Is The Church Building An Idol?

What? Is a church building an idol? How or why would one draw up such a conclusion? I bring this up due to a preacher I know questioning the "Ivory Palaces" or "mansions" that are referred to as "church" buildings and the amount of $$$ that is invested in them a month, while the greater needs of the Christian community and even the community they reside in, are not being met. Though, this preacher seemed more concerned about their own pocketbook and the elders of the congregation that have worldly jobs like the flock to "make a living."

Where do we see "church" buildings first arriving on the scene? In the Bible of course! Right? Well, certainly a building is not after the pattern of the NT or first century saints. NT Scripture is void of it. History shows that "church" buildings didn't come into place largely until the time of Constantine. Unfortunately, Christians are too conformed to the world in their thinking. Most have the mindset where the building is an idol - not that they would admit it. Let me explain.

First, when they start meeting for Bible study and it develops into a fellowship, in their mind the next logical step to declare to the world that there is a "new church" in town is to get a building and attach a religious name to it.

In order to do this they assemble a "board of directors" to seek legal help to form a corporation, of the nonprofit type of course, offered to anyone willing to voluntarily submit what this corporation can do to the lordship of their government with it's policies and regulations. Just like we see in every community where Paul planted a congregation in the book of Acts.

Secondly, that a building is an idol - look what happens to fellowships that can no longer afford their buildings anymore. In the past year 2 CoC's around here, a county to the east and one to the south closed their doors and stopped all fellowship and Bible study as well. It's not because people weren't still coming. So to them, the loss of the building equalled loss of fellowship and they disbanded and started going to CoC's in other counties that have buildings. Why break up the only core of believers in an area just because they lose a building. This is happening in other countries as well.

Look at some of these poor saints in poor countries whose own homes are put together with scraps and yet we've evangelized them so well! Besides lacking daily water and food they sacrifice yet more because they believe the myth, if we only had a building.

So many sad stories from people I know or others I've learned about, that for most the building is an idol. I even have a publication in my hand, where this well respected preacher says, "no sentence in all the New Testament speaks about the erection of church buildings. There is no reference to church buildings in all the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, yet they are scriptural." Try to wrap your mind around that logic. 

A building is of this world; it's temporal. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world; it's eternal. Yet, we try to make His kingdom fit into the worldly framework He has call us out of.

Building or no? It's very simple if our affections are on things above, and not entangled and conformed to the world.