Many who call themselves Christians cannot differentiate between the building and the body of Christ. They think I go to and I am part of a church, even online, therefore I am a Christian. While the building can impress and give the appearance of success, basically all it does is provide protection from the elements and comfortable seating for those who gather inside. The building cannot heal, cast out demons or proclaim the good news. People are supposed to do that. Much like a hospital is a building but unless there were doctors and nurses inside, it would be useless to head to the emergency department. The success of an impressive building as we have seen with the mega churches and even the not so mega and the many who want to be like them, show that success and architecture does not equal the presence of the true gospel. While there may be a few churches that utilize their buildings, the building sits empty most of the time other than offices for the staff and a few gatherings during the week. If the hospital was only open for a few hours, it really would be useless just as Jeremiah said who had hidden a belt in the ground. Jeremiah 13:8 “Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’” Church buildings take a lot of money to keep afloat and if they were a business, they would not exist long because for the most part they are a complete waste of resources. Again, can you imagine a hospital only open for a few hours. Churches are not charities, just look in the parking lot on a Sunday morning and plus most do very little for the community. One person wrote, “In Canada, religious institutions are tax exempt if they are deemed to create public benefit. It is a complex piece of legislation essentially boiling down to the premise these institutions are viewed like other charities or Non-Profit Organizations.” If they did have to pay taxes, and they should, most would not make it. Covid exposed the church as a non-essential organization. Basically, a building with people in it that can’t do anything is useless. As a guy I knew once said, what difference would it make if that church disappeared? Many church groups speak out against abortion or women in abusive situations, just to name a few, but how much of their budget is directed to helping women or other causes in the community compared to their value and cost of their buildings and staffing. 

    The church Jesus started was about people whether in a building or not. It was about the Kingdom of God coming near through repentance. The good news would be spread, there would be healing of the sick, demons cast out and the good news spread. Jesus said Luke 11:20 “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Not only did Jesus cast out demons, His disciples also cast out demons. Mark 6:6 “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” This would continue after Pentecost. Acts 5:16 “Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Acts 8:7 “For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.” No, we are not waiting for Jesus to come back to reign on David’s throne and set up His earthly kingdom as many teach with their doctrine of demons called the rapture. The angel said to Mary, Luke 1:30 “But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Jesus already reigns and His kingdom already came near as we read above because Jesus already drove out demons. His kingdom would come near again if the church would return to God’s word and be the church that we were supposed to be in the first place. We are also not waiting for a third temple, even though many will try to build it and are trying. The third temple is the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

    Our purpose is not just to gather, even though we are told to gather. Hebrews tells us Hebrews 10:25 “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” But to keep it in context, 19 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Just gathering to gather is not what we are called to do. The church has let go of the hope and no longer has the assurance of salvation because a different Jesus is followed, and other gospels are taught. We are to be sent out, not sit in a building and pay someone to feed you. Two-thousand years going by clearly shows that has not worked. Hebrews 5:11 “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” That is why we need to go back to God’s plan for the church. First we need to return to God’s word so that God will turn His face back to shine on us the church. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Then the Kingdom will come near. Isaiah 54:7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a  moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.” Then the true church will return. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” With God dwelling and the power of His Spirit present, instead of sitting in a building week after week, the body of Christ will go to the ends of the earth healing the sick, casting out demons and preaching the Good News in the same power and authority from on High that Jesus had. Acts 1:4 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Are we Jesus? No! But we are to be like him. This can only happen if God is dwelling among us. Jesus said Matthew 10:24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters.” As Paul said 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

    This means we the church are to continue doing as Jesus did. 1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” A fancy church building filled with people who are void of power cannot continue this much needed work. As we saw with Philip, there were still demons around after Jesus. We cannot carry on His work without His power and authority. Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.” Pentecost showed us this was not to change as the disciples were always supposed to continue doing just as Jesus did. 

    Jesus said, John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” One of the arguments against the truth of this verse and before I continue you should be asking why in the world are people in the church arguing against the true meaning of this verse instead of believing what it states? The answer is simple; if people in the church admit to the power available to the church, the body of Christ, as stated in this verse, they would have to admit to the powerlessness of the present church and then they would have to admit that they have been on the wrong path and teaching other gospels. They would also have to admit to worshipping a different Jesus. This is why repentance is so important. But most will not repent, therefore, they say it must mean something different, even though John 14 also tells us, John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” One of the arguments is that Jesus meant there would be many spreading the gospel. If the church did not turn away and many did go out in the same power, the second coming of Jesus to take us to eternity would have already happened. 2 Peter 3:11 “You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” But going out in the same power and authority that Jesus had is not how people view this verse. They say the gospel would go out to the world based on the distinct doctrines and on the sheer volume of people who call themselves Christians but it is not the true church empowered from on High that is going out into the world. People are going out into the world but not in power. Each distinct group goes out teaching a different Jesus and other gospels but not the true gospel that is confirmed with true signs from God. Those signs being the gifts of the Spirit, healing, casting out demons, the dead being raised and people being truly saved. John’s disciples said to Jesus, Matthew 11:3 “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Most would say that the gospel has gone out, but the reality is the gospel has not gone out because a different Jesus has been proclaimed and other gospels taught. 

    This was how the church was supposed to be; doing and teaching just as Jesus had done. The church was not supposed to be sitting in a building week after week looking to be told what they want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” Here we see people gather, but notice how different this is compared to the church today. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” But as we see from the very beginning of scripture, God’s people turned away from His word and followed their own words and tried to operate in their own power. As we have talked about many times, a different Jesus began to be followed which means a different gospel was preached and accepted as truth. 2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” He also said Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” The cessationist (those who believe the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is no longer available to the church – a doctrine of demons by the way) are partially right when they say after Paul power ceased. They say that is how it was supposed to be but as we just read above that is not how it was supposed to be. They say it was just to start the church as it went out, not to keep the church going. Paul said to the Galatians, Galatians 3:2 “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” The church decided to use their own strength and operate in the flesh. Yet nowhere in scripture does it say that the power and authority that Jesus had would cease and not ever be available to the disciples that followed. 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. What is true is that the church turned away from the truth and followed their own ways.

    So, back to John 14. If the verse meant sheer volume of people, why after 2000 years, is there only 30% of the population calling themselves Christians? And why is Christianity in a severe decline, while those who profess nothing, and Islam and others are on the rise. Also, those stats are not even close to being accurate as to the actual number of Christians; the number is way less. Just because someone says they are Christian as we talked about the last couple of weeks, does not mean that they are. After this devastation and destruction by the abomination that causes desolation, it is only by the grace of God that there are any Christians left. Yet because God promised David there would always be a remnant, there are some true Christians scattered throughout the world who have survived this onslaught. Isaiah 1:9 “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.” Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.” It is only by the grace of God that like Israel coming out of captivity, there is a remnant of survivors. True Christianity is not a specific distinction such as a Catholic Christian, Protestant Christian, or an Evangelical Christian and all the other very specific distinctions that there are. The true church is not you believe one way and I believe another. Jesus said there was only one way. We are Christ-followers; that’s it! We don’t attend church, we are the church. We do not say we are a Baptist Catholic, Reformed, Pentecostal, Methodist etc., and only if we follow the true Jesus and His teachings can we say we are a Christian.

    The church is supposed to be a powerhouse that triumphs over evil just as Jesus did when He walked this earth. Jesus said to Peter, Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” As the church professes collectively, Jesus is not dead but alive, therefore disciples still can be sent out in power to defeat our enemies instead of being defeated by them. Jesus rising from the dead did not defeat all the demons and evil in the world but gave us the same power Jesus had to continue destroying the work of the devil. Jesus said Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In order for this to happen, the church must return to God’s word and humble /repent and submit themselves so that God turns His face to shine upon us once again. Whole denominations need to shut down, church buildings and schools need to close down. Can you imagine driving by a church building that said it was closed for spiritual repairs and repentance. That would be a repentance not only to God but to the community where they reside for not being the true church. Amos 9:11 “In that day “I will restore David’s fallen shelter— I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins— and will rebuild it as it used to be.” Repentance is the beginning and when that happens, once again the Kingdom of God will come near. Jesus said, Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” When the kingdom comes near that mean power and authority to defeat our enemies has returned. Ezekiel said to the people Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore, you Israelites (church), I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel (church)? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!” Don’t be afraid to return to God’s word and walk away from the man-made church. Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” So we pray Psalm 85:4 “Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. 5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? 6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.”