I have problems with the apostasy of most of Institutional Christianity, what they do as well as what they say. They're messed up more than enough for the people to seek escape without even once considering they make God a Master Torturer.
We must remember, if God gives us more light it is to find access to our brothers and sisters and shine on them. To get puffed up, saying, "Now that I have light superior to you I can't fellowship with you any more," is not God's will for them or us. Our mission, our witness, after the Holy Ghost is come come upon us, is in Jerusalem (the core of a believing group,) Judea and Samaria (those in the religious world,) and the uttermost parts of the earth.
The phrase, "Go to church," is not used in connection with anything in the Bible. It just isn't there anywhere. When there was a tabernacle or the temple we could say something like that, speaking of a place to go to God's presence, though He always denied He was confined in any way (unless it's by our sins.) Now that the fire fell on each of us at Pentecost everywhere we go we bring the church with us because we are the church.
We are in a period of transition. Returning the ministry to the people of God is on the agenda for those who will hear what the spirit says to the churches. Every member participating is God's way for us to be perfected. The true God is in many people, not just an individual you, me, or some lonely prophet somewhere. We don't know Him very well if He's confined to the God of our own heart.
But where is the belief in the Holy Spirit that Jesus says the Father sends in Jesus' name. He is present as head of His body. He would lead forth through His body but we are not allowed to be lead by Him. We have given our rights and blessings to come into the full image of Christ away to other mediators, usually honored by other men with the title "Pastor," rather than to meet without human headship. There may be times we function in a lecture structure meeting, and there are teachers in the body. But the normal format of the church should be a round-table meeting.
Read it in 5 little verses in Ephesians 411-16. The function of apostles, prophets and the like is to build up the saints so they'll corporately become the ministry one to another. That in turn brings in the perfect man that everyone of us is to grow into. That is what will reign in all the earth. It is a Royal Priesthood and it is "...by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part." This is all happening "...in love" (vs. 15)
I know there is the call to come out of Babylon: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelation 184) I also know Jesus, "...as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day..." (Lukw 416) There is no directly stated warrant in the Hebrew Scriptures for the synagogue system. Considering ignorance of God's word to be the cause of the captivity, it was instituted upon the Jews return from Babylon as a measure to prevent such judgement from ever happening again. Yet it was Jesus habit to attend the synagogue services.
We may find ourselves in varying conditions, isolated for a season, then with just one or two others to be in agreement with, or, as Jesus, "...sat the people down in groups of fifty or a hundred" when He fed the hungry, multiplying the bread and fishes, which I consider to be the size of normal gatherings. There is definitely room for throngs and vast crowds too, depending on the situation.
Welcome to freedom. But it is only right to remind you it is an honor to suffer for the name of Jesus.
