One of the joys of following Christ is belonging in His family. In the family of God, each person has a call, gift, and place. The idea of a lonely Christian shouldn’t genuinely exist. When we use the term brother or sister in Christ, these are more than terms of endearment, but the reality of what the finished work of Christ has accomplished on our behalf. The Scripture tells us, “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise” Galatians 3:28-29 (CSB).
So we have a family, a local body of believers who God has given to be an encouragement to us and blessing as we journey together and become more like Christ. How do we make the most of our time when we come together? For many, Sunday’s can become another checkbox in the litany of things we believe are part of our Christian obligation. The question we should be asking, how does God view our gathering? Before coming to service this Sunday, here are three ways to find joy.
1: GATHER WITH JOY
I had a pastor share a story with me once about a man who was extremely excited about gathering for worship. The brother was so enthusiastic about worship that he forgot to put his car in park before he could jump out. When was the last time you were that excited about gathering for worship? I am not talking about just looking for another word, or an emotional high to get you through. I am referring to the joy of worshiping the risen Christ. The joy of gathering with other redeemed brothers and sisters who have been set free and forgiven just like you. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. — Hebrews 12:2 (CSB) He has overcome, and we should be thankful. The church exists because of what Jesus has done.
2: COME PREPARED
One of the worst feelings in the world for me personally is feeling unprepared. Maybe you have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of showing up to a class or work and having not done the assignment, and now you are asked to give a report. Praise God; when we gather, we don’t have to stand and provide a report on our Bible reading or prayer time. However, we still should come prepared. We should come prepared in our hearts. Our hearts focused on the Lord and ready to hear from His Word. However, we should also come prepared to give generously. When the Corinthian church was encouraged to support the work of the Lord to help suffering saints, the Scripture says, “On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come” 1 Corinthians 16:2 (CSB). Notice, he challenges them to be intentional, generous, and prepared. What if each of us took on that challenge? Imagine your giving becoming intentional instead of sporadic. If each person gave in this deliberate way, we could see not only the work of God continue here at Connect, but have the ability to plant new churches, reach more people and impact our community in a more significant way.
3: ENCOURAGE & BLESS
On any given Sunday some are on the mountaintop and others in the valleys of life. For the Christian, their support system in this life is those who are in fellowship with them. As one pastor put it, we are but fellows in the same ship. As you are encouraged, the Scripture tells us to help others. As you weep, others should be crying with you. As you are joyful, others rejoice with you. The common denominator in each of these situations are you and I. If we are continually looking to be reached out to and never reach out to others, we have missed that Jesus calls us to the community. The Bible says this, “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering since he who promised is faithful. And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching ” Hebrews 10:23-25 (CSB). One of the ways we keep our hope and continue in the good works of the Lord is from the encouragement of others. Who have you encouraged lately?
As part of His grace to us, Jesus has given us the local church. This week would you pray through these three points. Ask the Lord which one of these is he challenging you to grow in. Then press forward with joy as we gather together for worship.
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