This “Church” idea as been around now for over two thousand years. It has gone through a lot of changes and modifications at the hands of man. Many of these alterations are indeed well intended and some are nefarious at best. It has left us with scores of expectations as to what a church ought to be. We regularly get requests from community people asking for help with financial issues. Many look at churches as just another philanthropic community organization. And while churches tend to be gracious and compassionate that certainly is not their mission.
There are others that expect the church to be a place that is attractive to the community and that provides both entertainment and social opportunities. There are those churches that have coffee bars, food courts, and lovely workout and exercise facilities. The only issue that I would find with these things is the danger that the true mission of the church can get lost in the host of paraphernalia.
What I think I see in this area is a rather small group that will give appreciation to what they believe the message of the church to be and that their preacher expresses what they believe to be solid truth, while the great host of that church would be gone if the paraphernalia were gone. For that reason many today are reshuffling their paraphernalia and renaming their church to regain position. So then I ask, what is that group attached to? Is it attached to Christ, the Scriptures and truth? Notice this verse from the book of Acts:
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Their “fear of God” and the “comfort of the Holy Ghost” connected these communities or churches. It wasn’t weight loss goals or their taste for a good dark roast. It kind of reminds me of families that have fine homes and cars but no real love and relationship. It is hard to keep first things first.
