Dear Friends,
I called a friend today and he asked me if I would write a short message on why being involved in a church is important. He has a son who says he is a believer but sees no need to go to church. I told him I would put something together and send it along. (He’s a recipient of these weekly “thoughts” and will soon be reading this!) If you wrestle with that, or have spoken to people who do, maybe this could help you too. Enjoy.
Why We Belong Together
1. God’s Design for Community
From the beginning, God intended His people to gather together, not live in isolation. Scripture calls Jesus the “Cornerstone” and each believer a “living stone” being built into a spiritual house. In other words, we are the body of Christ with many members. No part was meant to go solo. We are not called to be “home Baptists” (if I might use that common term).
God’s design was never to save and fill people with His Spirit and His gifts so that they alone could be the beneficiaries of such unspeakable gifts of divine grace. As people who have been, “baptized by one Spirit into one body” (I Cor. 12:13); a body that, “is not made up of one part but many” (I Cor. 12:14), we were meant to be part of a community of Christ’s people, exercising our God-given gifts for the benefit of others, and likewise benefitting from the exercise of their spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:15-20).
This happens as we come together, worship together, fellowship together, learn from God’s Word together, and experience the presence of God’s Spirit together, as we have the privilege of gathering and serving together in Christ’s name. In this way we fulfill His divine design for us as His Body, and local visible expressions of His Church.
The book of II Corinthians makes it clear that as we serve, learn, worship, and live in community together, the body of Christ gets a chance to reflect who God is. “From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16). It is in this way that the body of Christ may be built up, reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and thereby, “become mature and attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13).
In fact, the early church model shows this clearly. Acts 2:42 tells how the first believers, “devoted themselves to the apostle’s instruction, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” By meeting regularly, we fulfill the Bible’s vision for growth, blessing, unity and maturity in a Christian community.
2. Biblical Foundations of Fellowship
Likewise, in Hebrews 10:24–25: We are exhorted to, “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another.” God warns us against the habit of skipping gathering. Why? Because we need each other’s encouragement. Our presence encourages others, and the presence of others encourages us—something the Lord knows we need!
Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” This means we become stronger and wiser when we interact with other believers. We benefit from their perspectives, and they benefit (hopefully!) from ours. I have come to see many scriptural truths more fully (accurately?) by listening to the perspective others have on certain texts. Each of these verses reminds us that gathering is more than just a routine. Gathering is both a biblical admonition that brings us numerous blessings and honors God’s intended design.
3. Strength through Fellowship
Worshiping and serving together deepens our walk with God. When we gather to praise, pray, and learn, our faith is encouraged. Paul longed to be, “mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Rom. 1:12). In gathering together we experience that mutual strength. Scripture calls us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2), and “spur each other on to love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24), and “encourage one another daily” (Heb. 3:13)…and “all the more as we see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). In practice, this happens when we share life – singing songs, praying for needs, and using our gifts to serve the body. The church equips us for ministry, and ministry helps lead us to spiritual maturity. In these moments of fellowship, our hearts grow more grateful and our faith more resilient.
Addressing Your Hesitations
You might think, “I can worship God on my own.” That is true; you can and should. God hears and accepts private worship and prayers. But He also gave us the church for our good and His glory. Scripture shows that born-again believers naturally long for community – one writer explains that part of the change in conversion is “a desire to be with others who also love and serve Jesus.” The New Testament writers never envisioned believers in isolation. In fact, the New Testament epistles were written for and addressed to whole congregations, not lone individuals.
It’s not about earning God’s favor. God loves us as much when we are alone as He does when we gather. Yet obedience and blessing often go together. We can grieve the Spirit (never lose the Spirit - Eph. 4:30) when we as a gift-bearing part of the body of Christ withhold that gift from others by our regular absence. As Galatians 6:2 puts it, we fulfill the law of Christ by “bearing one another’s burdens” – something which happens most often in community. Satan seeks to isolate us because he knows we are safest and strongest in the flock (I Pet. 5:8).
Above all, remember Jesus’ words: when we meet in His name, He is in our midst. You will never fully live out your new life in Christ unless you share it with His people, and with them seek to share it with outsiders. I pray you’ll give it a chance – come and see the joy, love, and growth that flow from worshipping together. We are better together, as members of one body under our Lord’s care.
In the Abundance of the Riches of His Grace, Pastor Jeff
I called a friend today and he asked me if I would write a short message on why being involved in a church is important. He has a son who says he is a believer but sees no need to go to church. I told him I would put something together and send it along. (He’s a recipient of these weekly “thoughts” and will soon be reading this!) If you wrestle with that, or have spoken to people who do, maybe this could help you too. Enjoy.
Why We Belong Together
1. God’s Design for Community
From the beginning, God intended His people to gather together, not live in isolation. Scripture calls Jesus the “Cornerstone” and each believer a “living stone” being built into a spiritual house. In other words, we are the body of Christ with many members. No part was meant to go solo. We are not called to be “home Baptists” (if I might use that common term).
God’s design was never to save and fill people with His Spirit and His gifts so that they alone could be the beneficiaries of such unspeakable gifts of divine grace. As people who have been, “baptized by one Spirit into one body” (I Cor. 12:13); a body that, “is not made up of one part but many” (I Cor. 12:14), we were meant to be part of a community of Christ’s people, exercising our God-given gifts for the benefit of others, and likewise benefitting from the exercise of their spiritual gifts (I Cor. 12:15-20).
This happens as we come together, worship together, fellowship together, learn from God’s Word together, and experience the presence of God’s Spirit together, as we have the privilege of gathering and serving together in Christ’s name. In this way we fulfill His divine design for us as His Body, and local visible expressions of His Church.
The book of II Corinthians makes it clear that as we serve, learn, worship, and live in community together, the body of Christ gets a chance to reflect who God is. “From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16). It is in this way that the body of Christ may be built up, reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and thereby, “become mature and attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13).
In fact, the early church model shows this clearly. Acts 2:42 tells how the first believers, “devoted themselves to the apostle’s instruction, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” By meeting regularly, we fulfill the Bible’s vision for growth, blessing, unity and maturity in a Christian community.
2. Biblical Foundations of Fellowship
Likewise, in Hebrews 10:24–25: We are exhorted to, “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another.” God warns us against the habit of skipping gathering. Why? Because we need each other’s encouragement. Our presence encourages others, and the presence of others encourages us—something the Lord knows we need!
Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” This means we become stronger and wiser when we interact with other believers. We benefit from their perspectives, and they benefit (hopefully!) from ours. I have come to see many scriptural truths more fully (accurately?) by listening to the perspective others have on certain texts. Each of these verses reminds us that gathering is more than just a routine. Gathering is both a biblical admonition that brings us numerous blessings and honors God’s intended design.
3. Strength through Fellowship
Worshiping and serving together deepens our walk with God. When we gather to praise, pray, and learn, our faith is encouraged. Paul longed to be, “mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Rom. 1:12). In gathering together we experience that mutual strength. Scripture calls us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2), and “spur each other on to love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24), and “encourage one another daily” (Heb. 3:13)…and “all the more as we see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). In practice, this happens when we share life – singing songs, praying for needs, and using our gifts to serve the body. The church equips us for ministry, and ministry helps lead us to spiritual maturity. In these moments of fellowship, our hearts grow more grateful and our faith more resilient.
Addressing Your Hesitations
You might think, “I can worship God on my own.” That is true; you can and should. God hears and accepts private worship and prayers. But He also gave us the church for our good and His glory. Scripture shows that born-again believers naturally long for community – one writer explains that part of the change in conversion is “a desire to be with others who also love and serve Jesus.” The New Testament writers never envisioned believers in isolation. In fact, the New Testament epistles were written for and addressed to whole congregations, not lone individuals.
It’s not about earning God’s favor. God loves us as much when we are alone as He does when we gather. Yet obedience and blessing often go together. We can grieve the Spirit (never lose the Spirit - Eph. 4:30) when we as a gift-bearing part of the body of Christ withhold that gift from others by our regular absence. As Galatians 6:2 puts it, we fulfill the law of Christ by “bearing one another’s burdens” – something which happens most often in community. Satan seeks to isolate us because he knows we are safest and strongest in the flock (I Pet. 5:8).
Above all, remember Jesus’ words: when we meet in His name, He is in our midst. You will never fully live out your new life in Christ unless you share it with His people, and with them seek to share it with outsiders. I pray you’ll give it a chance – come and see the joy, love, and growth that flow from worshipping together. We are better together, as members of one body under our Lord’s care.
In the Abundance of the Riches of His Grace, Pastor Jeff
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