Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Two Or More

The Prophet Malachi wrote, "those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard" (3:16).  This is very similar verbiage as found in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

I often here the latter passage used to support the thesis that it only takes two to constitute a quorum for worship. But in neither passage is worship the object - it is unity or coming together in one spirit as opposed to being at odds or being a spiritual Lone Ranger.

This union of spirits could have worship application, but worship can just as easily be enjoined alone as did the apostle John in exile on the Isle of Patmus, Paul in the desert of Arabia or Jesus in the wilderness.  But what can't be done alone, what we need to come together to accomplish is fellowship and encouragement: "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves...but come together to encourage one another..." (Heb 10:25).

We need like-minded Christians with whom to share our troubles, open our hearts and bear our souls. When we face marital strife, family discord, financial meltdown, whatever - we need fellow Christians to lean on and perhaps be vulnerable with, "confess your sins to each other and pray for one another so that you might be healed" (Jas 5:16).

All you "I don't need to go to church, I can worship by myself and take care myself" might want to reconsider that position. You might want to ask yourself why Jesus went to the cross to "build My church" (Matt 16:16), if it wasn't needed. 

Jus' Sayn. 

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