Why go to Church

“For He Himself is our peace, who was made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to those who were near. For through Him we have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit” Ephesians 2:14-22.

There is no shortage of church buildings in and around our country. Finding a church might be easy enough, but deciding which one to join may involve more effort. To find wisdom in this decision, we can look to the Bible for specific instructions.

The original biblical meaning of the word "church": The term “ecclesia” meant a group of people who are called out of the world's system by God's grace for the purpose of assembling to worship and serve Christ. “And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the first born from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” Colossians 1:18 explains that believers are the body and Jesus is the head of biblical fellowship. Under His leadership, we can enjoy the unity and purpose that He intended.

God's design for this sacred gathering involves worship, instruction, encouragement, evangelism, and ministry to those in need, both within the fellowship and outside its walls. A healthy, vibrant congregation is possible only when members rely fully on the Holy Spirit's guidance. The work of the church is to be done in His power, in humble, prayerful submission to the Lord. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” Ephesians 4:2-3.

Consider the following questions to help determine the right church for you: Do they believe God's Word is infallible and inerrant? In other words, there are no errors and there can be no errors. Is the church disciplining her people? Church discipline refers to the authoritative right and duty of church officers, for the edification of the church and the honor of Christ's name, to admonish church members, and to control access to the sacraments, see Matthew 18. Does the fellowship have some kind of missionary or evangelistic program? Joining a congregation is an important decision, as a fellowship of believers is one tool God uses to mature and encourage His children. These three questions can be helpful in discerning God's will. Listen for His Spirit to warn or direct as you prayerfully investigate your options.

See more posts on related topics by clicking on the links below:

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-caring-church.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/p/nine-fundamental-christian-beliefs.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/p/we-grow-when-we-worship-god.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/2011/07/grace-helps-us-to-grow.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/2011/08/people-help-us-to-grow.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/2011/09/seeking-his-righteousness-to-grow.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/2011/09/gods-promises-bring-good-success.html

http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/2011/09/we-grow-when-we-believe-right-think_4451.html

Grounded in Truth

“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant” Psalm 25:4-10.

God’s Ways: If we'll let the truths of God’s Word fill our minds, guard our emotions, and influence our conduct, God will richly reward us with spiritual blessings and becoming more like Jesus. God may choose to bless you in worldly ways too like a better job or nicer things. By reading and meditating on His Word, we can better learn to understand His ways. This isn't something we can figure out on our own, because His ways are unlike ours: they are higher, bigger, and eternal.

Growing in Faith: Your relationship with God will continue to grow each day and more intimate as you seek Him in Bible study and prayer. The Lord will reveal Himself to those who seek Him and who are willing to obey His instructions and commands. When you begin to learn that God always keeps His promises, your confidence in His faithfulness will grow. No matter what the situation, you'll know you can trust Him. Then He will transform your worries into joyful anticipation about what He's going to do next in your life. Even if hard times are around the corner, you'll be convinced that the Lord will work them out for good.

Benefits to Godly Living: A life grounded in truth is powerful. Those who live by the Word develop spiritual discernment, which guides their choices and guards against deception. Because they demonstrate wisdom and godliness, the Lord enables them to impact others greatly. Since He knows they can be trusted, He also gives them greater responsibilities and opportunities for service in His kingdom.

Everyday Living: It is wise to invest your time and energy in building the truth of God's Word into your life. The other activities which clamor for your attention seem so important or pleasurable, but none of them can offer you the spiritual riches of a life grounded in truth.

From Ordinary to Great

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11.

Anyone who studies God's ways soon realizes the ways of God are quite different from the ways of man. Worldly wisdom says that extraordinary people and abundant resources are needed for great tasks, yet the Lord often chooses the small and insignificant to achieve His purposes on earth.

One such example is a rather unimpressive group of men Jesus chose as his disciples, yet after being filled with the Spirit, they did amazing things. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” Acts 4:13. During His ministry on earth, Jesus fed thousands with a child's meager lunch, and He viewed the widow's two small coins as a greater offering than all the other generous donations (John 6:5-12; Luke 21:2-3).

God specializes in using people who aren't naturally qualified to accomplish His tasks. Moses was a verbally impaired 80-year-old shepherd who liberated a nation. After Gideon hid from the enemy, God made him a valiant warrior. David was the overlooked youngest son who killed a giant with a small stone and became Israel's greatest king.

God isn't looking for impressive people; He wants willing ones who will bow the knee in humble submission. Being weak and ordinary doesn't make you useless. Rather, it positions you for a demonstration of divine power in your life. God takes insignificant people and delights in making them great.

Consider that what you might lack in the area of ability, talent, or skill is the ideal setting for a great display of Christ's power and glory. If you are willing to submit to His leading and venture into the scary yet rewarding territory of faith and obedience, He will do great things in and through you. 

Refined by Fire

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

There is purpose through times of adversity:

God is always at work in our lives. Even though it is hard for us to understand God’s purpose for allowing seasons of adversity, we can be sure He wants to accomplish something powerful and good. With this knowledge we can have the correct response. We can choose to rejoice during difficult times. This doesn't mean we have to be happy about the hardship itself. Instead, joy comes from drawing close to the Lord and believing steadfastly that through His redemptive power, He is growing and preparing us for something new. If your usual response to trials is anxiety, anger, or depression, the idea of having joy in the midst of a negative situation might not seem logical. However, if you look beneath the surface, you will discover that this biblical directive makes sense for several reasons.

No pain no gain:

Often, our natural reaction to pain is to run in the opposite direction, and as fast as possible. Much like a long-distance runner builds up strength in training; God wants to teach us endurance so that we can fully benefit from what He is doing in our hearts. He uses trials as a refining fire to purify us like gold and bring us to greater spiritual maturity. As we realize that we are actually being made more complete through our adversities, we'll begin to face challenging times with confidence that He always has our best interest in mind.

There are seeds of greatness inside you:

While a worldly viewpoint sees hope and joy in the midst of dark times as naïve, a spiritual perspective discerns that we're really progressing on a journey toward life at its fullest. We can be filled with supernatural joy, knowing that the Lord is making us into world-changing spiritual warriors. “Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1: 2-4

The Battle is Won

There will come a time of battle where strife, lies and deceit are commonplace. This is a ferocious battle for it is not with flesh and blood, but of evil and wickedness and unseen forces. Each day the people of God prepare themselves with the full armor of God.

The people of God fight the enemy in the valley of the shadows of death. And equipped with the full armor, God's people stand strong and firm. With the Promises of the Word written on their hearts and with wisdom and strong mind they guard themselves. With courage they endure and with the Sword of the Spirit they drive back and prevail over the enemy.

And the people who humble themselves before the Lord and with Faith in their hearts they ascend to the mountain and call out to El Shaddai the Lord God Mighty: "Your Promises are true. You said greater is He, Who is within me, than he who is in the world. You are my rock and my deliverer. You have set me up on high. I am the head and not the tail. You stand before me, at my side, and behind me. You are my shield and protector. No weapon before me shall prosper. You are Jehovah Nissi, The Lord is my Banner" Exodus 17:8-16.  

"Your Word never changes. Your Grace is enough. Your Mercy is everlasting. I put my Hope in You. I fix my eyes upon You and the battle is won. The voice of my accuser has been silenced. God has shown favor to the righteous and just and given victory over the enemy." 

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the lord say this-those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from the east and the west, from the north and the south" Psalm 107:1-3.  

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggles is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" Ephesian 6:10-18.  

See more posts on related topics by clicking on the links below:

  http://goodeyeconcepts.blogspot.com/p/armor-of-god.html