Intro. A man was finally rescued after years of being shipwrecked alone on a deserted island. When his rescuers came ashore they noticed three small huts & asked him what they were for. “Well,” he said, this one is where I live. That one is where I go to church. And the other one is where I used to go to church until I got mad & left.”
A. There are a great many who leave the church but don’t go anywhere else. In some groups, that’s as many as 50% of their total number. Also there are many more who are interested in Jesus & in Christianity but not in the church & who never become a part of it. A tendency among many evangelicals is to place all of the emphasis on one’s personal relationship with Christ, with church being strictly optional (& therefore left out by many).
B. So the question arises, “Can I be a Christian w/out the church?” This is a question that impacts eternity b/c you need to be a Christian to have forgiveness & hope. So, can you be what God wants apart from the church?
C. First, we need to ask, “Why would anyone even ask this question? Why would anyone want to be a Christian but not be part of the church?” There are several potential reasons:
1. The concept of American individualism. “What I do is my own business & I don’t need others for my spiritual
life to be valid.”
2. Many just don’t want to be obligated & realize that church membership does involve obligations. In a day
when people commit to as few things as possible, church becomes a casualty to our desire to be
uncommitted.
3. A general lack of understanding about what “the church” is — at least biblically. They see it as
primarily a human organization they can live w/out. So they do.
4. Probably the #1 reason is a low estimation of the church, possibly due to negative church experiences. For
those outside the church, reports of clergy abuse, financial mismanagement, & individual failures of
leaders are enough to assure them they want nothing to do with anything called “church.”
D. So, what about our question? Can you be a Christian w/out the church? From a biblical perspective, the answer is
is plain & simple: NO. At least, not as God intended you to be. Here are some reasons why not:
1. B/c in the Bible, “church” is simply a way of designating Christians as a group.
A. “Church” gets used in many ways in popular culture: a building, an institution, a hierarchy of rulers, etc.
B. In the NT it’s a way of speaking of believers collectively whether in a local assembly or all believers universally.
C. Example: Acts 2:37-47. The very first Christians immediately were formed into a believing, worshiping community — not “isolated believers.” Verse 41 — “were added” — to what? Obviously, the community of believers, later called “the church” (Acts 5:11 = first occurrence of ekklesia in Acts). Verse 47 — “Those being saved” = those who were added.
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E. “Body” = 1 of Paul’s favorite ways of describing the church. The imagery of Christ as equivalent to the head of the human body & all members as the various limbs & organs fit perfectly his understanding of the unity of the church which was marked by a diversity of gifts & functions. In 1 Cor. 12:12 & 13 he says we were “all baptized into one body.” I.e., all are baptized into the church, just as we are baptized into Christ. This explain why Scripture speaks of there being only “one church”/”one body,” just as there is one God, Lord, etc. (Eph. 1:21-22, 4:4-6. All believers who are baptized are in it, b/c God puts us in it. Example: Being born into your physical family. By virtue of birth, you had brothers, sisters, etc.
F. Sadly, the “one body” eventually became divided into numerous “churches” & this helped create the confusion that leads to our question. But it’s still possible to believe & be baptized & be part of the “the church” as the body of saved people. So if you’re saved, you’re in the church.
2. B/c the church, for all of its faults & weaknesses, has a role in the eternal plan of God.
A. In Matt. 16:18 Jesus said, “I will build my church,” indicating He had a definite plan for it. Eph. 3:7-11 states what that plan was/is.
B. There’s no question that the church in its various expressions doesn’t always reflect the glory of God, & that it never does so perfectly. There are plenty of faults, & there’s no excuse for that. Example: Jn. 13:35 — Our #1 “identifying mark” of the church is to be LOVE. Not an option! It’s a tragedy when the faults of the church cause people to turn away from Christ!
C. Still, part of the glory of the church is that God chooses to work through flawed individuals & flawed groups — the only kind He has to work with. And if HE chooses to own the church, what right do any of us have to reject it??
D. Clarification: The church is the saved, but NOT the savior. Being in the church doesn’t save you; rather, being saved puts you into the church. So even though the church itself doesn’t save, you can’t be a Christian w/out it.
3. B/c you need what the church is all about.
A. Worshiping God in company with other believers. Acts 2:41-42. Christian fellowship & support in making it through life. Hebrews 10:24-25. “Stir one another up” (literally, “Provoke one another to love & good works”). We all need that & we’re all obligated to do that for one another.
B. Teaching & encouragement. 2 Tim. 3:16-17. We may protest that we can “study on my own,” but DO you?? Are you so spiritual that you don’t need the insights & support of other believers?
C. At times we even need rebuke & restoration. Gal. 6:1. Paul wouldn’t have said that if being part of the church were optional.
Concl.: So, “Can I be a Christian w/out the church?” No. “Why not?” B/c that isn’t how God planned & designed things. We need Him & we need each other. That isn’t your decision to make; God has already made it for you.
Is the church flawed? Of course! And b/c it is, you’ll fit right in! But don’t look at the church at its worst. There’s a lot of good there, too. Don’t reject it. Work to make it better.
–Tommy South
