The Local Church: The Sweetest Place on Earth

  • by Brian Curtis
  • Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
  • Series: Committed To One Another: A Study Through Our Church Covenant

We will walk together in brotherly love, exercising an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other, and faithfully encourage and exhort one another as we await the returning of our Lord.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once referred to the local church as “the dearest place on earth”.  Undoubtedly, this can be true when the family of God takes serious its commitment to one another.  John Piper notes that “our sanctification is a community project.”  God has ordained that much of His grace flows to us through others.    

We are exhorted throughout scripture to strive for and maintain a spirit of unity amongst the brethren.  In fact, one of the best ways to be an example to the world is through being faithful brothers and sisters in Christ to one another.  We must love one another deeply with brotherly affection and seek to outdo one another in showing honor (Rom. 12:10).   

We must ask ourselves questions like; are we bearing each other’s burdens?  Are we looking out for each other?  Are we challenging each other when we sin?  Are we entreating one another to a holy walk?    Also are we doing these things for people who are outside our demographic group?  It is insufficient if you are only caring for those who share your demographic profile.  This idea is contrary to most church-culture thinking.  But it’s biblical.  This is what it means to be a part of a church.   

Hebrews 10:24 exhorts us to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”  This “stirring up” or “provoking” requires that we be together.  It is impossible for me or anyone else to biblically and faithfully love and care for my brother or sister in Christ unless I am involved in their life.   

Without question is far easier to maintain a distance from you fellow church members.  However, if you choose this path both you and your fellows brothers and sisters in Christ lose.  Remember that we are “one body”.  We each have a purpose and have been equipped specifically by God in different ways. 

The apostle Paul says, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”  He goes on to say tell us that the body can not function properly when all its members are not working together, for when “one member suffers, all suffer together…”   

Christ is the head of the body and he is fully mature and complete. The church is his body, and we are not fully mature and complete.  The aim of watching over one another is not so we can be legalistic.  The aim of watching over one another is corporate likeness to Christ.  A kind of corporate personality that is like Jesus and that correctly tells the world who he is and what he has done.   

Still the greatest reason for caring, watching encouraging, and exhorting one another is that we might be a more radiant and holy bride of Christ when he returns.