Don't Go to Church, Be the Church?

The Church as an Assembly, Not a Solo Identity

It's kind of funny the number of churches saying, don't go to church, be the church. As witty as they think that is, they're inadvertently telling people not to go to church. A few have altered it a little, don't just go to church, be the church, but the problem is still the same.

The message is that church is not a place you go to. You can be the church right where you're sitting, or where you work, or where you shop. There are many pretend Christians who think this way already.

Why You Cannot Be the Church Apart from Gathering

But here's the thing. You cannot be the church unless you go to church. Let's understand what the church is. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means an assembly or a congregation. So to be the church, you must assemble.

Yes, the church is a people, not a building. But notice that it's a people, plural. You are not the church by yourself. According to 1 Peter 2 .5, you are a living stone, part of the church, being built up with the rest of the church as a spiritual house unto the Lord.

The Commands and Practices of the Church Together

God commands us to gather regularly, that we may stir one another to love and good works, encouraging one another all the more as the day of the Lord draws near. Together we're growing in Christ, listening to exhortation and teaching, singing together, praying together, eating the Lord's supper together, celebrating baptism, rejoicing and mourning with each other, even disciplining one another, and much more we cannot do by ourselves.

Go to Church to Be the Church

We can't grow together if we're not meeting together, so go to church to be the church when we understand the text.