HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 57
page A55
• R E VE L AT I O N 1 9 :7 -8 | “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the
time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She
has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
The church is Christ’s bride—a picture of the intimate fellowship that God’s people will
enjoy with him.
• E PH E SI A NS 1 :2 2 -2 3 | God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made
him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made
full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
God does so much of his work in the world through the church. It is where the people
of God are equipped with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ to be his representatives to the world! When you come together with this vision, you can have confidence
that God will be at work and you can, with his help, do more than you could ever
imagine.
• H E B R E W S 1 0 :2 5 | And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but
encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
• A C T S 1 2 :5 | But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
All believers together form God’s family, but only by meeting together can you bond and
form true community. The church is a place where Christians learn to work together in
unity, and where the differences between people are reconciled by the Holy Spirit. When
you meet together, you can build each other up and help each other.
Why should I be involved in church?
• PSA L M 8 4 :4 | What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your
praises.
• A C T S 2 :4 2 -4 7 | All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to
fellowship. . . . A deep sense of awe came over them all. . . . And all the believers met together
in one place. . . . They worshiped together . . . met in homes . . . and shared their meals with
great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the
people.
Even though God lives in the heart of every believer, he also lives in the community of the
church. When the church is gathered together, it meets God in a special way. Just like
actually being at a concert or sports event is so much more exciting than watching it on
television, participating with other believers in worshiping God is so much more meaningful than worshiping alone.
• R O MA NS 1 2 :4 -5 | Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special
function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to
each other.
God has given every believer special gifts—some are great organizers and administrators,
while others are gifted musicians, teachers, and dishwashers! When everyone in the congregation uses their gifts to serve, the church becomes a powerful force for good, a strong
witness for Jesus, and a mighty army to combat Satan’s attacks against God’s people in
your community. The church needs you, for the body of Christ is not complete unless you
are there!
• E PH E SI A NS 4 :1 6 | He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its
own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and
growing and full of love.
HelpFinder
• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 2 :1 2 -1 3 | The human body has many parts, but the many parts make
up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,
some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one
Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
C
A community of believers not only provides an organized means of preaching and teaching God’s Word, but also provides a chance to regularly get together with other believers
to strengthen, encourage and build each other up, pray for each other, hold each other
accountable, and meet each other’s needs. God promises to join you whenever you meet
together.