Friday, October 23, 2009

Church of the living God

I Tim 3:14-16: “14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”

Paul loved the church of God. He was coaching his young protégé to be the man of God that Paul knew he could be. Paul was also writing to the church on how to act in ways that honor Jesus. Paul wrote to Timothy, “that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Paul placed a high value upon the church and its role in the life of the believer.

For the Christ-follower the church is the foundation with Christ as the cornerstone. The church is an important aspect in the Christian’s life. Being a Christian away from the church is like being a cell phone away from a charger. You may get by for a while; However, eventually you will be powerless, and will need a charge. The church is by no means necessary for salvation (I gave my heart to Jesus in a Dunkin’ Donuts and was not going to church). However, I needed to be plugged in with like-minded people. I needed to hang around other “Jesus People” so I could grow as a Christ-follower. I needed to be taught. I also needed to be loved and to love back. Church did that for me. I no longer was a stranger, I was family.

Moreover, like my real family, my church family was not perfect. They were real people just like me with hurts, pains, expectations, and baggage just like me. But one thing that my church family provided was the solid rock teaching and theology that I needed to get me to a place where I fell in love with Jesus. If we can get past the fact that church with all its little quirks is the bride of Christ himself, then we can get to a place where we can realize that it is not about me and what I want. It is all about Jesus. We go to church because we need to fellowship with other believers. We go to church to worship God. We go to church to learn the bedrock principles of Jesus from people who have devoted their lives studying the scriptures. We go to church because it is commanded in the bible, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Find a church that teaches sound Christian doctrine and one that you feel you can serve Jesus in and one where you can be a faithful member.

Tomorrows Readings:
Old Testament: Jer. 11-13 New Testament I Tim. 4

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