Encouragement: The Essential Church

It looks like the world is finally beginning to move forward from the Covid-19 pandemic.  Churches are beginning to reopen.  Taoyuan City has released churches to reopen.  Taoyuan City was the only city in Taiwan that shut churches down.  In the US, The Door Church in Tucson has reopened, and my home church, the Door Church in Colton is reopening this week. 

I got very sick at the end of last year, I was in the hospital when the first Covid-19 patient in Taiwan came into that same hospital.  I had been out of church for a month at that point.  Then I spent sometime recuperating and missed church for another few months.  Then they stopped services in Taoyuan, and the church began to broadcast on Instagram.  The broadcast has been a blessing, hearing Pastor Reed (Pingzhen, Taiwan) preach the Gospel has been helpful. I haven’t been able to attend church with my church family since December.  I miss them all.

I’m telling you that because, in missing church I have experienced a bit of spiritual warfare.  Doctor’s keep giving me bad news.  I feel like I’m trapped in quarantine, even though people are not experiencing that here in Taiwan, I feel like I’ve been personally quarantined.  Every week seems like a battle. 

It really points out to me what a blessing it is to be in church with my friends and family.  I’ll tell you why.  During this time, I felt like I was stuck in the world.  I had a difficult time praying; it was hard to focus on worship over the internet.  Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us not to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together”.  We sometimes read that as a command, but what is the reason not to forsake assembling?  Look:

Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV)
^10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The reason to attend church is to be able to exhort or encourage each other.  Another way to say that is to say we need to gather to help each other.  It’s a huge encouragement for me to see other people engaged in worshiping God.  It is a great exhortation to see people remain faithful to be in the House of God, week after week after week.  Church is an essential activity!

We are constantly bombarded by the things of the world.  There are the spiritual assaults as well.  We face them alone, when we are unable to gather.  I don’t know about you but I’m not Jackie Chan, I can’t beat up fifteen or sixteen attackers by myself.  I need the strength of my comrades.

It’s bad enough to go through a week of missing church…But this quarantine and prohibition against attending church has been difficult for just about everyone I’ve with whom I’ve talked about this. 

Today, I want to post on being in the House of God!

Psalms 122:1-4 (NKJV)
^122:1 A song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." ² Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! ³ Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, ⁴ Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord.

Why We Need Church

This psalm needs a little background.  Psalms 120, 121, and 122 are written by the same person.  In Psalm 120 the writer is under attack.  Someone is lying about him.  He’s being slandered!  There’s an attempt to destroy him through character assassination:

Psalms 120:1-2 (NKJV)
^120:1 A song of Ascents. In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me. ² Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue.

He has an enemy that wants to destroy him.  He’s a picture of you and I – We have an enemy that wants to destroy us.  He’s also a liar.  In fact, Jesus calls him “the father of lies”.  This is his method of destruction, lies and deceit.

The writer of this psalm is looking for comfort and justice.

Psalms 120:3-5 (NKJV)
^120:3 What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? ⁴ Sharp arrows of the warrior, With coals of the broom tree! ⁵ Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

He’s asking of this attacker, “What is God going to do to you?  What judgment awaits you for this injustice?  Sharp arrows?  Burning coals?”

That word woe, means “a condition of great suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionaries).  He’s suffering because he is living in the world, not the city of Jerusalem.  He’s not living near the temple – The House of God!  He needs comfort but he’s far away from the House of God.  That’s me during my recuperation and the shutdown.  Sometimes, I feel far from God, because of all the assaults that have been working against me. 

Do you ever feel like Sunday or Wednesday services don’t come fast enough?  Do you ever feel like you can’t wait to be in church?  I do!  Woe, is me that I dwell in a state of lockdown. 

Psalm 121 is a recognition of whom God is in our lives. 

Psalms 121:2-7 (NKJV)
^121:2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. ³ He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. ⁴ Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. ⁵ The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. ⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. ⁷ The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

He’s telling us about God’s care for us.  He’s telling us what we can expect from the God who created us and loves us.  He also clearly recognizes his need to be near God at this time.  Psalm 120 is a description of what he’s going through.  Psalm 121 is a recognition that the solution to his suffering is God.  Psalm 122 is the writer bringing his sorrows and troubles before God in the temple.

So, now let’s look at Psalm 122 – The writer of the psalm has arrived in Jerusalem.  It’s a feast day – A celebration.  He’s been waiting to enter into the church.  He’s been waiting to be comforted.  He’s looking for encouragement and as the shofar is blown, and the temple is opened, he says this:

“I was glad when the said unto me, “Let us go into the House of the Lord.”

Finally, he hears the call to enter into the presence of God.  Finally, he can go into that place of comfort.  Finally, he can find the peace that comes from being in God’s presence.  This is the place where the peace of God dwells.

The lockdown makes it difficult to find God’s presence, but the real problem is that even Sundays can seem so far apart.  If you’re only going to church once a week, you’re like that man that’s dwelling away from the presence of God.  There are assaults on your life and salvation.  The devil isn’t going to leave you alone.  He’s always working to wear you down.  He’s always trying to separate you from Jesus.  He wants you feeling the heat of his attacks.

He uses people – He uses the world to work on you.  You’re bombarded by temptation.  You’re overloaded by the world.  You’re constantly attacked for your faith.  Sometimes, it’s subtle – Maybe no one is attacking you personally.  No one is telling you that you’re wrong or bad, but society is working against you.

Look at Taiwanese society.  How many Christian holidays do you think we have in Taiwan? Not a single one – There are no Christian holidays in Taiwan.  Is Christmas promoted as a celebration of Jesus’ birthday in Taiwan?  No, it’s Santa Claus’ day.

Then there is this:  In October, for three consecutive weeks, the Taoist temple nearest our church, had parades that passed by our church, with fireworks, loud music and firecrackers, during our evening service.  This wasn’t a coincidence; this was an assault from hell.  Our battle isn’t against people, though.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
^6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This scripture tells us that those battles are taking place in the heavenly realm.  Those spiritual hosts of wickedness are not opposed to using the world and its appetites and customs to try to separate you from Jesus.  It’s all designed to wear you down; to make you fatalistic about the things of God. It’s designed to make you feel like you don’t need to be at church: “You’re just going to hear a sermon; nothing is going to come of it!” 

I want you to know something, there is comfort in the presence and promises of God.  If you take responsibility to take the Word of God to heart, you will find comfort.  You will be encouraged.  You will be glad to enter the House of the Lord.

The Power of Attendance

It’s because of the assaults on us that it’s important for us to be at church regularly.  It’s not a rule that you be at every service; God isn’t going to send you to Hell for missing church, but it makes it a lot more difficult to resist the devil.  It makes it a lot more difficult to avoid temptation.  It’s just plain harder to avoid sin and sin WILL take you to Hell.  This is a spiritual battle that we’re engaged in.  The devil is using weapons against you every day, and if you’re going to be engaged in a battle it’s best to take all the weapons you can.  This is a battle for an eternal victory – You can’t afford to lose!  You must win!

Interestingly, the temple was a place where weapons were stored.

2 Kings 11:10 (NKJV)
^11:10 And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the Lord.

This is the place where you can find weapons with which to fight the enemy.  The writer of Psalm 120 was looking for comfort and peace.  He needed to be encouraged!  He was glad to enter the temple!  We don’t have a temple – We have a sanctuary.  A place of safety – That’s what sanctuary means – and we are exhorted to come into that place.

Hebrews 10:22-25 (NKJV)
^10:22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

We can approach God with the full assurance of our faith, that He will provide comfort and peace.

²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Here is another aspect of our coming together in the sanctuary.  It’s an encouragement and blessing for others to see you in church.  You living for Jesus can inspire others to live for Jesus! (To stir up love and good works.) Coming to church not only equips you for battles, but it encourages others in the battles that they may be facing.

We’re all in this together.  We need each other – We can’t fight alone and win.  If we’re fighting on the same team, we need to be like-minded!

Romans 15:5-6 (NKJV)
^15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The first verse tells us that God is the God of patience and comfort – and that He can cause us to be like Him – patient and comforting toward each other.  This is why we’re encouraged to pray for each other – to come to the altar and pray together.  It brings us closer to each other, so that we can glorify God in one voice.  We can be of one accord. 

Camaraderie isn’t an important tool in the military.  Fighting as comrades in arms for the same goals to defeat a common enemy.  This can be applied to our spiritual battles as well.

When We Are of One Accord

God moves in us when we are of one accord.  Look at what happens when we’re together:

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Holy Spirit (the Comforter) came upon them as they prayed together of one mind.

Acts 2:46-47 (NKJV)
^2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

As the people were gathering together and in fellowship the church grew!  People got saved!

Acts 5:12 (NKJV)
^5:12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.

God worked miracles through the “hands of the apostles” as they were of one accord.  God can move through us as we pray and gather together.

In John chapter 20, when did Jesus show up?  This is after the crucifixion.  Jesus came to them as they were gathered together.  In Acts chapter 12. When was Peter miraculously released from prison? When they were all together praying for him.

This is why being able to attend church is an essential activity.  This is why it’s a joy and a blessing to come to church, because God can move in us and through us.  We can be used to spark a move of God!  We can be used to bring comfort to each other!  We can be encouraged, and find comfort and resolve when we’re together in the House of God!  That’s Why I was glad when they said unto me –

Come into the House of the Lord!

Being in Place

We recently had revival with Pastor Eric Strutz.  On the Saturday of that revival Pastor Strutz preached a powerful message.  People were moved.  Afterward, someone came and asked me if we had recorded that sermon.  We hadn’t.  If you weren’t there, you missed it.  A few weeks ago, I preached a sermon on faith, and people got up after service and spontaneously testified about things that God as doing in their lives.  If you weren’t there, you missed it. 

This is the nature of how God moves.  He doesn’t say,   “Wake up; I’m going to speak to you in this service, go and hear a life-changing message from Me!”  That’s not how He works.  He speaks and moves, and He does it with the ones that are in place to hear it.  He speaks to the ones who are crying out to hear from Him.  He speaks to the ones that are in place when He speaks.

I’ve preached messages that I know would help specific people with the needs in their lives, and they weren’t there for that service.  I know that some people don’t think that I could preach anything that would speak into their lives, but I’m only speaking what God has given me to speak.  I’m not trying to move them, God is!  I can tell you about specific sermons that I’ve preached where God has spoken into someone’s life on an issue that I knew nothing about.  People have asked, “How did you know that I’ve been going through that?”  I didn’t…but God did. 

Today, I want to post a message about being in the place where God can reach you:

John 20:19-22 (NKJV)
^20:19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹ So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." ²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

The Movement of God

This moment in our text is the moment when the resurrected Christ came to meet with His disciples.  He came to commission them to His will.  He came to send them to preach the Gospel, and in the process He breathes onto them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  He is literally imparting His Spirit into them.  This is a powerful move of God taking place at this moment.  Look at the setting when this takes place:  They are together on the first day of the week.  God meets with us when we’re together. 

Hebrews 10:21-25 (NKJV)
^10:21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

What is this scripture saying?  That it’s not enough just to have faith.  It’s not enough to just have stopped sinning.  It’s not enough just to be steadfast in our beliefs.  It’s not enough just to encourage each other to live right.    Those are all things we need to be doing to be living the Christian lifestyle.  Those are necessary and helpful, but it says that there is one other thing we should be doing – gathering together. 

I’m talking about fellowship here.  I don’t mean fellowship in the sense that we’re hanging out and eating food.  I’m talking about being of the same mind, and gathering together to worship God.  That’s fellowship.  Why gather?  To exhort and encourage one another to live for Jesus.  The word translated as exhort means to call nearer.  How important is it for us to be able to call each other nearer to God?  Your presence in church is encouraging to someone else.  This scripture is telling us that it is vital to the Christian experience.  

What do you want from God?  Do you want more of Him in your life?  Do you want to see Him move powerfully in your circumstances?  Do you want to hear from God?  If so, then the next question is:  Are you putting yourself in the place where He can move?

Jesus appears to them when they are together.  When He meets the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, there are two of them together.  On the sea, when they were fishing, they were together.  He came to them, not alone, but as a group.  Jesus didn’t pull Peter aside and whisper to him, “Feed my sheep.”  In our text, He didn’t come to them alone – He appeared to them all, together, and showed them His wounds.  It’s when we’re together that we can feel Jesus’ presence. 

“Where two or three are gathered in my name there I will be in the midst of them”

That’s not to say that we can’t feel a connection with God when we’re alone in prayer.  It doesn’t mean that we don’t hear from God, individually, but it is primarily through His word that we hear from Him.

In our text there was something imparted to them as they were together.  Look at this parallel scripture.  This is another look at the same moment:

Luke 24:36-45 (NKJV)
^24:36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." ³⁷ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. ³⁸ And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." ⁴⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. ⁴¹ But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" ⁴² So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. ⁴³ And He took it and ate in their presence. ⁴⁴ Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." ⁴⁵ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

First, Jesus shows them He is the same man that was crucified, by showing them His wounds.  Then, He demonstrates that He’s alive by eating food.  Finally, He opens their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures.  What is preaching?  It is trying to open your understanding of the scriptures.  Jesus has given them understanding.  They didn’t have understanding before.  They left that meeting with something they didn’t have before they entered.  Isn’t that what we say happens in church, or should happen in church?

We sing that chorus:

You won’t leave here like you came in Jesus’ name

Bound, oppressed, tormented, sick or lame

For the Holy Ghost of Acts is still the same

You won’t leave here like you came in Jesus’ name

How many people believe that when they’re singing it?  I would think that if you believe that, that you would want to be at every church service you could.  You wouldn’t want to miss out on any of what Jesus has for you.  That song speaks of expectancy; that anything could happen.

My wife got saved in our fellowship church in Guam.  She told me a story about Pastor Cluck.  He would preach and often have words for people in the church.  One service he gave a word to every person that was there.  If you were a part of the church and you missed that service you missed out on a personal word from God.

God spoke to individual people, but it happened as they were assembled together.  I hear people say they don’t need organized religion.  They don’t need to gather together.  What they’re really saying is, “I want to do my own thing when I want to do it!”  Hebrews 10:25 says don’t abandon coming together to church, because that’s where God has opportunity to reach you.

Missing the Movement of God

John 20:24-25 (NKJV)
^20:24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

Thomas wasn’t there.  He missed this moment of visitation after Jesus rose from the dead.  He missed the impartation of His spirit.  When Jesus came He moved in the life of these men:

He brought encouragement, “They were Glad.”

He imparted something into them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

He brought comfort and blessing, “It is I, Myself.”

He gave them understanding, “…that they might comprehend the scriptures.”

Thomas missed it all.  He wasn’t there; he wasn’t in place.  He didn’t receive something that the others did.  He didn’t have the revelation.

Do you ever wonder why some people just seem to have more of God than you do?  A better understanding of what God is trying to do?  A more powerful relationship with God than you?  Maybe it’s because they place themselves in a place where God can move in their lives more often than you do.  Maybe one of the reasons that Thomas is so filled with unbelief, is because he took himself out of the place of revelation.  Do you wonder where Thomas was?  What was so important that it was worth missing Jesus? 

The problem was that Thomas didn’t know that this was the meeting where Jesus would show up.  He didn’t know that the resurrected Jesus would come to them at that time.  If he had known, I’m sure he’d have been there.  If God had warned him saying, “This is it Thomas.  This is the day you’ll be given revelation and gain understanding,” do you think he would have been there?  He would have been there. 

God works in God’s timing and He doesn’t check our calendar.  He moves when it’s His timing and if we aren’t there we miss it.  If we want to receive something from Him we need to make hearing from Him a priority, by being in our places at service.

That’s what happened to Thomas.  He missed out on the moment that would have helped him the most.  This is the one that would have showed him that Jesus was without a doubt the Christ.  This was Jesus AFTER the grave.  He would have known that all the struggle they’d gone through wasn’t in vain, because Jesus was still alive – He still is!  This was confirmation that they had chosen to follow the true and living God. 

There are a lot of people like Thomas.  They’re missing the will of God…and they don’t even know it.

Thomas Caught up With the Movement

John 20:26-28 (NKJV)
^20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

Thomas was back with them when Jesus came the second time.  Jesus made a special point to meet Thomas’ requirements to believe.  “Look at my hands, put your finger there.  Put your hand in my side.  Believe, have faith.”  Thomas says, “My Lord and my God.”  He got the revelation.  We never read about another time when they were together that Thomas was missing.  He went on to his destiny, reaching the world.  (He died in India, preaching to Hindus.)

This moment when Jesus reached out to Thomas didn’t take place when Thomas was alone.  It took place when they were together. 

God shows up at a church service to reach you.  God shows up at a church service to touch you.  God has a plan and a desire for your life.  Put yourself in the place where God can give you a revelation of Whom He is and what He has for you.  If you want an impartation of God in your life, you must be in a place where He can reach you.