1 Peter 2: 9
What purpose does the local church have? Why is it necessary?
According to the Bible, the local church exists to do so together what every Christian should do individually all week long; that is, worship God and manifest the excellencies of Him who has called us from darkness to his admirable light; reflect the glory of the One who shone on us, of God, of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. Everything that Christ He has done for us in the past, and everything he does now, leads to the same end Today is not taught much that is God who saves us. We believe that we are saved for various reasons.If you asked the average Christian why he was saved, I could respond by referring to peace of mind or the ability to quit smoking.
If he were a businessman, he could say that he looked for the Lord Jesus as a helper, because his business was going badly and he wanted Jesus to be his partner. We have many other reasons, and I do not want to be too hard on these people. In the New Testament, each one approached the Lord for many different reasons. A man came because his son was sick. A woman came because the sick woman was her daughter.
Another woman came because during the last twelve years there suffered a chronic illness. A politician climbed a tree and looked at Jesus because his heart ached; and Nicodemus went to Lord at night because his religion did not help him and because I had an empty heart. And the Lord received them all, as he receives to everyone who approaches Him with faith today, although his motives do not be the highest. The question is: Why should we always stay where we started? Why should the Church be a spiritual school made up of first-graders who never change of course? Nobody wants to move on, and I do not mind saying that begins to tire this situation. I think a concept frightening and confusing of Christianity.
The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to turn his people into worshipers of God. For that we were born, to be able to manifest the excellences of him who called us from darkness to his admirable light. «Adore Him, because He is your Lord». We will see that fulfilled purpose-adoration-when everything is finished, when the consummation of time has taken place. The living beings, the elders and the creatures under the sea, on the earth, under it and in the heavens, cry out to a voice:
«Holy, holy, holy, Lord God. almighty, that was, and it is and it will be! " God's purpose is to redeem us, to include us in the heavenly choir for us to sing their praises and manifest its excellences as the centuries pass. This is the purpose of God in redemption.
He has done for us, and continues to do, what he has always fact; everything leads to a single end, and everything we do should bring us closer to this. We must harmonize our ideas with the Lord of the Church This means that you must harmonize all your thoughts, all your philosophy of Christianity, all his concept of what the Church is, with the Lord of the Church and his teachings.
(Ga 6:14) "But far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"
Thus, worship must be centered on God and on the supreme work of Christ on the cross. However, we must say here that we regret how the cross has been disappearing from many of the songs of Christian worship. There is much talk of the triumph of Christ, of his exaltation in glory, of his majesty ... and although everything is completely true and we subscribe without reservations, we should never forget that Jesus was "crowned with glory and honor, because of the suffering of death "(He 2: 9). The prophets of the Old Testament announced "the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would come after them" (1 Pet. 1:11). And the heavenly hosts worship the Lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:12). Any worship that does not take into account the work of the cross will always be poor and incomplete.
Ephesians 5: 18-19 tells us: "Do not get drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit by singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among you, and making music to the Lord in your heart. "When we are filled with the Spirit of God, the natural result is sincere worship - singing to God, and speaking from Him to others.
True worship requires our spirit.
" . . the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit. . "Does this mean our spirit, or the Holy Spirit of God? Actually, it's both! Adoration must involve our whole being. For this reason, in Deuteronomy 6: 5, the Lord commanded Israel: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength." Both publicly and privately, we should not just go with the flow of worship, but be completely involved with our heart and soul - our inner being.
Worshiping God is the most noble, high and important activity that human beings can perform. We were created for that, and when man sinned thus breaking his relationship with God, he sent his own Son in order to redeem us so that we could become true worshipers again. This is what Jesus wanted to convey to the woman when he said: "the Father such worshipers seek to be adored". So important is the theme, that worship will be our main activity for all eternity. We can see it often in the book of Revelation, where all celestial beings worship God without ceasing.
(Rev 4: 8-11) "And the four living creatures had each one six wings, and around and within were full of eyes, and did not cease day and night to say: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come, and whenever those living beings give glory and honor and thanksgiving to the one who sits on the throne, to the one who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders they prostrate themselves before him that sits on the throne, and they worship him that lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Lord, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for you you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created. "
Interesting publications In Christ we were called true priests with the sole purpose of worshiping him, greetings and blessings.