The Importance of Being a Part of a Church Body
This article was written by Bethany Simons
At the beginning of January, I decided to start studying the book of Acts. I have read it before but haven’t really studied it like I have studied most of the other New Testament books. If you don’t know much about the book of Acts, it is best described as the history of the Early Christian Church. It takes place right after Jesus’ crucifixion, tells of His ascension into heaven, and then goes into detail about what happened with the rest of the disciples after His ascension. The last couple of chapters in Acts talks about the apostle Paul and his journey through southeast Asia, preaching the Gospel to Gentiles throughout the region. It is a really fascinating book, and I highly suggest studying through it when you have the chance!
I had no idea how much I would glean from this simple, historical book until I started thinking about how hard it must have been to be a part of a Church back then – with persecutors all around you and everyone thinking you were crazy for believing that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God that He said He was. I wonder how many people turned away from the church because they were scared of what people would think about them, how people they knew in their former, sinful life would act about them now going to church.
We tend to fall into that way of thinking too, don’t we? We think that we aren’t worthy to be in church, or that other people would call us out for being hypocritical. We think of other people in church as “more righteous” than we are or that the sin(s) we committed throughout the week deserves more judgment than those sins that other churchgoers may have committed.
But here’s the important thing: our motivation for going to church should not be that we have everything figured out and are seemingly perfect. None of us is perfect. We all need Jesus. Which is precisely why we need the Church – the Body of Christ.
When we become a part of the Body of Christ, we must be active members of that Body.
When we become a part of the family of God, we must be active members of that family.
“When we become a part of the family of God, we must be active members of that family.”
“Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it,” (1 Corinthians 12:27, CSB). God has appointed each of us, as members of His body, to a divine purpose within the Church. Each of us may be called to different activities or types of ministry, but without the rest of the Body of Christ, we would not be able to function as a full body. Without the other members of the Church, we would only be individual parts of a body that never came together for its full purpose.
Being a part of the Church allows us to surround ourselves with people who can and will come alongside us when we need them: in sin, in triumph, in waiting, and in pain. These people are those who “rejoice with those who rejoice [and] weep with those who weep,” (Romans 12:15, CSB). They give words of encouragement when we feel down, they stretch out a hand when we need to be picked back up, and they put an arm around our shoulders when we need to be comforted. This is the work of the Body of Christ – the Church. When we neglect to be a part of the Church, we neglect the people that God has put in our lives to build us up into a closer relationship with Him.
As a part of the Church, we are able to worship the Lord and glorify Him by singing hymns together. Not only is it important for us to hear other people worshiping, but it is also important for other people to hear us worshiping. By doing so, we proclaim the Gospel to ourselves and to others. Worship songs, for me, are one of the easiest ways that I can learn to preach the Gospel to myself throughout the day – by proclaiming the truth of the lyrics over my life.
Not only do we neglect the other members of the Body of Christ when we do not attend church, but we neglect hearing the preaching of God’s Word to us. We constantly need to hear biblical teaching and faithful preaching of the Gospel. This is one of the most important aspects in the life of a believer.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.”
Now I know a lot of you may say, “Yeah, but I can read the Bible for myself at my house without having to get up and get dressed and be around people.” To which I respond: “True. But when a church body sits under the direct preaching of the Word from the pulpit of a sanctuary, everyone is getting the same information and can discuss and encourage each other the meaning of what they were taught AS A BODY of believers.”
Think about it this way: you and your friends were probably not raised the exact same way, but you and your siblings (more than likely) were. Your friends wouldn’t understand what it was like to be taught under your mother and father the way that your siblings would understand that same concept.
The church is similar. You and the congregation you spend your Sundays with understand the teaching that your pastor teaches each Sunday, while people outside of that congregation do not fully understand it. It’s like a sibling relationship versus a friend relationship. Siblings can encourage one another in a way that friends cannot because they know the full context of how each other is being taught and disciplined by their parents.
As we sit under the faithful preaching of the Word, we are also better able to interpret the Scriptures in our own quiet time. I cannot tell you how many times I have sat in a Sunday service and have been able to directly apply the things I was taught to my quiet time throughout the next week.
The main thing to remember about the Church is that it should be something you WANT to do, not something you feel like you HAVE to do. Don’t make it about checking something off a list to be seen as a “good” Christian. Turn your heart to the dedicated worship of the Lord and the encouragement of meeting with His body on a regular basis. But remember that the people around you are sinful. They are broken themselves and are in desperate need of a Savior. Christ alone can save. You and the congregation around you need that reminder each and every Sunday.
Starting with this blog, I will add a little extra recap of the article. These are just take-home points from the article to encourage you as you pursue the Lord – or, better put, as you continue your “lightwalk” with Jesus.
To encourage you in your Lightwalk with Jesus:
Church is a major aspect of the Christian life
All people within the church are broken (the Church is full of broken people with a redeeming Savior), and many have probably been through the same things you have been through – reach out to them to be discipled by them
Don’t go to church because you HAVE to, do it because you WANT to
You gain understanding of God’s Word through hearing it preached to a body of believers
You allow yourself to take part in the advancement of the Kingdom through giving, worshiping, sharing the Gospel, and being part of a community
