New Life In Christናሙና

Church – Your new family

When people think of a church, the first idea that usually comes to mind is a religious building, perhaps with a cross somewhere on it, where people go to attend a service. Even though a place of gathering is important, the church is not a physical building. When the Bible speaks about the church, it is actually referring to a very special group of people who were called out by God to live for Him. Church is the group of born again disciples of Jesus called to glorify God, serve one another and bless our world. It is the community of God’s people.

Even though the church is not a building, people do need a place to meet and learn together from God as well as from one another. That is why you also need to find a local church. A local church is a group of believers that meet regularly in a building or at homes. All disciples of Christ need to join a local church and be connected to the family of Christ.

Because the church is not a building, we don’t actually go to church, but we are the church. It means we don’t stop being the church after the Sunday service is finished, but we continue to carry the presence of God and the glory of the Gospel wherever we go, every day of the week.

The Bible uses different figures to explain the church. The apostle Paul, for example, calls the church the Body of Christ: He is the head and we are the members. We are connected to one another and each member has an important part to play. Peter says the church is like a spiritual house built with living stones. These stones are you and me.

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons the Church exists and understand why it is so important.

1. To glorify God

The utmost purpose for the Church and for any Christian is to glorify God. We do that by learning more about Him and studying His Word, through prayer, praise and worship. We glorify God by obeying His command to love Him above all else and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

2. To serve one another

Jesus never called us to be ‘lone wolf’ disciples. We are a family community, brothers and sisters in Christ on a journey together. As the members of the Body of Christ, we are called to build deep friendships based on love. God has given each one of us talents and gifts that are meant to be put in service of the Body. We complement one another.

3. To bless the world

We live in a world plagued with darkness, sin, pain and suffering. Jesus knows that and said we are ‘light for the world’. This means we are called to invade the darkness with the light of the Gospel and be divine agents for the redemption and transformation of our world. As the Body of Christ, we are His hands and feet on this Earth.

Feet go and hands reach out. We are not called to be a community of people that live in a religious bubble, blind to the needs of the world, but instead to actively look and intentionally seek out the needs in our society to meet them with love and compassion. As a matter of fact, Jesus commanded us to proclaim His message of salvation and make disciples in all nations. As the Church, we are called to proclaim the Gospel and actively engage with our society to demonstrate God’s love and create a better world for ourselves and the generations to come.

Find a good local church near you and become an active member in it. If there is no church near you, invite other disciples to meet regularly with you to glorify God, serve one another and bless the world. The community of God’s disciples is the hope of the nations.

Next, we will talk about a vital theme in the life of a believer: the water baptism. It is a life-changing experience in the life of a disciple!