Your
serving God starts between you and Him (God), but it doesn’t end there. One,
who claims to be genuinely serving the Lord and does not have a covenant family
he/she is identified with, is not serving the true God. When a man truly
encounters God, there will be a yearning in His heart to fellowship with his
fellow brethren.
When
Paul met with the risen Lord on his way to Damascus, he asked Him (Lord) who He
was and the Lord told him. Paul then went further to ask what he must do and
the Lord told him where he was to go and who to see. Thus, Paul’s encounter did
not end with Him. (Acts 9:1-12)
Consequently, a genuine walk with the Lord
can never end just between both of you.
Daily,
we ought to be provoking, exhorting and encouraging ourselves to always come
together. (Heb. 10:19-25). You
become weakened and limited when you take our coming together for granted. If
by the time you start feeling that coming to church and fellowshipping with the
brethren is a struggle, better check it because something is wrong with your
walk already.
The
truth is, no one wants to identify with one who has no background-that is, one
who has no root.
In
corporate worship, your becoming a part of a house must be by the leading of
the Spirit. It is the Lord that chooses where you are to worship. (Deut.12:1-14) This also extends to
those who are living with you. (Members of your household) There will be
various churches, but you must identify yours by His Spirit. Your walk with God
must have root and also in a covenant family.
Also,
there must be order. You must belong somewhere. You cannot be seen here today
and there tomorrow. Locate where you are supposed to be and stay there. Don’t
just belong to any church or become a freelance Christian. You must belong to a
spiritual family where you are truly committed; this is your first and foremost
evidence that you are committed to Him (God).
Examples Of Those Who Had An Understanding Of Fellowship With God
- David saw the benefit of serving God and thus exclaimed it in Ps. 84:10
- Jesus had the custom of fellowshipping. He went to church. We must willingly serve God and make it a lifestyle. (Lk.4:16, Mt.12:9, Mk.1:21)
- The disciples of Jesus were continually in the temple because they knew it was from there they were empowered to go and excel. (Lk.24:50-53) “So continuing daily with one one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house… Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer…Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia… there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures.” (Acts 2:46,3:1,17:1-2) The Apostles had a custom of fellowshipping with one another; they had time of going to the temple, going from house to house and praying together. What is your custom?
Benefits
Of Corporate Worship
- “He sent His word and healed, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Ps.107:20) The word in season is sent to a man who is where God has put him and at His appointed time, which He has chosen.
- You are blessed and strengthened when you are involved in corporate worship. Ps.84:4,7.
- When you are planted and rooted, you will keep flourishing. Ps.92:12-14
- You will wield a high level of command and authority. Mt.18:19-20
- Certain battles that cannot be fought and won alone are fought and won as a group. Acts 4:23, Dan.2:17.
