We Are a Church
Friday Night Gatherings
Make no mistake. We are a body. A church. A local expression of the body of Christ. This is not because of anything external or our numbers or where we meet, but because of what God has done and is doing in our hearts collectively and how He has called us. Not by our own merit, but by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11).
19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
(Hebrews 10:19-25)
Entering into God’s most holy place by the blood of Jesus naturally flows into Christians not forsaking meeting together, as is the habit of some. The church meeting together is a critical function and we must encourage each other to continue faithfully assembling together, not because of any human institution, but because of what God wants in a local expression of the body of Christ.
As a body, God will call us forward into what He wants. He will bless us and cover us in His grace. He provides everything - every spiritual blessing in Heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) and He requires everything. Our very life (Matthew 16:24-26). He will not wait. The kingdom of God moves in the timing of God, not man. And God will call specific people to be planted with us. And that may be you.
Others who are not called to be planted with us may visit with us, enjoy fellowship, bless us and be blessed by what God is doing here, which is wonderful. I hope they are planted somewhere. They really must be planted in the body.
But for those who God has planted with us, this means that we do not give up meeting together, as is the habit of some, but commit to being at these meetings (as much as it depends on you). Because what God is doing in us is important. If we commit to what God is doing in this body, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, the written and living Word, and from that we will see the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5).
By talking about a commitment to a church, or a body of believers, we are not creating a law of church attendance or of program participation and we are certainly not living by the law! But as we see in Galatians, we walk by the Holy Spirit and the promises of God and receive not death from the law and the flesh, but life and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.