To the Planners and Builders of Church Structures:This is not addressed to the architects and construction workers, who are merely workmen, hired to do a job. This call for repentance is for the pastors and elders who lead their churches into large building projects. God is not pleased with the constant construction of larger and more elaborate church structures. Anyone can get online and look up the mortgage insurance listings for the many loans for church buildings. It is staggering! These astronomical figures will boggle the mind with the sheer number of loans and magnitude of the amounts financed. We are talking about millions of dollars for single structures or additions. What precedent did Jesus Christ or the early Church fathers set for such construction? Jesus clearly told the Pharisees that God now intended our bodies to be the temple for the Holy Spirit of God, on the day He told them “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” So it is not a valid argument to point to the construction of Solomon's temple as a precedent for us to follow, in building a house of worship for God. (Eph. 2:20-22) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. [NIV]To the early Christians, the synagogue became a public place to witness to non-believers. The Church met in one another's homes to worship. If a home was too small for a group to meet, then some of them moved to another home or even another area where the Gospel was needed. They all continued to help and support each other's needs with the money collected. They did not invest it into excessive building funds. However, today's “churches” compete for money to push their worldly buildings, projects and agendas. While little ones starve throughout the world, Christ's Bride, whom He called to love and help the least of these, exhausts Her resources to undertake huge construction projects. How will we justify it before the throne of a Holy God, who cares more for children's empty stomachs than He does for structures? (Matt. 25:45) “He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' [NIV]Extravagant church construction began when the emperor Constantine “converted” to Christianity and operated under the pagan influence of his former beliefs. He built magnificent edifices and basilicas, imitating the pagan temples, in an effort to rid him of his guilt over the murder of his own son and decadent life. His example of spending money on elaborate décor was followed by the Roman Catholic Church. Again and again as each successive pope, patronized and funded by wealthy families, constructed or improved upon these edifices, they perhaps sincerely, but misguidedly, were hoping to glorify God. Instead, it only served to glorify their own reign. Not only were the buildings of obscene magnitude and decoration, but they were filled with commissioned art, each a prideful tribute to the man who ordained it, and the family who financed it. Then it was christened with the name of one of the departed saints, (whose own life was one of poverty and physical lack, though spiritually rich). The reformation didn't change things much. Many protestant denominations continued in this tradition of building structures that competed in splendor. Over time, it became a tradition, among the various denominations, to construct these magnificent cathedrals, (lavish in physical wealth, but often spiritually impoverished). (Acts 7:48-50) However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me: says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?” [NIV]This practice of building continues among modern church groups. I listened as a young architect expressed his frustration over a seventeen-million-dollar church addition. The design called for a massive glass front and the plans were faulty, lacking adequate support for the two-and-a-half story, glass panels. He could not get anyone on the architectural team, or the pastor, to listen to him. He knew the design would have to be altered at the last minute, costing the church a whole lot more money than originally budgeted. More money? I was still reeling from the seventeen-million figure, for a mere church addition! Even a small church I attended years ago, which would have been extremely modest in comparison with today's average buildings, had high vaulted ceilings, which made heating costs very expensive and impractical. Furthermore, the light fixtures were so out of reach, a hydraulic lift had to be rented, merely to change a light bulb. Since the use of the hydraulic lift was costly, all bulbs were replaced at the same time, whether they had burned out or not, and the used, (but still good) ones tossed into the trash. Sadly, many churches stand abandoned or have been inhabited by ungodly businesses or individuals, as a judgment for extravagance and waste. Some of them remain unused by anyone, because their construction is such that no one can afford to heat, cool or maintain them. This is poor stewardship of Church money! God would rather we used that money to care for the needs of His children. The main reason modern church construction is so expensive is because entertainment has become the main thrust and focus of many churches today. Now they are being constructed to cater to the needs of entertainers: popular bands, theatrical productions and conference speakers. Today's churches are designed to be auditoriums with a large, raised stage, using light and sound systems, capable of high voltage input/output. These are convention center quality set-ups, with theater seating. This is an entertainment-oriented society and perhaps it is a viable way to reach the lost. God is creative and He made us creative. It is certainly better to use one's creativity for the Lord. However, I know the Holy Spirit is the One who reaches the soul of a man or woman and He can do it without the use of costly extravaganzas. About three thousand souls were added to the church in a single day, on the day of Pentecost. It was the conviction of souls, upon hearing the simple words of Peter, which he uttered under the power of the Holy Spirit. Are such masses flooding to the church events and getting saved, to the point of justifying the expense of these grand productions? The early church spent no money on production, yet large numbers were added to them daily. We spend thousands on a production and only a handful step forward to join the kingdom, in comparison. Surely something is wrong with this picture! A nearby, large city supports about three or four actual community civic centers, which Christian groups once rented for their shows and events. Being in general public arenas, there was a greater chance for the lost to inadvertently wander in, and get saved at a Christian concert or revival. Now these events can be held in the churches. This way, more profits can be kept for the host church and the performers. The problem is; how many lost people are going to enter a church to hear a concert? Could it be that entertainment for the “saved” is the only real accomplishment? Perhaps a bit of conviction occurs, to carry the believer through a few more days. Or does it just satisfy our lazy souls to enjoy entertainment that is “guilt-free” since it is “Christian.” Do we leave the arena, so greatly inspired, that we then run out into the highways and byways, proclaiming the Gospel with newfound fervor, compelling the lost to come in? We should, but how many of us do? How does a single congregation manage the expenses of a concert hall that generally takes an entire large city to support? Is this good stewardship of the money of the Church? Perhaps if one auditorium was jointly built by all the area churches and shared, it would be more effective. But if each church fellowship has to have its own set up, this indicates a spirit of uncooperativeness, as well as being self-serving and costly. And if the Holy Spirit doesn't come to your production, it is in vain. One nearby church hosted an extravagant production where female members of the church were given a cosmetic (physical-flesh) “make-over” and each “contestant” appeared on stage by bursting through a life-size poster of her former self. This is not the work the Church was called to do, and it does not please God Almighty. This glorifies the flesh, not God. He is about to bring down all apostasy within His church. All worldliness is about to be exposed for what it is, as He pulls down and bankrupts such churches. This shallow version of the Gospel will not sustain souls in the end-times tribulation! We need to repent and cry out for God to have mercy on us! We have been asleep and deceived. Gal. 5:13) You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love. [NIV]There is a trend among churches is to build a first-class gymnasium for the congregation, even if they don't have a “Christian school" to justify it. While the Lord may have no objection to the concept of building a gym in order to reach out to lost youth and provide a safe, Christian environment for them to play in, and establish an opening to reach their souls, (such as what the YMCA was originally intended for) this is generally not what is being done among the churches. Instead each church is protecting their own children from the world and providing themselves with an exclusive and elaborate place for their own congregation to use, while keeping the pollution of the “lost” at bay. The competitive spirit and pride behind sports activities too often becomes dominant and these, however well-intended, sports events often wind up having little or nothing to do with presenting the Gospel, and therefore should not be the focus of the Church. While church teams in themselves may be innocent enough, if there are church members who spend more time playing softball for their church team, than praying or reading their Bibles, then it is safe to say we have missed our calling. Perhaps if the various churches could manage to save money by working together to build one or two community gyms for Christian witness, and if they kept their focus on Christ, rather than the sport, it could have a purpose. In all honesty, I have not seen many gyms built where spreading the Gospel was the accomplished goal, no matter how worthy the intentions. When the Church takes on building gyms and promoting sports, she has left her pure call. Which scriptures set the precedent for these things? Seeking the holy presence of God, purifying our hearts through repentance and sanctification, or spreading the Gospel has taken the back burner, as we build huge church complexes with a multitude of services and accommodations for the members. There is a country club/social club mentality affecting modern churches, and it is a far cry from the direction established by the apostles. Recently, a Christian publication showcased a new church building that was too magnificent to describe. Its entrance boasted elaborate architecture and costly embellishments, showcasing an enormous sculpture by a prominent artist. The vestibule was larger than most entire church buildings. It had the look of a palace and was extravagant beyond belief. The time is soon coming when God will not endure the selfish indulgences of such churches. At a time when so many people are struggling to survive, it is unreasonable to expect members to support the cost of these structures. The hate the world has toward us these days is not unjust persecution. It is understandable repulsion toward our hypocrisy. God will bring our worldly, carnal structures and behavior to utter ruin, unless we repent. These kinds of churches will be purified or else they will become a bankrupt inhabitation for every wild creature. (1 Cor. 3:9-16) For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. [NIV]The truth is there is no New Testament scripture that indicates the Church was ever to lay a single physical brick to build a building and call it a “church.” According to Paul, we are the bricks that make up the building of the Church. Jesus is the foundation and the Church or the Body of Christ make up the rest, as they are developed into the image of Christ. The reference to building here is strictly in an illustrative or allegorical sense. No physical “building” was ever implied. We have gotten way off track. Now I am not saying that God has never intended the construction of any church building that has ever existed. Perhaps in areas or times where homes were very small and the weather was not suitable for outdoor gatherings, God may well have inspired church communities to build shelters in which to fellowship and to worship Him and hear the Word. But the elaborate and costly structures, the towers on every corner, these monuments to the pride of man, will soon become tombstones of disgrace. God would prefer that the Church saw to the needs of one another, rather than strain the pocketbooks of the believers to support huge budgets. We must repent of all this building super structures to make a name for our particular church! We must repent of building edifices that require millions to build and tens of thousands to maintain.
Wherever two or more are gathered in Jesus' name, He is there in the midst of them. If the Holy Spirit shows up to our assembly, we have all we need to worship and glorify God. If there are more people than a building, backyard or home can hold, perhaps it is time to form a new group and send them forth to branch out, with the blessing of God. It is not about seeing how “big” a particular group, ministry, building or fellowship can get.
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