Christians worshiped in a variety of structures throughout our history. Cathedrals to catacombs, in luxury or poverty, the idea of church differs widely in our world. My mission work has allowed me to visit many kinds of houses of worship. I stood for a four-hour service in an ornate orthodox sanctuary in St. Petersburg, Russia because they had no seats. I sat in unfinished buildings in Western Kenya to worship God through a roofless structure. I visited a parish that minister to the homeless populations of Bolivia. And I marveled at the splendor and majesty of St.Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Italy. Each opportunity was unique and awe-inspiring to me. But, God does not care about the building.
Psalm 105:1 “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.”
I witnessed some people arrive at the Lord’s house in their best attire while some appear in the same outfit every Sunday because it is the only one they own. Congregations also come to services in a multitude of transportation options. Members might drive while others might walk long distances in the heat and humidity. One chapel I visited in SE Asia had people arriving on the top of vans, were they rode for hours to get to the nearest place of worship. But, God does not care about attire, vehicles or wealth in His church.
Acts 2:21 “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
[bctt tweet=”God does not care about attire, vehicles or wealth in His church.”]
How we worship within those buildings also varies across the globe. Some have music, and some don’t. Sometimes organs, choirs, or praise bands can provide traditional or contemporary music options. Some raise hands while others are not comfortable with it. Some offer communion weekly while others serve it quarterly or annually. Baptisms can also vary. While some churches sprinkling water on the person, others provide full immersion. But, God does not care about the mechanics of the service.
Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
[bctt tweet=”Belonging to Christ is about the status of our hearts.”]
So what does God care about when it comes to His churches? He cares about the people because the people are the church. Not the buildings, not the attire, not the wealth or poverty, none of these matter to our Lord. God looks at the hearts of men, not at their surroundings, to determine if we belong to Him. And, Roman 10:9 explains this further “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Belonging to Christ is about the status of our hearts and, our worship of God flows from hearts filled by love for God. Christian churches differ widely across the globe, and God loves them in all their forms.
Blessings,
Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”