A subtle deception has become a culture and way of life among professing believers today. This deception is between the local church and the universal church. This deception has created conclusions in people's thought processes that allow them the freedom to live apart from the local assembly. A pattern of this thought process has shaped America over the last several decades, resulting in a decline in local church attendance and authority. Now, we live in an age that says, I don’t have to go to church to be a part of the church. While it is right to say you don’t have to go to church to be saved, it is just as right to say you must go to church to obey God’s word. We are told in Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. The custom of being a part of the assembly of local believers was already in place when this verse was written. In obedience to the word of God, we should not forsake the assembly of believers.
When an individual ministry is placed above the gathering together of believers, that ministry is out of order and will eventually attack the assembly instead of helping the assembly. There is no replacement for the local assembly. Jesus did not come to the earth to establish a counseling center. Jesus did not come to the earth to establish a retreat center. He did not come to the earth to establish a television network. Jesus said upon this rock, I will build my Church. Ministries not under the authority and covering of the local church operate outside the anointing and calling of the Holy Spirit of God.
The called-out assembly spoken of in the New Testament refers to the local church until it is gathered together in heaven. The universal church is realized when we are gathered with Him in heaven. To say, "Well, we are all part of the universal church," is true only in the future tense. I will be a part of the universal church when it is gathered with Christ in heaven. Until then, I am to be a part of the local church of Believers here on Earth.
There are now two different assemblies on the earth now. The word church as used by our Lord in Matthew 16:18 comes from the Greek word ekklēsia. This term means called-out assembly. In Revelation 2:9 and Revelation 3:9, Jesus speaks about the synagogue of Satan. The term synagogue comes from the Greek word, sunagōgē. This word means to assemble. Therefore, there are called-out assemblies and just assemblies. Many assemble. But the called-out assembly has structure to it that is taught in scripture. Not following that structure and doing what it is called to do becomes merely an assembly. Good works and doing good things as an assembly is one thing, but without the covering of what our Lord came to establish on the earth is to operate with your power, strength, and wisdom. It may appear to be good. What seems to be happening is that we have all these “ministries” that are trying to fix the church. They seem to want to fill the gaps that the church, in their perspective, is not filling in people's lives. It’s as if we are telling the Lord He did a poor job establishing the Church on earth, and now we will come along with our ministry and finish His job.
This perspective has given rise to many people who, in the name of Christ, have divided themselves from the local church and now operate under the banner of the universal church.
The book of Revelation presents the universal church in its tangible form on earth. The universal body of Christ is assembled in Revelation 4:1, and this assembly is married to Christ in Revelation 19. Then, with Christ, it returns to rule and reign in the Kingdom Age for 1000 years on this earth. The manifestation of this assembly on the earth now can only be seen in the local assembly.
Revelation 17 shows the universal church's tangible form on earth now. It is the Apostate form. It is an assembly but not a called-out assembly. Christianity without Christ is nothing but the synagogue of Satan. Structure outside of the structure set forth by our Lord is the trappings of men’s wisdom, saying to God, "Your order is not sufficient." The Revelation 17 assembly is already at work on the earth now. It will become global under the influence of the Antichrist. The name of this assembly is the synagogue of Satan.
It appears to me that we should encourage believers to unite in a local assembly. We should not promote alienation from the local assembly, but we should allow the teachings of the word of God to bring us together with a group of believers structured as the Lord Jesus informed us to gather. As we look further into chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation we will learn more about the local church and what comes against it.
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