Get Out Of The Camp

“And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.” (Ex 19:17 AV)

There is a movement to abolish public worship.  Mark my words, if the LORD tarries, it will be hard to find a church that meets anywhere every Sunday and Wednesday for corporate worship.  This whole idea of home-churching, focus groups, or home bible studies in lieu of corporate worship services is neither biblical nor prudent.  It might be trendy and they may be misusing passages in the book of Acts to justify it, but put it down; one generation after a church institutes home-based worship as an alternative to corporate worship, the church itself will cease to exist.  Another prediction you have heard right here:  Those who institute home-based worship that replaces corporate worship in a single, physical location will be the generation that begins the transfer from real worship to virtual worship.  That it, church building will close and the “church” will meet around a PC terminal in their PJ’s, fellowshipping in chat rooms around a bag of popcorn rather than in a church hall with a pot luck!

God will not meet with the people as a whole while they are in the camp.  There must be a distinction between private worship and corporate worship.  The people must come out of the camp for God to meet with them as a group.  There is no other way around it.  Too bad.  The book of Acts tells us that Israel was referred to as a called out as a church.  A called-out assembly.  The church is first, called-out.  What does that mean?  Does it mean we sit at home eating bon-bons watching a ‘church’ service on our devices?  Does that mean a few meet in one home while another few meet at another home all the while calling ourselves called-out? Called out from where?  Called-out to where?  The second part of the definition is an assembly.  In order for a group to be called and assembly, (I know, this is going to be really deep) they must assemble.

This isn’t my normal entry.  This may seem a bit more blunt than most.  But the truth of the matter is, our churches are dying, in part, due to an ‘enlightened’ group of academics attempting to re-invent something that doesn’t need to be because they are bored with what they have.  Israel was given the tabernacle and then the temple as a place to assemble.  These places were unique, distinct, and reverential.  These places were treated differently than a living room or dining room table.  Yes, the Bible does say where two or more are gathered, there Christ is in the midst also.  But let us be careful that we do not assume a ‘church’ exists just because two believers happen to be in the same proximity.  Does that mean a ‘church’ exists in a crowded bus or subway?  At a football game?  At a Christian concert?  Of course not.  No one would concede this.  Then why do we accept private meetings as a church service?  God told Moses to bring them out and away from their dwellings and He would meet with them.  It is time to stay committed to public worship in the church houses of God!