What do you think the Church service is for?
As I have journeyed deeper into my faith and study of the Kingdom of God, I have come to a conviction that has reshaped my understanding of the church and its gatherings. For much of my life, I saw church as a place where both believers and unbelievers could freely enter, hear a message, and hopefully come to faith. While evangelism remains central to our mission as God’s people, I have come to see that the actual gathering—the ekklesia—is something far more sacred than I once realized.
Through studying the New Testament, reflecting on the historical practices of the early church, and even looking at the holiness regulations given in the Old Testament, I now understand that the assembly of God’s people was never meant to be an open forum for all, but a set-apart gathering for those in covenant with the Lord. This shift in perspective has been a process—one that has challenged my previous assumptions, but one that has also deepened my reverence for what it means to come together as the Body of Christ.
I first began wrestling with this topic when I noticed how the New Testament consistently addresses the church as a gathering of saints—those who have been sanctified in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:2 stood out to me:
“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people.”
The word sanctified (ἡγιασμένοις) means “set apart” or “consecrated,” and this made me question: If the church is set apart, then should its assembly be treated as something distinct from the world? I had always assumed that the gathering was for both the saved and the lost, but Paul’s language seemed to suggest otherwise.
Then I came to Hebrews 10:25, which exhorts believers to keep gathering together, especially as the Day of the Lord approaches. What struck me was the emphasis on mutual encouragement and perseverance—something that would not necessarily apply to an unbeliever who has no stake in the Kingdom of God.
This became even clearer when I studied 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, where Paul gives a sobering warning about the Lord’s Supper:
“Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”
If the gathering was intended to include outsiders freely, why would there be such a strong warning about unworthy participation? It became evident that the assembly was a covenantal space—meant for those who could rightly discern the body of Christ.
As I searched for deeper understanding, I turned to the Old Testament, knowing that God had always been intentional about setting apart His people. What I found in Deuteronomy further confirmed my growing conviction.
In Deuteronomy 23:1-3, we see that not everyone was permitted to enter “the assembly of the Lord.” This wasn’t about mere exclusion but about preserving the holiness of the gathering. Similarly, in Deuteronomy 31:12, when Moses commanded the reading of the Law, it was meant for the men, women, children, and foreigners who had aligned themselves with Israel—not just anyone.
Then there was Exodus 19:10-15, where God required Israel to consecrate themselves before coming into His presence. This principle of purity and preparation struck me deeply—if the people of old were required to be spiritually prepared before entering assembly, why had we, in modern times, treated church so casually?
Perhaps the most convicting verse came from Matthew 7:6, where Jesus Himself warns:
“Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor throw your pearls before swine.”
This verse reminded me that the mysteries of the Kingdom are not for those who do not value them. Could it be that in our eagerness to reach the lost, we have inadvertently profaned what is sacred?
At this point, I began researching the early church, wanting to know how the first believers understood their gatherings. What I found confirmed everything I had been sensing.
First, the Catechumenate System – In the early church, those who were interested in Christianity were not immediately admitted into the assembly. They were called catechumens and had to undergo instruction before being baptized and brought into full participation. The Didache (c. AD 80-100) outlines these practices, showing that early Christians guarded their sacred gatherings.
Second, the Discipline of the Secret – I also discovered the practice of Disciplina Arcani, or the “Discipline of the Secret.” This meant that elements of Christian worship—especially the Eucharist—were hidden from outsiders. Church fathers like Tertullian and Cyril of Jerusalem mentioned this practice, further reinforcing that the assembly was not for the unbelieving world.
Thirdly, the House Churches and Persecution – The early believers primarily met in homes (Romans 16:5, Philemon 2), making their gatherings naturally exclusive. During persecution, Christians were especially cautious about who was allowed to join, ensuring that only the faithful were present.
All of this pointed to one undeniable truth: The early church did not treat the assembly as an open invitation to the world—it was a gathering of God’s Kingdom people, meant to be holy and set apart.
This journey has led me to a personal conviction: while evangelism is our mission, the assembly itself is a sacred gathering of those who are in covenant with Christ and His Kingdom. That does not mean that unbelievers should never witness a service or that we should turn them away at the door. However, it does mean that the assembly should not be structured around them. The focus of the gathering should be on the Lord and the edification of His people—not on making it palatable for the world.
This realization challenges much of what I once thought. For years, I saw church services as a primary means of evangelism, but I now believe that evangelism happens best outside the assembly—where believers go into the world, preaching the Gospel and making disciples. Once a person repents and believes, they are brought into the fellowship, just as it was done in the early church.
The modern church’s tendency to shape its gatherings around seekers has, in many ways, diminished the sacredness of the assembly. We have replaced deep fellowship with entertainment, covenantal worship with consumer-driven services, and discipleship with an emphasis on numerical growth.
If the church is truly the ekklesia, the “called-out ones,” then our gathering should reflect that reality. It should be a place where God’s Kingdom people are strengthened, prepared, and empowered to go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel. But within the assembly itself, there must be a reverence for the holiness of what we are participating in—a gathering where Christ’s body is built up, not diluted.
This conviction has changed how I view and approach the gathering of the saints. I can no longer see it as just another weekly meeting, but as a holy convocation—something sacred, something set apart. And with this understanding, I find myself yearning for a return to what the church was meant to be: a family of believers, worshiping in spirit and truth, unified in Christ, representing His Kingdom, and distinct from the world.
Comentarios