S.O.S.
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will endure forever.
6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.”
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
Isaiah 56:4-8
As we heard at Village Meet - there is a trend across the country (and in the Western world) towards lower Sunday Gathering attendance. This is something we don’t just want to ignore and hope it changes. It’s a big deal. But why is it a big deal?
One of the greatest misconceptions of our modern Christian culture is our answer to why Christ saved us. You see I rekon most of us have so exclusively individualised salvation that we have lost the purpose of salvation.
We think - God saved me because He loved me and wants me to go to heaven. Something like that right? Maybe a bit simplistic for some - but I reckon that’s what most Christians think.
And if this is at the heart of our faith - then no wonder Church is simply either a) an added bonus or b) a necessary burden or c) an unnecessary one.
But is this conception right? Well - no I don’t think so.
God has saved us to gather as His people for the praise of His name. This is why some people actually stress that the primary way to think about salvation is corporately. Jesus came to save His bride - the Church. It’s our great privilege that we get to be a part of that great salvation.
So we have been saved to gather. To join with other brothers and sisters for God’s praise. I encourage you to reflect on that today.
For Today:
Pray:
Praise the Father that He loves us as His people. Give thanks for Jesus who saved the Church. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others prioritise gathering with His people.
who choose what pleases me
and hold fast to my covenant—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls
a memorial and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that will endure forever.
6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.”
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.”
Isaiah 56:4-8
As we heard at Village Meet - there is a trend across the country (and in the Western world) towards lower Sunday Gathering attendance. This is something we don’t just want to ignore and hope it changes. It’s a big deal. But why is it a big deal?
One of the greatest misconceptions of our modern Christian culture is our answer to why Christ saved us. You see I rekon most of us have so exclusively individualised salvation that we have lost the purpose of salvation.
We think - God saved me because He loved me and wants me to go to heaven. Something like that right? Maybe a bit simplistic for some - but I reckon that’s what most Christians think.
And if this is at the heart of our faith - then no wonder Church is simply either a) an added bonus or b) a necessary burden or c) an unnecessary one.
But is this conception right? Well - no I don’t think so.
God has saved us to gather as His people for the praise of His name. This is why some people actually stress that the primary way to think about salvation is corporately. Jesus came to save His bride - the Church. It’s our great privilege that we get to be a part of that great salvation.
So we have been saved to gather. To join with other brothers and sisters for God’s praise. I encourage you to reflect on that today.
For Today:
- How do you think about the salvation you have received?
- How are you finding gathering with God’s people? What’s great? What’s hard?
- How are you going at prioritising gathering with God’s people?
Pray:
Praise the Father that He loves us as His people. Give thanks for Jesus who saved the Church. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others prioritise gathering with His people.
Posted in Save Our Sundays
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