Going To Church With Jesus Is A Life-Enriching Experience
When the Pharisees confronted the Lord concerning the ‘lawlessness’ of His disciples, the Lord responded, ‘3Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?’ (Matthew 12:3-4). And a little later, we read:
‘10And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.’
(Matthew 12:10-13)
Going to church with Jesus enriched the apostles’ lives in at least four ways.
They Learned Of The Love Of The Lord
Firstly, these apostles learned of the love of their Lord; of the shepherding of their Saviour. When the Pharisees stood in accusation of the apostles, the Lord interceded for them. The apostles simply stood by whilst the Lord ‘defended’ them. This is because Christ ‘loved them unto the end’ (John 13:1). We read of this intercession again in the Garden on the night of Christ’s arrest:
‘1When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. 2And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.’
(John 18:1-9)
When we go to church with Jesus, we will learn more of His love for us. Paul wrote of the love of God in Ephesians 3:14-21:
‘14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’
(Ephesians 3:14-21)
Christ wants us to have loving churches. Revelation 3:20 says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me’. We often use that verse as an evangelistic verse, but in reality, it is speaking to believers. The Lord is speaking to the church at Laodicea, which had become a loveless church, and He is saying, “I am at the door of your church! I am knocking, and if you will open for me, I’ll come in and restore the loving spirit that you ought to have”. Lovelessness produces Laodicean churches, but those who go to church with Jesus will understand that He cares for them! They will understand that ‘he ever liveth to make intercession for them’ (Hebrews 7:25). As Paul wrote:
‘34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
(Romans 8:34-39)
Go to church with Jesus, and learn of His love for you today!