Church - Institution or Family?

Constantine, who was a Roman soldier, won victory in battle and became the Roman Emperor and contributed his success to the Christian God and immediately institutionalized Christianity.  It became the religion on the Roman Empire.

Which you’d think that’d be good right? Institutionalize Christianity. Mandate faith.

No.  It forced people to elevate man and the Arch Bishops and the Priests and “The Church” became a place where you went to get married, a place where you dedicate your child, a place and not a movement, an institution comprised of buildings and hierarchy instead of a family of God, children of God caring for one another.

All across America today, we still have buildings where you dedicate a biological child once instead of a family who has spiritual children who have spiritual children who have spiritual children. People letting the Spirit flow through them to invite someone to become a brother or sister in Christ and put their hope in the great older brother, Jesus. That is the family or the church Jesus started in the book of Acts, in particular on the day of Pentecost.

Institutionalizing Christianity was actually terrible for us Christians in 325 AD.

Rome was overthrown in 476 and 500 years later there came the great split of Orthodox church and the Roman Catholic church. The Orthodox church very closely believes what we believe as “Charismatic” or Spirit-filled Christians. We had an Orthodox priest in our home once and had some great conversations about the Lord and what faith means to him. Often the word “charismatic” takes on a meaning apart from it’s original meaning. “Charis” which means free or charitable or gift is a celebration of the gift of grace which is free to ALL people.

Look I love architecture just as much as you do. I love the design of buildings that had a brave, innovative architect who will push the boundaries of design. However, when we Christians focus more on the building, institution, the priest/pastor, the lights, the fill in the blank… and miss the PEOPLE who are supposed to be in the bldg. Again, one doses’t negate the other. It’s important for the Temple to be excellent; we see that in the OT and as a believer in Colossians 10:31 we should do everything with excellence as unto the Lord. But we can’t let our love for institutionalization Christianity take the place of seeing broken, lost, hurting confused people enter the church and our homes and feel like family.

The architect of The Church (capital C) is Jesus who poured out His Spirit on ALL people, not those who attended seminary. He is still pouring out His Spirit on all who will seek Him. Young, old, black, white, rich, poor, middle class, upper class.

The Roman Catholic church has accidentally become an institution and something you simply hang your hat on if you want to be “religious” but it’s the power of the Holy Spirit that brings a man to new life in Christ. It’s the fellowship of the Holy Spirit that takes God from being distant and unapproachable and brings Him near.  It’s the Holy Spirit who compels a pastor to kneel down with someone who is hurting and pray and cry with them. In every other religion void of the Holy Spirit, what inevitably happens is a religious pride and distance from well-meaning clergy. After all if you don’t tell people that THEY can have a one on one relationship with God through the Holy Spirit who is here and now able to connect them to God, they’ll presumably elevate a man in a ministry to a place that he shouldn’t be elevated to. I’m all for honor, but having a relationship with a man who has a relationship with God is NOT what God intended or designed. He designed YOU, yes YOU, to have a relationship with God PERSONALLY.

How? The Holy Spirit is the voice of God that tells you about Jesus.  He tells you about the beauty and perfection of Jesus. He tells you how to live like Jesus, how to follow Jesus and how to pattern your very life after the words and actions of Jesus.

It’s the Holy Spirit who reminds you that you’re a child of God once you give your life to Jesus.  It’s the Holy Spirit who is speaking to you - He is the messenger of God - the messenger of Yahweh. He is the same Spirit who empowered the first disciples to be filled with the Spirit so they could be a witness and tell people about Jesus with boldness and love. He is the same Holy Spirit who is available today to empower YOU to be a witness for God and embolden you to tell people about Jesus and what He did on the cross. He is the same Spirit who gave you gifts to serve others for the ultimate purpose of them finding the love of our Father (1 Cor 12)

Why celebrate church alone this week? Why go to the building without inviting someone and telling someone WHY Jesus came in the first place? Scared to tell your neighbor? Afraid of their response? Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you and give you courage and the right words to say. It’s the HOLY SPIRIT who will give you the exact words to say. In fact, it’s the Holy Spirit who will lead you to the right person, the one that God is already speaking to you, the one who’s heart is already soft and beginning to open up to God.

God calls you His own children.  How do you hear that truth?  The Holy Spirit tells you. He tells you in salvation, in sanctification and it’s the SPIRIT’s voice to you and me! It can be the Spirit’s voice that tells someone else through you! The Holy Spirit compels you as a child of God to go tell others about Jesus so they too can become children of God. It’s Pentecost Sunday tomorrow so… who are you bringing?