Quite often on this blog, I ask questions and I think that this may be connected to the value that I place on Reformed catechisms. The Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms use a 'question and answer' teaching method and this is every effective! Asking the right questions can often lead people to seek for truth.
In many circles today the value that is placed on the local church is undermined. Through various means, probably not always intentional, the church is not always seen as the mainstream of God's plan in the world. Missions for example is commonly seen as belonging to a missions agency and people forget that the local church is itself mission.
Through sustained criticism of the state of the church in the UK, some people withdraw from fellowship, preferring to feed themselves through internet sermons and they become a kind of 'self-feeding' Christian. However in a New Testament and biblical sense, Christian's are always committed to the local church. So, are you?
One of my desires in this blog is the recovery of Reformed doctrine and practice; something that should be thoroughly biblical. For this to happen there has to be a recovery of many things. This includes the recovery of the importance of the local church in our lives. May we cry out to the Lord of the harvest to thrust out godly pastors in England so that a host of godly congregations can be seen where the preaching is pure, the worship is God-centred (Is there any other kind of worship?) and the lost are evangelised. Let us listen to Jesus, the head of the church:
Matthew 9:36 Seeing the people, He [Jesus] felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
Let us pray for a fresh commitment to the church by Christians and for the raising up of godly shepherds who are sent forth by the Chief Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 comments:
Kevin, i am glad to know of your blog (finally!) I am also convinced that what you are asking needs to be asked a lot more us Christians and we need to answer. my answer is yes, yes the local church is important to me!
keep fighting the good fight
AJ,I am thrilled to be back in contact with you. I hope that this blog will prove helpful to you. Where do you worship now and are you a church member? Kevin
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