15. What is the Church? Part Two

Key Verses / Passages

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16

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Discussion

From our last devotional, we found that the Church is the assembly of Christians who together make “the body” of Christ, of which Jesus is the head. We found that when we gather, God’s glory dwells with us, and we also discovered that we were made to receive and serve one another with the gifts that God has given to us.

Knowing this, in the Apostle Paul’s New Testament letter to the Colossians' church, he expands this insight of “gathering” by showing that when gathering we “teach and admonish one another… singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord”. While teaching and worship are central ingredients to gatherings as ‘the Church’, here is a list of Biblical clues that give insight into what should happen when we meet as the Church of Christ.

When we meet, we:

•       Honour one another: Commit us to serving one another and gaining trust.  Serving and receiving are essential to spiritual growth!   Romans 12:10

•       Love one another: Love one another with an agape (Greek word for sacrificial) kind of love.  Love transcends beyond your friends but also to people you don’t ‘get on’ with. John 13:34

•       Don’t pursue selfish interests: When we gather, we are always looking towards the needs of others.   Philippians 2:3-4

•       Need to be open: Walking in the light of truth and honesty with one another. 1 John 1:6-7

•       Are all centred on Christ: Everything we do together revolves around our love for Jesus!   1 John 1:3

•       Give exhortation: We get to encourage, prod, admonish, warn, and urge one another.   Hebrews 10:25

•       Give consideration: When gathering, we get to show care and a sense of personal consideration/appreciation for one another.   Hebrews 10:24

•       Get strengthened: When gathering, we gain strength from each other and from God in our weakest places.   Psalm 96:6; Isaiah 40:28-31; Acts 18:23

•       Be a channel of supply: In our abundance, we supply one’s lack while another supplies our lack.   2 Corinthians 8:14-15

•       Share all things in unity: Early Christians gathered in unity and shared all that they had.   Acts 4:32
They shared sacrificially   2 Corinthians 8:2-4
and hospitably   3 John 5

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Reflection / Questions

•       When you gather with other believers what of the listed aspects do you experience?

•       What aspects of the Church would you like to see more of and help strengthen?

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Prayer

Dear God, I thank you for your Church and the role I get to play in it. I pray that as I learn more about you, I will continue to experience the immeasurable benefits of being in fellowship with your children.