Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjZhZygvOY
Prayer: Father God thank you for drawing us together tonight. Please meet each of us just where we are. And Abba? Bless each one in the area of their deepest need. We are grateful that you know our hearts intimately and see past our faulty perceptions to the “us” you created us to be. Help us to shed all that is not of you and embrace who we are because of Jesus.
We are going to ponder a modern question tonight.
I saw a poster about it.
Many people will state, that they don’t need to go to a “church”. Meaning a local fellowship.
Sometimes people actually are physically unable to get to one, but that is vastly different than choosing not to go for whatever reason.
I wanted to see what the Bible has to say and saw this poster.
It kind of explains what church is and isn’t.
It says, in this era (age/time) of celebrated individuality, many people believe that organized religion—church— is an outdated concept that doesn’t work for today’s individual. After all, relating to and with people can be exhausting. Plus we might need to get up early and get dressed. Or give up golf or fishing or whatever we do instead.
This author said, and I agree, that participating in corporate worship is valuable for a Christian’s spiritual growth.
Jesus established his church as a community of his followers who gather to celebrate God, encourage one another and spread the Good News.
Not to mention that in Hebrews 10 we are told, “ 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
I have heard that quoted a lot. I quote it myself. But the surrounding verses are important.
In Chapter 10 of Hebrews, they are being instructed. Jesus is quoted about the sacrifices that the Hebrew people have always made and how they did not totally cleanse from sin.
Hebrews 10:11+ And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
That was speaking of the end of the need for a daily sacrificial offering for sin. Something that was done at the actual temple in Jersaleum.
Then he tells them how to live it out:
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Before Jesus died and rose and then returned to heaven, there was a great separation between man and God. In the temple there was an actual curtain which at the moment of Jesus’ death was torn apart from top to bottom. It shielded the most holy place from the people. Only the High Priest could enter the presence of God and only after elaboration preparation. That was no longer needed. Because now we can each go to God on our own. We have a new High Priest and His name is Jesus.
Verse 24-25 which we read earlier tells HOW in part we are to do that. They say, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
So the context and part of the “why” we need a local community is to be encouraged to remain true to the Word of God.
Of course to an extent we can do that in this online community, but we are limited because we do not really know one another face to face and we are unable to “be” with each other physically.
Back to the poster, it says, “ It is important to understand what the church is in order to understand the benefits to being a part of it.
The Church is….the Bride of Christ.
John 17:20-26 is a lovely prayer spoken for his disciples but also for us today.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Dodi Note: One thing we do in community with others is share lives. We celebrate with one another. We grieve with one another. We allow ourselves to receive gentle correction from one another. We study, pray, learn and just be with one another. Real lives, real hugs. This does not mean in a church building on Sunday, it means in community….small groups…friends etc.
Eph. 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Dodi Note: Marriage is community too. I personally love this portion of Ephesians. Men are designed to love their wives as Christ loves us “the church”. Jesus loves us so much he literally died for us. He sanctifies us (makes us holy ….hard to believe but that is how we are presented to God), and cleanses us by water (Baptism?) and the Word. And then at the final judgement, we “the church”, all who are born again are presented spotless and without blemish before God.
Rev. 19:7
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
Rev. 21:9
9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
Dodi Note: Another name for the church…us…and men too…is the BRIDE of Christ.
The author says, based on those scriptures that…The benefits are that “we, the collective followers of Jesus (His Bride) are the objects of his affection and glory.
Jesus’ relationship with His church is permanent.
The world can know God’s love through the unity of believers and their commitment to Jesus.
The church is…..The Body of Christ.
Rom 12:3-8
Gifts of Grace
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Dodi Note: Now tell me….if we are not meeting with other Christians on a regular basis…how can we do this?
“Church” meaning a group of believers meeting on a regular basis is where we practice being who God created us to be. Each of us, all of you, and me too were created with certain gifts and abilities FOR the BODY of Christ. If we stay isolated, how can we do that?
1 Cor. 12:12-31
One Body with Many Members
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Dodi Note: Part of baptism is community generally, isn’t it? Most people do not get baptized alone. smile
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?
But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require.
But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Dodi Note: this can only be done in a local community of Believers.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Dodi Note: This passage is clearly referring to organized religion..not in the bad way but in a good way.
Eph. 4:11-16
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Dodi Note: Look at this next part which is the “why”
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
The Author says:
The church brings God’s people together: Christ is the spiritual “head” that connects and directs us.
Serving others within a church community allows us to use our God-given gifts.
When we serve each other, we embody the message of God’s love, just as Jesus embodied God himself.
God provides unity for His people to ensure that we are never alone, even in times of need.
The Church is… A Place For Growth
Dodi Note: I will admit that being a member of my local church has been a place of huge growth, occasional wounding, and has totally changed me from who I was to who I now am.
Rom 1:12
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
Eph. 4:29
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Col. 3:13
3 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Dodi Note: Some things and some people are difficult to forgive, but the more we do it the easier it becomes. And once we understand and experience the benefits…wow. To the Hebrew mind any concept implied an action more than a feeling. To forgive to them would mean to treat the other with respect and kindness, even if they continued to act in wrong ways toward you. It did not mean a fuzzy warm feeling necessarily but denoted an action. The same with love. One of the most interesting concepts in Hebrew thinking to me is the word hate. Remember Jesus said “hate” your mother and father? What “hate” actually meant to a Hebrew mindset was “prefer less”. Once I realized that all the times the word hate was used made more sense. Now when I see hate in the Bible, I think “prefer less”.
1 Thess. 5:11
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
2 Thess 1:3
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
The church is a community of people who are accepted and forgive.
We as believers rely on each other to increase in our faith and commiment to Christ.
We build each other up through love and service.
By working together, we work toward the benefit of each other.
And some of my favorite reasons are found in James. In the book of James we are given specific instructions about how to live and I think we need to be a part of a real life community to do those things.
James 2 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Dodi Note: Notice the assumption that people will be in “assembly” or corporate gatherings.
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man.
Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Then in James 5:
James 5: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Dodi Note: We actually do this at my church. After communion on every Sunday and for several hours on Thursday mornings. I am honored to get to be one of the people who gather to pray for others. Sometimes total strangers come in off the street and we see lives changed and hearts restored. Bodies healed too. None of that would be possible without the local church building and people.
I just believe we need each other, both here online and in real life and wanted us to consider that so that if someone asks us, we can respond from a Biblical view and if we need to be encouraged to find a local community to do that as well.
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