Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.
Acts 20:28 BSB
I’ll admit it, I’m a very biased proponent of the virtues of the local church. Believe me, I am painfully aware of all the shortcomings of churches, church members, and church leaders. After 40 years of pastoring 4 different churches, working in 2 others, and talking to pastors and congregants in several countries, I have a complete catalog of horror stories.
On the other hand, I have had the privilege of working with and serving hundreds of the most wonderful, selfless, thoughtful, and sincere people on the face of the earth. The Church is precious to me, and it is precious to God. He bought it with blood. That’s precious. He established it to care for His children, to reach the lost, and to represent His nature on earth. It is God’s unique plan for these functions. It’s a wonderful thing.
I was preparing a message this week on commitment, and I thought of all the arguments I hear about “I don’t need a church, I just need Jesus. I thought, “How blind and self-centered can you be?” First of all, the rest of us can clearly see that you need it. Second, it’s not really all about you. We need you, and the community needs you. Watching television does not change you or the world around you.
Since I am obviously biased toward the church, it occurred to me to do an experiment. I asked my Microsoft Copilot AI application why it’s important for a Christian to be involved in a local church. Here’s what it said:
“Active involvement in your local church is imperative to living a life without compromise. It is only through the ministry of the local church that a believer can receive the kind of teaching, accountability, and encouragement that is necessary for them to stand firm in their convictions.”
This was followed by a 5-point outline of important benefits to the believer of having a church home. In fact, I may preach the outline at some point. Think about it: A robot designed by a company that is fundamentally anti-Christian gave me a 350-word essay on the value of the local church. If the devil can see it, it troubles me if we can’t. Anyway, let’s go to church. God likes it.
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