Imagine the following situation: on Saturday, a believer attends the youth ministry of a church because he considers it more active; on Sunday mornings, he participates in the EBD of another church, because he finds his teaching deeper; in evening service, he goes to a third church because he believes he follows more faithfully the principle that regulates worship. During the week, he watches the preaching series on YouTube of the preacher with which he identifies more theologically, regretting not being able to attend his church because he is in another state. That’s how a “polygraging” lives. He attended several churches, but did not participate in any.
Initially, this practice doesn’t seem to be a problem, after all, better to be one?Polygressed? I don’t think about certain biblical principles that break when you attend more than one church:
- 1.
- Do you serve the church and not? The problem with this practice is the consumerist vision of the church.
- The person attends church for what he can offer and not with the motivation to serve and manifest the gospel (Philippians 2.
- 1-11).
- Combo? With the best of each church thinking only of itself.
- Motivation should be the love that leads us to serve and not to consume (Ms 10.
- 45.
- 1 Co 12-13.
- Ep 4.
- 1-16).
2. Love of others? If the person does not deal in a specific place, he cannot cultivate deep relationships within the church, but only superficial relationships Loving someone is more than having sporadic conversations, but having a sacrificed participation in each other’s lives, and requires coherence (1 Jn 3:16).
3. Clear biblical images for the church? Not being involved in a specific group of believers, but jumping from church to church, prevents a person from manifesting biblical images like him?Body of Christ? (Does one arm serve a single body?1 Cor 12), “Family of God?” (Does the family relate to a specific place?Ephesians 3,14-15), Living stones that form a temple? (Do the stones have to be together to form the building, the house, the temple?1 Pe 2. 5).
4. Does it serve with the gift God has given you? (1 Co 12-14)?According to the text of 1 Co 12. 7, the gift is given by the Spirit for the common good, that is, the best for a specific group, serving in many churches will mean, sooner or later, leaving one of the churches in your hand. It’s like trying to keep two jobs on the same shift.
5. Communion at dinner? (1 Co 10. 17)? The Lord’s Supper is a meal in which we manifest communion with God, through the sacrifice of Christ, and communion with one another; If there is no group commitment, participation in the Last Supper does not reveal the truth of practice, because communion with others is neither profound nor true.
6. Pasture? (1 Pe 5. 2)? If there is no commitment to a local church, pastors and leaders will not know who they are responsible for and who they will be responsible for. To paraphrase the saying: “two sheep of shepherds die from lack of grass. “
7. Submission to leaders? (He 13. 7. 17)?When we become involved in a local church, we know who our leaders are and who we should submit to. In practice, as we participate in several churches, we submit to no one. At one time or another, the Polygrejado? Eventually you’ll leave one church leader to serve the head of the other. In addition to being tempted to submit to the leadership that suits you best, empty the concept of submission.
8. Submission to ecclesiastical discipline? (Mt 16. 19, 18. 15-20, 1 Co 5)?Being engaged and subjected to a local church also subjects us to the discipline of the church. Which of the churches will discipline “polygreging”? Unfortunately, some choose to attend several Churches precisely because they are not subject to any discipline. Ready in one church and fled to another.
9. Disciple? (Mt 28. 19-20)? Making disciples involves time and commitment. Participation in several churches limits the depth of relations and therefore limits discipleship.
10. Manifest the gospel? (Jn 17. 20-21, Eph 3. 10)? Deep relationships manifest the gospel. Implausible relationships that the gospel makes possible exalt the gospel. We have already said that getting involved in several churches hinders deep relations, thus affecting the expression of the Gospel through ecclesial communion.
11. Manifest the holiness of God? (Revelation 20. 15)?Belonging to a list of members of a local church illustrates to the world that there is a separation between who God’s people are and who is not. Obviously, I don’t mean that all members of a church are truly god’s. people, but, despite its limitations, the list of members is an illustration of the book of life. Anyone who participates in multiple churches, without having a name on any member list, does not proclaim this truth.
Clearly, we recognize that there is room for interaction with brothers from other local churches, such as exchanges and congresses. It is healthy and also manifests the glory of God!All this, however, in balance, without affecting the biblical principles for the church.
We must be humble and commit ourselves to a local church, to its strengths and weaknesses; and, in fulfilling our role as members, contribute to their growth, as we grow ourselves, with our brothers and sisters, to maturity, the measure of Christ’s fulness, for the glory of God (Ephesians 4:1-16).