Is The "Church" Killing Christianity?

and Advent, during the Ordinary Time period between Advent and Lent in estimated early 2020, so as I have been doing during the weeks post Easter Tide and Pentecost and Martyrdom Sunday I take on some of my observations of the Church and Her Health.

We will be looking at in Five Parts “Is The “church” of Today Actually Killing Christianity????”

Lesson 3 will be an important partial repeat of “Is The Three Point Sermon Killing The Church?”

In our first part of the “Is The “church” of Today Actually Killing Christianity????” we must start out by telling you where exactly this tittle came from as it took years to observe and develop.

It is important to note that the following IS NOT a Small sampling of “Churches” my Wife and I have traveled Coast to Coast from New York to California and Back 7 times and from New Jersey to Florida and back 6 times, have visited Churches in California, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey and New York, nor a small sampling of Denominations as they represent the OPC, PCA, PCUSA, EPC, DR, UMC, CRC and sadly we have observed that the state of Church as it is today, is NOT the body of Believers as it was supposed to be and our brother Paul wrote about, but is as the late Harrold Camping observed the problem, as its fore runner the Synagogue was and is too.

This is perhaps the most important line as I am begging you to please not take this on face value but research and pray the HOLY SPIRIT open your eyes to these real observations for yourselves, as it really turned our heads at these disturbing observations.

It must be clearly understood my Wife and I are not, nor were we followers of Mr. Camping, but his observation of the condition of the Church at large IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE FOUND, so you might remember the late Mr. Camping suggesting that “you were better off going to a Coffee Shop on Sunday” and this seems to get missed in his comments as it was by me too, “With your Bible and reading it there” instead of going to Corporate Church, is sadly true!

I need to remind you that I too originally thought when I first heard this that Mr. Camping was a FULL NUT JOB, but what we have personally observed since 2007 was exactly the same concern and it is pervasive.

As with the “Seeing Armageddon In The Rearview Mirror” series, I am asking you to please honestly investigate this yourselves and not just take my word for it, as we have lived this since 2010, and it is actually stunning.

I also want to point out something I needed to have my Eyes opened by the HOLY SPIRIT to too, as We DONOT Go to Church out of obligation in obedience, we go due to the TRIUNE GOD, by the Will of the FATHER, the Rescuing of our Souls by HIS SON Our LORD and Savior Jesus the Christ, and our Dead Spirit Awakened by the HOLY SPIRIT.

You see we go to Church because HE who first Loved us has given us a passion to hear more and more of HIS word, and do Great things as lead by the HOLY SPIRIT.

So it is actually quite the reverse of what you hear each week, as we are attracted to go out of Love the LORD instilled in us, and through the Faith HE first gave us and grows in us.

So to get started we will look at

Part One

The Early Church As Formed In Acts Vs Today’s Listeners To The Council Of Rehoboam

Part Two

Has The Church Become Just A Social Club?

Part Three

Is The Typical Three Point Sermon, and Seminary Training Killing The Church?

Part Four

FELLOWSHIP IS NOT THE POINT!

Part Five

The Church Is Christ Foundational, Christ Center, And By HIS Mercy And Proof Of Our Changed Lives Christ Lived

Part One

The Early Church As Formed In Acts Vs Today’s Listeners To The Council Of Rehoboam

A: How The Church Started And What It Looked Like

This point will demand you have a full knowledge of the Book of Acts as I cannot in good conscience post the whole book at the bottom of our lesson, so I have put Chapter 2 along with Hosea 1, and Ephesians 3 as sample reading for our series.

I recommend the use of and audio Bible as it would help to listen to the entire book in one sitting as to have proper context of our lessons.

So enough sizing the canvas, and background as we will start in and again you are not compelled to believe this, but honestly assess the situation, and yes even in your own “perfect Church” (club) and as a Band-Aid being ripped off this might and should hurt.

Well then what does the Church actually look in its foundation?

Well a short and accurate answer is You, but that answer does NOT tell the full picture as it is the FULLY Purchased Body of Christ, raised from the Dead by the FATHER’S Preordained choosing, and Made alive by the indwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT alone, to be Blunt the Church Looks like the Triune GOD HEAD ITSELF.

As provided below there is a quick look at verses to look describing some of the attributes of the Church, as when one reads only one verse at a time and tries to build a picture, it morphs the Church into the Grotesque creature it and the Synagogue have become.

You see the Church and Synagogue should be pictures of Christ as proved not by our poor efforts, but by the Full Purchase of Christ HIMSELF, and YES Jesus Purchased the Synagogue too as HIS Blood Bought Sinners Passed Present and Future.

This means the Church from the being brought to true real life, would de facto Look Like, Act Like, Walk Like and Talk Like, Love Like, Jesus Christ HIMSELF as we are live in HIM alone.

The foundation also takes us back to the House Church as we see throughout Acts, and the Epistles and its simplistic make up that had no beauty or majesty that we should drive by and say “WOW” (that should also bring a Isaiah passage to mind) what a building as these House churches are non-descript, and many in lower class homes for the most part, in areas of town as to hide stealth like from the authorities who sought with zeal for the most part to destroy them.

The Body of Believers, eyes opened only by Grace was and IS the true Church, caring for each other without regard to personal safety, nor profit, a far cry from today’s behemoths that have become a dragon becoming a life of their own needing more and more of the Budget and personal resources to keep them alive as they drain the life out of the Church.

We will look at a bit later in the series the social club disease that has taken over the Corporate Church, but I do want to make clear, helping each other in the Church Community is a side benefit of the true Church as well as zeal for helping the Community around us no strings attached.

Their leadership worked tirelessly as both Teachers and ambassadors of Jesus Christ, as well as in most cases a full time occupation, and were paid off NOT with Pastor Appreciation months as another way to fleece the congregation into shelling out more for these “Professional Pastors”, but by constant beatings, threats and actually beheadings, being fed to the wild animals as a sport while spectators cheered, sawed in two, burned at the stake, and all in all the LORD growing them in true faith and love.

I saw a comment from a high profile Theologian such as Scotty’s tweet “It's not always going to hurt this bad, whatever your "it" might be.” as one replied to Scotty “It hasn’t gotten any better”, and for Scotty’s information on this side of life IT may end up as a sawn in two, burned at the stake, beheadings that if this A$$ had a clue, he would have seen happening today, as we see beheadings in the name of Christ, as those in Christ go to eternal paradise, NEVER on this side having “IT” get any better, but strengthened through the HOLY SPIRIT to walk through “IT” to eternity.

This and these “theological stars” are actually models of a religious club, and proof of the destruction of a true Church and Synagogue, as they worship self and self-importance as witnessed in the numerous quoting of each other in their indoctrination diatribes, we will see more of this in later lessons.

But back to the Foundational Church as it was led by the people who today are routinely kicked to the curb as not worthy to serve, as and I have witnessed this personally and for the record in multiple Churches, as well as Presbyteries, the Pastor hand picks his staff of Yes men, and Women as to rubber stamp his or her ministry (not the LORD’S) as they strive for compliance and not Biblical fact.

So the Real Church of the First Century was a true body unit dependent on each other, and one that showed the same Compassion Jesus had on us to its true enemies, see Acts 16’s Jailer, See Peter going to Cornelius’s to witness to the “Pig” Gentiles as an example of dealing with someone who ill uses you.

The Contrast can’t be stressed enough between the First Century Church and Her make up, and the Corporate mess we see today, as Building and Pastoral demands actually become the drain on budgets., but safe to say these “over worked” Pastors of today, might have been the ones not qualified for service in the First Century.

This is not to say we shouldn’t pay our Pastor a fulltime and good salary, it is to say, just how many do we need for a Church of 175, when in the 1960’s and 70’s ONE Pastor served congregations of 300 to 500? We will deal deeper with that in coming lessons

B: Falling For The Council Of Rehoboam, And The Council Of The Professional Consultants

The Apostle Paul could NEVER serve in today’s Church as He was too old, to hot headed, and to blunt to kiss the ass of today’s Church club leadership. Peter too high strung and quick to react as well as when the going gets tough he turned tail, Matthew a turn coat, Mark fled the faith twice, all of these just to name a few could never get past today’s “leadership test” as their sins are to public and the Pastor can never live with such sinners.

I actually know of a situation where the Pastor and his hatchet men on the Session beat the hell out of one of our Deacons who dared to seek to relieve our “over worked”, their words not the Deacon’s, Elder Board and serve on the Eldership only to literally have ALL of his unforgiveable sins paraded in front of him during His “interview”(interrogation).

I guess only a real Church of Jesus Christ understands how to really forgive as this club did not.

Next the real Church had an uneducated leader who would NEVER be allowed to speak in today’s church Clubs for the EXACT reason HE was blasted for teaching in the Synagogue of yesterday and today, Mt 13:54 He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

55 "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

56 "And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."

And why were they upset at Jesus?

We these clubs seem to need “college educated” as those “showing” the gift of eldership and as I have witnessed in three churches.

So Jesus as a Carpenters Kid, and as our first century scholarship would train us to know, would not have been educated in anything academic, nor heaven forbid even able to pick up the scroll let alone read it.

If you doubt me, your Pastor in the Presbyterian Church is normally Educated at Bachelors, and Masters Degrees as a minimum, and as Pastor Ron said of me “you should not go to seminary as you are not qualified” well the LORD allowed me to get through Seminary in 3 years with a Master of Divinity, the Pastor who told me “I wasn’t Seminary material” “earned a Master of Arts, as well as a Master of Divinity, that I learned was actually code for a student who struggled as one earns the Arts in two years and takes it as a hedge to struggling with the Greek and Hebrew studies required in the Divinity, but enough if that as I want to get to the point that under the Council of Rehoboam, Jesus, John, and his brother James, Peter, Andrew, James and his brother Jude, as well as all men called to the Ministry at 45 and older would NOT be accepted at today’s Church as Pastoral or Leadership members.

This means life experience be damned, we need kids wet behind the ears 33-44 married with Children, and if they are working on their doctorate all the better as Pastors as this IS the demographic Pastor Randy who I interned under only illuminated me to after I aced my Licensed exam.

You need to know this is what is happening and 99.9% of my rejections actually said “You are the wrong demographic”.

But where does this council come from, well it is not the LORD, but numerous “church Consulting” firms that tell the churches ‘What they are doing wrong”.

The funny thing it since these “experts” have grabbed the ear of the churches, church attendance has spiraled downward at an alarming pace.

Gallup reports church attendance in the United States down to 50% from 70% just 20 years ago, and what should come as no surprised is the reliance on “Expert” Church Consulting firms in the past 20 years that seem to be as successful as the Youth Pastor movement to drive people away from the Church.

These hacks have been as successful as Captain Smith’s Titanic Captaincy, with the very same results.

They suggest survey cards touted by Religious clubs like Redeemer New York, “Helping their Pastors to know their Congregation better” instead of reading Richard Baxter’s the Reformed Pastor that suggested the novel approach to actually visit every one of their congregants at least once each year, WOW what a thought from 1656, 363 years ago, and seems so estranged to today’s leadership as witnessed by the quip after service one Sunday at Redeemer NYC, “a real Pastor will be done front today so you can actually talk to one today” yes this was said and a true indictment on a poorly run church (club).

It also may not surprise you as I visit Nursing Homes and talk with people on street corners just blocks from Redeemer NYC, as the conversation gets to the question “What Church am I the Pastor at as I would like to come” that I reply “I am not a Pastor at a Church as I am the wrong Demographic” and they reply in horror (for real), “That makes NO sense, wouldn’t you think they would want someone with real life experience????” I always reply “You would think”.

Enough of that, we need to actually take a step back and really assess what we are really seeing, even in our own area;

Are Churches closing?

In this area of NW New Jersey, 2 Methodist Churches, 3 Presbyterian Churches, 2 Roman Catholic Schools, and a Christian School have closed in the past 20 years.

How about your area and be honest?

It really sounds a lot like 2^nd Kings and the Spiral downward Israel (Judah & Benjamin after the split) as Rehoboam rejects the council of those who have actually experienced life and takes the same youthful path these “consulting experts” (tools of Satan) espouse.

Finally in my own true survey as I have had to work some Sundays for the first time in my life, I have come to ask those who are not attending church, “Do you still believe Jesus saved you from your sins?” and each one has said WITHOUT hesitation, YES!!!.

They each give the same reason for not going to church and sadly I actually FULLY agree with them, as they see them as social clubs and clicks and not Churches!!!

C: The World Should See The Image Of Christ In HIS Church, Not The Image Of The Moose Lodge

This final topic for this lesson will be addressed in more detail in Part Two

Has The Church Become Just A Social Club?

But for now let’s just review a little what is most prevalent, and begs for the HOLY SPIRIT to open our eyes too.

Take this simple survey, and believe me you will be shocked, as it really is pervasive in todays’ Church and Synagogue;

Ask you fellow members as you leave and hear, “What a great Sermon”, Really, what was your favorite point?

Write down the answer as we have found coast to coast, and our friends at Redeemer McKinney, Texas also found there, they can’t name a thing seconds after the service.

You sadly will see what is driving today’s churches and synagogues is “community”, “socializing”, and not worship.

You will actually see this in popular Theologians tweets like;

“One way the world knows we're Christ's disciples is by being together to know one another, love one another, confess to one another, bear one another’s burdens—we can't do that with online "worship."

”Being a Christian extremist means dying to self, loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, and killing our sin.”

These two tweets from Pastor Burk Parkson on their face might seem like Christian Council, and yet in point of fact are actually a clear example of Religious Teaching that bluntly equals the teaching of the Pharisees.

You see the two tweets are exactly where the Synagogue was led astray as it places the burden on the sinner and not on Mankind’s helpless dead estate in total need of a REVIVER who is also our RESCUER.

We beg the HOLY SPIRIT to open our eyes to fact that the Church is NOT a social club doing good things in the community, hoping to attract new members as if we were the Moose or Elks Lodge, when our Changed Lives in Christ should be attracting people to the Ministry for Christ’s sake, and by the witness of the HOLY SPIRIT’S work in us conforming us to be more and more like Jesus.

So where a Social Club is all about Community and Interacting for good in that Community as an attraction to join, the Church is all about an awakening from the dead while walking us as a witness of our new life in Christ to LOVE Worship, desire to really LOVE the Bible and hunger for true teaching, to LOVE and Minister to our Community as witness to being alive in Christ and these all happen outside of our conscience effort.

You see a witness to a True Church is we only Love because Christ First LOVED and Awakened us from the dead, to live for HIM.

Our Next lesson asks us to Part Two ask, Has The Church Become Just A Social Club?

Hosea 1

1 ¶ The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 ¶ When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD."

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 And the LORD said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 "On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."

6 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.

7 "But I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses or horsemen."

8 ¶ When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son.

9 And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God."

10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, "You are not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living God."

11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, And they will appoint for themselves one leader, And they will go up from the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel.

(NAS95)This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response Thanks Be To GOD

Acts 2

1 ¶ When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

5 ¶ Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.

7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

8 "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?

9 "Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God."

12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"

13 But others were mocking and saying, "They are full of sweet wine."

14 ¶ But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.

15 "For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day;

16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

17 'AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;

18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.

19 'AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

20 'THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME.

21 'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'

22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--

23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.

24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

25 "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

26 'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE;

27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.

28 'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.'

29 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30 "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE,

31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.

32 "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

33 "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.

34 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'

36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified."

37 ¶ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"

41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

42 ¶ They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response By All: Thanks Be To GOD

Ephesians 3

1 ¶ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles--

2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;

3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.

4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,

5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,

9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,

12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.

14 ¶ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

(NAS95)

This Is The WORD Of The LORD

Response Thanks Be To GOD

Mt 16:18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Mt 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Ac 5:11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

Ac 8:1 ¶ Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Ac 8:3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Ac 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

Ac 11:22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.

Ac 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Ac 12:1 ¶ Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

Ac 12:5 ¶ So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

Ac 13:1 ¶ Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Ac 14:23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Ac 14:27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Ac 15:3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.

Ac 15:4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

Ac 15:22 ¶ Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

Ac 18:22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

Ac 20:17 ¶ From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

Ac 20:28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Ro 16:1 ¶ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;

Ro 16:5 also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

Ro 16:23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother.

1Co 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:

1Co 4:17 ¶ For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

1Co 5:12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

1Co 6:4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?

1Co 10:32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;

1Co 11:18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.

1Co 11:22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

1Co 12:28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.

1Co 14:4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.

1Co 14:5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying.

1Co 14:12 So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.

1Co 14:19 however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.

1Co 14:23 Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?

1Co 14:28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.

1Co 14:35 If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.

1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

1Co 16:19 ¶ The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

2Co 1:1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:

Ga 1:13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;

Eph 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,

Eph 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

Eph 3:21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

Eph 5:24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Eph 5:27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Eph 5:29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,

Eph 5:32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Php 3:6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Php 4:15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;

Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

Col 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

Col 4:15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

Col 4:16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea.

1Th 1:1 ¶ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2Th 1:1 ¶ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

1Ti 3:5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),

1Ti 3:7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

1Ti 3:15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

1Ti 5:16 If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.

Phm 1:2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Jas 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

3Jo 1:6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

3Jo 1:9 ¶ I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

3Jo 1:10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church.

Re 2:1 ¶ "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

Re 2:8 ¶ "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

Re 2:12 ¶ "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

Re 2:18 ¶ "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:

Re 3:1 ¶ "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Re 3:7 ¶ "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

Re 3:14 ¶ "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

(NAS95)