Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. (Matt. 16:18)
Pictured above is and was my first exposure to "church" as it were growing up as a little kid. The name on the building isn't as important as the impression and foundation that had been laid in me as a curious sponge of a boy. It was here that I spent most if not all of my Sunday. It was here I experienced the strange thing of "speaking in tongues." It was here that I was reminded that "kids were to seen, not heard." It was here I saw my grandmother & aunt serve as ushers. It was here I wondered, " do they have to breathe heavy as they are closing their message?" It was here I wondered " I will I ever understand what they are speaking/preaching/teaching about?" It was here that I remember zoning out between Sunday school & morning worship....because it seemed to be BORING! It was here that I that I remember hearing juicy gossip about the deacons, the mothers, and anyone else that came in. It was also here that I learned to detest (almost to the point of hate) this institution but someone deposited a seed of the love of JESUS CHRIST in me although I didn't even know what that was.
Why tell you all this.....? Because had I not been brought up in this dysfunctional body I'm certain I wouldn't be where I am today. See the verse above was stated by JESUS CHRIST, and it was the first mentioning of the word CHURCH. It was the Ekklesia (church) is where Christ wanted the broken of this world to come to learn and know about Him and in turn become a koinia (fellowship) where together we'd be the CHURCH ALIVE. The CHURCH ALIVE in the sense that because of His Spirit in us we'd BE THE BRIDE, THE CHURCH HE's coming back for.
Often because of the very things I experienced as a child up above we as a culture have opted out of church. Their gossiping outside the walls of the church, who wants to be a part of that? I had a young lady that came to the oil change that was a PK ( Pastor's Kid) that was done with the hypocrisy and couldn't understand the preached word, I can think of other things one may want to do with their time. But not just going to one, but even becoming one. Let me explain how....If the seed (JESUS CHRIST) that was planted in me never got watered & challenged by people of FAITH it would've simply shriveled up or choked out and died. This is where some people who grew up being made to go to church are.....they've given up on going, and by giving up on going, they aren't becoming the church either. See Christ's idea of us developing into this thing called the church meant it was to be done around other like-minded believers. Others that would challenge us in our areas of lack. Others that would challenge us to see what the WORD of GOD says about how we are to engage foreigners. Others that would challenge us what does the word of GOD say about loving our neighbors and what does that look like. Others that would love us when we didn't deserve to be loved because they too were once there. Others that would challenge us in our marriages seeking happiness over the prescribed holiness. Others......Others.....Others.....see one doesn't become what CHRIST intended without warming pews, seats, or rubbing shoulders with other broken individuals.
So to answer the question....is NO! In order to be & grow in your spiritually that isn't done in the context of books, or videos. That's done in the context of being in the community (koinia) of others that desire to grow in the Spirit of Christ so that together they get to enjoy blessing the world with the FRUITS of His Spirit. LGLP (see you tomorrow for shaping of our spiritual life)
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