What is church? Buildings or people? What do you think?

What is church? Buildings or people? What do you think? First, what does church mean to you as a person? Second, do you know what the Bible says about church? If the two answers are different, does that matter to you? Why or why not?

The adjacent image has a building with some people in the building. There’s a Christian service going on.

Which part of that is “church”?

Is it the building?
Or is it the people?

Or does it take both of them together, for instance, the people inside the building, to make it church?

Whichever you chose, think about why. Is it just your first reaction? Is it what you want it to be? Or is there something you can point to in the Bible to explain why you chose (1) the building, (2) the people, or (3) both the building and the people together?

Or maybe you came up with something else?

Let’s take a look at a survey done by the Barna Group. It’s from a chapter titled, Here Is the Church, Here Is the Steeple, which is part of their report Making Space For Community.

A Rhyme about churches and people

Do you remember the rhyme about Here’s the church, here’s the steeple? I remember it being very short. As in:

Here’s the church, here’s the steeple.
Open the doors and see the people.

Well, apparently it’s a bit longer. At least, it is now. Here’s what Barna has:

Here is the church; here is the steeple.
Open the doors and see all the people.
Close the doors and listen to them pray.
Open the doors and they all walk away.

I don’t remember the last two lines at all.

What does the rhyme mean?

Barna wrote the following about that rhyme:

These lines point to three key ingredients of the assembly Jesus calls his followers to: A place, a people and an action for or toward God. It’s important to view the church as a building—with its steeple, walls, seats and decorations—and the Church as a people—those who worship, serve, pray and fellowship—as complementary, not competing concepts. The term Church refers to the body of Christ locally and universally. This body of believers is called to go out, as well as come together, for teaching and worship in its various forms. Often, this gathering requires a place. From both angles, one is significant to the other.

It’s interesting. I agree with the distinction they made about “church” (lowercase c) and “Church” (uppercase C).

According to Barna:

• church is a building—with its steeple, walls, seats and decorations
• Church is people—those who worship, serve, pray and fellowship
• As such, church and Church are complementary, they go together. They don’t compete with each other.
• However, they also write: Often, this gathering requires a place. From both angles, one is significant to the other. What that means is the big question.

The conclusion they reach is this:

While this series focuses on the importance of the church building, good church design is about more than aesthetics; it’s also about people. And, as we’ll explore in this chapter, many of the expectations and desires people have about Church are connected to the church building. 

And therein lies the problem. At least I the problem I want to address today.

Why is good church design important?

Notice the bolded portion of the conclusion above. The bold format is theirs – I didn’t add it.

good church design is about more than aesthetics; it’s also about people

I feel like we make too much of this sometimes. Here’s why.

Do you remember the Beatitudes? The time when Jesus taught all those things that began with “Blessed are …”? Do you remember where Jesus and His disciples were at the time? If not this is why it’s s important to read entire passages, rather than just remember certain parts we think are important. It’s all important. Here’s the beginning of the Beatitudes passage:

The Beatitudes – Matthew

5:3-12 pp — Lk 6:20-23

Mt 5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:
Mt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Yes – Jesus and His disciples sat down on the side of a mountain. No building necessary.

So why do we placeri so much importance on having a building today?

The church I attend has a church service in a local park once a year. Full disclosure – I don’t attend because I’m allergic to grass. Allergic enough that staying that long would end up with me scratching myself enough to start bleeding.

I have attended a couple of churches that don’t have steeples.

I also remember that many people got very upset when pews were replaced with individual seats. The seats allowed for arranging the seating differently, depending on what was going on at the time. It also, by coincidence, made social distancing easier during the height of COVID because seats could just be removed.

Speaking of COVID we still have outdoor seating, especially for older people, or anyone else who prefers to not sit inside.

What if there’s no church building?

In the early days of the Church, there were no church buildings. Followers of Jesus, for good reason, didn’t have special buildings to hold their services. Safety was one huge reason.

The Jewish people hated Christians. The Roman government used to kill Christians. One emperor used to hang them on posts, set them on fire at night, and use them as “streetlights”. Having an individual building identifying them as Christian churches just wasn’t a good idea.

How about a house?

You may be familiar with the “upper room” where the first Christians received the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

Ac 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

A building? Yes. But it was someone’s house. In some countries, like China, house churches are the most common way for Christians to get together. Please see China bombs megachurch in drive to silence Christianity for just one example of why they do this.

In North Korea, Christians go to even more extreme lengths. They gather in rickety old fishing boats in the ocean. Remember, North Korea can get extremely cold in the winter. Would you go to “church” in a boat, out in the ocean, when it’s freezing cold? Oh yeah – and risking your life the whole time?

Some people are willing to meet in very uncomfortable places to worship God. And, they’re willing to risk their lives as well.

In other countries, like so-called civilized Western countries, including my home of the U.S., too many of us won’t even meet online in order to help protect the health of at-risk members of our church, or of our own family members.

I wonder, what would happen in our “civilized” countries if we were in situations like China and Korea?

Church and church in The End Times

Do you remember The End Times? Armageddon? The end of the world, as we know it?

According to the Bible, the things in Revelation and other books with descriptions of the End Times will happen all over the world. So, unless a country is wiped off the face of the earth before the following event, it will come to all the so-called civilized countries whose Christians don’t want to go to church without their fancy air-conditioned/heated building with all the latest amenities.

The Beast out of the Earth

Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Rev 13:18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

So, unless we want to take the mark of the beast, life is going to get very difficult. Notice:

16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Church or church? Life and death.

But it’s more than just buying and selling things. What can be worse than not being able to buy food? How about this dire warning from Jesus?

Signs of the End of the Age – Matthew

24:1-51 pp — Mk 13:1-37; Lk 21:5-36

Mt 24:1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Mt 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Mt 24:4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Mt 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Mt 24:15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 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 Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

Mt 24:26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Mt 24:29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“ ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

Mt 24:30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Mt 24:32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Of course, there’s a lot of bad stuff in there. But here’s one part I want to focus on for today’s topic.

Mt 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Here’s more on that. In case you didn’t notice it earlier, here’s the passage from Revelation again. This time, notice the verse I underlined below.

The Beast out of the Earth

Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Rev 13:18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

Yes, there it is.

If you’re not Christian, maybe you don’t care. But if you are, you must care, because this is part of our core belief about Jesus and salvation. Either way, if you don’t care, what else can I say?

Just think about it. You don’t have the mark. You can’t buy food. But on top of that, being seen without the mark can and will be enough cause to put you to death.

So there are two choices. One choice is to take the mark, whatever it might turn out to be, and be doomed to Hell. Why? Because taking the mark means pledging allegiance to Satan, thereby rejecting God. And the other choice? Be out to death, but then also, to borrow some words from the Monopoly Game, go to Heaven, go straight to Heaven.

Ultimately then, the first choice is to live a bit longer during the period that will be the absolute worst in human history, followed by eternity in a place worse than anything we can ever imagine. The second choice is to die right away, avoid the remainder of that worst period of human history, but then spend eternity in a place better than anything we can ever imagine.

And yet, we’re told most people will take the mark.

How bad can it be?

Below is just a portion of the description in Revelation of what will come during that worst period in human history, just before Jesus returns. Once again, I underlined a couple of verses, about people refusing to turn to God. As you read it, remember, it’s a description of something to come. Don’t worry about how these things will happen. Instead, focus on your response to them, should they happen in your lifetime.

Also, notice that, as always, when Jesus gives us a warning of things to come, there’s always a way to turn to Him and avoid those things.

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

Rev 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

Rev 16:2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.

Rev 16:3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

Rev 16:4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments,
you who are and who were, the Holy One,
because you have so judged;

Rev 16:6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” 7 And I heard the altar respond:
“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are your judgments.”

Rev 16:8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

Rev 16:10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Rev 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

Rev 16:15 “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Rev 16:16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Rev 16:17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Conclusion – What is church? Buildings or people? What do you think?

So what is church to you? Is going to church about having a nice building? Or is going to church about the people? And even though we didn’t get into it here, is the people part about socializing with other Christians, or is it about helping each other draw closer to Jesus?

How important is your church building now?

Now that you’ve read all that, is your church building still important to you? Or do you realize that the capital-C Church, the people who follow Jesus also know that our bodies are a temple, and it’s the people that are important – not where we meet?

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This series is based on a Barna Group report that requires a paid subscription. If you happen to have one, or are interested in getting just this one report, it’s available at Making Space for Community

While Barna didn’t have the End Times in mind when they did the survey, as I began to read it I couldn’t help but think about how odd it is that Americans and people in other Western countries are so focused on buildings while others that we look down on as relatively uncivilized focus on Jesus.

So that’s where my viewpoints and comments come from. At some point, we’re going to have to figure that out. If not, we’re lost.

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Image by Joshua Choate from Pixabay

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