Good day
In the previous messages we covered Bible reading, praise and worship and prayer. Being a member of a church definitely serves a catalyst, helps to sustain and can grow all of these areas and so much more. Please see below examples:
🔵 We go to church to be taught the word of God and to be equipped by those whom God has appointed for works of service. (Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 4:42, 2 Timothy 3:16)
🔵 Proverbs 22:6 says that we should train our children up in the way they should go, and whilst we shouldn't leave it up to the church alone to train and direct our children, it does provide the opportunity and platform for our children to learn about God.
🔵 At church we also get to meet leaders that can further speak the word of God to us. It also creates an opportunity to be discipled by them by following their example. (Hebrews 13:7, Hebrews 13:17, Titus 2:2-6, 1 Timothy 2:2). In doing so, it then enables us to go and disciple others and thereby obeying the instructions of Jesus Christ mentioned in Matthew 28:18-20.
🔵 At church we also get to meet people, form relationships and have an opportunity to encourage one another (Hebrews 3:12-13, Colossians 3:16). Motivate one another to acts of love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24-25). Be around the right company. (1 Corinthians 15:33, Psalms 1:1-4). Be sharpened and to sharpen others. (Proverbs 27:17). Bear one another’s burdens and to care for one another. (Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12:25)
I'd need to write a book if I was to tell you about how being a member of a local church has helped me to grow in my relationship with God, whether it be from pastors, leaders, friends that I've made at church and family. God has worked through many people to help encourage me to attend church meetings, join a small group, join youth, attend prayer meetings, serve in church, going on courses at church, Bible College, teacher's training, going on outreaches, etc. God has also used them at various stages to speak into my life, whether it's to give advice, bring discipline, correction, teaching, encouragement, wisdom, etc. All of these have helped to develop my intimacy with God ... and then not even to mention how this has impacted other areas of my life like family relationships, my marriage, parenting, my work life, health, finances, etc.
All of the above is made possible by physically attending and becoming a faithful member of a local church.
(Based on all of the above, we can see why satan does his best to cause strife, offence, unforgiveness and division among church members, because in doing so, it prevents us from functioning as God intended us to)
Ephesians 1:22-23 and Ephesians 5:23-30 tells us that the church and the body of Christ are one, so when people refer to the church they can also call it the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks about how the human body has many parts, and how all the various parts make up one whole body, and that it's the same in the body of Christ - That all of us together form Christ’s body.
1 Corinthians 12:15-26
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
I've highlighted the below 2 sentences taken from the above passage:
"God has put the body together"
"God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."
Based on this we can see that God was the one who came up with the idea of having us all form part of the body of Christ (the church). It means that no Christian should be isolated or think they can achieve everything God desires of them without being a member of a local church. He set it up to function this way. Surely He wouldn't have done so if it wasn't beneficial to us and to the furthering of His kingdom? ... so when people choose not to become a member of a church, they're actually going against God's design and missing out on all the benefits listed above.
We find a similar passage in Romans 12:3-8:
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Here again, I've highlighted the below 2 sentences taken from the above passage:
"We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."
"God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well"
Based on this we can see that not only has God placed us together to a part of the body of Christ but that we all also have something to offer and that we all stand to benefit from each other's gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 also speak about the gifts of the Spirit and how the Holy Spirit distributes these as He wills. It also says that there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.
Notice that last sentence, it is given to each one for the profit of all
This tells me each one of us have a gift and that again, we all stand to benefit from one another's gifts. It means that there's something that you have to offer that's going to help others in the body of Christ. That there's a need in their life that you can help fulfill. Your gift may be the answer to their prayer - and whether directly or indirectly, ultimately it's going to help strengthen and develop their relationship with God ... the opposite of course becomes true when we choose to neglect our gift or fail to use it for the purpose God intended for it.
Let's remember that God designed His church to function this way. We're meant to form part of His body and use the gifts He's given us to fulfill the work He entrusts to His church so that lives can be impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ and we can see true and lasting change in our communities, cities and country.
Amen