you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple                                                                                                                            1 Peter 2:5 NLT

 

Dear Friends and Members of IBC,

We have been looking at some of the essentials of the Christian life that are helpful for new and renewed followers of Jesus to have in place. So far, we have looked at reading the Bible and learning to pray. This week we will focus on the importance of attending church services.

In 2023, the question ‘Do I have to go to church?’ rings out louder than ever. Western society has long been individualistic, but the explosion of the internet and social media has meant that we can now watch our favourite preachers, maintain online community, and quickly find out the answer to any faith related question, without ever having to leave our homes.

The church isn’t a building, it’s a body of believers united in Christ. And so whilst it is not so important the exact location of where this body of believers chooses to meet, the body should still gather together. Hebrews 10:25 even specifically instructs us to ‘not give up meeting together’, as some people in the early Church were already in the habit of doing their own thing.    

The local church is the place where others can profit from the spiritual gifts that God has given each of us, it’s where we can find out first-hand how a suffering friend is really doing and help them to carry the burden, and it’s where we get to carry out Jesus’ great commission to go and make disciples. The Church has been given this mission and purpose to reach out and share the gospel, we get to do it together.

When the apostle Peter writes to the early Christians fleeing persecution, he encourages them to see themselves as ‘living stones’ in the growing spiritual temple which God Himself is growing, and in which He dwells. I find this description of the Church to be immensely beneficial. Basically, Christians need each other. We are dependent on one another. There is no such thing as cowboy Christianity. God’s House, His Body, His Temple, His Family, simply doesn’t work properly if it’s missing bricks or body parts. An important step for every new and renewed follower of Jesus is to commit to being part of God’s House and allow Him to build us up together.

God bless you

James