This article topic came up when we recently walked into a store and they had a big sign that read....
Meet us at church...and it gave their church info.
It got me to thinking that I really needed to write about the unbiblical man made practice of bringing the unredeemed world into the "so called body" of Christ as a regular habit. If you understand denominational / evangelical man made religion it invites the world into the so called body of Christ on a weekly basis as a practice. By doing this it mixes those who claim to be followers of Christ with people who are not followers and may be only seekers at best.
Is this the bible model we see in God's Word and the early NT church?
Before we go to the holy scriptures for the truth, first lets analyze why man made religion does this "inviting the world in" as this will help us to understand their motives and goals in doing so.
Man made religion:
1) Is more about numbers than God's truth so inviting the world in makes the pews more full.
2) Is a business and so more bodies in the pews mean more dollars in the plate.
3) Has a false easy gospel that most often includes just believing and going to church each week
4) Needs the world to grow its plans of more buildings and more programs and bigger parking lots
5) Most often is playing to the world to entertain them vs preaching all truth to saints
6) Is practicing man's traditions not found in God's word that only scratch worldly itchy ears in the pews
7) Is using pagan holidays like Easter and Christmas as a major recruiting time to the world
8) Claims it wants to see people come to God but by perverting His truth they are not aiding them to eternal life at all, but deceiving them
9) Seems to think anyone can just show up and so called "worship God" but that is a lie.
10) Is most often run by and full of false converts itself so they feel right at home with the fallen world
None of the above reasons have any basis in scripture for inviting the world into the claimed body of Christ and for the record; we do not consider these man made places to be of God; but lets move on.....
Now let's examine what the biblical truth is about this topic.
If we claim Jesus as Lord it is God's first century true New Testament body that He ordained that is the example we are to follow. Not Luther or Calvin or Baptist or Methodist or new seeker sensitive methods!'
(Most people today are using and following these OTHER systems..... NOT God's.)
*If we look to Jesus as a youth and then a man; He attended a Jewish gathering (often at the temple) that was not open to or used to invite the pagans and heathens into.... as a practice. It was for the Jews who had a faith in God as they had a covenant with Him.
*Then in His earthly ministry He had only 12 close men at His side and we never see the world being treated as His body. Yes Jesus taught the world much truth but He always was closest ONLY with His true disciples that He called to Himself.
*In Matthew 18 we see Jesus telling us to confront brothers in sin and then put them out of the body and treat them like a publican if they wont repent. If the world was already in the body ( publicans) this makes no sense.
*Jesus said GO in Matthew 28 and preach the gospel and make disciples, not invite the fallen world into 'My body that I died to redeem'.
*In Matthew 26 we see Jesus giving the NEW covenant ( His body and blood) to all the seekers He knew right? No, actually it was to His closest men only.
*In Matthew 12 Jesus makes it clear.... who is His brother, sister or mother?
Those who do the will of the Father. The world is NOT into doing Gods will are they?
*In John 14:15 Jesus said if you love me you keep my commands.
Clearly the world and seekers do not keep God's commands do they?
Study the Word and you will see that Jesus lived, taught and understood that the NT body was holy (means set apart) for His true people, NOT the world or passing seekers.
What about Apostle Paul .... Do we see him using man made practices of today?
In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Christ.
*Then in 2 Thessalonians 3 he tells us to keep to the traditions he handed down.
(If we are to model him, Paul never used seeker friendly ways/inviting the world in to fill up buildings but he did preach the gospel.)
The following facts or verses should help us see clear:
*ALL of Paul's letters are written to..... believers in the body of Christ / not the world.
*In Galatians 5.9 Paul taught a little bit of sin affects the whole body. He would not have allowed the world that sins by nature to be part of the blood bought body of Christ.
*In Acts we see Paul going to preach to unbelieving Jews but they are never invited into a local body of Christ as a evangelistic tool.
*In Acts 17 we see Paul going to preach to pagans on Mars Hill but they were not invited into a gathering of the saints as a evangelistic tool.
*In 1 Corinthians 5 we can see Paul tossing a man out of the body of Christ due to sexual sin. If the world was invited in at that time (pagan Rome and Corinth ) that would be very hypocritical as those not in Christ would have had MANY sexual sins in their lives based on the culture. So they could stay while real believers were put out. This makes no sense at all.
*Moving on to Ephesians 4.... we see the purpose of the body is for the training up the saints for ministry.
So how do you train up for ministry those who are NOT even born again in Christ? Again this make no sense biblically and it is not the model we see in the true NT church that Jesus ordained.
We should note that after studying this closely we see that neither Jesus nor Paul invited the world to come gather with the holy redeemed body of Christ for a so called 'worship service'.
Do you realize the Word says His people are bought with a price? And that price is Jesus' own blood!
Inviting in the world tramples that truth and it is a stain on the work of Christ to redeem His people.
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
1 Corinthians 6:20
Have you considered that this practice also confuses people?
The true saints will think the world is now considered saints by showing up and the world will think they are part of the body of Christ now for showing up. If you doubt that you are very wrong. As we preach the Word we meet MANY people who are churched weekly because they got invited in but they are NOT born again. Man made religion is making MANY false converts by this sinful habit of inviting the world in as a weekly habit and evangelistic practice. They may say they love those folks but they are damning them to hell by NOT teaching them the biblical gospel ( faith, repentance, made new, obey and endure) and not teaching them the body of Christ is only for His born again people... not just anyone who shows up.
Also look at the model in the Old Testament that showed us the holy temple and getting close to God there at the temple was ONLY for His set apart holy priests, not just anyone. This is a model of coming through Christ alone and being made holy in the process. The pagan world around the temple was NOT allowed to get close as a practice.
Perhaps the most important evidence for NOT inviting the world into the claimed body of Christ is found in Acts 2 were the scriptures tell us that GOD added to the church as men were born again. Man does not build a body God does this by His spirit and truth! John 4:24
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:46-47
God adds to His body it is not done by running a new visitor campaign.
The fact that today's so called churches are inviting in and allowing the world to sit and do so called worship services with them means.... they are NOT Gods true body. 'Why' you ask? His true people do not leave His holy ways and entertain the world; then call it church. (The NT body is for His people only.)
Christ's people OBEY Him and keep His ways. Hebrews 5:9
Ask yourself 'why should we or anyone who claims Christ invite the world into His body if the first century saints never did?'
Can we improve on God's design or plans for His body?
It would be prideful and arrogant to believe that but as we can see man made religion does just that each week by inviting the world into their body. Much of the blame today lies on the seeker friendly movement that caters to the world to fill the pews and NOT God's FULL truth at all.
Lets be very clear here.
Can we invite the world to come to a place to hear the true gospel preached to them and offer them a chance to repent and be made new in Christ? Of course, that is what His people are called to do. Then they enter the body and are held accountable to God's Word in obedience and holiness.
But can we as a practice open the doors of His BLOOD bought body to the carnal world, sit next to them, sing and pray and fellowship and hear of God's deep truth ( meat... not milk) taught to train up saints for ministry? No!
That leaves the practice, instruction and design of God's HOLY NT body and so it is sinful to do such a thing.
Go read 2 Corinthians 6.
It says a lot about mixing light and darkness....
In fact; inviting the world into His holy blood bought body is a lot like inviting the fox into the hen house.
All kinds of sin and various issues are made manifest by this ill practice and if you doubt that just look at man made religion today. It is worldly, carnal, fleshly and unbiblical all because it is catering to the world vs teaching all of God's Word and being His set apart holy people.
The first century NT body was for His true saints and reached out to and preached the gospel to the world. And they were ONLY added into the body once they repented and were made children of God by His spirit. Allowing them in before they have been born of God is like going on a honeymoon before your married.
Oh many do it today but it is SINFUL and NOT pleasing to God per His Word.
We leave you with this scripture that tells us (who claim Christ) what we should be doing:
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42
It makes no provision for keeping man made religion or inviting the world into His holy body as a weekly practice of evangelism. (Doctrine means instructions and we are to keep those ways NOT mans ways.)
Here is an article on the true NT body vs man made religion:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/04/characteristics-of-new-testament-body.html
We hope these truths have shed some light on this topic for you......
Listen or read the gospel here and be made new!
http://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html
God be praised
www.dontperish.com
Meet us at church...and it gave their church info.
It got me to thinking that I really needed to write about the unbiblical man made practice of bringing the unredeemed world into the "so called body" of Christ as a regular habit. If you understand denominational / evangelical man made religion it invites the world into the so called body of Christ on a weekly basis as a practice. By doing this it mixes those who claim to be followers of Christ with people who are not followers and may be only seekers at best.
Is this the bible model we see in God's Word and the early NT church?
Before we go to the holy scriptures for the truth, first lets analyze why man made religion does this "inviting the world in" as this will help us to understand their motives and goals in doing so.
Man made religion:
1) Is more about numbers than God's truth so inviting the world in makes the pews more full.
2) Is a business and so more bodies in the pews mean more dollars in the plate.
3) Has a false easy gospel that most often includes just believing and going to church each week
4) Needs the world to grow its plans of more buildings and more programs and bigger parking lots
5) Most often is playing to the world to entertain them vs preaching all truth to saints
6) Is practicing man's traditions not found in God's word that only scratch worldly itchy ears in the pews
7) Is using pagan holidays like Easter and Christmas as a major recruiting time to the world
8) Claims it wants to see people come to God but by perverting His truth they are not aiding them to eternal life at all, but deceiving them
9) Seems to think anyone can just show up and so called "worship God" but that is a lie.
10) Is most often run by and full of false converts itself so they feel right at home with the fallen world
None of the above reasons have any basis in scripture for inviting the world into the claimed body of Christ and for the record; we do not consider these man made places to be of God; but lets move on.....
Now let's examine what the biblical truth is about this topic.
If we claim Jesus as Lord it is God's first century true New Testament body that He ordained that is the example we are to follow. Not Luther or Calvin or Baptist or Methodist or new seeker sensitive methods!'
(Most people today are using and following these OTHER systems..... NOT God's.)
*If we look to Jesus as a youth and then a man; He attended a Jewish gathering (often at the temple) that was not open to or used to invite the pagans and heathens into.... as a practice. It was for the Jews who had a faith in God as they had a covenant with Him.
*Then in His earthly ministry He had only 12 close men at His side and we never see the world being treated as His body. Yes Jesus taught the world much truth but He always was closest ONLY with His true disciples that He called to Himself.
*In Matthew 18 we see Jesus telling us to confront brothers in sin and then put them out of the body and treat them like a publican if they wont repent. If the world was already in the body ( publicans) this makes no sense.
*Jesus said GO in Matthew 28 and preach the gospel and make disciples, not invite the fallen world into 'My body that I died to redeem'.
*In Matthew 26 we see Jesus giving the NEW covenant ( His body and blood) to all the seekers He knew right? No, actually it was to His closest men only.
*In Matthew 12 Jesus makes it clear.... who is His brother, sister or mother?
Those who do the will of the Father. The world is NOT into doing Gods will are they?
*In John 14:15 Jesus said if you love me you keep my commands.
Clearly the world and seekers do not keep God's commands do they?
Study the Word and you will see that Jesus lived, taught and understood that the NT body was holy (means set apart) for His true people, NOT the world or passing seekers.
What about Apostle Paul .... Do we see him using man made practices of today?
In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul tells us to imitate him as he imitates Christ.
*Then in 2 Thessalonians 3 he tells us to keep to the traditions he handed down.
(If we are to model him, Paul never used seeker friendly ways/inviting the world in to fill up buildings but he did preach the gospel.)
The following facts or verses should help us see clear:
*In Galatians 5.9 Paul taught a little bit of sin affects the whole body. He would not have allowed the world that sins by nature to be part of the blood bought body of Christ.
*In Acts we see Paul going to preach to unbelieving Jews but they are never invited into a local body of Christ as a evangelistic tool.
*In Acts 17 we see Paul going to preach to pagans on Mars Hill but they were not invited into a gathering of the saints as a evangelistic tool.
*In 1 Corinthians 5 we can see Paul tossing a man out of the body of Christ due to sexual sin. If the world was invited in at that time (pagan Rome and Corinth ) that would be very hypocritical as those not in Christ would have had MANY sexual sins in their lives based on the culture. So they could stay while real believers were put out. This makes no sense at all.
*Moving on to Ephesians 4.... we see the purpose of the body is for the training up the saints for ministry.
So how do you train up for ministry those who are NOT even born again in Christ? Again this make no sense biblically and it is not the model we see in the true NT church that Jesus ordained.
We should note that after studying this closely we see that neither Jesus nor Paul invited the world to come gather with the holy redeemed body of Christ for a so called 'worship service'.
Do you realize the Word says His people are bought with a price? And that price is Jesus' own blood!
Inviting in the world tramples that truth and it is a stain on the work of Christ to redeem His people.
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
1 Corinthians 6:20
Have you considered that this practice also confuses people?
The true saints will think the world is now considered saints by showing up and the world will think they are part of the body of Christ now for showing up. If you doubt that you are very wrong. As we preach the Word we meet MANY people who are churched weekly because they got invited in but they are NOT born again. Man made religion is making MANY false converts by this sinful habit of inviting the world in as a weekly habit and evangelistic practice. They may say they love those folks but they are damning them to hell by NOT teaching them the biblical gospel ( faith, repentance, made new, obey and endure) and not teaching them the body of Christ is only for His born again people... not just anyone who shows up.
Also look at the model in the Old Testament that showed us the holy temple and getting close to God there at the temple was ONLY for His set apart holy priests, not just anyone. This is a model of coming through Christ alone and being made holy in the process. The pagan world around the temple was NOT allowed to get close as a practice.
Perhaps the most important evidence for NOT inviting the world into the claimed body of Christ is found in Acts 2 were the scriptures tell us that GOD added to the church as men were born again. Man does not build a body God does this by His spirit and truth! John 4:24
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2:46-47
God adds to His body it is not done by running a new visitor campaign.
The fact that today's so called churches are inviting in and allowing the world to sit and do so called worship services with them means.... they are NOT Gods true body. 'Why' you ask? His true people do not leave His holy ways and entertain the world; then call it church. (The NT body is for His people only.)
Christ's people OBEY Him and keep His ways. Hebrews 5:9
Ask yourself 'why should we or anyone who claims Christ invite the world into His body if the first century saints never did?'
Can we improve on God's design or plans for His body?
It would be prideful and arrogant to believe that but as we can see man made religion does just that each week by inviting the world into their body. Much of the blame today lies on the seeker friendly movement that caters to the world to fill the pews and NOT God's FULL truth at all.
Can we invite the world to come to a place to hear the true gospel preached to them and offer them a chance to repent and be made new in Christ? Of course, that is what His people are called to do. Then they enter the body and are held accountable to God's Word in obedience and holiness.
But can we as a practice open the doors of His BLOOD bought body to the carnal world, sit next to them, sing and pray and fellowship and hear of God's deep truth ( meat... not milk) taught to train up saints for ministry? No!
That leaves the practice, instruction and design of God's HOLY NT body and so it is sinful to do such a thing.
Go read 2 Corinthians 6.
It says a lot about mixing light and darkness....
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6
All kinds of sin and various issues are made manifest by this ill practice and if you doubt that just look at man made religion today. It is worldly, carnal, fleshly and unbiblical all because it is catering to the world vs teaching all of God's Word and being His set apart holy people.
The first century NT body was for His true saints and reached out to and preached the gospel to the world. And they were ONLY added into the body once they repented and were made children of God by His spirit. Allowing them in before they have been born of God is like going on a honeymoon before your married.
Oh many do it today but it is SINFUL and NOT pleasing to God per His Word.
We leave you with this scripture that tells us (who claim Christ) what we should be doing:
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42
It makes no provision for keeping man made religion or inviting the world into His holy body as a weekly practice of evangelism. (Doctrine means instructions and we are to keep those ways NOT mans ways.)
Here is an article on the true NT body vs man made religion:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/04/characteristics-of-new-testament-body.html
We hope these truths have shed some light on this topic for you......
Listen or read the gospel here and be made new!
http://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html
God be praised
www.dontperish.com