I have a deep love for the church of God and for God’s people. Ever since the day I came to the Lord when I was a young lad, I have been connected to a local church. This was the place of my learning and growing in the Lord. I had learned in the bible that I needed a place and people that loved and served the lord. Now I know that there are no churches, pastors nor members that are perfect, but God used all of this to bless and strengthen me in my growing love and relationship to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

The local church was where I learned my spiritual ABC’s. I literally grew up in the church not only sitting under the ministry of wonderful men of God but also assisting them in any capacity. I was called out to pastor and pioneer a church while I was in my 20’s and continued in that one church for well over a decade till the lord lead me here to Highland in ‘84 to assist the beloved Pastor James Wright. Over these years the lord has increase my love and appreciation for his local church that is comprised of people from all walks and background. I have learned that the Lord Jesus Christ is the builder of his church {Matt. 16:18} and it is both a joy and privilege for everyone in God’s family to be involved in being co-laborers together with him.   

 

We are living at a time when the church of God is scoffed and ridiculed. Even among people of God there seems to be a tendency to discard the church as an unnecessary appendage. The world will hold the church in contempt but saints, never let that happen among you. Some might say “I do not need to be related to a church so long as I am related to the lord. “ Are you sure? How could you relate to someone you cannot see when you cannot relate to a body you can see. You cannot relate to the head without being connected to his body. The early church was a growing church. It was a place to be. The church continued daily with one accord in the temple and had common meals together and confirmed the unity they possessed in Christ. It had all the ingredients that made a great church.

 

What was so unique about the early church in the bible? The real strength of the early church was in their obedience to the lord and to his word. Jesus Christ who was their Lord and Master was in the lives of the believers. If we are to emulate the early church, this is preeminent. Their other things that was characteristic of the early church. The early church was a strong and well net community …The church of today must be a strong cross cultural community and based on biblical principle. The early church was a close knit community that loved and worshipped the lord that studied the word, prayed and shared the gospel to others. Today people are looking for a community and the church should be that community, we can say “As the strength of the church, so goes the strength of the community, the society and the nation.”

The early church had purpose. What was their purpose? The main purpose was praising God and maintaining the unity Christ. They also prayed and waited on the Lord and won souls and lived a life that brought glory to the Lord what was so unique about this community of believers?  They had the 7 P’s PRAISE, PREACH, PRAYER, PURITY, POWER, PERSISTENCE AND PRODUCTIVITY.

            

This early church was continually praising God. This was a community of believers that loved the worship of the Lord. While the temple was the Old order, the church entered into the new covenant blessing of worshiping in spirit and in truth.

 

What is it that makes the church strong – the attitude you have toward worshipping God and obedience to his word. Worship was important to the early church. The devil will do everything to keep you away from worship “You are a faithful Christian; it will not matter if you miss a Sunday worship or a Wednesday night service. God knows you love him, God knows you love his word… It does not matter if you miss a service every now and then. “

It will matter if you miss Sunday morning worship. It will matter if you miss a Wednesday service. Think about the time when you came to the lord. You were here every time the doors of the church was open! No rain, sun or snow could keep you away from the worship services. But now some have become complacent and they have come to believe that it does not matter if you miss Sunday worship or even a Wednesday night service.

 

The devil will do everything to keep you away from worship.  That is why discourage any conferences to be not held late on Saturday nights here at highland nor allow our ministry groups to be away on the lords day. Nothing is more important than worship in the house of the lord. Do not forsake the gathering of yourselves as the manner of some is.

 

A man or women with the right attitude of worship will not allow anything to come between him and his God when it comes to going to the house of the Lord. Show me a person who loses the attitude towards the place of God and I’ll show you a person who ha let something come between him and the worship of God. He will need to justify himself

 

“Praise is too hard, it is too noisy, the preaching is to long, there are a lot of hypocrites” But look at the community of believers in the N. T. They continued daily and steadfast. 

Saints don’t let anything keep you from worship. If you have visitors bring them with you. Perhaps those dear ones that you prayed to be saved might receive the lord during the time of the invitation. If it is the children, bring the children and the babies to services. It does not matter if their attention span is limited but expose them to the worship and the word of the lord. If the worship is at the time of your breakfast or lunch hours, turn it around. There is nothing in the bible that tells you that you should eat before you come to church or that you should not eat before worship. But the Bible tells you, you should be at worship.