Don’t go to church

In this article I am going to tell you something that may well seem contradictive to what I have said in the past, and very much counterintuitive to what you may have been told most of your life.  That doesn’t mean I have changed my mind about this important issue; rather I simply believe it is critical that people understand what God desires, and how that connects to what they are doing.

Often times we do things, even important things, simply because that is what we have always done, or because that is what is expected of us.  But when it comes to the things of God we are to do not only what is right, but we are to do them for the right reasons, and with the right attitude – right heart attitude.

So what is this important thing I have to tell you?  “DON’T GO TO CHURCH.”  If you missed it, let me say it one more time – DON’T GO TO CHURCH.

Wait a minute, you might be thinking, why would he be telling us not to go to church.  We have always gone to church, and we expect that we should continue to go to church.   What is the idea with, “Don’t go to church?”

OK, so let me ask you; ‘Why do you go to church?’  I’ve known enough people over the years to know many of the answers many of you might give.  ‘I go because it is the right thing to do.’  ‘I go because it is expected of me.’ (By family, friends, or church leaders)   ‘I go because it is one of those things that causes God to be pleased with my efforts.’  ‘I go because it fulfills one of God’s requirements.’  I am sure there are many other reasons people might give as to why they ‘go to church.’

I think of the question of Jesus by the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16.   “What good thing must ‘I’ do to gain eternal life?”  To be clear, that question is really no different than what the Jews asked Jesus in John 6:28.

Jesus had been talking to them about not working for food that perishes, but for that which endures to, or leads to, eternal life.  So the Jews asked Him WHAT ‘GOOD WORKS’ THEY COULD DO that would enable THEM to attain eternal life.  That was basically the same question of the young ruler.

In both cases they wanted a list of ‘things’ THEY could do that would earn, or merit, eternal life.  In the case of the young ruler Jesus began to list off a number of the commandments, to which the young man said, “I have obeyed all those rules.”

Now to be honest, although he may have done those things, or not done those things ‘outwardly,’ the truth is we all sin.  We all have our moments of rebellion against God, or our family, or simply against that which we know is right.

An evil thought pursued, or an evil attitude of the heart; these are just as much sin as an outward act of theft or violence toward a person.  To be less than perfect in any of these areas is sin; no matter what the world may say or think.

But at the heart of it all is what I brought out above in capital letters; what is there THAT I CAN DO to earn eternal life.

Jesus was very clear with the Jews in John 6:29: There is only ONE work God has given you that can lead to receiving eternal life – “BELIEVE IN THE ONE THE FATHER HAS SENT.”

Jesus didn’t give them a list of do’s and don’ts for attaining eternal life beyond the call to believe in Christ as the only way to the Father; the only way to receive the gift of eternal life.  So back to my original point; that of ‘going to church.’

What is ‘church?’  What does someone generally mean when they say ‘they are going to church?’  When many people, if not most people, say they are going to church, they mean they are going to a particular building where they gather with others who probably have similar reasons for going there at the same time.

The act of going there, and the number of times they go there on a given day or week or month, may be part of their belief structure.  By doing so they show their adherence to and reverence for their belief system.  It may also be that by doing so they grow in the trust their leaders have for them, thus allowing them to be elevated in various positions, if that is their desire.

The same may be true whether it is ‘going to church,’ or ‘how many times a day a person prays,’ or ‘whether they give an expected amount of their finances,’ or many other possible things on the ‘lists’ of various religions.  But it all boils down to what the Jews were asking Jesus, and what He responded: “Just believe in the One the Father has sent.”

You see, you shouldn’t be going to ‘church,’ you should be going to worship the God of your creation, who also provided the only way of receiving salvation, the gift of eternal life as a gift when you repent and put your faith in Messiah Jesus.

Now obviously that occurs for many at a building we often call a ‘church,’ but the word ‘church’ in Greek means “called out ones.”  In other words, God calls you out of the belief systems of the world in which YOU do works in an attempt to get to heaven, and He calls you into a relationship with Him that can only occur through faith in the Person and finished work of Jesus, the Messiah.

What this means is, don’t trust in your religious works in order to attain eternal life with God, but put faith ONLY IN that which Christ did to secure the way of salvation and eternal life for you.  To put it another way; don’t go to church; instead gather with believers to worship our Savior, our Lord, our Creator, who gave His life to pay for your sins so that you could receive complete forgiveness and the gift of eternal life.

Many people go to a ‘church,’ but they certainly don’t go to worship the One True God.  Obeying rules and completing ‘lists’ was the eternal mistake of the young ruler, and the Jews in general.  God calls us to the place of humility wherein we admit there is nothing we can do to receive salvation and eternal life, but that through Christ alone salvation is available to any and all who are willing to repent, and believe in Jesus by faith.

Don’t go to church; go to Christ.