The sabbatical gave me the opportunity to spend Sundays  visiting other churches of various size and type. I  enjoyed my experience at each one and benefited from sitting under God’s Word. What I missed, however, was the closeness of fellowship and encouragement that is ours as a local church. It was a reminder to me that there is far more to church than attending a service on a Sunday.

When the Bible describes church it uses language of association and relationship. Words like family, body, and flock. Even when it uses the picture of a building, the image is of believers being like living stones built together into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.

Faith in our Lord Jesus results in a whole new series of relationships with others who share the same faith;      relationships which find their expression in the local church.  This is what I missed while I was away. I missed the Elders and Deacons’ Sunday prayer meeting, the Tuesday prayer meeting, the House Group, the 3D Bible study. I missed catching up with folk at the door after services. I missed the mutual encouragement of the brothers and sisters the Lord has brought me into regular relationship with.

This is how it should be. Close fellowship is a gracious provision by God for our good. That is why Hebrews
10:24-25 says – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

Let’s be watchful of ourselves and for each other. There are those who, for various reasons, are restricted in their involvement in church life. Let’s consider active ways of encouraging them and making local church life real to them. 

One last thing about our life together as a local church: Let us never forget that our relating to one another and our gathering together are an essential part of our witness together to the world. The way we love, support and care for each other is the way people will see that we are disciples of the Lord Jesus.  

And as we gather for church on a Sunday, and for Bible study, prayer and outreach during the week we are       proclaiming together that following and worshipping the Lord Jesus is more important to us than anything else. 

When outsiders come among us we should be praying that God would speak to them in such a way that they “fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you.’” (1 Corinthians 14:25). 

Jonathan Prime (Pastor - EEFC) - April 2010