Can I ask you an honest question?
If you believe in Christ's Church - and you believe in the fact that He said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it (Matt. 6:18) - then you must believe it still exists.
So, my question is: If the Scriptures tell us that the Church and Christ are inseparable (Acts 9:4-5) and that the Church is the FULLNESS of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23) - why do you stay away?
Heb.10:25 commands us NOT to forsake the assembling of ourselves as the Body.
NOT trying to pick a fight - jut curious.
Thanks for yours .....how much time do you have? LOL
I'll try and nutshell because I ramble too much...
First, I see only God's Church in the earth..ONE church, One faith etc.. ( I respect your views too, but cannot hold them as my own)
I am in constant contact with many. I wont say this very loudly or the legalists will be upon me..but my husband and I were in leadership for a couple of decades. It started in England in our late 30's...our kids were teens, we, at that time drove to another town to attend the little mission hall where we first "saw the light" and came to Christ.
Many young friends of our kids hung out at our house...like a dozen at a time...shortly they came to Christ when we shared of the love of God who sent His Son to die for them , so that they could be in a living relationship with God the Father. ( I told you I got wordy and rambling! ha)
Then , I'd get phone calls for some of the mothers of the kids, wanting to hear about what made their kids all excited about God. ( ages of kids 12-17)
Soon , obviously , we started home study meetings...and also invited our pastor from the church where he had first preached to us .. he came to a few meetings...then prayed over us and blessed us to "go and do as Jesus did " - and share the good news of the death, burial and resurrection...
Within a few months we had to rent a hall, we had 78 people, from ages 80 down to 12.
Remember, this was back in the 60's... In England God was sweeping the country with a revival of house meetings ( like in Acts)
The people wouldn't stay away...they wanted 5 weekly meetings and the other two night , all the youth came to our house to hang out.
I know this is radical for you...and for all the legalist that we knew...they wanted their same old , same old, boring repetitious meetings...and frowned on us. But the meetings were like a freight train ...unstoppable...
Some American preacher came to town and wanted us to come over the attend some of their conferences. The story is too long...but in the end were were asked to come over to Canada in 1976 and help a large group here which was struggling. My brother took over the gatherings back in England..,..meaning, he paid for the Hall to meet in...and God did the rest!
BOL we were never 'a church' , we were all just a small part of
God's Church without walls......God Glorious Church in the earth. Which is, His people , His body, His Bride....as Paul shows us. ( But , we all do understand what people mean, when they say.."
Have you been to church today. " We just answer...not preach a sermon on it! :)
It just a habit now that people call it "church".
Without people the building is just that, a building.
As for joining local gatherings...we have tried.
I still there listening and inwardly groaning...and wondering what on earth God thinks of us all.
Rather than show my discontent, I just do not go. I cannot agree with half of that I hear preached.
So..that is all I can tell you. In our 50 + years of christianity we have just about seen it all... the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I have more confidence than you do, that God is Love...and He has a Master Plan for us all. :)
God bless ...Helen