Church is not a building. That might be “a” church, but it’s not “the” church. The church is the collective body of believers in Jesus. It’s been said that going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going into a garage makes you a car. That’s very true. That doesn’t mean, however, you should avoid churches. If you have an empty garage available, why would you park your car on the street? A Christian without a church is like a car on the street. It’s subject to hail, storms, vandals, and any amount of dangerous situations. A garage will protect a car to a certain extent, and make it harder for bad things to happen to it. A church has the same function. It will not save you, but it can equip you to withstand the dangers of this world. There are plenty of things that can (and do) happen that a church can help alleviate. In my church, people are helping each other all the time. Someone needs to move to a smaller place, a bunch of folks get together and take care of it so they don’t have to hire someone to do it. Sure, there are ways for people without churches to do that. What are friends for, right? If I run short of money I can always get some food from some charity or other. Even the government has ways of taking care of people who need it. But at what cost? I have a step-son who is “in the system.” There are all sorts of strings attached to everything the government does for him. There are hoops to jump through, paperwork to fill out, and it all comes under the heading of “compliance costs.” In a church, you speak your need. If someone can help, they will. No gymnastics of paperwork and qualifications, no double-checking to make sure you’re following through with the compliance costs after the fact. It’s true charity. If the government forces someone else to contribute, well, that’s not charity.
Get your car in the garage. Go to church.
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