Is Your “Local Church” Fulfilling a New Testament Purpose?

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Here’s the vital question again: Is Your “Local Church” Fulfilling a New Testament Purpose? If not, why does it exist and why do you attend? If it in place to make you feel good about yourself as you are with no cutting, circumcising Word from the LORD? Is there a fear of God induced through your activities there in preparation for the LORD’s soon return? Are you learning God’s Word yourself by daily study? Do you have a daily prayer life and love for Jesus Christ or are you simply being entertained by the activities and friendships of that social club?

There is no end to the people we meet who have been faithful “church members” for years upon years and yet do not know God’s Word. What does that tell us? Meditate.

Dallas/Ft. Worth is part of what is called “The Bible Belt” and yet even there, there are little or no local churches that are fulfilling the New Testament purpose of making disciples which begins with each individual believer studying God’s Word daily.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

IF YOU are “looking for a church” stop it! If you are truly born again, you are the church or called-out of God. Do you know what “church” means?

“Joining a church” is not biblical. Becoming a “good church member” is never mentioned in the Bible. Being compliant to a local church CEO-type “pastor” is rebellion against God. Jesus says simply “Follow me.”

The church is simply the people of God, not a local organization of people, especially not those who ignore biblical Christianity. Church comes from the Greek word ekklesia which means “the called out ONES.” When Jesus says “I will build my church,” that had nothing to do with the organization we see today in the modern church which is completely apostate (Matthew 16:18-19).

True New Testament fellowship is what is important and not just fulfilling the duty of church attendance. The earliest believers met out to house daily (Acts 2:42-47). The following passage is often used to garner more church attendance but it says nothing of a Sunday morning meeting in a local church franchise: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

After the church was born at Pentecost, WHAT 4 elements were the basis of fellowship for the earliest saints?

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42

“the apostles doctrine (Word)“
“fellowship”
“breaking of bread”
“prayers”

Did you notice that there is no “church building” or professional clergymen in this New Testament model.

The intent here is not to deny the essential and value of gathering with other believers but rather to stir us up as to what the real purpose of that assembling is to look like. It’s time to research the Word concerning this matter. We have in our possession God’s Word and so we can and must biblically ascertain what He’s ordained the fellowship of His people to look like (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Acts 2:42-47 is a good place to begin.

True New Testament fellowship is very important in the divine economy and yet joining a church, becoming faithful to a church organization, or obeying a pastor who is building a church business instead of building up Christ’ body, are not elements of true New Testament fellowship.

IF YOU ARE A CHURCH MEMBER and don’t know what it means to be a “Berean” believer, it’s because you are not learning to be Christ’s disciple and your leader is perhaps a wolf who is entertaining people instead of teaching them the message of Christ and His holy apostles. He is supposed to be perfecting/maturing the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-13). Acts 17:11 is where we learn about the Bereans. It will greatly benefit you to find out why they were called “more noble” by the LORD.

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PLEASE show us where anyone in the New Testament Scriptures went around looking for an elder, a pastor, a church? YES, fellowship is essential and so is submitting to our elders in Christ and yet, perhaps today, far too much emphasis is placed on these things (Hebrews 10:24-25; 13:7, 17, etc.). None of this matters if the individual disciple is not engaged in seeking the face of the LORD personally.

You don’t need a preacher because you have a Bible. Read it. You don’t need a preacher to tell you what the Bible says! Read it for yourself, learning yourself. Today is your day to take more personal responsibility to seek God for yourself! Jesus taught personal responsibility and the essential nature of it when He said “Take heed to yourselves” (Luke 21:34-36) …… Jesus is Coming.

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