Getting Into Community
Private time with God is vital, the most important thing. But time with other Christians is vital too. And we certainly must not neglect it. We will suffer, and stop growing, if we do.
The Power of Christian Community
Look at how the early believers prioritized togetherness: "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people." (Acts 2:44-47)
Some people think church is not really necessary in the Christian life. They like to say "going to church doesn't make you a Christian, just like standing in a garage doesn't make you a Ferrari." That's a misuse of that quote! That quote means that if you go to church on a Sunday but don't follow God during the week in every area of your life, you're not a Christian. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prioritize church.
The Modern Challenge
Sadly our world today has shifted the way we think about church. R Kent Hughes wrote something profound: "Today... we have a phenomenon unthinkable in any other century: churchless Christians. There is a vast herd of professed Christians who exist as nomadic hitchhikers without accountability, discipline, or discipleship, living apart from the regular benefits of the ordinances... they have God as their Father, but reject the church as their mother, and as a result are incomplete and stunted."
That last phrase is striking - incomplete and stunted... not growing... because they are churchless Christians. How much does church mean to you? Is it an optional Sunday morning activity? Or is your church community your spiritual family, whom you can't wait to meet with on a Sunday, and worship with, and learn with, and grow with?
Growing Together
The church is called the body of Christ - He is the head, we are the body, and we all have a role to play. Without a body of believers to belong to, we’d just a random body parts lying doing nothing. We need a body to belong to! Maybe this is the year where you get plugged into the church community – joining a Bible study, volunteering your time, or simply making Sunday worship a non-negotiable priority.
The only way to truly grow, is to grow with a body of believers. May it be that this year you don’t try go at it alone, but you prioritise your growth by connecting with other Christians consistently.
