Building Centered Worship...Is It Biblical?

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It is no secret that we at dontperish.com stand against the man made systems that leave God's truth.

This post is about building centered worship/faith systems of man. Is it biblical and does it promote God honoring biblical ways in people who practice it?

In our attempt to show the masses why many of their long standing traditions of man's denominational evangelical religion are NOT rooted in God's Word, (like building centered worship/faith) let's take segments of that model and examine them in detail using God's Word as our lone standard. Let us begin.

NOTE:
Right at the start please know this........ we are NOT saying if you gather in a building today you cannot be a biblical New Testament body!
We have nothing against buildings as we live in a small one called a home. But the challenge we will make here is this that the man made design of building "special religious buildings" where ALL spiritual activities take place on a ritual weekly basis, is inconsistent with the New Testament model Christ gave us. If that is clear let's move on.

Do you realize that most people in denominational religion today take it for grant that God designed it and wants you to go to a special religious building today to worship, to know or serve Him? This is a complete lie and it is not found in God's New Testament model at all. The fact is, this is nothing more than a false (handed down tradition of man) to control people.

Fact: Did you know that for over 200 years the New Testament saints met mostly in their homes until a pagan named Constantine legalized Christianity 325 AD and ushered all of them into the  "pagan temples"? Yes, this is where you get your special religious buildings today, that are often very expensive, large and ornate but not of God. (Example : the steeple is a old pagan symbol of people reaching up to God and not found in His Word)  This pagan roman also started up the clergy class of "lifted up salaried pastors" and the taking of money ( NT tithing ) to support the building/salaries.


Why do we speak out so boldly against what man has built? We came out of it so we know of its false ways and our Lord Jesus warned against  following these traditions of man:
Mark 7:7
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men".

Most everyone we encounter that claims faith in Christ seem to always tell us that they go ( as a Sunday / Wed  ritual ) to a special building for what "they call" a worship service. Again we want to say right up front we have "nothing against buildings". It is the theology of the building  and its fruit that is a lie. One more time....please take note of this sentence: "It is not the building itself that we reject; but it is the faulty unbiblical basis, mindset and practices that it creates (and wasting money) in those who attend there." Add to it that it leaves God's plan for His body so it is not in line with His true ways.

We will give you the main issues to help you understand and it make clear. Then we will explain them in some detail. Here are the main areas that make a building centered worship/faith life to be in error:

1) Many call the special religious building "the church" ( this is a lie )
2) Many believe or act like God dwells in or near that religious building ( this is a lie )
3) Many do ritual worship at this building & leave to go home to unspiritual lives (this is false)
4) Many come at set times to do ritual man/clock controlled repetitive acts (Jesus warned against this)
5) Many are trained to give to support this special NT religious building ( God never ordained this )
6) Gathering at the special building creates a Sunday/Wed only fellowship ritual ( this is false )
7) Buildings are labeled with unbiblical denominational names of man ( God is against this )
8) The building trains you to "go to church" NOT be His holy church ( His people are His church )
9) Most would be lost if the religious building vanished as they only worship there. ( worship is your entire life lived for Him not a building experience )
10) Today many of the gatherings that go on in denominational places is either man-made, dead traditions or a religious show to entertain the crowd in the pews.

As you can see this is a big list of why the building mindset (not the building itself) is unbiblical. Let us see item by item what God's Word says ... shall we?

1) Most people call the special religious building "the church".
Since many have been blindly trained up in modern church-ianity not biblical truth; you need to know the facts and not just practice lies. Do you point to bricks/blacktop and say "that is my church"?

It is people that make up His true church body and if you are in the habit of calling your "building" the church you're in error, unbiblical and without solid theological understanding. Peter says believers are "living stones" and the "house of God" not any building. (See 1 Peter 2)  The next time your modern pastor says "this place is the house of God" show him he is in great error. As you can see per God's Word, I am the house of God and so are you "if" your born again in Him. To practice otherwise is to mock God and deny His word. Jesus Christ did not die on a cross to redeem a building and it is NOT the church. ( It has no special purpose in God's true NT body and is mostly of pagan influence )

2) Most people believe, are told this, or act like "God dwells" more in their religious building.
Have you studied to know the truth? Could you go to God's Word and show us why you believe that? I know you cannot as it is not there. God no longer dwells in buildings. (See Acts 7:48 )

Are you aware that if a person is born again in Christ, they are now the temple of God's Holy spirit not any brick or mortar structure? ( see 1 Corinthians 3:16 )   When Jesus died for our sins, the veil in the Temple was torn and that ended the need for a special religious building ( the Temple ) or for set priest's. We all can now go to God through Christ if we seek His ways. We need no special priest or modern pastor in a special religious building to be holy or obedient. The Lord desired to come and live "within His people" after Jesus paid our debt. ( see John 14:22 ) Your religious building has no special purpose in God's true NT body and His spirit does not dwell there. Don't be be deceived by poor theology. There is NOTHING special to God about your religious building and nothing spiritual about it. You can gather in a field a barn or a old factory and God is with His true people.  To say different, to require a special building to serve Him... is to call God a liar and go against His desires.

3) Most people do false worship at this building then leave to go home to un-spiritual lives as false converts. Doing rituals and emotional songs is NOT biblical worship. The man-made systems breed this as it evidenced by the fruit of denominational faith today. Many people have no biblical clue about deep truth. We know as we go and ask them and it is very sad and so we speak out about it in love and concern.

Another major issue of the religious building mindset is that is trains you to come ONLY to a certain place to do a "so called" worship services and not to worship daily with your entire life or anywhere else. This is a lie and false. There is no such thing as a worship service, worship leader or a worship band in God's NT body. They are all mans invention for his own pleasures not the Lords instruction. The early saints lived every minute as in "worship mode" and when they did gather is wasn't ritual worship controlled by a man/pastor. No, it was spirit led worship that allowed all to be apart and use their gifts; not just sit in a pew watching a man made show ( 1 Corinthians 14:26 ) Fact...instrumental emotional music is very unbiblical as the early saints just used their voices to sing and nothing else! Can you imagine that?  See HERE for more info on that.)

Do you realize people PRACTICE worship in these modern religious systems? This is silly and sad to say the least. God rejects this all unless we follow His ways, not our own.

Admit it, (we were there once) ... you do things in your religious building in this "so called" worship you would NEVER do anywhere else right? All because some emotional music with lights and all the crowds actions, it carries you away emotionally, correct? This is false worship at its best. Don't be fooled. We care so we speak out for God's glory here.

We are to worship by our entire lives. Have you studied to even know what true biblical worship is? In Romans 12:1 Paul shows us what true worship is. It is a life lived out as a living holy living sacrifice NOT some weekly ritual for 1.5 hours of emotional musical events that man has planned and practiced over and over. This may be pleasing to your flesh ( it was mine ) but it is NOT what God requires at all. The word worship means many things.. Paul says to be holy and that is "set apart".  Peter says to be holy in ALL we do ( 1 Peter 1:15 ) So ask yourself, is just showing up and pretending to do true a worship service on Sunday from 9:30 to 11 am and then going home and not living as a holy sacrifice in ALL you do...very hypocritical? It is indeed and God will reject your worship, when it is false ( see Mark 7. )  Your religious building is creating a "special place to worship" when you are to live out your entire life in worship in all you do. Sadly man has made it an emotional ritual event in a building but the early church NEVER did or knew such things at all, why should you I ask? (note: it was the false seeker sensitive movement that started using hype music, bands and lights not long ago to lull people into a worship moods, don't be fooled by it as God isn't! ) Reject man made worship events in special buildings and live your life out in a holy, sacrificial obedient way to please God. Study His Word and then just walk in it daily. (Gather with other true believers if you have them ) and that's true worship!

4) Most services in religious buildings are run to set times to do ritual man and clock controlled repetitive prayers/acts that are not Holy Spirit led at all. As we read Gods word we see that His people are to be led by the Holy Spirit and not by men.

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit".
When you walk into a modern religious service your every action in the pew is controlled and planned out.  It is run by men, the bulletin is printed way ahead and the 'service' run by the clock. How is this spirit led worship? In fact as we said, most of the music is emotional and there merely to please your flesh; not God. Most all of today's worship services are to please your flesh from the music to the message to the building to the food and programs and beyond. The NT word says sing from your heart.

As we said; the early saints only used their voices and today teams of worship bands, singers, lights and many instruments are needed to entertain and it is not biblical. Ask yourself ... does the Holy Spirit only move from 9 am to 11:45 am on Sundays? This is silly and it creates a ritual man centered worship not one that is biblical or Christ centered. How often do you find yourself saying... we do the same things every single week; over and over? Jesus warned about vain repetition. ( see Matt 6:7 )

Paul talked about a true biblical worship and it involved all the saints with the Spirit moving as they used their gifts. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26 ) But today the CEO modern pastor controls it all and you sit idle in the pews.... just watching a man made show. Again the roman pagan emperor had a hand in installing false worship into your services by candles, a controlling man up front in the pulpit, a forced sermon segment, taking your money, lines of pews and the special building etc. God has a better way for His true people vs mans false ways handed down by pagans and still practiced today.  It is the New testament body life. 

5) Most people are trained to give money (tithes) to support this special religious building. God never ordained this and it wastes the Lord's money on unneeded resources like big buildings, parking lots etc.) Did you know that the tithe was done away with once the New Testament of Christ came to us? Paul nor any of the Apostles ever taught the tithe for us today. It was in fact a Jewish practice and it was only food brought to the temple, not even money! See our article HERE on why the tithe today is not biblical.  Don't let some modern pastor guilt you into paying for their wide screen tv or the new sound system. The bulk of the Lord's money should go for care of needy believers and proclaiming the gospel.

6) Gathering at a special building creates a Sunday/Wed only non-fellowship building centered ritual.

We see in the bible the first Christian believers met daily and house to house. (See Acts 2:46, 5:42, 8:3, 16:32, 20:20, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 1:11, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2 )

There is a closeness and accountability to meeting in ones home vs the sterile and always proper religious building. There are over 50 times in the New testament we are told to one another each other. see a article HERE with all the verses.

The denominational building centered model does not encourage what the biblical model does for close relationships and accountability and so it should be left for God's true ways for His body.

7) Religious buildings are labeled with unbiblical denominational names of man. The Apostle Paul never taught this and in fact he rebuked this in 1 Corinthians 1 where we asks is Christ divided? He states there is ONLY one body and religious buildings on every corner with different names do not glorify God but theymock Him and His Word. Why is it not good enough to be a Christ follower vs having to bear some mans name like a Lutheran and Mennonite? This goes against His Word and it is of man. Jesus Himself warned against this. See Mark 7

See our post HERE on denominations being unbiblical.

8) The building mindset trains you to "go to church" NOT to "be" His holy church everyday.
God's Word is clear that His people are to be His church every day and not just on religious set days and times. The building centered mindset takes people out of "being His church" and they get in the habit of "going to church" as a vain ritual which is foreign to the NT body life we see in the Word. The scripture 1 Corinthians 6:19 and Acts 17:24 tell us that it is in His people where His Spirit dwells and we so are to BE His church with all of our days. We are to take every thought captive for Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and not just be trained to attend religious services that are not of God. Going to a special religious building creates poor biblical doctrines and grows weak, needy false converts as evidenced by most all of the fruit in these places today.
See this link on building centered faith HERE.


9) Most people would be lost if the religious building and their modern pastor vanished as they only do so called worship there and have little idea how to live biblically for God. (Worship is your entire life lived for Him not a building experience.)  It is God's desire to train up and grow solid healthy biblical stronger believers in Him not men who lean on a system and a few men to do all of their spiritual acts for them weekly. Just sitting in a pew and going to a special building does not model how God wants you to live and grow in Him nor does it train you up to be a holy priest in Him. If the building went away would their spiritual lives be lost? Without a modern pastor, could they act as biblical believers? Most believe they NEED to be at a special building with a paid pastor and this is a lie! 
See this link on modern pastor role HERE.

It is a sad system that has people just gathering and watching paid men weekly, then back to their worldly unbiblical lives. The denominational building centered systems are NOT calling people out of this but training them to sit in it and it is NOT of God. Jesus said we are to worship in spirit and truth / John 4:24. It appears most modern day claimed Christians don't even know what that means. 

Peter tells us always be ready to give a answer for the hope that lies within you 1 Peter 3;15. We can tell you as we witness to denominational folks who have sat in a pews for years...they rarely can explain even the basics of the faith and this is sad fruit indeed. More evidence against man's model.

10) Today most of what goes on in denominational buildings is a religious show to entertain the crowd in the pew or just dead vain traditions God never ordained. If you are part of denominational America you will have to admit that so much of what is done today is to please the people in the pews to keep them coming back for more man-made false rituals. With a building centered mindset you need more and more people to pay for the structure and to grow it bigger and biblical compromise takes over. The norm today is to compromise truth and to target market programs, fun carnal events, relevant man centered topics, loose dress standards, watered down gospels, sermon series that tickle the flesh, music that is emotional and worldly pastors who are funny, hip and cool ( but most often not biblical.) This is not of God's true people and it caters to the worldly pew people when His true body is very different then the fallen world around it. it is holy and set part for Him.

Paul warned about these days in 2 Timothy 3 saying this:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

This is so true as in the years we have been reaching out to modern church goers and their pastors... we have yet to meet one that can go to the Word and reason in it! Not one we tell you! If you know of one today that can and will go the Word, reason and correct us and defend mans model biblically, have him call me will you. 608-547-8162 ( so far my phone is not ringing and it is very telling and quite sad. )

Question:
Do you go somewhere weekly and do rituals for a hour or so to be a good parent or a faithful husband/wife? Of course not and so neither should you go to a set building to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Your daily life lived out for Him is your worship and gathering with like minded others will naturally be that fruit led by His Spirit and not controlled by man made religious systems.That is if your really born from above in Him?
Examine yourself will you to see if your in the faith at all? 
See 2 Corinthians 13:5

I hope these points have given you some things to think about regarding a religious building centered faith mindset. It was NOT modeled or taught in the church that Jesus left us so why are you clinging to it today? It was and is the product of pagan rome and mans error filled theology. It won't teach you to be fully biblical or challenge you to grow deeper in your faith and holiness but it will entertain you and feed your flesh. In love we want better for you and challenge you to seek and live out the biblical New testament body life for His glory.

Remember Paul also said this in 2 Timothy 4:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

We see the results of those itching ears all over denominational America today and we speak out with the biblical gospel and the exposing of man's false ways. Sadly, it appears false converts are the norm in such places often starting with the modern pastors. Yes it is true and all one needs to do is to test their fruit and doctrines. Have you tested your body in the Word fully?
Read the gospel HERE.


Are you walking in the full truth or has man's made fables and traditions (at your building centered faith) deceiving you and your walk?

Please CLICK HERE to read or listen to the gospel good news.