God Does Not Dwell In Church Buildings
“The Most High dwells not in Temples made with hands. Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me says the Lord? Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things? You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised” (Acts 7:48-51)
Think about that for a minute…now consider what we generally refer to as “the house of God”.
God does not DWELL there!
Godless men have attempted to banish him to those buildings, and those who attend rarely object. Many of them simply view church buildings as a place they can go occasionally, sing a few hymns, get their sins forgiven, and thus feel better about themselves for an hour or two.
I think God prefers to be worshiped and honored in homes, businesses and places of entertainment where people live, work and play. By worship I am not talking about inviting people to church, or piously praying out loud, or trying to get people saved while in those places. I am talking about acting like God when we are in those places by treating people right...and condemning those who don't, whether they go to church or not.
It seems to me that constructing ever more buildings to attend which we call “God’s House” or "Family Life Centers" is rarely a good thing, especially if the presence of God is undetectable in our houses, businesses or public places. God dwells everywhere in His creation and attending a building with a pulpit in it is just another one of those places.
I have played golf with a group of guys almost weekly for a number of years and after we are done we enjoy our favorite beverage in the 19th hole when we get done, and laugh and talk about our round. God DWELLS there and I have yet to see one of those guys fail to treat each other with kindness and respect. A lot of kidding for sure but you can tell they care about one another, and that is Godly worship in my opinion...and I suspect Jesus would prefer that company to some religious meeting places...
"The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32)
Look closely at the Scripture and you will notice that it was always the religious "Pharisees and their scribes" who Jesus called to repentance. The "sick" that Jesus was referring to was not those with whom he was eating and drinking. The "sick" were the judgmental religious Pharisees. They needed to repent and spend more time on the golf course and 19th hole. And in my opinion it is the modern day Pharisees who "need a physician".
Our words and actions are the only God that some people will ever see. And it is how we act toward others that will be judged, not how many hours we spend in a church building. What message are we sending when we assume God likes us better because we regularly gather in a building with a steeple on it and "grumble" against those who don't?
“He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God… and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist…for we also are His children. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man…” (Acts 17:26-29)
Think about that for a minute…now consider what we generally refer to as “the house of God”.
God does not DWELL there!
Godless men have attempted to banish him to those buildings, and those who attend rarely object. Many of them simply view church buildings as a place they can go occasionally, sing a few hymns, get their sins forgiven, and thus feel better about themselves for an hour or two.
I think God prefers to be worshiped and honored in homes, businesses and places of entertainment where people live, work and play. By worship I am not talking about inviting people to church, or piously praying out loud, or trying to get people saved while in those places. I am talking about acting like God when we are in those places by treating people right...and condemning those who don't, whether they go to church or not.
It seems to me that constructing ever more buildings to attend which we call “God’s House” or "Family Life Centers" is rarely a good thing, especially if the presence of God is undetectable in our houses, businesses or public places. God dwells everywhere in His creation and attending a building with a pulpit in it is just another one of those places.
I have played golf with a group of guys almost weekly for a number of years and after we are done we enjoy our favorite beverage in the 19th hole when we get done, and laugh and talk about our round. God DWELLS there and I have yet to see one of those guys fail to treat each other with kindness and respect. A lot of kidding for sure but you can tell they care about one another, and that is Godly worship in my opinion...and I suspect Jesus would prefer that company to some religious meeting places...
"The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32)
Look closely at the Scripture and you will notice that it was always the religious "Pharisees and their scribes" who Jesus called to repentance. The "sick" that Jesus was referring to was not those with whom he was eating and drinking. The "sick" were the judgmental religious Pharisees. They needed to repent and spend more time on the golf course and 19th hole. And in my opinion it is the modern day Pharisees who "need a physician".
Our words and actions are the only God that some people will ever see. And it is how we act toward others that will be judged, not how many hours we spend in a church building. What message are we sending when we assume God likes us better because we regularly gather in a building with a steeple on it and "grumble" against those who don't?
“He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God… and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist…for we also are His children. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man…” (Acts 17:26-29)