Based on an idea by Dr. Wayne J. Gerber
This is the first of the spiritual disciplines that a disciple of Christ must practice — to take part in the life of his local church. God gathers his disciples into one body that we call the church. Sharing in the church helps a disciple to grow and to become more like Jesus Christ. As I have said before, the spiritual disciplines tune the elements of our human nature — our spirit, our soul, and our body — in such a way that the spirit overcomes the flesh in us, and so we live a victorious Christian life.
The last time I taught on the spiritual disciplines in our church, I skipped this one, thinking that it was self-evident and that everyone was doing it. But now, as I reflect, I see that many people stop practicing it, and this is the beginning of their spiritual wandering, of their growing cold toward Christ, and even of their falling away from the faith.
Beginning with a study of what the church is, we will go on to look at two supremely important activities of the church — corporate worship and fellowship. The lesson closes with a list of the things the disciples of Jesus did when they met together.
WHAT THE CHURCH IS
To understand what the church is, we need to see who makes it up — who is part of the church? In 1 Corinthians 1:2 we read:
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2)
Who, according to this verse, are the church of God? The Apostle Paul addresses his letter to “the church of God in Corinth,” and in the very address of the letter he explains who they are:
- “Those sanctified in Christ Jesus” — we are sanctified through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:10).
- “Called to be his holy people” — one day, when God meets us, he will make us entirely perfect, and then we will truly be “holy.” Yet our calling to be holy is valid even now.
- “All those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” — the church is made up of people who believe in Jesus Christ, not in Buddha or Muhammad or any other god or idol, but in Jesus Christ.
These are the people who make up the church.
The second thing that will help us understand what the church is comes from grasping the relationship between the church and Christ. We find the answer to this question in 1 Corinthians 12:27:
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
What is the connection between Christ and the church? The church is “the body of Christ,” and he is its head (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). Just as the head governs the body, so Christ should govern the church.
The third question that will help us understand what the church is asks, “What unites the church? What binds its members together and makes them one?” In Ephesians 4:4-6 we read:
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
The members of Christ’s church are those who are parts of Christ’s body and are filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as our body must have our spirit within it to be alive, so what makes Christ’s church alive is the one Spirit of God.
Besides one body and one Spirit, what else do all the disciples of Christ have in common? The one hope, the one Lord, the one faith, and the one baptism. What is the hope of the church? The resurrection from the dead. This is our hope, this is what we believe — that one day we will be with the Lord and that we will live together with him for eternity. We are many, we are different, yet we are one.
How would you describe the church? What is the church on the basis of the verses we have read? The church is the people sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, who are the body of Christ and are bound together into one by the shared Spirit, hope, faith, and baptism.
THE CHURCH IN WORSHIP
So far we have seen what the church is. But what does it do? We gather with one purpose — and what is that purpose? To worship God. In Psalm 95:6-7 God’s word urges us:
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, (Psalm 95:6-7)
Here we see a picture in which God is presented as our shepherd and we as his flock. But what does God invite us to do in these verses? God invites us to worship him.
How are we to worship God? Psalm 100:1-2 says:
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. (Psalm 100:1-2)
How do you come to worship God? In what mood, or rather, with what attitude? With gladness and with joy. This does not mean that we must always be smiling, for we can also come before the Lord in sorrow. Yet our very coming before God is joyful — if only because of the fact that we have Someone to go to, Someone before whom to bow, and Someone before whom to pour out our grief. We serve God with joy and gladness; we worship him because he is worthy — he is our Creator and he is our Redeemer from sin and death.
The next question is: whom do we worship? According to Jesus, whom alone should we worship? In Matthew 4:10 we read his words to Satan:
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10)
We must not worship not only Satan and the demons, but not even the angels or God’s servants. In Revelation 19:10 we read of John’s experience in this matter:
10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” (Revelation 19:10)
On another similar occasion, when he tried to worship the angel who was bringing him the revelation, John was again corrected not to worship even angels, even God’s messengers, but only God (Revelation 22:8-9)!
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:8-9)
How are we to worship? In John 4:19-24 we read of the meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman:
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:19-24)
The question here is: how are we to worship? In the Spirit and in truth — that is, with our heart and in reality — not only in church, but so that our whole life is a life of worship.
When is a good time to gather for worship before God? On “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7a):
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. (Acts 20:7)
Here we see that in apostolic times the church gathered for worship on “the first day of the week.” When was the first day of the week back then? The answer to this question depends on which day was the seventh. The seventh day was the Sabbath. Therefore the first day of the week was Sunday. The Jews kept the Sabbath. But because Christ rose “on the first day of the week” (Mark 16:9; John 20:1, 19), Christians began to hold their gatherings on that very day (1 Corinthians 16:2).
What have we learned from these verses about the worship of the church? God invites us to worship him, because he is our Creator. He is our God, and so we worship him. Our service before him must be wholehearted — with joy and gladness. We must not worship anyone other than him — whether Satan, demons, or even angels. Our worship of God must be in the Spirit and in truth. A good time to worship him is “the first day of the week,” which is Sunday.
THE CHURCH IN FELLOWSHIP
In Psalm 122:1 we read:
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.” (Psalm 122:1)
What makes the writer of this psalm rejoice? The invitation to go to the house of God. Why? Because when we all come to the house of the Lord, we gather and are able to have fellowship, and fellowship is something pleasant and joyful.
According to Psalm 133:1, fellowship is good and pleasing to the Lord:
1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
What is pleasing and good in the eyes of the Lord according to this psalm? For God’s people to live together in unity. So we gather not only to worship God, but also to have fellowship — both with God and with one another.
The key word for understanding New Testament fellowship is the Greek word “koinonia.” It occurs only 12 times in the New Testament. Most often it is translated as “fellowship.” But it means far more — not merely an exchange of words, but a self-sacrificing sharing.
- In Romans 15:26 it is used of the help that the Greek Christians gathered for the believers in Jerusalem.
- In 1 Corinthians 10:16 it is used of the sharing in the blood of Christ and in the body of Christ.
Taking into account all the instances in which the word is used, it may be said to carry the following meanings:
- a two-way relationship of giving and receiving;
- close partnership and cooperation;
- two or more people united by a common interest or cause;
- the love and care of people for one another;
- communion, participation, contribution, sharing, friendship.
It is very important that we understand that we are parts of one body who care for one another and cooperate to carry out the will of the Head — Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
How many people are needed for the church to have its fellowship? For a conversation or a dialogue to take place, at least two people are needed. In Matthew 18:20 we read:
20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
Whom has God called us to be in fellowship with? Besides one another, God the Father has called us to be in fellowship with his Son (1 Corinthians 1:9):
9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)
Besides with the Son, with whom else do we have fellowship? In 2 Corinthians 13:14 we read:
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
And with whom else do we have fellowship (1 John 1:7)?
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)
This speaks of “fellowship with one another.” “With one another” — but who is the other? Is it the person next to us, or is it someone else? The fellowship spoken of here is fellowship with “the One who is in the light,” and if we look at the preceding verses we will understand that this is God the Father (John 1:3).
What do we learn about fellowship from all these verses? In the local church we have fellowship with the believers, fellowship with God the Father, with God the Son, and with God the Holy Spirit.
WHAT DID THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS DO IN THEIR GATHERINGS?
The reason we ask this question is to look into God’s Word and see whether we too are doing the same things they did.
- They made disciples, baptized, and taught (Matthew 28:19-20):
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore 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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
- They taught, had fellowship, broke bread, and prayed (Acts 2:42):
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
- They prayed (Acts 4:24):
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. (Acts 4:24)
- They worshiped, fasted, prayed, laid hands on missionaries, and sent them out to do spiritual work (Acts 13:2-3):
2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3)
- They read the Scriptures (Acts 15:21):
21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:21)
- They observed the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26):
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
- They prophesied (1 Corinthians 14:3):
3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. (1 Corinthians 14:3)
- They gave offerings (1 Corinthians 16:2):
2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (1 Corinthians 16:2)
- They restored the fallen and carried one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:1-2):
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2)
- They sang and gave thanks to God (Ephesians 5:19-20):
19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-20)
- They taught and admonished one another, sang, and gave thanks (Colossians 3:16):
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16)
- They testified about our Lord (2 Timothy 1:8):
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:8)
In what way did these activities encourage the disciples of Christ?
APPLICATION — Taking part in the life of the church is essential to the growth of a disciple of Christ.
- What things that we do in church encourage you, and in what way?
- Is there something you have not done so far but would like to do in church — to testify, or to sing, or to read from God’s Word, to lead in prayer, or to prophesy?