A little while ago, the government massively increased the taxes on vapes. They rose in price like smoke from a chimney. And with the price rise, a black market for vapes boomed. Now, 99 out of 100 vapers buy their vapes on the black market. When the prices rose, so did the possibility of profits, and organised crime leapt into the market. They made it bigger and blacker.
This all makes sense, right? Because organised crime excels at what it does. They are more efficient at supply, relentless in their pursuit of profit, aggressive in marketing—even to kids—and undeterred by rules or law enforcement. Organised crime does crime better.
Which is why, if you’re a Christian, you ought to commit to your local church that loves Jesus and teaches the Bible as God’s word. Organised religion, like organised crime, does it better.
In fact, when it comes to Christianity, organised religion (the church) is the only game in town. Yes, lots of Christians say, ‘I don’t need church.’ Or, ‘I’ve come to worship God in my own way.’ But as far as the Bible is concerned, they are wrong.
Jesus said, ‘I will build my church and the bars of Hades will not overcome it’. The church is the spiritual body of Jesus made up of people bound together by the Holy Spirit. Christians are to grow and grow others by being part of a church. There is no other option offered in the New Testament. (Matthew 16:16-18, Ephesians 2:19-22)
Which does raise a massive issue:
But what about the problems of organised religion (the church)?
Yes, there is a devastating onslaught of evidence of the wrong done by organised religion (the church). This is at both the local and institutional levels. Sadly, many of us know someone recovering from church hurt. And we know of the public scandals and wicked evil revealed over the years in the media. Organised religion seems to be just like organised crime. It does more harm and hides it better.
But what might surprise you is that the Bible, a religious text, agrees that organised religion can be horrific. Let me present to you just 2 pieces of evidence.
Exhibit A
Towards the end of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus enters the Temple in Jerusalem. But instead of worshipping God, he starts flipping the sellers’ tables and driving out the animals that were for sale in the temple. His searing condemnation is that the temple is a ‘Den of thieves’ and the thieves in question were the religious leaders.
The religious leaders, by their practices, were robbing God of his honour and robbing people of the truth about God. And, these leaders, no doubt, benefited from these activities. Jesus condemns this organised religion as a crime.
And what’s worse is that this failure has been going on for generations. 500 years earlier, God, through his prophet Ezekiel, attacked the religious leaders. They had organised God’s religion so they could pillage God’s people. These ancient leaders were the ancestors of the temple thieves.
Now, exhibit B.
Exhibit B
The religious leaders' attitude and actions towards Jesus are the second piece of evidence.
They want to kill Jesus after he exposes their dark religious hearts and misunderstanding of the Sabbath. (Mark 3:1-6)
They rejected John the Baptist’s authority and, therefore, God’s. (Mark 11:29-33, Luke 7:33)
They might know the Old Testament (God’s word), but they don’t do it. (Matthew 23:1-2).
They don’t speak or act for truth or justice. They first and foremost care about how the populace views them, for this keeps them in power. (Mark 11:18, 12:12)
They are devious and wicked: they arrest Jesus at night away from Jerusalem and hold a trial in the middle of the night (Mark 14:43-44, 14:55-60, for the timing see John 18:2)
What we see from this is not just that organised religion can be criminal, but it is also opposed to God! How opposed? The religious leaders organised Jesus’ death. This is deeply tragic and ironic.
Should we kick the church to the curb?
This puts us in an interesting spot. Jesus doesn’t just like organised religion. It is his plan. He said I will build my church. The church was to take the great news of Jesus out to the world and win people to him. This was his agenda, as shown by his final words in Matthew’s Gospel.
From this, incredible good was supposed to come. Jesus taught his church not to love just their neighbours, but their enemies. He demanded care for the poor and vulnerable, for he identified with the poor and vulnerable. He called his people to reject wickedness and evil but to choose goodness, mercy and his gospel even if it cost them their lives.
And yet, it is organised religion that put Jesus to death because of the leaders’ hatred of God. How can this dilemma be solved?
The answer comes when we consider the organising principle of the organisations. For criminals, it is profit and power. But what should it be for the church?
Jesus taught the way forward. His disciples, who were to be the first leaders and organisers of this new movement, were to be self-sacrificing, just like he was. They existed not to be served but to serve. They existed to bring glory and honour to Jesus and not themselves. They existed to feed Jesus’ sheep, that is teach the great and glorious gospel about Jesus.
This set the pattern for the church; it exists for Jesus’ glory, the good of the world, and the good of his people.
But when the church and its leaders, especially, drift from this principle, devastation follows. The problem is not being organised. Or disorganised. Chaotic evil isn’t really any better than ordered evil, except perhaps there may be less of it. The issue is, what is driving the organisation: Jesus and his gospel or something else?
When the driving principles become the good of the leaders or the good of the institution or any other good, then evil soon follows. Why? Because of the reality of sin. It is pervasive in humanity. It says, ‘My good must come first,’ and this perverts even God’s religion. The Jewish religious leaders put Jesus to death because they would have lost their positions of power and privilege if Jesus had come into his rule. (Though in a delightful irony, God used their rejection of Jesus to bring about Jesus' universal and eternal rule. )
Organised religion (the church) is vital and necessary. So, join a church that excels at loving Jesus, obeying him and teaching God’s word. This is the organised religion you need. And if your current church isn’t like that, get yourself organised to leave and find another church.
Footnote: Organised religion (the church) does it better
Here are just a few ways the Bible wants the church to be organised.
A church ought to have leaders who take responsibility for prayer & teaching.
A church ought to appoint people for other significant roles, like caring for the poor and vulnerable.
There are accountability structures.
Not just anyone can lead.
There are regular and consistent activities that must not be given up for the church to thrive.
(Acts 6:1-7, Matthew 18:15-20, James 3:1-2, Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3:1-1, 5:1-15, 2 Timothy 2:1-14, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, )