We are a Community
Notes
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We are a Community
We are a Community
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.
heb 10.23-
The Bible’s vision of the church is more than a couple hours on Sunday
The Bible’s vision of the church is more than a couple hours on Sunday
of church. The Bible’s vision of the church is more than a couple hours on Sunday
morning; it is a way of life.
With Jesus at the helm, every believer is called take the gospel out of the building and into the world, locally and globally.
every believer is called take the gospel out of the building and into the world, locally and
globally.
It way of life a community reaching a community
in our text today notice this ....
Three times the writer of Hebrews says, “Let us.”
The first time he points to our Godward responsibility; he emphasizes the purity of worship demanded in the Holy of Holies. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (10:22). We must be conscientious when we come; it must be with a true heart, not with an empty profession of faith. We must be confident when we come; there must be no natural hesitation about approaching God. He has told us to come. We must be cleansed when we come; our hearts must be sprinkled from an evil conscience. The reference to bodies washed with pure water speaks of the same truth. God is still a holy God.
If we have a Godward responsibility, we have a responsibility selfward, too; the writer emphasizes the possibility of wavering. “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” (10:23). “Faith” here is a forward-looking word. The Hebrews were in constant danger of going back because of all the pressures brought to bear upon them by religion, society, and government. In view of the dazzling heights now open to the one who is truly saved, there can be no question of going back. There can be no wavering.
But the emphasis today is
Moreover, we have a responsibility manward. “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (10:24). One believer will encourage, help, and stimulate another believer to evidence the fruit of a saved life.
It is no part of the Christian life to willfully “go it alone.” Christians need the help to be derived from each other’s fellowship.
This leads the writer to a final word on our great responsibility. He has been emphasizing our responsibilities as believers; he turns naturally to our responsibilities as brethren. “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” (10:25).[1]
The Big Idea we are a community of believers that are all in!
Topic(s): Church, Community, Christ the Head
Big Idea of the Message: Jesus is the Head of the church.
Application Point: It is important for the believer to be in community with other
believers for support, accountability, and connection.
I A Central Community
I A Central Community
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.
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Memories:
heb 10.22-23
marriage
Baptized
our kids grew up in youth group
scripture here
1. Ever since the instruction to the Israelites to build the tabernacle and temple, the
idea of a central place to worship God has remained. “The tabernacle and temple
were not only to be viewed as the geographical center of Israel; they were also
intended to be the spiritual center of Israel.
To gather together is to gather somewhere!
Like spokes of a wheel that fan out from the hub, what occurred at these worship centers was to affect every aspect
from the hub, what occurred at these worship centers was to affect every aspect
elaborate here
of Israelite life”
Every Christian,” Crossway, January 13, 2016,
God has ordained the church, a fellowship of the flawed, to carry out his purpose and will in the world. When we consider the biblical teaching on the church, we realize the church is vitally important for growing in Christ. Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected to the church.
https://www.crossway.org/articles/why-the-church-is-vitally-important-for-everychristian/).
Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected to the church.
What the Old Testament (OT) says about life and worship.
OT
God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle—a portable tent that represented the presence of God dwelling right in the middle of his people. The tabernacle and later the temple were the places where God ordained the sacrifices to be carried out and the festivals to be celebrated. The tabernacle and temple functioned as the central place of instruction and teaching about God and his will for Israel. From the tabernacle and temple, Israel sounded forth loud and joyful psalms of praise and worship to God.
The instructions for building the tabernacle required it to be at the center of Israel’s encampments. Later, Jerusalem, the site of the temple, was seen as representing the center of the land of Israel. The tabernacle and temple were not only to be viewed as the geographical center of Israel; they were also intended to be the spiritual center of Israel.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
NT
First, we have Jesus’ declaration, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (). “Gates” likely represents the power of hell, which is no match whatsoever for Jesus.
First, we have Jesus’ declaration, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (). “Gates” likely represents the power of hell, which is no match whatsoever for Jesus.
Jesus hands the church its mission statement and purpose for existence when he gives the disciples the Great Commission in .
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
As the church goes out into the world, it is called to make disciples, carrying out the task of baptizing the new disciples and teaching them all that Christ has commanded. These activities must characterize every local church’s work and life.
Illustration here and background ......
We meet each week to worship, fellowship and to care for one another and bring the message to our community
As the church goes out into the world, it is called to make disciples, carrying out the task of baptizing the new disciples and teaching them all that Christ has commanded. These activities must characterize every local church’s work and life.
II A Caring Community
II A Caring Community
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.
heb 10.23
Undoubtedly, something marvelous and unique happened at Pentecost. The church was born! At first, it was wholly Jewish, then tentative moves were made to include the Samaritans, and then the Gentiles came in! Soon, Gentiles outnumbered Jews in the church, where they became a permanent and shrinking minority, although all were one in Christ.
Wow look at how they care for each other .....
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
but look at the prerequisites
Ware invited to have audience, not with this world’s celebrities, but with the Sovereign of the universe! The extent to which we value the invitation is shown by the manner in which we respond to it.
There is a fourfold description of how we should be spiritually groomed in entering the throne room.
How do we enter this place ...
1. With a true heart. The people of Israel drew near to God with their mouth, and honored Him with their lips, but their heart was often far from Him (). Our approach should be with utter sincerity.
2. In full assurance of faith. We draw near with utter confidence in the promises of God and with the firm conviction that we shall have a gracious reception into His presence.
3. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. This can be brought about only by the new birth. When we trust Christ, we appropriate the value of His blood. Figuratively speaking, we sprinkle our hearts with it, just as the Israelites sprinkled their doors with the blood of the Passover lamb. This delivers us from an evil conscience. Our testimony is:
Conscience now no more condemns us,
For His own most precious blood
Once for all has washed and cleansed us,
Cleansed us in the eyes of God.
—Frances Bevan
4. And our bodies washed with pure water. Again this is symbolic language. Our bodies represent our lives. The pure water might refer either to the word (, ), to the Holy Spirit (), or to the Holy Spirit using the word in cleansing our lives from daily defilement. We are cleansed once for all from the guilt of sin by the death of Christ, but cleansed repeatedly from the defilement of sin by the Spirit through the word (see ).
vs 22 summary - Thus we might summarize the four requisites for entering God’s presence as sincerity, assurance, salvation, and sanctification.
10:23 The second exhortation is to hold fast the confession of our hope. Nothing must be allowed to turn us from the staunch confession that our only hope is in Christ.
Faithful and hope....
For those who were tempted to give up the future, unseen blessings of Christianity for the present, visible things of Judaism, there is the reminder that He who promised is faithful. His promises can never fail; no one who trusts in Him will ever be disappointed. The Savior will come, as He has promised, and His people will be with Him and like Him forever.
This caring community brings hope!
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
10:24 We should also be discovering ways of encouraging fellow believers to manifest love and to engage in good works. In the NT sense, love is not an emotion but an act of the will. We are commanded to love, therefore it is something we can and must do. Love is the root; good works are the fruit. By our example and by our teaching, we should stir up other believers to this kind of life.
Loving thoughts are roots,
Loving words are flowers,
And good works their fruits.
—Adapted
The Community meets ans worships together ! I dont want to miss it ....
example of the giants game walking to it .....
imagine if they just deserted and no one showed up .....
10:25 Then we should continue to meet together and not desert the local fellowship, as some do. This may be considered as a general exhortation for all believers to be faithful in their church attendance. Without question we find strength, comfort, nourishment, and joy in collective worship and service.
But basically the verse is a warning against apostasy. To forsake the local assembly here means to turn one’s back on Christianity and revert to Judaism. Some were doing this when this Letter was written. There was need to exhort one another, especially in view of the nearness of Christ’s Return. When He comes, the persecuted, ostracized, despised believers will be seen to be on the winning side. Until then, there is need for steadfastness.
[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (pp. 2191–2192). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
john
Holy Spirit (), we no longer go to church, but we are the
III A Comforting Community
III A Comforting Community
church, and this should affect every aspect of the believer’s life. However, even
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.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
We must note, too, the great incentive, “and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” “The day” here is a reference to the rapture.
The expression “the day” or “that day” is usually reserved in the New Testament for “the day of Christ” (, ; ), or “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (; ; ), except in , where the context plainly indicates a reference to the day of wrath.
The day of Christ heralds joy for the church, “joy unspeakable and full of glory”; the day of the Lord heralds judgment for the world.
The author of Hebrews is here exhorting God’s suffering people to keep in mind the rapture, the coming of the Lord in the air () to catch away His Bride before the day of wrath begins. That is the “blessed hope” of the church. It is hard to see how anyone can regard the coming great day of wrath as a “blessed hope.”
As the darkness deepens all around—and what abundant evidences there are everywhere today that the Lord’s coming is near—believers especially need each other’s fellowship.
We are to cling together and resist every pressure that would draw us away from the assembly of God’s people.
Business pressures, family pressures, social pressures, economic pressures, entertainment pressures, and physical pressures all militate against our being present at the gatherings of God’s people. Let us face our great responsibility. Having been invited to come into God’s immediate presence, we must resist anything that would draw us away.[1]
Now all that being said :
Both Peter and Paul, from their differing points of view, describe this astounding revolution in God’s dealings with the human race. Until Pentecost, if God had anything to say, He said it to a Jew. For two thousand years, if God had anything to say, He said it in Hebrew. For that long period of time, if a Gentile wanted to know God, he had to go to a Jew. Pentecost changed all of that. After Pentecost, God said what He had to say in Greek. He began to speak in a Gentile language. For the past two thousand years, for the most part, if a Jew has wanted to know God as He is to be known only in Christ, he has had to come to a Gentile.
The implications of all of this for the Jew are spelled out in . The Jew can get in on the good of it all by becoming a Christian and a member of the church, the mystical body of Christ. But predominantly the church, the greatest single entity in all of God’s dealings with the universe, infinitely greater than the nation of Israel, is Gentile in composition. This was something that no Old Testament saint, sovereign or seer, ever imagined. They envisioned mass Gentile conversions in the messianic age, but never anything like that which Peter has just been describing. As for the church itself, such an entity never entered into their wildest dreams.
No wonder Peter urges us to sing! What else can we do? A chosen generation! A royal priesthood! A holy nation! A peculiar people! Why? “That ye should show forth the praises of him.…” The word translated “show forth” here is exangellō. It is used nowhere else in the New Testament. It means “to tell out” or “proclaim abroad.” We cannot keep these things to ourselves. The word translated “praises” here is arete. It is not the usual word used for praise but one that extols the virtue or the excellence of the one being praised. Here it is in the plural. We are to broadcast far and wide and to the fullest extent the virtues and excellencies and glorious magnificence of the One who has done such great things for us.[1]
[1] Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring the Epistles of Peter: An Expository Commentary (). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.
though there are parts of our faith that are highly individualistic, there are still
“Many Christians today have no problem
biblical grounds to gather together in worship, encouragement, and fellowship.
“Many Christians today have no problem
Judaism. These new believers had begun to have second thoughts and perhaps
were returning to old methods of worship, like temple sacrifices to atone for sins.
The author of Hebrews reminds them that they don’t need to do all of that, but
instead they can be confident in the cleansing work of Jesus, who is the high
priest (). The New Testament believer can “hold fast” in the
truth of Jesus’s atoning work (v. 23), while remaining connected to the bigger
family of God. By regularly being together, the believers can “stir up one another
to love and good works” (v. 24).
3. It is true that we no longer need to meet in a temple to be with God. As believers,
we have God with us—the Holy Spirit. So, why is it important to be together in
church? Brett McCracken writes, “Many Christians today have no problem
disengaging from local church life and opting instead for a largely ‘me and Jesus’
faith - flies in the face of everything we have discussed
The Christian life cannot be an individual
community. … I can relate to the many who choose this sort of relationship to
the Christian life cannot be an individual
church. I sympathize with their frustrations with churches and the bothersome
types of people who inhabit them. But the Christian life cannot be an individual
affair.
is to say you prefer a decapitated head. That’s creepy and doesn’t work biblically
(see ). We are the body of Christ. A head needs a body and a body
needs a head” (Brett McCracken, Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential
Challenge of Christian Community [Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2017], 126).
4. It is Christ who is the Head of the church (), and we are the body.
The body is both one in unity but many in members (). It
If we reduce church to a couple hours on
does not function well without all the parts. With our own natural talents and
abilities, we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are a successful church
without actually living as if Jesus is the Head. Conversely, a pastor can be fully
submitted to Jesus as the Head of the church but be left without a congregation
to carry forth with the work. True Christian community must be both one in Christ
and diverse members of a body. If we reduce church to a couple hours on
Sunday morning, everyone loses. Individually, we miss the challenge,
encouragement, and family dynamic that close-knit Christian relationships build.
Corporately, we miss what God may want to accomplish through a church body
that is willing to work together with Jesus at the helm.
A popular Christian social media catch-phrase is, "You don't go to church, you are the church." While I get the sentiment in some ways, this is an unhealthy view, pitting "being the church" and "going to church" against each other.
always, but we need one another to witness the innumerable ways God reveals
himself through his people.
5. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes, “Let him who cannot be alone beware of community.
Let him who is not in community beware of being alone” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
Life Together [New York: Harper & Brothers, 1954], 78). The believer who wants
community so they are never alone becomes codependent with people instead of
reliant on the Lord. The believer who chooses solitude over connection becomes
lonely, in the deepest sense, without the love and wisdom of others in their lives.
There are parts of the believer’s faith life that are individualized, and parts that
are communal. To experience the fullness of God’s character requires a
commitment to both: solitude and gathering.
seasons of drought in church life. There will be times when participating in a local
body is fun, exciting, and full of energy and hope. There will also be times when
If we are truly "the Church," then we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot "be" the church, if we don't "go" to church. Not fully anyways.
church, and all that goes with it will be hard, stressful, annoying, or boring. It is
important to remember that even those times can, and often do, bear fruit. “I also
believe that in some ways church does—or did—save me. It didn’t save me in
the ways you might expect: a spectacular Sunday service, a homerun sermon, or
a gripping worship set. God’s primary tool to transform my heart was not the
conference speaker or the travelling revivalist or the worship concert. Those
events were important, but now I realize that, more often, God changed my life
using routine worship services in which I sang hymns I didn’t quite understand
and heard messages I didn’t quite grasp” (Daniel Darling, “Boring Church
Services Changed My Life,” Christianity Today, February 15, 2017,
https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2017/february-web-exclusives/boringchurch-
services-changed-my-life.html). When the believer makes the intentional
decision to be committed to the people in the church, it will bear fruit.
Mention the church to a group of Christians and you are likely to get a mixed response. Some might say that, while they do love Jesus, they don’t love the church. Others might respond, “Of course we love the church.”
Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected to the church.
To explore this issue, it is necessary to consider what the Bible says about the church.
The Church in the Bible: Old Testament Life and Worship
The Church in the Bible: Old Testament Life and Worship
God instructed Moses to build a tabernacle—a portable tent that represented the presence of God dwelling right in the middle of his people. The tabernacle and later the temple were the places where God ordained the sacrifices to be carried out and the festivals to be celebrated. The tabernacle and temple functioned as the central place of instruction and teaching about God and his will for Israel. From the tabernacle and temple, Israel sounded forth loud and joyful psalms of praise and worship to God.
The instructions for building the tabernacle required it to be at the center of Israel’s encampments. Later, Jerusalem, the site of the temple, was seen as representing the center of the land of Israel. The tabernacle and temple were not only to be viewed as the geographical center of Israel; they were also intended to be the spiritual center of Israel. Like spokes of a wheel that fan out from the hub, what occurred at these worship centers was to affect every aspect of Israelite life.
The Church in the Bible: Christ and the Gospels
The Church in the Bible: Christ and the Gospels
The church did not officially come into existence until the day of Pentecost, after Jesus had died and had risen. However, even in the Gospels we learn many things from Christ concerning the church. Let’s review three.
Second, Jesus hands the church its mission statement and purpose for existence when he gives the disciples the Great Commission in . As the church goes out into the world, it is called to make disciples, carrying out the task of baptizing the new disciples and teaching them all that Christ has commanded. These activities must characterize every local church’s work and life.
The third thing we learn from Jesus concerning the church comes from his high-priestly prayer in . At the end of the prayer, Jesus expresses to the Father, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known” (). The NT frequently refers to the church as Christ’s body. We are literally the presence of Christ on earth. And the church’s mission is exactly the same as Christ’s mission: to proclaim God’s name.
The universal church of Christ’s body is visible and manifest in local congregations, or churches. These local churches are to be “incarnational.” They are to represent Christ, who was incarnated (that is, born as a human) and walked among us. The incarnational model of the church means that we live and behave with the full realization that we represent Christ to the world and to each other.
The Church in the Bible: The Book of Acts
The Church in the Bible: The Book of Acts
Acts tells the story of the church, from its inception on the day of Pentecost in , to ch. 28with Paul at Rome. In between, the church experiences tragedies and triumphs, sorrows and joys. The book of Acts tells the story of the young church, persecuted but bold.
Two things stand out in the life of the early church. One concerns the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the Gospels we see apostles who were scared, even to the point of hiding. Then in the early chapters of Acts these same apostles boldly turn the world upside down.
The key to understanding what happened to them is seen in (in Christ’s prophecy), then in (the prophecy’s fulfillment). The apostles received the Holy Spirit, and with the Spirit they received power. This same Spirit still binds believers together and brings us into the family of God ().
The Holy Spirit graciously gives us spiritual gifts, according to and . God has designed the church to be the place where these gifts are discovered, nurtured, and used to build up the body of Christ and bring it to maturity, ultimately for the glory of God (see ). The same Spirit who worked powerfully in the early church continues to work in and through the church today.
Second, the book of Acts shows how the church functions and what it does. Members of the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (). All these activities are essential to growing in Christ, and all occur within the local church.
The Church in the Bible: The Epistles
The Church in the Bible: The Epistles
Having looked briefly at the tabernacle and temple in the OT, and the church in the Gospels and Acts, we now come to the NT epistles. With a few exceptions, these books were written to churches, stressing again the God-ordained stature of the church. In the Epistles, especially the letters of Paul to Titus and Timothy, Paul clearly could not conceive of living the Christian life apart from the church.
Paul and the other NT writers often use word pictures to describe the church. At one point Paul calls the church the household of God (). The church is a family (; ; ). The church is a building (; ). The church is pictured as a flock of sheep (). And one of Paul’s favorite metaphors is of the church as Christ’s body (; ). All of these metaphors contribute to a fuller understanding of how to live the Christian life as part of the church.
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The church is even pictured as a bride (; ; ). It is the bride of Christ—a bride for whom Jesus died. In the context of urging husbands to love their wives, Paul writes that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (). What more could be said to underscore and establish the importance of the church for the Christian life?
The Church as the Communion of Saints
The Church as the Communion of Saints
From the very beginning of God’s dealing with his people, the Bible has stressed community. In fact, biblical discussion of godly living is almost always set in the context of growing together, in community, as God’s people. For Christians today, and for the last 2,000 years, God has established the local church as the vehicle for that community. Some current movements seek to replace more traditional understandings of the local church, seeing a group of friends meeting together, for instance, as church. That’s not quite the picture that we see in the NT.
In the NT, we see young and old mixing, as older women and men are to teach younger women and men. We see people coming together to worship who come from different stages in life, different occupations, and different backgrounds. Paul stressed that the social divides typical of most groups in society have no place in the church. The church should be a place of diversity, where each person can contribute to the whole. Limiting oneself to a circle of peers is not sanctioned by Scripture and does not promote spiritual growth.
Sadly, in our day there are churches in which leaders try to dominate their congregations rather than shepherd them in the model of the selfless love of Jesus. But those bad examples do not take away the biblical command to gather and worship as a church. Local churches undoubtedly have their flaws, because they are made up of flawed, sinful people. The Apostles’ Creed refers to the church as a “communion of saints.”
As we come into the church we sometimes imagine that there will be no problems, no conflicts, and no frustrations among our community of saints. But we forget that we are a community of flawed people, still burdened by our imperfections and failures and sins. It is precisely because of our flaws and faults that we need each other.
It's surprising to me how many Christians struggle with the idea of church attendance. We are at a crossroads in our nation on the importance of going to church. According to research, church attendance has remained virtually the same percent of our national population for the past 70 years, however, this still means there are a huge number of American Christians who are not active in a local church - in the tens of millions.
Of course, this isn't a new problem. Since the beginning of Christianity, the early leaders had to challenge this mindset, saying "Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." ()
A popular Christian social media catch-phrase is, "You don't go to church, you are the church." While I get the sentiment in some ways, this is an unhealthy view, pitting "being the church" and "going to church" against each other. If we are truly "the Church," then we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot "be" the church, if we don't "go" to church. Not fully anyways.
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The "Church" never connotes a single, individual, lone ranger Christian just going about his Christian duties, and never gathering together to worship with other believers.
The "Church" by it's very nature means multiple believers, who "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." ()
Craig Groeschel shared recently, "There is something better. To worship God together and be committed to worship Him together, to hear His Word together. Do not reduce Church to listening to a podcast. It's so much more than that. It's community. It's worshiping with other, praying for others, hurting with other, serving others, being involved in the lives of others."
And here's the reality of the Biblical call to gather with other believers. There are many options for going to church for each of us. You can look for a church that is right for you. I'm not telling you to go to a certain style, type, or denomination of church - I'm simply challenging you to gather with other believers regularly to worship and hear the Scriptures.
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Every Christian should gather together to hear the Scriptures and worship Jesus together with other believers weekly (see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; )It is also good to meet for smaller groups of Christian community in each other's homes regularly (see )It's good to have leaders overseeing the work and needs of each local church - this is the Biblical pattern - not all of us are called to church leadership, and so we should submit to, and serve whoever God has called to lead at the place we find ourselves (see ; ; , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; )If there are believers who are unable for physical reasons to attend a church weekly, they should find a church or believers who will gather together with them regularly for worship in their own home. (see ; )
Here are 4 powerful reasons why you should attend church weekly, and why church attendance can change your life:
1. GOD SAID SO
1. GOD SAID SO
God tells us in His Word to "not give up meeting together." ()
The Bible even goes so far as to call the Church the "Bride of Christ." If you love Jesus, you will love the things that He loves, and there is no one a good man loves more than His bride. The Church is this important to God, so it should be ever-important to us.
God didn't call us to gather and worship to burden us, but to bless us. Church attendance can become one of the greatest blessings in you and your family's life!
2. WORSHIPPING JESUS TOGETHER IS POWERFUL
2. WORSHIPPING JESUS TOGETHER IS POWERFUL
Jesus lives inside of us by His Spirit when we believe in Him - this is a profoundly incredible truth!
But there is also something biblically powerful about gathering together with other believers to worship. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." () So he is not only lives in us by His Spirit, but He is in the "midst" of us when we gather to worship Him.
WE NEED CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
WE NEED CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
All of us long for community and connection with others. God has given us this gift in gathering together for church, and in smaller groups in each other's homes. It fulfills something inside of us to do life with others, encourage each other and be authentically involved in each other's lives.
Christian TV, podcasts, books and conferences are wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, but nothing can take the place of consistent Christian community through the local church.
4. WE GROW MORE TOGETHER THAN ALONE
4. WE GROW MORE TOGETHER THAN ALONE
It can be messy when we step into each other's lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect. So it requires effort and intentionality and grace from God to do life together, even as believers.
Gathering regularly with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help each other, pray for each other and encourage each other to want to follow Christ more wholeheartedly. It is a truly beautiful thing.
Don't let excuses stand in the way of what you know God is calling you to do. God will strengthen you, and empower you to do what He has called you to do. I am praying for you -- if you have encountered past wounds from leaders or from church members -- that God will bring healing and grace to you, as you seek to follow Him, and love His Church.