There seems to be some confusion over what it means to be the Church. To be is an action verb. In other words, to be the Church means that you have to be active. You have to be intentional in your faith and practice, and you have to be actively pursuing those things Jesus and the New Testament spoke of, especially each of the "one another" statements. In case you need a reminder of what those are, here is the list:
- Love (John 13:34; 15:13, 17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 14, 23; 4:7, 11; 2 John 5)
- Encourage (2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:25)
- Greet (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Pet. 5:14)
- Be Humble (Eph. 4:2; 1 Pet. 3:8; 5:5)
- Have Compassion (Eph. 4:32; 1 Pet. 3:8)
- Live in Peace (Mark 9:50; 1 Thess. 5:13)
- Bear in Love (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13)
- Forgive (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13)
- Have the Mind of Christ (Rom. 15:5; Phil. 2:5)
- Confess To (James 5:16)
- Serve (Gal. 5:13)
- Admonish (Col. 3:16)
- Be Sympathetic (1 Pet. 3:8)
- Live in Harmony (Rom. 12:16)
- Submit (Eph. 5:21)
- Offer Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9)
- Agree (1 Cor. 1:10)
- Be Devoted (Rom. 12:10)
- Do Good (1 Thess. 5:15)
- Spur to Love (Heb. 10:24)
- Don't Grumble (James 5:9)
- Speak Songs To (Eph. 5:19)
- Don't Judge (Rom. 14:13)
- Instruct (Rom. 15:14)
- Be Like-minded (1 Pet. 3:8)
- Don't Provoke (Gal. 5:26)
- Honour (Rom. 12:10)
- Be Kind (Eph. 4:32)
- Don't Deprive (1 Cor. 7:5)
- Spur to Good Deeds (Heb. 10:24)
- Don't Slander (James 4:11)
- Pray For (James 5:16)
- Be Gentle (Eph. 4:2)
- Have Equal Concern (1 Cor. 12:25)
- Accept (Rom. 15:7)
- Build Up (1 Thess. 5:11)
- Don't Lie (Col. 3:9)
- Be Patient (Eph. 4:2)
- Don't Pay Back Wrong (1 Thess. 5:15)
You cannot be the Church all by yourself. The Church is not one person individually; it is people collectively and corporately. Likewise, one person, individually, is not the temple of God; people, collectively, are the temple of God. We, each and every single believer in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, are all being built together into a holy temple. When biblically-minded Christians use the phrase "Be the Church," what is meant is to actively pursue the teachings of Christ and the New Testament and enact them with our fellow believers.
When people go to "church," all they do is sit in a pew week after week passively listening to one man monologuing. It is as if they are attending the theater and watching something on stage. In case you are unaware, the practices of modern religious organizations (calling themselves "churches") are rooted in pagan rituals. People sitting in the pews are taught to value lesser things. They are limited to the gifts, knowledge, and experience of a single individual rather than the gifts, knowledge, and experience of the entire body of Christ. For this reason, many individuals inside these religious organizations are suffering from malnutrition, and the result is spiritual immaturity because their religious environment is not conducive to spiritual growth. The Church is not made up of one mouth and many ears; a mouth that has effectively strangled the headship of Christ over His body.
The early Christians looked after one another. They were intentionally committed to one another. They were intentionally open with one another, confessing their sins to one another. They were intentional in their obedience to the Word; they were intentional in their submissive to one another, being accountable to one another and keeping one another accountable; and they were intentional in their discipline against ungodly conduct. They intentionally looked after the widows, the orphans, the sick, the imprisoned, and the needy among themselves. When they assembled as a congregation, there was not one individual running the show like a CEO; they each shared their gifts, knowledge, and experience as the Lord moved them for the benefit and edification of the entire body of Christ. In other words, they were being the Church. This kind of practice is what is conducive to spiritual growth, and the New Testament testifies to this fact.
Sitting at home by yourself, laying on your couch, whether reading your Bible or not, whether praying or not, is not being the Church. It ignores and violates passages that command us to gather: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Heb. 10:23-25). Gathering does not mean, and is not limited to, assembling inside the expensive buildings of religious organizations, which are a burden upon God's people, taking money to pay for its bills and maintenance when that money could be better put to use elsewhere, such as looking after the widows, the orphans, the sick, the imprisoned, the needy, and even for the furtherance of the Gospel. Gathering together in the New Testament occurred at Solomon's Porch (for larger gatherings), and inside homes (Acts 2:2, 46; 16:40; 20:20; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phile. 1:2 [and if you would like to eisegete it, you can include Matt. 18:20 here]).
When biblically-minded Christians talk about "Being the Church," they are talking about a means with which to experience Christ rather than just hearing about Him. They are talking about a means wherein Jesus, as the Head of His body, moves at will through His Church, using the gifts, knowledge, and experience of every member for the edification (building up) of the entire body to spiritual maturity. They are not referring to some "mystical" nonsense, but to that which the New Testament repeatedly demonstrates. They are referring to a community where they are known, loved, and cared for by other believers; they are referring to a community where they can know others and experience the joy of pouring themselves into their lives; they are referring to a community where they can love, encourage, and help others, ministering to their needs; they are referring to a community where they can be useful, and a blessing, to others who are struggling, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or even financially; they are referring to a community where they can be spiritually led, biblically fed, and lovingly protected; and they are referring to a community where other believers are joyfully committed to keeping watch over their souls, speaking the Word to one another, and helping one another to grow in their knowledge of God and their intimacy with Him. They are referring to that organic (not mechanical) church life experienced in the New Testament by the early Christians.
You professors of religion who are using the "Be the Church" phrase as a means to argue for not having to assemble together with other believers because false teachers like Joyce Meyers have said that you do not have to go to "church" in order to be the Church, knock it off! Maybe you should read through 1 John and pay attention to what it says about the brethren. If you do not like spending time with other believers, and investing your life in their lives, then that is a good indicator that you are a false convert, that you are not in the faith, and that you do not belong to Christ. Stop trying to re-define words and phrases for your own selfish means!