“Keeping The Lights On”

Thursday, November 05, 2015

I have a question about how the Lord's money is spent; why do we spend it on the upkeep of a church building?  I don't really see any example of that in the Scriptures...

 

Sincerely,
Maintenance Crew

Dear Maintenance Crew,

The Bible never specifically addresses a congregation having a building, but it does command them to assemble together (Heb 10:25).  Whenever God commands us to do something, anything necessary to fulfill that command is also authorized.  For example, if you ask a child to go and get a glass of water, they are automatically authorized to go into the kitchen where the water and glasses are kept, even though the kitchen is never specifically mentioned in the command.

The church is commanded to assemble at least every first day of the week (1 Cor 16:1, Acts 20:7).  Every congregation must individually decide where that will be.  They may choose to meet in a house, a park, a rented hall… or they may choose to purchase and upkeep a building.  All of these are viable options that a congregation may decide to use.  The key is that they are required to assemble somewhere – it isn’t optional.  They must have somewhere to meet, and, therefore, must make a decision.  Whatever finances are needed for the upkeep, rental, or purchase of a meeting place for the congregation may come from the church’s treasury.

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