DON’T GO TO CHURCH

  Don’t Go To Church

Pastor Steve Anderson |  05.20.2026 

 

We don’t go to church…..we are the church.

A CHURCH:

That ……and ….and .

Isaiah 56:7 

7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

Acts 1:13-14

13 When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying…

14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

 

That worships God with our , not just the songs we sing

 

Romans 12:1 

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

 

1 Chronicles 16:23-25, 27-30

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. 

24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship (respond to)  the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

30 Tremble before him, all the earth!

 

That understands that salvation is about , not just forgiveness.

 

Romans 12:1-2

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  

 

• Walk circumspectly—watch where you’re going!

Ephesians 5:15

15 “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” Or, to paraphrase: “Don’t meander. Don’t just drift around. Don’t aimlessly walk through life.” He says we have to walk with purpose.

 

• Redeem the time—spend your time wisely!

 

Ephesians 5:16 

16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  

 

• Give up your way/Let go of the old

 

Isaiah 43:19 

19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

 

Where Everyone is a Servant / Every Servant a

 

Ephesians 4:11-12 

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 

 

Matthew 20:28 

28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

1 Corinthians 12:7 

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 

 

Where God’s calling is and by every individual…..and where we help one another realize that call.

 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 31

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.  

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. ………

31 So you should earnestly desire/seek the most helpful gifts.

 

Where Everyone Self-Identifies as an of the Good News

 

2 Timothy 4:5 

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News/do the work of an evangelist, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

 

2 Corinthians 5:18 

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 

19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 

20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

 

Matthew 10:8 

8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

That grows more from multiplication/new converts than transferees.

 

Acts 2:41

41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

 

Acts 2:47 

47 And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. 

 

Acts 9:31 

31 The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.

 

That Understands Maslow  in its

 

James 2:15-16

15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 

16 and you say, “Goodbye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

 

Matthew 25:35  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

 

That Experiences Intimacy and Transparency Made Possible by , Grace, Forgiveness, and Oneness

 

1) Love – that which and does the highest and best for the one who is loved

 

2)

 

Colossians 3:13  

13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.  

 

Luke 9:51-55 

51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 

52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 

53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” 

55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

 

Romans 14:10,12-13 

10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God……….

12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 

13 So let’s stop condemning each other.

 

3)  

 

Ephesians 4:30-32

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

 

4)

 

Philippians 2:1-2 

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 

2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly/being likeminded with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and (one) purpose.

 

Romans 14:19 

19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

 

Galatians 6:1 

1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

 

James 5:16 

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

 

Hebrews 10:24 

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

 

 

NOTES

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