjects.
Following Jesus Christ and going to church are not one and
the same. Church leaders are spiritually blind, because
Jesus Christ did not found churchianity. He didn't teach
"take up your cross and go to church", or "take up your
cross and follow pastors." What Jesus Christ founded was
spiritual in nature, not carnal churchianity. Jesus came
teaching principles to live by 24/7 and He exemplified His
teachings by living those principles Himself. On the other
hand churchianity teaches institutionalism.
Institutionalism says--build physical buildings, submit to
pastors, sit in pews, go to church, have organizational
control over the people, and many other customs and
traditions of men.
Churchianity cannot see itself, and those who partake of
churchianity cannot see it unless and until they step away
from it for a long enough time to see it for what it
is--man-made religion. Even the apostle Paul proclaimed he
knew nothing other than Christ crucified. Churchianity has
many teachings and practices attached to the name of
Christ, which in fact have nothing to do with Jesus Christ.
And this is exactly the issue in the time of Christ with
the religious leaders whose customs and traditions were
paramount over the commandments of God.
Seen from a distance, churches are just another man-made
religion of the world we live in. Church and church issues
are a physical system of religious leaders who have deluded
themselves and their disciples. Living a life in Jesus
Christ is a matter of the heart and has to do with the Holy
Spirit. Jesus Himself stated that "God is a Spirit: and
they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in
truth (John 4:24)." Jesus nowhere ever stated that worship
is a group activity accomplished on the weekend, in a
church service, officiated by pastors or priests, or in a
formal, organized system called "church".
- What does "Blessed are the poor in spirit" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Blessed are they that mourn" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Blessed are the meek" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Blessed are the merciful" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Blessed are the pure in heart" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Blessed are the peacemakers" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Take heed that you do not your alms (good deeds or charity) before men, to be seen of them" have to do with going to church?
- What does "When you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father which is in secret" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will like him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock" have to do with going to church?
- What does "Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" have to do with going to church?
- What does "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother" have to do with going to church?
No pastor on earth can point to any teachings of Jesus Christ that define "going to church" as a requirement for the forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of eternal salvation, or as being the definition of following Jesus Christ. What then is this thing we call "church" which is divided into endless denominations, and radically diverse from one another even in what is termed "mainstream" Christianity?
Have you ever seen "church" from a distance?
