What is the church?
If you're curious about "what is the church," you've come to the right place. The church is not just a building; it’s a gathering of a body of believers.
With so many different churches around today, how do we know what God’s church should really look like? One that pleases Him and where His presence dwells? And with so many different opinions on the role church plays in a Christian’s walk with God, how do we live out what scripture calls us to as followers of Jesus?
Explore what God has to say about the church, its purpose, and why it's so much more than weekly attendance. Whether you're exploring your faith and looking for a church, or simply want to understand more about the church, this guide helps shed light on the beauty and significance of the church as a follower of Jesus.
Do I need to go to church as a believer?
The call and command to gather as a body of believers has been lost in today’s church. While God says, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Hebrews 10:24-25), we have conditioned our attendance based on two main things: contribution to me and convenience for me.
This mentality has driven us away from the mindset of serving one another to serving ourselves. However, when we choose to not forsake the gathering out of obedience, our priorities will shift from our concern for convenience to our care for and commitment to Him and His bride.
What should I look for in a church?
Today there is so much disappointment and disillusionment with the church. So many claim to not get anything out of it, or that they can have a relationship with God on their own outside of church. Could these statements be due to a mismatch between what we are calling church and what God had in mind when he designed the church?
The church that we read about in the New Testament tells a different story of believers who consistently left changed, not indifferent. They committed to the gathering, even at the risk and cost of their lives. So, how do we return to our roots and God’s design of His church so that there’s a tangible difference in God’s presence and activity there? A house of God that’s committed to ALL Word and Spirit, worship and prayer.
Does the church host God’s Presence?
When we gather at church, are we really hosting God’s presence? There’s so much language around hosting God’s presence and welcoming God into our midst, that it’s worth diving into what this really means.
Many today treat God’s Spirit at church based on their condition, choosing when we’re going to welcome Him in, what we’re going to welcome Him to do (or not), and how long He can stay. This isn’t biblical, yet many think they are the hosts and God is the guest of honor. But we need to remember that the host is the one whose house it is. It’s His heart, His body, and His home, not ours.
By correctly understanding the roles and relationship between the host and the guests, we can then understand the requirements the host (God) has set to enter His presence. That is, coming with clean hands and pure hearts, thanksgiving and praise, humble and hungry. We should not be showing up and telling Him that He is welcome in His own house but rather ask if we’re doing what He calls us to do when entering His house.
Shane Farmer
Serves as the Lead Pastor of Revolution Church. He and his wife, Wendy, have three sons: Josiah, Charlie, and Marshall.
Rebekah Layton
Serves as the Associate Pastor of Revolution Church. She and her husband, Josh, have one daughter, Zuriel.
Learn More About Revolution Church
Our GoalS
1. Steward Revival for Maximum Impact
We believe the tsunami of God’s next great move is approaching shore and are committed not to reject the new thing God is doing, but to participate in the full acceleration His Spirit’s moving brings. We do not exist to sustain or maintain what is, but believe status quo has got to go to make way for Kingdom advancement.
2. Sustain the Gain for a Lifetime
We seek to sustain an open heaven for a lifetime, and therefore, desire to be very diligent about the intersections of Worship and Prayer, Word and Spirit.
3. Raise Up Titans of the Faith
We feel called to pursue power over prevalence, purity over prominence and perseverance over popularity. We believe Christ commends a pure and spotless bride, not a bloated bride. We have a goal of raising up tomorrow’s spiritual giants who are wholly devoted to His person, His praise and His purposes, as we know the Lord’s eyes look throughout the earth seeking to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are wholly devoted to Him (2 Chr 16:9). We believe the church exists to comfort the afflicted but also to spur one another on to love and good deeds, not to coddle each other in partial obedience.
4. Pure Praise
We long to be King Davids of the Kingdom, leading the way for pure praise that catches the attention of heaven, elevating worship as the chief end of the church.
5. Catalyze a Prayer Movement
We want to be driven and directed in dependence lived out through intercessory and inquiring prayer. We intercede because we believe God is, God answers and God acts. We inquire out of a desire to be led by Him, not trusting our own skills, strategies or schemes but His guidance.
6. Raise Up a Joshua and Caleb Generation
Only two of approximately two million had the faith to persevere in pursuit of God’s promise. We know what God has revealed about the test of faith coming to the next generation and we are burdened to pass on a baton of persevering faith to the future generation.
7. Fight for Every One
We refuse to leave our community uncontended and uncontested, but instead, we are unapologetically on mission for every life and every eternity.
