Do You Hate The Church? Jesus Loved And Died For Her

The following question from GotQuestions.org

QUESTION RECEIVED:

I have studied what the Bible says about The Body of Christ and observe what the church is like today.

Bible seems to be more about relationships than church worship.

I do not see much about how to worship and operate as a church in the Bible, I see relationships.

Is this right?

And what about church government and church planting.

CONCERNING THE BODY OF CHRIST-

The Apostle Paul, under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, certainly established an organized the New Testament church for worship and service and evangelism. 

Ephesians 4:11-13 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

The Apostle Paul under the Holy Spirit’s prompting gave us, the church, the term “ Body Of Christ.”  The book of Romans is the theology book for the New Testament church.

Psalms continually deals with worship and has been called the “prayer book of Jesus Christ.”

The book of Leviticus goes into great detail about worship in the Old Covenant that foreshadow the New Testament.

GOD DEMANDS WORSHIP BY HIS PE0PLE

He has always desired group or corporate worhip.

He always has.

Exodus 34:14 (NASB))

“14—for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—“

He always will desire corporate worship.

Read Revelation chapter 4 and the angelic and 24 elders worship of the Lord.

He loves and demands worship.

FALSE ARGUMENT- 

Friend you are having an argument with yourself that is no argument.

This false argument is - Should you ignore group worship in favor of intimate relationships with Christian individuals.

That’s like asking a parent which child they love best.

You love both!

Why?

Jesus did.

Luke 2:16-16

14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.

It has been said “God had one Son and he made Him a preacher.”

Jesus loved worship.  “as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath “

Hebrews 10:24-25 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

CHURCH GOVERNMENT AND ORGANIZATION

The Bible gives a wide variety of church governments and I feel there is much leeway.

A church in rural North Georgia has different needs from a a mega-church in Los Angeles.

CHURCH PLANTING

Every Epistle in the New Testament was written to a church plant.

Every church was a plant once.

If God is moving and calls for a church plant do it.

If He is not in it do not plant.

JESUS AND THE CHURCH

Jesus loved our soiled church –you do likewise.

Ehesians 5:25-30

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body.