I recently posed a question on Facebook asking people to recommend a local church. I got a few good answers, but a few people responded, saying, I don’t need a church, or I am the church. While there may be some truth to our bodies being a temple, that’s not actually what Jesus was saying.
I don’t really want to have to tell you this, but you actually need a home church.
Some of you have been hurt by a church. I get that. I have as well. It just sucks when you think you can trust people and they (fill in the blank with how humans have fallen short here) instead.
Jesus called us to love each other, and when your church hurts you, it’s so much worse than when the outside world hurts you. When Christians behave badly or preach unsound doctrine it can lead people to a bad impression of Christ’s church.
Outside of the gospels and Revelation, the entire New Testament is about the church. How it started, advice for following Christ, and how to act in the world. Without a body of believers, we are almost ill-equipped to carry out the great commission, Mt 28:19-20.
Jesus Loved the Church
The Bible clearly states that Jesus loved the church, Eph 5:23-32. Jesus died for the church, Eph 5:25.
Instructions were given in the Bible for how the church should act, building each other up and “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” Heb 10:25. It’s interesting to note that this word is the same word used by Christ on the cross, Mt 27:46. We are not to forsake/abandon the church.
Here is what you should feel like in church:
- Loved
- Cared for
- Appreciated
- Fed
Your home church should feel a bit like home to you.
Learning God’s Word Is Easier at Church
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Pt 1:20
I don’t speak Hebrew or Aramaic.
I really enjoy looking at words in the Bible in their original languages and seeing how to apply God’s word in my life. Reading the bible is unlike reading any other book writer. It is God’s word so it’s essential to know where and when the story is placed, who the characters are, and who they are addressing. A passage or section of scripture may not make sense unless you consider the context of the book. I rely on those who have devoted their studies to interpreting scripture to help me understand.
The Church for Godly Leadership
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you–if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
Ti 1:5-9 NKJV
A Pastor/Elder’s role in the church is to devote his life to learning God’s word, making disciples, and helping interpret the bible for the congregation. Not only does this lead to a place for worship, but it leads to a group of people on a similar mission to live a Godly life. Doing this with a group, we can help each other do God’s will here on earth.
This model is biblical. Acts 20:28 explains that Pastor’s are “overseers of the church of God. Acts 6:4 says that they should be devoted to prayer and ministry of the word. 1 Pt 5:3 says that they should be examples to the flock.
Our pastors and elders in the church show us how a leader should act.
The Church for Community
This post could have only explained why this is important and that would have been enough.
Community is so important to Christians. We live in an increasingly secular world. In various forms of everyday media, we are tempted and God is mocked.
I’m not even talking about social media, that is a different animal. I’m talking about movies, commercials, books, and ads that say to “follow your heart” and “do what feels right”. We know the heart is deceitful above all things, Jer 17:9. God’s ways are not man’s ways, Is 55:8. Christians must battle the flesh daily. It gets ever harder to do that when everywhere you look you see people living without God.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Eph 6:12
The church comes in and gives Christians a place to focus singularity on God and on living according to his will. A community of believers can come together and pray for and help each other with the battles against the flesh.
The church can help believers find the strength to stay God-focused on a world that wants the kingdom, without the king.
Churches pray for each other
Prayer is one of the most important tools we Christians have in our arsenal against the evil of this world.
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mt 18:19
Jas 5:14-16 and many other texts imply that there are some answers to prayer we simply would not get without involving others in our praying.
God never intended for you to live an isolated life or an invisible relationship with him. God desires for his body—his church—to be a public organization that lives for his glory and the good of others, Jn 17:21-23.
The church can help believers find the strength to stay God-focused on a world that wants the kingdom, without the king.
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Just look up how many times the phrase “one another” comes up. You’ll see that we were meant to be together in our worship of God.