I
The early Christians met in homes, as we
have seen. Their gatherings were for worship and
to reinforce their mutual love, to meet
the needs of fellow Christians, hear reports
of Gospel progress, and to share a meal.
In homes they welcomed new believers, taught
them the essentials of the faith, and brought
them into membership, and to new life,
in Jesus. Such house churches spread throughout
the Roman world, and only here and there
did Christians undertake to build a place
to house what they were gladly doing in
their homes. This was the pattern set by Paul
and the apostles, and it served the Church
of Christ for centuries. The peace between
the churches and the Empire marked a change
in how believers thought about what makes
a church. The more church buildings came to be
considered a necessity, the more
the churches meeting in their members’ homes
began to disappear, until today
no one—or very few—considers this
to be a model that should be pursued
in starting churches. But the lust
for buildings, and all kinds of property,
which has become the norm, has no support
within the Scriptures. Jesus came to build
a temple, it is true, but not one made
of stone. The temple He would build is in
the soul of each believer and them all as one.
For 1500 years the Christian world
has set aside God’s clear, explicit plan
and sought to be the Body of the Lord
not on His terms, but on the world’s. And this
forsaking of the Word of God became
a source of many other ills. Among
the lingering consequences of this drift
is the indifference to our unity.
II
A certain way of thinking settles in
the mind of those for whom the church is first
a building in a certain part of town.
Thus people speak of “my church” or of “our
church” as the place where they have settled to
have all their deep and spiritual needs addressed.
They “go” to church, support the church’s “staff”,
participate in church activities,
accommodate to certain forms and styles
of worship, and have little concert or
collaboration with the churches in
their city. Some may understand that they
and their church are connected in some form
to other churches in the same denom-
ination. But the real effect of this
is minimal in realizing what
the Lord intended for our unity.
The breakdown of our Christian unity
began about the time that Rome and Rome’s
chief pastor were becoming recognized
as primus inter pares over all
the other churches in the world. Most fell
in line, yet some, determined to retain
traditional or ethnic protocols
and forms, resisted. Churches in the east
and parts of Africa, while nodding to
the Roman pontiff, soon began to forge
their own ways for the faith, and would, in time,
break all ties with the Church in Rome. And when
the Reformation came, dividing from
communions over differences of one
kind or another soon became the norm.
Now thousands of denominations, each
of which regards itself as truest to
the Biblical ideal, pursue their work
and lives without regard for churches of
another stripe, and making no attempt
to work at unity with anyone
outside the four walls of their property.
And not a soul is troubled by this. Who
among our Christian leaders cares a whit
that Jesus prayed for unity among
His followers? Instead of finding ways
to demonstrate our unity, so that
we might be faithful in our witness, we
accept our fractured status quo without
remorse, regret, or remedy. We set
aside the plain and urgent passion of
the Lord and in its place pursue our own
traditions and ideas. And we expect
the Lord to bless this work despite our choice
to make His clear priority a thing
of no importance. We have drifted, have
absimilated, from the teaching of
the Lord into the brackish waters of
disunity, and now we wonder why
our many labors bear so little fruit.
The law of sin leads us to disregard
what God has said as if our word and ways
were more reliable and sure than His.
And then it steels us to our choices and
our modus operandi. We deceive
ourselves if we think Jesus does not see
us in our vain ecclesial garb. He seeks
not buildings for us, but true unity.
III
The Church is not a building. Well, at least
not as the Scriptures speak of church. But once
the Christian movement drifted from its house
church moorings into property, prestige,
and power, the buildings gradually replaced
the Body mystical and soon enough
the unity that Jesus prayed for was
forgotten, and is now ignored. We think
that we can disregard the Savior’s plans
and His priorities and still expect
that He will bless our labors. And He does,
of course, but not like what was realized
by those first Christians. Drifting from God’s plan
and norms need not continue. But until
we face our situation and resolve
to turn again to God, that He to us
might once again return, we will remain
as we are, captive to traditions and
mere culture, drifting from the Lord, ensconced
within our buildings, going nowhere fast.
Oh, yes, the Lord has blessed our labors through
the years, because He is the God of grace
and mercy. But what greater blessings have
been all withheld or simply put beyond
our reach because we choose the course of drift
instead of sailing in the Wind of God,
according to His Word? We cannot know
the fullness of what God has promised while
we drift from Him, content to let the law
of sin dictate our course. Our drift from God
makes unity impossible, and thus
our witness suffers, and God’s glory lags.
For reflection or discussion
1. Has your church made any efforts to join in unity with other churches in your community? If not, do you know why not?
2. Why might finding ways to unite with other churches help all those churches to grow in the Lord?
The promises God makes to His Church are large and glorious. They have to do with turning the world rightside-up for Jesus Christ and realizing more of the Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. But God is holding back until we return to His pattern for building His Church. And each of us has a role in helping that to come about. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss what you can do bring unity to the churches in your community. Your copy of Absimilation, the complete text, is available in book form or as a free PDF download.
