Hundreds of thousands of believers are plagued with this dilemma, considering we were “brought up in the church,” we were taught “church,” we were indoctrinated with “church,” we were faced with the “right church” from childhood, we were told that “Jesus established a church.” In essence, we have been brainwashed with “church.” As a result, we reject anything in our walk with the Lord that does not march under the banner of “church.”

We have to get away from this thing called “church” and get back to where Jesus wants us to be. There were no churches and church edifices during the formative years of the redeemed community. Yet there were communities or congregations of believers. Man founded churches. Jesus founded His new community. There is not one church in existence whose author is Jesus. Yet He has children in most of them. One brother wrote:

“I believe I understand what you are saying. Man has jurisdiction over the Church, but Christ has jurisdiction over His Ekklesia. Is that right so far?”

Only partially. Man founded churches (divisive parties) and therefore controls them. Jesus founded His ekklesia (community or congregation) and reigns as its Head and King. His community is composed of all of those who have been born anew, and they can be found in almost every sect or divisive party.

We delight in thinking that our church is what Jesus founded. All of the other sects labor under the same mistaken idea. And they are just as right—or wrong—as we are. Let Jesus be the center of our walk, not churches or religious sects. One reader inquired:

“So, Buff, your belief is that the church for which Christ died is just a conglomeration of sects (known as denominations), and of which the Church of Christ is the ‘chief sect,’ and within its numbers there is confusion, turmoil, chaos and division.

“If what you say is true, then let me say that this is not of Christ, but of men. The church that Christ built is not a denomination. Jesus said, ‘I will build my church’ (Matt. 16:18). He used the singular number. He built only one church. All others were started by men.”

First off, as I’ve stated numerous times—and produced documentation—Jesus did not die for a church—any church. Churches were founded by men. Furthermore, Jesus did not say in Matthew 16:18, the verse our brother quoted, “I will build my church.” Churches, such as we have today, did not have their genesis until hundreds of years after Jesus founded His new order or community. “I will build my church” is not—I repeat, is not—in the oldest Greek manuscripts. But here is what we do find in the oldest Greek manuscripts, “I will found my community”—or congregation.

Our divisive religious parties do not represent what Jesus founded, nor any of their off-shoots. They are part of the problem, not part of the solution. I was brought up in the a cappella Church of Christ sect and believed it to be the “one and only” church Jesus established. I proclaimed that sectarian message for decades, but no longer. I, like thousands of others, was brainwashed. The Lord has set me free from my enslavement!

Who are scattered among sects and parties and factions? God’s children! Now we know why our reformer forefathers sought to “unite the Christians in all the sects.” Let us no longer proclaim the Church of Christ sect, the Baptist sect, the Catholic sect, the Methodist sect, or any of the others. Let us, instead, proclaim Jesus and Him crucified in an effort “to bring them [God’s children] together and make them one.”

The First Assembly of God is among the largest denominations in Phoenix. Their membership is in the thousands. They have an elaborate church structure, and the mountains in the immediate background serve as an excellent backdrop for earthen beauty.

Brooks and Carol Wilson, two devout Christian friends, accompanied us to the Pageant. It was elegant in every respect—the singers, the music, the animals, the actors and actresses—everything. The mammoth “sanctuary” and all of the balconies were filled to capacity.

This denomination is known for its generous contributions to the destitute. The cleric announced that any proceeds up and above the cost of the production would be distributed among the poor and less fortunate. And while I do not believe our Lord founded the “system” in which this church is cemented, yet I must admit that many of this church’s programs and projects are worthwhile causes.

As we sat in the “sanctuary,” I wondered if the exquisite structure had become an idol to those who frequent its doors—whether consciously or unconsciously. For if the structure is viewed as some kind of revered design or looked upon as a sacred project by those who built it and by those who enter its doors, as is the case in most settings of this kind, it would then indeed be an idol and those who so perceive it would be bordering idolatry.

I wondered, too, at the beginning of its being blueprinted, if the Lord would have been more pleased had the leaders decided to take the millions of dollars it cost to construct the building and use it for evangelism and to alleviate the needs of the genuinely destitute. Just suppose, for a moment, that when the plans were being drawn up, the leaders had announced to their followers:

“Brothers and sisters, let us instead divide up and meet in various homes, or rent some public facility with little or no maintenance expenses, and take the money we would ordinarily use to build this structure and use it to reach the unregenerate and to feed and clothe the legitimately poor. We will financially and adequately support the men we choose to send ‘out among the lost.’ They will be our evangelists.

“Should we choose the house group format, each house would select its shepherds. But should we choose to rent a public facility for our meetings, the entire congregation would ‘look out among you’ and choose its leaders.

“Of all the proposals we have considered, which one of these would our Lord consider top priority? Would He want us to spend millions of dollars on a material structure and neglect the lost and destitute, or would He rather prefer that we do the latter? As you evaluate the options, please try to recall that the early believers did not construct elaborate and flashy ‘temples’ in which to meet, yet they turned the world upside down with the message of salvation.”

And so I close this segment by asking all of you who are churchly addicted: What would our Lord recommend, and what would He do, in a situation like this? I leave the question with you.