From the Book of Acts, we read about the walk of the Church of Christ and her place in society. The gathering of born again believers, who were baptized in water and baptized with the Holy Spirit, were the Church. They were no longer the old carnal man in whom the flesh reigned, but they had become the new spiritual man, in whom the Word and the Holy Spirit reigned. The Christians walked after the Word and the Spirit in the authority of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and discerned the spiritual realm and the spirits. Because not every spirit, they were dealing with, belonged to God and didn’t confess Jesus Christ; the Word as Lord, but belonged to the kingdom of darkness (a.o Tim 4:1, 1 Jo 4:1). The Church was a power of God. But is that still the case? Is the Church a power of God or is the Church a social institution?
The letters of the apostles to the local churches
In the many letters of the apostles to the local churches, we not only read about the things that went well in the churches, but we also read about the corrections, the chastenings, the call to repentance, the removal of sin, call to awakening and righteousness, the warnings for false teachers, false doctrines, misleading spirits, false prophets and so on.
Over and over again, the apostles were confronted with false teachers, false doctrines, sin, and other things that had entered the church and were revealed by the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit revealed and warned them about the things that occurred in the churches and they called them to repentance.
During the revelation of Jesus to John on the isle of Patmos, Jesus revealed the walk and true state of the seven churches in Asia.
Jesus revealed the things that went well and the things which the church had to repent from and remove from her midst. This shows us, that Jesus doesn’t accept all behavior of the believers, as is thought and preached in many churches.
The church a social institution
Throughout the ages, many things have entered the Church and have caused many churches to deviate from the Word and the Holy Spirit. Many churches have left the narrow way of God and have entered the broad way of the world. They have compromised with the world, supposedly to win souls and to keep the souls in the church. Because of that, the church has lost her mighty position on the earth.
The church is no longer a victorious church in society, who is seated in Jesus Christ and walks in His authority and operates from the Spirit in the power of the Holy Spirit and fight against the devil and the kingdom of darkness to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.
But the church has become a social institution, where people have become the center and the flesh (soul and body) of the people is entertained and fed.
The church no longer lives for Jesus and doesn’t do what He (the Word) says, but the church lives for herself and twist the words of the Bible and do what pleases her.
The believers don’t give their lives to Him, but rather live for themselves and use God to fulfill the lusts and desires of their flesh.
As long as the believers stay carnal and walk after the flesh, instead of the Spirit, the church shall be seated in darkness and shall be a slave of the world; the kingdom of darkness and shall not be victorious on this earth.
How do people see the church?
The majority of people consider the church as a social institution, where Christians gather together once or twice a week and sing, listen to a sermon, pray and fellowship after service.
Why do people visit a church?
Have you ever wondered why you visit a church? Do you visit a church out of obligation, because your family went to church and therefore you will also go to church? Do you visit a church to ease your conscious, because you think that by going to church you are saved? Do you visit a church for the socializing aspect; the contacts, fellowshipping and the events? Do you go to church for the music, the ambiance or for the motivational words of the preacher? Or….. (you name it).
Fellowshipping is good for people
We live in an age, in which people have become the center and socializing and fellowshipping have become an important part of life. When you don’t participate, the world says there’s something wrong and you will be labeled by psychologists. Because you should have a rich social life with many friends and acquaintances. This is not only a trend in the world but also in many churches.
It doesn’t matter what kind of church or denomination you visit, fellowshipping plays an important role in the church. Maybe even the most important role in the church, besides the entertainment part.
People could deny this and say piously that God is the most important thing and that they go to church for Jesus. But when you look at the content of the church service, almost everything revolves around pleasing the flesh of the people.
This is mainly because the majority of churches want to attract and keep as many people as possible. Maybe you think “well, that’s a good thing! Because the more people are drawn to the church, the more souls are saved from death”. But that is usually not the true reason why churches want to attract many people.
Most churches are not focused on saving souls but on the number of members. Because, the more members, the higher the income and the more publicity and fame.
Because if churches were really focused on saving souls, then they would confront the believers, who visit the church with their sins, instead of allowing the people to persevere in sin and allow sin in the church.
Every born again believer, who is seated in Jesus Christ and walks after the Spirit, knows that sin causes separation between God and people, and that sin leads to death. This still applies, despite the modernization of the world and despite the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Jesus didn’t die so that people could persevere in sin. Jesus has become the Substitute for man, so that man could be redeemed from the sinful nature, that abides and reigns in the flesh.
When you accept Jesus as your Saviour and make Him Lord over your lives, and follow Him, it means that you have to lay down your flesh, in which the sinful nature dwells. As long as people persevere in sin, it means that the flesh is still alive.
The grace of God is the entrance, but God’s grace doesn’t give approval to the flesh to keep living in sin.
The use of natural means and methods for the carnal man, who is sense ruled
The world knows the importance of senses since people are led by their senses. The mood of people is often influenced and determined by the input of the senses. The church has adopted this knowledge of the world and uses natural means and methods to make the church service as attractive as possible for the carnal man, who is led by their senses.
The church has created the right ambiance by using pleasant music (ears) and festive lighting (eyes). Yes, the normal lights have taken place for colorful lights in the church. Because not only music influences the mood of people, but color lights also affect the mood of people.
It won’t be long before there will be fragrance machines in the church (nose). Because fragrance also affects the mood of people.
By using these natural means the feelings and emotions of people are affected. The people feel good and experience pleasant feelings.
The church services contain a lot of entertainment, like music, plays, performances, etc. Because the entertainment of the flesh has a positive effect on the feelings and emotions of people. A (short) motivational sermon is preached, which is mainly focused upon the prosperity of the natural man, whereby self-help methods are given to create a positive mindset and to encourage people in their daily lives.
Because many Christians don’t consider themselves victorious in Jesus Christ, but they consider themselves as victims; defeated sheep, who are constantly tired and habitually live in a valley.
In order to get them out of the valley, they apply psychological methods and technics and provide self-help methods and technics so that they are being equipped and motivated in their flesh. In order to sustain their philosophy, the spiritual words of God are taken out of context and applied to the natural man.
Organizing events for the carnal man
Because the church has allowed the spirit of the world to enter, many churches have become like the world and are focused on the entertainment of carnal people. They often spend more time organizing church services, activities, and events to please the carnal man, than spending time in prayer and fasting and being focused on saving souls, sanctification, growing up to spiritual maturity, doing God’s will, and establishing God’s Kingdom on earth.
They don’t spend a lot of time with God and don’t listen to what Jesus has to say to the believers of the church, but they listen to what people want and make use of natural means to please and strengthen the soul and body of the carnal man. Therefore, many don’t preach what God has to say, but they preach what the people want to hear. Many times, this is the same message that the world preaches.
And that’s not all, many churches offer all kinds of facilities in order to please and to strengthen the flesh of the carnal people.
Because of that, many churches are converted into music halls, theaters, restaurants, hobby clubs, gyms, fitness centers, yoga centers, dance centers, martial arts centers, meditation centers, etc.
The soul and the body are the center in the church
The church is more focused on feeding and strengthening the natural man, instead of the spiritual man. Because of that, the spiritual man is no longer fed, taught, and corrected (chastened) from the Word, and as a result, the spiritual babies remain babies and don’t grow up into adult sons of God (this applies to both males and females).
They remain carnal and murmur, complain, and cry as soon as something doesn’t go according to their will or if someone offends and hurts them. They only want to drink milk, be cradled, pampered, receive pats on the head, and sleep.
When a baby doesn’t grow in the natural realm, the parents worry and take action and seek help. Since it’s not normal when a baby remains a baby.
But in the church, this phenomenon is very normal and church leaders are not worried at all.
The spiritual man remains a baby. (S)he stays inept and doesn’t speak, but sleeps, cries, seeks attention, and wants to be nurtured and wants attention. Because of that, the person remains a lost sheep, who is a slave of the powers of darkness.
Has Jesus died for this? Has Jesus given His life for this? Is this His will for His Church?
Jesus is the Head of the Church; His Body
And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23)
God made Jesus Head of a Body; the Church. The Church would walk in the authority of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit after the will of God, to establish His Kingdom on this earth.
Jesus has commanded His Body; the Church to lay down her own life and follow Him. As long as you don’t put off the old carnal man, you will not be able to follow Jesus (the Word) and you shall not walk in His authority after the Spirit. Because the sinful nature dwells in the flesh of the old man and contradicts the things of the Spirit and doesn’t yield to the Spirit.
Everyone, who is born again should walk after the Word and the Spirit, speak in new tongues, preach the gospel to reconcile man back to God, remit and retain sin, cast out demons, heal the sick etc. (Mat 28:18, Mar 16:15-18, Jn 20:22-23).
Therefore the church should not be a social institution, where the believers gather together to have a good time and to please and feed the flesh by using natural means and methods. But the church should be the most powerful institution on this earth, that walks after the Spirit in the authority of Jesus Christ and reigns in Him.
Of course, there are churches, who are seated in Jesus Christ and walk after God’s will. But the majority of churches are carnal and have become social institutions, where the flesh of the people are being fed and strengthen instead of the spirit of the people.
The natural man must die in order to become born again and that doesn’t always happen. The main reason for that is, that the majority of people cannot abandon the flesh and the things of the world. There are too many temptations in the world that hold on to people and restrain them from dying.
The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mat 16:18-19)
Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church and that He would give the Church the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.
However, many churches don’t walk in the authority of Jesus Christ and don’t reign over the kingdom of darkness, where death reigns. Instead, many churches are overtaken by the gates of hell (Read also: ‘The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church’, ‘‘What did Jesus mean with the keys of the Kingdom of heaven?’ and ‘What did Jesus mean by binding and loosing?’)
The church seated in darkness
I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee (Rev 3:1-4).
This church did many works. However, Jesus didn’t find their works perfect before God. Although the church did many works and they had a name, the church was spiritually dead. The people maybe thought that the church was alive, but the truth was that the church was asleep and dead.
Jesus commanded the church to wake up and be watchful and to strengthen the things which remain, that were ready to die. Jesus called them to repentance. Because if they would not watch, Jesus would come as a thief and they would not know what hour Jesus would come upon the church (Read also: ‘The church seated in darkness’)
A revival in the church
The words of Jesus still apply today. There must be a revival among those, who call themselves believers. That will result in a spiritual awakening, a resurrection from the dead, repentance and the removal of sin in the church
Jesus, the Word, must become the Head again of His Church and the Holy Spirit must be welcomed and active in the lives of believers, so that they will get to know God’s will and grow up after the image of Jesus Christ and walk as adult sons of God in the authority of Jesus Christ after the Word and the Spirit, after God’s will and establish God’s Kingdom on this earth.
The church is not meant to be a social institution to please and strengthen the flesh of the carnal believers. The old carnal man wants to be entertained, but the new spiritual man doesn’t. The new spiritual man is seated in Jesus Christ and is focused on the things of the Kingdom of God and shall not establish his/her own kingdom on earth, but shall establish the Kingdom of God on this earth.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
