When Is A Church Not A Church?
You see, church has a purpose. God has created the church for a reason.
When Is A Church Not A Church?
I think that the church is terrific. I love going to church. The people are great, I get to hear the Gospel preached, I love the music, I get to watch God’s Holy Spirit at work and I even think the buildings are pretty neat. I love all that stuff!
Churches can be really wonderful places where lives are changed and God is honored. And then there are the Chinos. Chinos are dangerous places where people get hurt and confused.
Never heard of a Chino? A Chino is a Church-In-Name-Only. It’s a place that thinks it’s a church but it’s really not. Oh, they meet on Sundays, they call church buildings their home, they sing churchy songs, talk churchy talk and pray churchy prayers. But, they have forgotten what being a church is all about—knowing God and dealing with sin.
You see, church has a purpose. God has created the church for a reason. Keep that in mind as you read these quotes from two of Christianity’s most significant teachers.
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." —A.W. Tozer
“Two things that every human being absolutely must come to understand are the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man.” —R.C. Sproul
A church that does not tell you about the holiness of God and depth of your sin, is not a real church. It is just pretending. Worse, it is actually keeping you from what God really wants to see in you. God knows that your sin problem is fatal and needs to be dealt with. That’s what a church is for.
1 Timothy 3:15
“...I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
The church has a mission. That mission is to teach you and me the Truth about God. That truth is this: Jesus Christ saves us from sin and restores us to God. If your church is preaching anything else, it’s just playing with you.
1 Corinthians 2:2
“For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
