What is the Difference Between Christianity and Churchianity? (And does it really matter)?

Churchianity is defined as “any practices of Christianity that are viewed as placing a larger emphasis on the habits of church life or the institutional traditions of the church than on theology and spiritual teachings of Jesus; the quality of being too church-focused.”

Friends, it is easy to get our focus wrong in this life. This has never been an uncommon problem since the first disciples began meeting together after Christ’s resurrection. Each of Paul’s letters to the churches in various areas was full of Paul reminding them of where their focus should be.

Us human beings are a busy, busy bunch. We desire things that spring up out of the un-crucified nature.
That’s why Paul has to remind the believers that they have been crucified with Christ. He told them that it wasn’t him who lived, but Christ that lived in Him. He told them that He desired to know nothing among them but Jesus Christ - the very one executed on a stake as a criminal. Paul was not ashamed of Christ. He identified with a crucified Christ. And because this crucified Christ was nothing that the world would consider of any significance, Paul could completely identify as a man who had nothing of his own to give out to others. It was a message given to him by revelation. It was Christ Himself speaking through Paul and the signs and wonders and the authority of Christ was proof of who he belonged to. People recognized that Paul was truly a disciple of Jesus because the power of Jesus flowed through him. His identity was no longer Paul. And Paul himself admonished the believers only to follow his example as he followed Christ’s. What a way of living! What if each of us as well lived this way? What if everything we did wasn’t out from our own selves, traditions, teachings, habits and we lived only as Christ lived in us and encouraged each other to do the same?

I can tell you that if Paul was alive today and walked into most of our large, adorned buildings. If he saw those plush chairs and that big stage and the lights and people strutting about getting on with a production and attaching the name of Christ to it and then on top of it, following old Jewish customs by stopping what tiny bit of spiritual flow might be there to ask for a tithe, I imagine he would tear at his clothes and we would get as stern a reminder of the true gospel as he shared it in his letters to the believers that we hold in our bibles.

What is going on here? Why are the sheep being led back to circumcision? It was for freedom that Christ set us free. So why are we being so entangled again to forms and traditions and vestments and tithes, buildings and order? Why is there only 1-7 people allowed to “minister” while the rest of God’s saints are just sitting there? Why do we need such numbers and such large buildings that do not allow for true ministry as defined by scripture? Oh friends, in all seriousness, Paul might be at a loss for words.

And if that wasn’t enough, how can we focus our attention on Christ and give Him room to be ALL when we are distracted by all-the-things that need doing that have no bearing on true, genuine life flowing from God’s own to one another? Building upkeep, the expense and wasteful human effort to maintain. The exhausting needs of too many and only the one or two who have given themselves permission to officially handle those needs (and the overburden and strain it causes). That dumb parking lot that has to be cleared in the winter and re-asphalted and the stupid property taxes taken out of God’s treasury to pay for it all. While the poor have to come crawling to the one person in authority to beg for their need met. And many times they are turned away before they are even heard. Paul collected money as the believers were able and much of it went to the poor and to widows. But even then, the believers themselves were to give liberally to the poor and needy themselves. The believers were a close-knit bunch without building expenses and building distractions so they could focus more on true scriptural, Spirit-led living and giving.

I could go on and on for hours.

But nothing I say here matters. It is God Himself who has to open the eyes of His own and beloved, I know God is. His sheep are hearing the direct voice of their Shepherd in this hour and He is telling them things. Be ready for a HUGE shift in the way believers gather. Be ready for more homes to be open to smaller groups where Gods precious sheep will be led by still waters and into green pastures. They will grow strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. New believers will not take years upon years to get to maturity. They will tap into the fullness of God from day one in this new, beautiful era God is ushering in. His sheep are getting ready - He is getting them ready. His bride has made herself ready for the wedding of the Lamb.

So as much as it seems lately that I’ve focused on church-as-we-know-it and many people are kinda tired of it.....there is a move of God that is actually already here. Following the Holy Spirit or being born of the Spirit is likened to the wind. You don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. But you go when it’s time to go. You move with it. And it is very windy right now. Don’t hang on to traditional church as we know it because whatever is not out from God will sink. Let go of churchianity and hang on to the Rock that is Jesus Christ Himself because only He will remain and He has the Preeminence. He is coming for His bride and she has made herself ready. She will hear His voice and follow only Him.