I’ve been seeing quote images come across my social media feeds lately, about Church.  Like these:

The thing is, although both of these quotes contain some truth, they’re also both wrong.

The church does need you, and people are why you go to church.  Or should be (at least in part).

Church Is About People

Much of the modern Church has lost sight of the fact that church is about people.  In fact, the church is people.  When we come together at the church meeting, the core purpose is not only to worship.

We can sit at home on the couch alone and pray.  We can sit at home on the couch alone and sing.  We can sit at home on the couch alone and listen to a sermon.  Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying we should just do that and leave it at that!  But we don’t need to go anywhere or be with anyone to do those things.

We don’t go to church merely so we can sit next to someone else and pray, sing, and/or listen to a sermon.

The people in the Church are what make the church meeting a church meeting!

Don’t Forsake the Assembly

The primary verse — often the only verse — that’s typically used to press the importance of the assembly is Hebrews 10:25: “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…”  You may have noticed that isn’t a complete thought.  What is the full thought?

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up Love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Everything about this revolves around people.  We are to consider one another, to assemble with one another (to paraphrase the basic idea), and exhort one another.  Why are we telling people it’s so important to assemble, and then telling them the very reasons for assembling don’t exist?

“One Anothering”

This emphasis on “one anothering” is a thread running throughout the New Testament, not an idea isolated to Hebrews 10:24-25.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” (Romans 12:10)

“Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” (1 Corinthians 11:33)

“…through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  (Galatians 6:2)

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” (Ephesians 5:18-19)

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” (Colossians 3:16)

“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10)

These are only (some of) the verses that specifically use the phrase “one another”; there are even more if we look a little deeper for the idea rather than merely the phrase.  And yet how can we look at all of these and conclude that people aren’t the reason we go to church?

The Body

Does the church need you, though?  Well, in a sense, no.  The Church did, indeed exist before you or me, and will continue to exist after us.  In that sense, it doesn’t “need” us.  But there’s a very real sense in which it does need you and me.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the Body is not one member but many…But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.”  (1 Corinthians 12:13-14, 18-22)

God created a whole Body.  He set each one of the members in it “just as He pleased.”  And all are necessary.

Too Man-Centric — Or Not Man-Centric Enough?

In our zeal to put the emphasis on glorifying God and not focusing on self (both good things), we’ve lost sight of the fact that God Himself put a high priority on mankind.

If we’re attempting to honor Christ while dismissing His Body, we’re missing the point.  (This dismissive attitude of a “failure to discern the Body” is actually what Paul portrayed as the foundation for “eating in an unworthy manner” in 1 Corinthians 11.)

If we’re attempting to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, but can’t be bothered to love our neighbors (or brothers!), we’re missing the point.

God is not honored by our brushing aside those He loves in the name of “worship.”

Jesus lambasted the scribes and Pharisees for avoiding their obligations to other people (in this case, family) and calling it righteousness.

For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites!  (Matthew 15:4-7)

How did He say that we serve Him?  By serving one another.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  (Matthew 25:34-46)

The statements in the images that opened this post sound spiritual.  But we have to be careful not to try to be more spiritual than God.  Church is about people.