Being With God’s People

Over the past two posts we have looked at hearing God’s voice and having God’s ear. In short, we have explored the spiritual disciplines related to personal Bible reading and prayer. Yet, if we were to stop here, we might end up thinking that Christianity is a very lonely religion. But any Christian can tell you that this isn’t true. Christianity is a communal religion. This is a part of God’s plan. Jesus didn’t just die to save individuals; he died to save his bride—the church. We can’t talk about living the Christian life without, at the same time, talking about the church. In this post, we will explore the spiritual disciplines that relate to the church.

Gathering

            There is a concerning trend which suggests that church is optional. It’s not uncommon for people to say, “I don’t need church; I can love Jesus without it.” This is dangerous thinking.

First, the Bible commands that we participate in the life of the church. Consider Hebrews, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (10:24–25). Some neglect to meet together, that is bad. Don’t do that. This is the gist of this passage. Second, Jesus loves his church. For example, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Jesus died for the church. How can we despise something that Jesus loves? That’s not the Christian way.

For these reasons we gather as the church. We come together each week for worship, word, and sacrament. We come to worship God through prayer, singing, and praise. We come to hear God’s word preached, read, and applied. We come to participate in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper where we tangibly see the gospel on display. We do all these things as the church. We need them.

All of this means that we should take church seriously. It should be very high on our priority list each week. Practically, this means that we should come prepared. We should treat Sunday mornings as sacred. Get out of bed early, prepare your heart to be with God’s people, bring a Bible and a pen, turn your phone to “do not disturb,” and listen attentively. All of these things help us as we gather with God’s people.

Serving

            We might not realize this, but the church is a living organism. This is why Paul uses the metaphor of a body to describe the church. In 1 Corinthians Paul writes, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ . . . Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (12:12, 27). This means that every single one of us has a part to play. We are essential members to the body of Christ, just like a hand is an essential part of the human body.

            Now there is a wrong way to apply this, and a right way. The wrong way is to take an online quiz, figure out our spiritual gifting, and then only serve the church in that way. Paul is not using this metaphor to justify our culture’s obsession with self-fulfillment. The right way is to recognize that the church needs all types of people and all types of service. The church functions best when we serve one another. In fact, the very idea Paul is combatting in this passage is a pride that desires to be at the top, instead of having a heart of service.

            As members of Christ’s body we are called to serve one another with humility. This means that when babies need to be held, we hold babies. It means that when people need to be greeted, we greet them. It means that when coffee needs to be made, we make it. We serve one another looking to Christ who “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6–7). If you aren’t already, let me encourage you to find a way to serve your church.

Giving

            We gather, we serve, and we give. Giving is always an awkward one to talk about. How do you write on this topic without it seeming self-serving and self-interested? The only antidote to this is to remain grounded in Scripture, and the Bible talks a lot about financial giving.

            A few examples to demonstrate this. First, when Jesus teaches on giving he says, “when you give to the needy” (Matthew 5:2). Notice his wording. He doesn’t say “if you give,” but “when you give.” He just assumes that we will be giving. Secondly, the Apostle Paul writes, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Here the command is even stronger, it is a must. Giving is not something church leaders talk about in a self-serving way. We talk about it because the Bible talks about it.

            But why is this considered a spiritual discipline? Simple, because giving forces us to trust God. When we give—whether it’s out of our abundance or out of our lack—we are saying, “Lord, I trust you with my financial situation.” It helps us recognize that the money we do have is merely on loan from the King of kings. Let us steward it well and seek to grow in our trust of God.

Evangelism

            The church should never become a “holy huddle”. We should love our churches, we should love the people there, but this should never cause us to become isolationist. The church is called to go out into the world and share the good news of the gospel.

Jesus teaches his disciples this right before he ascends to heaven. He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). This is commonly called “The Great Commission”. It is the mission Jesus has given his church. We are to tell people about Jesus until he returns.

There are a lot of ways we can do this, but the first step is befriending non-Christians. It is amazing to have friends in the church. We should be forever thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ. But if we don’t know anyone who doesn’t follow Jesus, how can we ever be obedient to Jesus’s command here? We can’t! The first step in our evangelism is having people in our lives who need evangelism. Get to know your neighbors, invite a co-worker and his family over for dinner, or strike up a conversation with a barista. Our faith in Christ grows, as we see faith blossom in others.

Conclusion

            Over this series of blog posts we have looked at spiritual disciplines related to the Bible, related to prayer, and related to the church. As we seek to get into God’s word, commune with him in prayer, and be with his people, we live the Christian life. But I want to be really clear: we are completely loved and accepted through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Practicing these disciplines does not save us; Jesus saves us. However, we can grow in our love for God and others by doing certain things. This is what the disciplines do. The disciplines take a baby Christian and, slowly but surely, form them into a mature one. Let us practice the disciplines so we can grow in Christlikeness.