Loving Your Local Church

Do you love your local Church?

I can honestly say from my heart that I love my local Church family.

In Hebrews 10:19-25, we read:

"The Full Assurance of Faith.

Therefore, 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. 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."

In this passage of Scripture we learn about the 'Full Assurance of Faith', as the ESV heading puts it. We read that because of Jesus Christ, we can enter the presence of God with confidence and full assurance - knowing that we have been cleansed, covered in the righteousness of Christ. Amazing!

The last sentence is the bit I want to focus on. It talks about the local Church. Jesus Himself loved the local Church, as did Paul and many other Christians since Jesus' time on earth. Can we honestly say we love the Church as much as they? Would be do anything to avoid missing worship on a Sunday?

The first part of the last sentence says, "And let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works". This is not saying that good works are a part of earning salvation, for we simply cannot earn our salvation because we deserve nothing short of hell for eternity. What it is saying however, is that we are to stir one another up towards more Godly living. This letter was written in the context of Jewish believers that wanted to go back to the old way of doing things, before Christ. It's aim is to set straight that we have a new and better way through the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the audience of this letter were to set their hope on God who enables them to be made more like Jesus every day, in order that they would 'stir one another up to love and good works', as the Scripture says. 

We are to do the same. You may ask yourself how are we to do the same in this dark world? God has told us exactly how in His Holy Word. The next part of the sentence says, "not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some". This is how we are to do it, and it was how the initial audience of this God breathed letter were to do it too. I wonder can I honestly say that I don't neglect meeting together with other believers for worship in my local Church family? I'm not sure. Sometimes I can neglect it due to not being in great form or whatever, but I've made it a habit as it edifies my soul and I can encourage others - it's God's design. In 1 Corinthians we are told that the Church is one body, one family, in Christ. One of God's ways of changing us is for us to do life with other believers in the local Church. And what a method that is! I can honestly say that my local Church family (Ravenhill Presbyterian) has been such a huge blessing to me in the short 6 months that I have been going there. I've been welcomed, loved, encouraged, challenged, built up, and I've been able to do the same with others. I've been able to do what Galatians 6:2 says in bearing one another's burdens. I've been encouraged to share the Gospel, I've been told countless times of God's faithfulness and goodness, I've been prayed for many times. I thank the Lord daily for my local Church family. I don't understand how any professing Christian could live without the local Church, I really don't. 

The last part says, "but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." The Garrick pub in Belfast has a line on the side of its wall. It goes like this, "A nation that keeps two eyes on the past is blind, but a nation that keeps one eye on the past is wise." That is spot on. We are to keep one eye on the future we have with Christ, which is what the passage says when it talks about 'the Day', but we are to keep one eye on the past to learn from it and remind ourselves of His great goodness in our lives. It also touches on how we are to do it all the more as the day of Christ draws near, and how true that is. Yet how often do we think about Heaven, never mind talk about it?

If you're not a Christian and have or haven't been in a Church, go and see what it is like.

If you're a Christian and haven't been going to Church for a while, can I encourage you to go back and see what God does through it. You will be surprised! It's God's design and it's wonderful when it is played out on earth - such a blessing. 

If you're a Christian in whom God has placed a deep love for the local Church, I encourage you to keep going, especially as the day of Christ draws near. When we do God's will, the Bible, He brings tremendous blessing (not necessarily financial) and makes everything so wonderful.

Love your local Church family. I love mine. Praise the Lord for his fantastic design, for it's better than anything any of us could have designed. Let's love our local Church, and be a real part of it!