The Believer’s Local Church
Rom. 1:7 • Eph. 1:1 • Col. 1:2 • Ph. 1:1
Every believer should be planted in a local church. Your spiritual growth, emotional well being and sense of purpose are directly connected to your level of church commitment.
- The Church is a Family
- God’s plan for wholeness
- Feeds you spiritually, socially, emotionally
- “God sets the solitary in families…” Ps. 68:6
- Frequently changing churches is as foolish in concept as changing families every time your parents hurt your feelings.
- The Church is as a Garden
“Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of their God.” Ps. 92:13- Think of a natural seed which needs sun and water.
- Growing in God comes from being planted in a local church.
- A Christian cannot be uprooted and “change gardens” monthly and expect to grow.
- Growth is a slow process, but gardeners know the needed cycle: water, sun, pull weeds, wait. Stay planted and you’ll grow.
- The Church is a School
- Instructed to study God’s Word, the text book. II Tm 2:15
- Growing in God prepares you for your tests of life. Learn healing scriptures before you get a bad doctor’s report.
- God’s serious students succeed in life. Jos. 1:8
- Graduation — death is promotion to eternal rewards. Ps. 116:15
- The Church is as a Body
- Jesus is the Head and the church is the Body. I Co. 12:12
- Meditate on this: Jesus walked on earth for three years with a physical body; loving, healing and teaching. What His physical body began, His spiritual body continues today.
- We are not an “extension of Him.” The anointing that flows through us is Him. Col. 6:16
- Every member in the Body is valuable.
