"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”  Luke 4:16

     The local church is a living organism comprised of sinners called out of natural darkness and spiritual death, organized by the Holy Spirit with Jesus Christ being the head of all the activities and the foundation of all the faithful. The redeemed people of God just have to get together. Actually, we find in First John, chapter three and verse fourteen that going to church can be a great assurance that we are saved, for that verse says, 

We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.   1 John 3:14

     Now, if you love somebody, it’s just a given that you will make an effort to be as close to them as you can. God’s people love to get together and not only to enjoy good food, but also to enjoy each other. The underlying reason this is so is because the church is about worshiping and loving God. And when that is our objective, and that is first in our hearts, we enjoy the blessings He provides with greater fervor and stronger faith. We should never come to church just to get a blessing. We should come to church to worship Almighty God. If we come with that being our absolute divine desire, we will surely be blessed. God to likes to bless us and His blessings are many and mighty, with the church being His most prominent and permanent blessing field.

     If we attempt to count our blessing, the church will be at the top of our list. SPBC is one of the greatest blessings of my life! The wonder is how do people make it in this sinful world without the church? How does one go on after the death of a spouse or child without the comfort and care of people who really care? How does a child of God who has sinned and feels the weight of conviction bear that burden without a place and a people to confess before and commune with who have been there a and done that?

     The church though is not just about feelings; the church is about doing. Going to church helps us do right in all areas of our lives. Several years ago there was a popular spiritual slogan which was “WWJD”, or “What would Jesus do?” Thinking this way help us make the right choices in life and will prevent much chaos and nip a lot of sin in the bud too. Please read again the vers presented at the heading of this article. Note that Jesus went to church! He went then not to get saved but because He was saved, even the Savior. He didn’t go because He felt like going. He went because it was the place God’s people went on the sabbath day. He didn’t go to show off His sandals or to promote His piety. He went to read God’s word.

     We’ll never go wrong doing what’s right. Going to church is the right thing to do because Jesus went to church. Next time you wonder if you should go to church or not, don’t wonder long, just remember what Jesus would do. Being in church keeps us from wandering off in the wrong direction too! We know that sheep are prone to wander. But our Great Shepherd leads us to the fold and keeps the flock together by His grace and His word.

     Jesus going to church at the synagogue in Nazareth reminds me of a splendid opportunity  coming soon at SPBC. Sunday, October 20, 2024, is Homecoming Sunday and what a wonder filled day it is sure to be. Jesus probably had a lot of other things to do, yet He put His Father’s business before anything else. Most of us have so many things to do that we really don’t know what to do next. Maybe if we do what Jesus did and go to church, we could  better do what God wants us to do. Taking care of our spiritual business is very important to us, to others, and to God. The local church is where God does His business publicly. Being involved in the place of God’s public business greatly enhances our private business. The peace of God’s forgiving grace and the wisdom of God’s Holy Word equips us to face our challenges and to find our place and purpose during our stay on Earth.

Brother Randy