I love The Church! (and the church too!)

the Church...

The importance of the Church should not be mistaken. Christ died for the Church. Does that place enough importance on the Church to garner our attention?

So deep is the reality of the Church, God uses many metaphors in the Scriptures to describe her. She is...

--the body of Christ
--the bride of Christ
--the house of God
--the family of God
--the temple of God
----built on the Chief Cornerstone, which is Christ
----built on the Firm Foundation, which is Christ
-----and made of living stones, which are believers

Bride, Building, Body...

The Church will be married to Jesus!
The Church is the building where the elect worship God!
The Church is the body in which God moves on the earth!

She is...

--the flock the Good Shepherd tends
--the royal priesthood that together approaches the Father in the Son
--the branch of the Vine, tended by the Vinedresser

There are even more!
She is the Called Out!
She is the Elect!
She is a Holy Nation!
She is the Remnant!

On and on... Bride, Building, Body, Flock, and Family...

It's all about RELATIONSHIP!

It is no wonder the Spirit would lead the writer of Hebrews to say, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves..." It was no wonder those early Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit "...joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles’ teaching sessions and at the Communion service and prayer meetings."

If the Church is so important, can a believer afford to...
--ignore Her?
--disdain Her?
--forsake Her?
--be apathetic towards Her?

Let the Church gather!

Let Her receive purpose!

Let Her rejoice before Her God!

Let Her live Her salvation for the life of the world!

Acts 20:28 ESVPay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 2:20-22 ESV Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.