I was struck with what the Lord said in this passage from the New Covenants, Matthew 3:35: “And again I say unto you, Go into the world and do not care for the world, for the world will hate you and will persecute you and will turn you out of their synagogues. Nevertheless, you shall go forth from house to house teaching the people, and I will go before you.”
When the Lord tells us to expect to be “turned out of their synagogues,” I pondered over who would do that casting out. It can only be done by those who own buildings, who control houses of worship, and who expect believers to come to their religious buildings to worship God. It can only be done by those who think they have the right to enforce their religious ideas by compulsion, demanding conformity and suppressing ideas they dislike.
When we are turned out, Christ directs us to “go forth from house to house teaching the people.” He did not suggest we build a replacement building. He did not say, go to, build your own synagogue and invite them to go worship God there.
God doesn’t want or need a synagogue, chapel, or house of worship. He wants us to worship and teach in our homes.
The early Christians did not build any buildings. They worshipped in homes, just as Christ taught. We are unlike them if we build replacement synagogues, instead of worshipping God in our homes.