Why God Gave Us Local Churches Acts 2 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
God gave us local churches to make sure that the problems of this life don’t become the problems of your life.
It’s common for people to point to problems in their lives beginning when they got out of church. I have that testimony. So, God gave us local churches to help us in our Christian lives to avoid these problems. How? By:
Apostle’s Doctrine – v 42
A God-given local church will preach true doctrine – this is not man’s doctrine but the same doctrine that was given to the Apostle’s [that they gave us] – you get in a good church to get good doctrine – sound doctrine gets in you and keeps you on the straight and narrow – 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Tim 4:3 – you will never learn the Bible outside of a good church like you will inside of a good church
Holy Fellowship – v 42, 46
Christians are designed for fellowship because we are part of the same body and you cannot have fellowship without being in church. In 1 John 1:3, 7, fellowship with Christians and with the Father and the Son keeps us in the light of Christ. Take a live coal out of the fire and it goes out. Start skipping church and here comes the trouble and sin.
Effectual Prayer – v 42
We need people praying for us. You need to be praying for other people, bearing one another’s burdens. You’re going to spend a lot of time in prayer alone. However, there is nothing like praying together with a group of people who really mean business with God. 1 Tim. 2:1, Acts 4:31
Godly Fear – v 43
I can’t remember ever meeting a real God-fearing person who was not actively involved in a good local church. The fear of God is something that seems to be accentuated in the presence of other God fearing saints and the work of the Holy Spirit in a good congregation Acts 5:11; 9:31
Unselfish Giving – v 44-45
A Christian outside of a good local church is not going to know of the needs of other saints in the body of Christ [both in the church and on the mission field] in order to freely give to help them – and he isn’t going to even know where to turn when he has needs that arise
Loving Unity – v 46
A good local church is in “one accord” held together by charity which is the bond of perfectness –Col 3:14– a good local church is a great place to love one another and to experience the love of the brethren
Spiritual Joy – v 46
A joy that comes from the Spirit of God and his work in the church and not just from man’s attempts to make a happy environment – a Christian will never experience the fullness of the joy of the Lord outside of a good local church
Heavenly Praise – v 47
Churches know this and that’s why they spend a lot of time with praise and worship. It’s all twisted today. In a good local church, you are admonished by the praise [fills you with the Spirit and lifts your heart Eph 5:18-19; causes the word to dwell in you in wisdom, Col 3:16]
Continuous Salvation – v 47
In a good local church you are going to see people regularly saved through the preaching of the gospel and through personal work – many have been saved under the preaching of the gospel in a local church and so it makes a great place for your children to get saved and grow in the Lord and it’s a great place to bring your friends to get saved.
Conclusion: A dead coal placed on a live fire lights and burns like the other coals.