Church ain't the building, why go?

I keep hearing people say "Church ain't the building, we can have church anywhere because we are The Church.

That is true.  The Church is the body of believers and you don't need a building to worship.

BUT... 

• Are you?  Are you really having worship consistently away from the church building?
• Are you called to preach? 
• Are you called to prophesy?
•  Are you studied up?  
• Do you feel qualified to lead the service? (I don't mean education, I mean spiritually)
• Speaking of education, how much Bible do you know? 
• How's your focus on faith been without going to church? 
• Would you rather listen to music live or via device? 

AND...

• Ever been to a sporting event, concert, or other outings and felt the energy of the crowd?
• Ever needed a hug? 
• Ever left an event feeling motivated and focused? 
• Ever needed a close connection to others? 

We want to hear music live! We want to go to sporting events live! There is energy and power when you get people together.  

It is not likely you are as consistent with worship away from the church.  We aren't all called to preach, prophesy, or lead services.   Our church leaders have dedicated their lives to knowing God's word.  The entirety of their focus is to encourage us in Christ.   Do you really think you don't need a pastor? 

Do you remember the Bible stories about the Shepherds?  Yes, of course, Jesus is the Good Shepherd but God set forth pastors and leaders to watch over the congregation.  We are fighting spiritual warfare. The spirit of fear is an excellent example.  That spirit is not of God and it is running rampant. 

PLUS...

You can think of it as coaching.  All would agree that athletes need coaches. Pastors are to the congregation what coaches are to athletes.  I saw an illustration yesterday where a coach handed an athlete a piece of tape and asked him to place it as high above his head as he could.  The athlete did so.  Then the coach asked the athlete to place it a little higher.  The athlete did by at least three inches!   The coach said, "You will do what you think is your best, my job is to encourage you to more."

BE REAL...

We need interaction with the body of believers.  We need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.  We need our church family and the world needs THE CHURCH.   Congregations are a great way to pool resources and achieve things for the Kingdom. How much traction would a gang or the mafia have if they separated?   They stick together because they are out to achieve a mission.   We can go further together! 

PLEASE...

Be careful is saying we don't need a church.  We do need it and so do our communities!  What would our nation look like if the churches closed?  

Photo Credit: https://www.wrvo.org/post/closing-church-auctions-not-only-items-memories