Over the last few weeks we have received mail from various places in the United States and overseas asking for money to help purchase land or help purchase a building wherein the saints in a particular location can meet. I know as I read these that the brethren in each of these places are excited beyond belief at the opportunities before them, and they want to do all they can to make a good impression in their communities by building a building.

Sometimes, however, I think Satan has deluded us into thinking that when we build a building, we are building the church. We all know the excitement that comes from watching the foundation being laid, and the framing going up. We get excited when we can walk into a new building and see the walls being built, the new paint smell wafting through the place, and then see the tile or the carpet being laid. We will sacrifice all we can to see that the building is built – to see a structure rise from nothing.

Are we willing to make those same kinds of sacrifices to see that the church is built? I’m not talking about a structure of brick and stones, but the “real church.” Listen to Peter in 1 Peter 2:4-5 “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (NKJV) This passage makes it clear that the church is not mortar, brick and stones, but people who have come to Christ and have committed their lives to him. The work of the church IS NOT to build a monument to ourselves with physical things; it is to build up the body of Christ by teaching the gospel and encouraging Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

I am fearful of what our Heavenly Father will say on the Day of Judgment when we give an answer to him concerning the amount of money we paid on church buildings as opposed to the amount of money we spend on evangelism and missions.

Let it be said that to have worship we must have a place to worship. In the New Testament Christians met in the temple, in synagogues, in schools and in homes. We do not read anywhere where a New Testament church purchased property and built a church building. So we do not condemn church buildings, as we must have a place to worship. But building a building is not the purpose of the church, nor is it building the church.

Also, think about the numerous and myriad arguments that will be forever silenced if we didn’t have church buildings. We discuss and have divided over what we can and cannot do in a church building – can we teach Bible classes in one? Can we eat in one? Can we have a kitchen and nursery in one? What do we call certain areas of the building? Is it a sin to call one area the “fellowship hall” where fellowship should be taking place throughout the building? Can we only have fellowship in a fellowship hall? Can we have Tupperware parties in a church building? Are we making our “Father’s house a house of merchandise” if we do? (Do we honestly think that a building is our Father’s House? Scripture says the church – the people – is the house of God - 1 Timothy 3:15).

I am not condemning the use of church buildings. I am not saying it is a sin to own one, nor is it a sin to worship in one. I do question whether or not we have really grasped the concept of the church, however, if we spend all of our time, effort and money in the building and upkeep of a building and not in the “building up” of the church – the people! Let us restore the true concept of the church today!