I like buffets. Its relaxed and casual and its all about satisfying my choices. I can go up and get food whenever I want rather than having to wait. I can pick and choose from the vast variety of dishes according to what I feel like at the time. And then go back for more!
Too often we can treat church as if its an ecclesiological buffet. I go whenever I want to the type of church I feel like attending that week. This week it might be a church with good music. Next week, I want some challenging teaching. The following week I go looking for stimulating fellowship.
But God’s plan is that we belong to a local church. Church is a group of believers who have committed themselves to each other, to growing together in our love and service of Jesus.
- For example, 2 Cor 6:11-18 implies we are yoked to each other in partnership, bound to each other as brothers and sisters, opening our hearts and affections to each other.
- Php 4:15-17 As a group we are to be sacrificially generous in supporting gospel work.
- Php 4:1-2; Col 12-13 we are to graciously forgive each other rather than moving on to another church to avoid each other
- Heb 13:17 we are to obey our church leaders. This doesn’t mean we are to submit to any leader of any church. We are to respectfully listen and submit to the appointed leaders of our church.
- Heb 13:17 These leaders are accountable to God for their pastoring of the people in this church, and not for all Christians everywhere.
- 1 Cor 5:1-12 Paul commands the Corinthians not to associate with a believer who is wilfully sinning. They are to expel him from the church. This doesn’t make sense unless God envisages church as a place where believers have committed themselves to being part of this group.
We are in the trenches together, fighting our spiritual battles together. God designed these interactions to give me the opportunity to be lovingly confronted by my brothers and sisters who are in the trenches with me, as well as a safe place to confess and repent.
Treating church like a buffet is a selfish attitude and limits my Christian growth. I move on to the next church when I get bored rather than persevering with this group of Christians. I move on when the teaching cuts too close to the bone, or my sin gets exposed by interacting with other Christians, or I want to avoid associating with particular types of people, or I sense my lack of zeal or prayerfulness or…
If you only ever attend, but don’t actually join a church, then you need to ask if you giving yourself an out? Do you want to be able to leave when your heart is exposed by the Spirit and the real work of change is simply beginning?
God is saying choose a church, a church where Christ is proclaimed and honoured. Give yourself wholeheartedly to that group of believers, to encouraging and spurring them on to love and good deeds, whilst opening yourself up to the possibilities of being challenged and even rebuked so you will grow more like our glorious Lord Jesus. If you would like to explore becoming a member of HBC then please email dave@hunterbiblechurch.org
