Longing for the Local Church

Why Do You Come to Church?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do I come to church? Why do I wake up and go to be with the church on Sunday?” In our minds, we associate church mostly with a physical building. However, we forget that the church is the people whom God has redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ. Hopefully, your answer on why you come is to hear the preaching of God's Word, the primary form of worship, and it should also be because you want to be with God's people to encourage, serve, and show them the love of Christ.

However, today we see the minimizing of coming together with the church. Attendance is dropping everywhere. Sunday evening service is a relic. The next victim in the life of the church is prayer meeting. This attack on the church is no surprise. Why is this the case? Because we have a real enemy who's using the culture to chop off every means for the church to come together. It is Satan who is effectively using philosophies of this culture to wreck fellowship in the church and distract us from being with one another.

That wasn't the case for the Apostle Paul and the Thessalonian church, at least from what we read in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20. Paul supplies us with three expressions of longing to be with the church so that you will take on the same attitude for one another.

1. The Eagerness to See You

"But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face (1 Thessalonians 2:17)."

The word “eager” is the main verb in this verse. “Having been taken away from you” is the participle expressing this eagerness even more. “Having been taken away” means to be made an orphan. This isn't just being orphaned, but a severe, strong, aggressive, and violent separation that's taking place. The idea of Christians wanting to be separate from the church should be foreign to the believer. You should eagerly long to want to be with the church, encourage the church, check on the church, and serve the church. The church is your spiritual, eternal family.

2. The Wish to Come to You

"For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us (1 Thessalonians 2:18)."

The word “hindered” is a military term that means to cut into and break up. It's where armies would cut off roads and bridges so that the enemy couldn't make progress. This is spiritual warfare. Satan, the adversary, does not want you to be with God's people. As a matter of fact, he's always preventing believers from attempting to be with one another. This is why the believer is constantly engaged in battle, not against flesh and blood. but against spiritual forces. And the only way you fight back against these forces is to do what Ephesians 6 says: to put on the armor of God.

3. The Affection for You

"For who is our hope or joy or crown of exaltation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20)."

Why does Paul use this terminology: hope, joy, and crown of exaltation? Because they were the proof of his ministry. The evidence of your love for Christ Jesus is your love for one another. There's a sense of responsibility that believers have towards one another. There's a grace that God gives you that each other needs. Not only that, but Jesus Himself is going to vindicate and reward all that a believer has accomplished on earth at His return.

What we see here is a portrait of Christ-like love that glorifies God. And just imagine if we longed for one another in this way. Imagine if we expressed our longing to be with one another by our eagerness, our wish to come, and our affection for one another. This is the will of God.

Right now, if you are absent in relationship with Christ Jesus, repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ. Turn from your autonomy and in faith in Christ, run to Him. Surrender to Him. Submit to Him. Enjoy true peace and true joy that can only come from the Lord Jesus Christ, which leads to true fellowship with His body, the church.

Application:

Ask yourself:

• Do I long to be with the church?

• What are those things that prevent me from serving and doing what God has called me to do in the church?

• What is my relationship like with one another in the church?

This post is adapted from Pastor Gil's sermon "The Longing to Be With the Church", delivered on March 5th, 2023. It is available to watch or listen to on our SermonAudio site.