Stay with the Herd!

I often hear people say that they don’t want to come to church because they can praise God at home. In reality, if you stay home, you will be distracted by chores and other activities, so you won’t worship God. According to Jesus,  where a few persons are gathered to worship Him, He’s in their midst to bless them and answer their prayers.¹ In Hebrews 10:25 we are told to not forsake corporate worship. Yes, once we have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts, we become the temple of the Lord.² However this doesn’t mean that we should isolate ourselves. When we meet in church, we encourage each other in our respective walks with Christ. We lift our spirits when we meet in corporate worship.³

The Matter of Hypocrites in Churches

Some persons may say that church people are hypocritical, so that’s their reason for not attending church services. I just want to remind us that when the Lord Jesus Christ makes His second appearance, we can’t use the behaviour of others as an excuse for not serving Him.⁴ We are all imperfect beings continually going through the process of being perfected by Christ.⁵ No, excuses will not work at the Judgement because we all have to submit ourselves to God. Only then will He change us and groom us in Him. Excuses will not work, as we each have a race to run. This race is so important, as it’s the race that will determine our final destination for all eternity.⁶

Stay With the Herd for Survival

I like to watch nature shows which display all the flora and fauna in their splendour. However in nature we have herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. In the wild, this means we have predator and prey. I understand that carnivores (such as lions) need to eat in order to survive. But I am always horrified to see a pride of lions separate the very young or the very old herbivores from their herd and destroy them mercilessly. It is just the same for young Christians (and even seasoned Christians) who may either deliberately choose, or find themselves separated from their herd or church family. The devil is as a roaring lion who stalks us. He is walking around to see who he can eat, or take to hell with him. This enemy is relentless, so we must always be on our guard against him. Resist the devil with steadfast faith!⁷

Put on Your Armour!

I am not saying that mere church attendance will guarantee you a spot in heaven. However, when you assemble to pray, worship Christ, read the Word of God and encourage each other in the Lord, then you will be able to repair any chinks in your armour. What is this armour? Well if you read Ephesians 6:10-18, our opponents are described, as well as all the components of our armour of God (which contains a total of seven pieces). We have:

1. the girdle or belt of truth
2. the breastplate of righteousness
3. the footwear of the preparation of the gospel of peace
4. the shield of faith⁸ to quench the fiery darts of the enemy
5. the helmet of salvation
6. the sword of the Spirit, or the Word of God (the Bible)
7. constant prayer in the Spirit of God

Stay Alert!

If you think back to time of knights defending their castles, an important part of being a good soldier is the care of one’s armour. When we assemble in corporate worship and feast on the Word of God, it’s so important. That Word and the Blood of Jesus wash away all impurities and reveal all imperfections in our armours. We can then work to repair our armoury so that we can be strong in Christ. When we are strong soldiers in God’s army, then we are ready and able to win the battles against the enemy of our souls.

Find Joy in Fellowship

I just love to fellowship with my brethren in Christ. We are able to grow in grace as we interact with each other. These godly interactions also allow us to develop different aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.⁹ I encourage us not to forsake our church family and corporate worship. Remain in the herd. Remain in the fold and the divine care of our Great Shepherd Jesus Christ.¹⁰ Stay with the herd; be sober and vigilant against the predator, the devil. Stay fully clad in your well-maintained armour of God. I say again:

Stay with the herd! You will not be eaten if you stay with the herd!

Blessings, peace and wisdom upon you,

Sophia.

1. Matthew 18:19-20.
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
3. Proverbs 27:17.
4. Please read 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 12:33-37; Romans 14:7-13.
5. Please also see Philippians 1:6 and Hebrews 13:20-21.
6. Please read these scriptures: Philippians 2:1-13; Galatians 5:1 and 7; Hebrews 10:30-39; Galatians 6:9-10; Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
7. 1 Peter 5:8-10.
8. Without faith, it is impossible for us to please God. We build our faith through hearing and studying the Word of God. Please see Hebrews 11:6 and Romans 10:17.
9. The elements of the fruit of the Spirit are outlined in Galatians 5:22-25.
10. John 10:1-11.