Part 2, Why Church is Important
Our relationship with God has to be nurtured for it to have meaningful connections. And fostering a deep relationship with the One who first loved us would require giving importance to what He really cares about – His church family. John says, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! … 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:1,16. Jesus died for us that we may live for Him.
1. The Lordship of Christ in the body of believers.
“12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many…21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 21, 27
Christ is the Lord/head of the church.
Every believer is part of His body.
The Spirit unites all believers regardless of race, age, gender and status in life.
Since the Spirit is with us, God is taking our relationship seriously.
There is that indivisible unity of Christ with His church.
2. The collective worshipping nature of the church.
Philippians 1:1, ““To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi.”
Philippians 2:9-11, “9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Jesus was meant to be worshipped by His people. See Matthew 2:11; 14:33 and 28:9.
He takes the highest place in our lives.
God is glorified in Christ.
Philippians 1:1, “To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi.”
God consecrates His people and set them apart to belong to Him.
He desires His people to give Him their highest devotion.
The church has to live distinctively from the rest of the world.
They were to be God’s worshippers.
Worship is loving God.
3. The primary mission of the church is to make and grow disciples.
Jesus commanded His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20.
Going is part of the process of making disciples.
The church makes disciples who will make other disciples.
Making and growing must be done through the church.
Ephesians 4:11-12, “11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Christ sends biblically equipped people to train others.
Works of service relate to building up people’s faith, through biblical teaching.
Spiritual maturity comes naturally through discipleship.
The goal of discipleship is to transform people to be like Christ.
Nobody can grow without a discipler.
Bottom line: It is impossible for any Christian to deepen his or her relationship with God without taking active participation in His church.