Country Club Churches (1)
Tim Haile
The church that you can read about in the Bible is far different than many churches of today. Most of today's churches place a great amount of emphasis upon social programs, recreation and entertainment. The Bible says, "The kingdom of God is within you" and "The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but peace, righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17). Jesus told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). These passages show that the kingdom is a spiritual association that exists or a spiritual plane and for spiritual reasons. It is not an entertainment organization. The church is “social,” but the church is only social in the sense that it is composed of people who enjoy friendly relationships and companionships. Their bond, however, is not based upon their participations in sporting events or the eating of common meals, but rather, based upon their common faith (Tit. 1:4). Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom. 10:17). The church certainly isn’t a social club.People are guilty of adulterating the mission of the church when they use the church to fulfill their carnal desires to be fed and entertained. Jesus Christ did not leave heaven and suffer the cruel torments of the cross so that humans would have a reason to build a glorified playhouse.
Multitudes view religion and the church as a means of social interaction and fulfillment. From this misconception stems the false practice of spending the money that was collected in the name of the Lord on projects and facilities unauthorized by the Lord! Jesus said, "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but you do not practice what I say?" (Luke 6:46). If religious people are going to collect money by appealing to the Lord’s name, they are obligated to appeal to the Lord’s authority in their use of that money. The activities that are housed by gymnasiums, movie theaters, recreation halls, family life centers and fellowship halls are not authorized by Scripture as legitimate works of the Lord’s church.
The Church Belongs To Christ; Not To Us! Many people see the church as theirs to do with as they please (their own little playhouse). Obviously, humans are free to form social organizations for various social purposes. However, people are not at liberty to hijack the Lord’s church and use it to fulfill their secular purposes. God has spoken with regard to the nature and purpose of His church. The church belongs to Christ: He is its builder. Jesus said, "Upon this rock (the fact of His full deity) I will build MY church..." (Matthew 16:18). The next verse shows Jesus using the words "church" and "kingdom" interchangeably, and Colossians 1:13 refers to this "kingdom" as "the kingdom of God’s dear Son." It belongs to Him! Jesus purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). He is also the “head” of that church (Eph. 5:23). As the “head of the church,” Jesus is authorized to direct and regulate the church. He gives it permission to do certain things, and He prevents it from doing other things. Humans are free to charter and order their own organizations, but they have no right to charter and order God’s church. God alone has the authority to do that. We will make some applications in subsequent articles.
