  |
 |
|
|
An Ideological Split with "Churchianity" |
|
 "God never once said to build church buildings! He just said, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature!'" |
During this time, David became even more
convinced of the ineffectiveness of much of the organized, traditional
"churchianity" of his day -- its emphasis on ceremonialism and lavish buildings,
as well as the general lack of interest in evangelical outreach. He knew that there were
many sincere and dedicated Christians and missionaries in all denominations, but he felt
that they were hampered by a church system that was overly bureaucratic, bound by outdated
methods, and no longer gave priority to its job of reaching the lost. These convictions
would markedly influence the Children of God and later The Family. While in early years
the movement remained separate from organized religion, later David encouraged Family
members to work in cooperation with various church groups who shared his same zeal for
helping the spiritually hungry find hope in God's Love. "Even I, whose very existence depended on the church, could see that [the church system] was not what Jesus intended or what God ordained or the kind of a church that could win the world and save mankind from destruction, much less set an example for a full life of satisfying Christian service and healthful, happy living!" [15] "Some Christians think it's a sin not to go to church on Sunday, when there's no law in the entire Bible that says you have to go to church on Sunday, or that even hints that you have to go to church on Sunday!" [16] "God never once said to build church buildings! He never once said to establish Bible colleges and universities! He never once said to build great and costly cathedrals! He just said, 'Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature!'" [17] "To hear some ... preachers preach, you would think their church was the very Door of Heaven! -- Because if you didn't come to church on Sunday, you were going straight to Hell! We know that our Salvation doesn't depend on our going to church on Sunday! It depends on our trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior! We're the very temple of God ourselves! -- You and me! -- His children, living day by day, our own hearts as His place of worship, no building, no great temples built with hands of men -- which cannot contain God anyhow! He dwells within the human heart! Buildings cannot contain Him, but your heart contains the Lord Jesus Christ if you love Him! That's the wonderful mystery and miracle of God!" [18] "The True Church are the genuine Christian believers in God who follow Jesus -- the born-again, saved, Body of Christ -- not a building or a denomination or a religion!" [19] |