"Out of Church" Christians

In order to give a biblical response to this topic, it is first important to understand what is the "Church" as it is shown and described in the New Testament scriptures. Being that we as Christians in this 21st century are still required to pattern ourselves after the examples of Christian life that we find in the New Testament scriptures, it would be only obvious that the Church of the New Testament scriptures should also be the only example or if you will, "the measuring stick" for us to use today as a guide to accurately define what is the "Church".

Church: (Ecclesia) the called out assembly.

As it was stated in a letter by a man named Andrew Strom ("Out OF Church" Christians), "It is today's church system that they [Christians] have given up on.". Clearly this "system" of Church that has been developed, recognized and accepted among many who are a part of what is considered "mainline Christianity" is not functioning according to the New Testament Church example that is given in the scriptures. Instead, of an actively living, growing, reproducing unified and boundless organism (the Body of Christ), what has been formed is just an incorporated organization, private social club for the elite and even worst, a cult that worships an ideology or movement along with its founder more than the creator of the heaven and earth (Jesus Christ).

These are the very concepts that the New Testament Christians were called out from and thus forming the ecclesia (the called out assembly), the Church. Based on the scriptures, the Church was never to be considered or spoken of as a particular place but in actuality and most certainly, a set apart group. Throughout the New Testament we can read where the called out assembly (the Church) met in different locations (the temple, a school, synagogues, etc.), but the most common and frequently found location where the called out assembly met was inside of different believers' houses.

Contrary to what is acceptable by the standards of "today's church system", "house church" as it is called today, was the regular location for the "called out assembly". This is indigenous to the fact that Christians can meet in a house with just two or three and still be just as much if not more a "part of the 'BODY' that Jesus brings together" as those who meet with larger crowds. The called out assembly in the scriptures was often set in very casual environments and everyone had opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to be manifested through them for the profit of all, in contrast to the highly structured, one man show, mega-churches that "today's church system" has produced.

Another dimension (there are many) to this issue is that some of the people who have left and are leaving "today's church system" are prophets and are called to be in a "Wilderness" place (alone with God). As prophets, they only come out of the "Wilderness" to execute the word from the Lord or to even travel from one assembly to another as being led by the Spirit of God. It is most common for some Christians who have the call of a prophet on their lives to become intensely grieved to the point of just leaving an assembly because of certain unbiblical activities that are allowed to go on. Others with this call are usually excommunicated (kicked out) after they rebuke openly someone in "leadership". Thus they are forced into a "Wilderness". Examples of these can be seen in Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Micaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and many other prophets. John the Baptist as a prophet of the Most High was called to live and preach in the "Wilderness" opposed to compromising the call on his life by being a part of the church system of his current day.

Agabus was a prophet, who in the New Testament church traveled from one assembly to another prophesying doom and destruction. In "today's church system", based on how others who prophesy a "negative" word are treated, Agabus would be considered a "church hopper", "renegade" or "troublemaker", and he would be accused of "not being submitted to authority" or even worst a "false prophet". This is also a clear indication of how far off "today's church system" really is from the called out assembly in the New Testament scriptures.

The very evidence that supports the fact that "today's church system" is not set up according to the New Testament Church standard are such phrases as "church hoppers", "my church/ your church" or even the question "who's church are you a member of?" and especially "'out of church' Christians". These very phrases have become a very common and accepted part of the vast majority of Christians' vocabulary.

First of all, how is it possible according to the scripture to even still be considered a Christian (not living in sin) and at the same time be "out of (the) Church". When a person becomes "born again", he/ she automatically becomes a "member" of the Body of Christ world wide (the Church) and not a member of some kind of separated local assembly. There is no other head (in heaven or earth) that has a Church where the members are called Christians aside from Jesus Christ. He has only one Church and it is not possible to "hop" to another one (Church). The last time that I checked the Bible, the apostle, Paul rebuked the Corinthians calling them "carnal" and "babes" because they had tried to divide the Church into separate allegiances.
If indeed "today's church system" is the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the Christians who have come out of it are not true Christians, but instead backslidden reprobates.

Now if these Christians who are considered "out of church" are faithfully and truly serving Christ with their lives, then obviously it is "today's church system that is FALSE. You can't have it both ways. So since the Church of the New Testament is the "called out assembly" and it has become apparent to many that "today's church system" is really a false system (not true to the scriptural example of the "Church"), then it should be a clarion wake up call to all those who claim to be Christians when they see such a mass exodus out of what has been perpetrated as the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This message has been published for the growth and edification of the body of Christ individually and worldwide. Thank you very kindly.

The 21st century apostle,
Orlando Bethel
Acts 3:26