God puts His children in community for a crucial purpose! In this day of synthesized spirituality that affiliates with the church on TV (be it Oprah or Tele-Church), much is being lost. While technology has opened some wonderful doors for ministry, it has also provided some subtle substitutes. You and your family are the losers in the end…
On the positive side of technology, I am treasurer of a mission board called Dayspring International that has produced a film, now in digital format, of the life of Jesus by all Indian actors in every language of India. This mission began twenty eight years ago and takes the Gospel to hundreds of thousands of Indian people who have never heard the Gospel. Over two thousand churches have been established and millions of India’s people have received Jesus as their Lord resulting from this film.
God Places Us In Families…
The church family is a place ordained by God to strengthen your relationship with Jesus. There is no organization on earth that solely exists with the promise that Jesus will manifest His presence when it congregates. He has promised, “Where two or three are gathered together in my Name, I am there in the midst of them…” (Matthew 18: 20)
You will not grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord a part from being related to His family. The church where you affiliate must be a Bible believing, Holy Spirit filled church that takes discipleship seriously.
The Celebration…
The human spirit is made for celebration. In the church there is extravagant celebration. The focus is the Father, through the Son and by the Holy Spirit. You will never know the work of the Holy Spirit so powerfully as when you celebrate Jesus in the community of believers.
It will give you strength from the joy that comes through genuine worship. My heart leaps for the opportunity to be with my brothers and sisters who love and adore Jesus no matter what denomination they come from. I take on strength and courage as I can in no other way than in community.
For Learning and Growing…
When we get to heaven there will be no need for forgiveness; there will be no need for patience or long- suffering. All will be perfect there. The famous poet, Keats, was right when he wrote: “Earth is the perfect environment for learning the fruit of the Spirit.” (Galatians 5: 22-23) Family is the arena where these eternal lessons are learned. Heaven is the place where we are rewarded for having learned them.
Church is the venue where the Word of God is proclaimed. We learn about the ways of God and the Holy Spirit is pledged to cause us to grow as we hear and obey the Word of God in the congregation when we’re gathered in the Name of the Lord.
Charlie Brown told Lucy, “Lucy, you have to love the world to make it a better place.” Lucy replied, “Charlie Brown you’re a clunk head. I love the world, I just can’t stand people!” An authentic relationship with Jesus will make you love people and church is the place to learn this.
The Whole Is Greater Than the Parts…
When we engage in a commitment to a God given Mission assigned to a local church, we find tremendous opportunity to serve God’s purpose in our lives. I have witnessed the process. I have seen people come from no faith into faith and from faith into calling. I have seen the most unlikely people become powerful instruments in God’s hand.
This does not happen outside of a community of faith that can give all the needed support to newly born ministries. Please, remember Acts 13: 1-3. It was in a church service where the people were ministering unto the Lord when the Holy Spirit spoke and called Paul and Barnabas to a world changing ministry, only in the church!
So, The Watching World Will Know…
Jesus prayed, “Father, that they all may be one as I and the Father are one, that the world may know that You have sent Me…” (John 17: 23) The reason Satan fights so hard against unity in the church is because he knows the Bible better than Christians do.
The enemy of your soul knows that when Christians are in one accord his power is diminished and that the world will see the love that Christians have for one another. When Christians love and act as one, unbelievers will see this unique relationship and know that Jesus is the source of the unity. The hearts of the needy will be compelled to come unto Him.
Reverend George Ivey, Pastor
Anglican Church
of the Holy Trinity
7049 Spout Springs Road
Flowery Branch, GA 303542
404-643-7339
