The Church of Jesus Christ is glorious to behold if God is allowed to fashion it after His design rather than mankind altering it to fit his notions. One of the things
that is going on right now in the Body of Christ is the re-emergence of the true Church – the Church as God intended. It is interesting to note that it probably will
not look a lot like what we have known as “church.”
The historic church has done some things right and has been at least marginally successful in harvesting the lost and proclaiming Jesus is Lord. And for that
the Lord is pleased; however, there is so much more that it can be and do to please Jesus. We are about that task. We desire to see Jesus pleased in all
respects, and that includes building the Church just like He wants it.
How does He want it? We must look to the Word of God to discover His blueprint. The first and most obvious place to look is to the tabernacle of Moses or to
the temple of David since each was the place where God resided. But then we remind ourselves that under the New Covenant God has done a new thing
(Hebrews 8 and 9) by building a temple not of the earth but rather one made of building blocks of born again believers like you and me. (I Peter 2:5) It doesn’t
look anything like the tabernacle of the temple in Jerusalem. You can see how it looks in Acts 4:31-37.
The challenge we now face is to move forward into the will of God to follow His plan for His church. First of all, that means we must lay aside our preconceived
notions of what the church is all about. Historically there has been the prevailing idea that a church is where the “holy man” was found and was therefore the
place to go to get one’s needs met. The place and the man were the keys to religious success.
There are three things that must be restored
if the Church is to be restored:
#1 COVENANT - The church is where God and man enjoys covenant fellowship at its highest level; that is when the corporate body is in unity and oneness. It is
where God receives from His people as well as where He does for His people. This concept must be restored if we are to usher in our Bridegroom.
#2 WORSHIP – the saints of God must cease to see the church as only the place to get their personal needs met. Indeed it is that, but it is so much more. The
saints of God must re-learn what it means to sacrifice. This is the action whereby God is so important to the worshipper that he offers to Him that which is the
most valuable and most precious to him. God is pleased when His people selflessly offer to Him the sacrifice of praise and offerings of tithe.
#3 ANOINTING – The saints of God must re-discover that God’s anointing (power) resides within them and when they gather to worship the corporate level of
anointing increases and thereby the will of God is done. When this truth is fully understood, each believer will view themselves as absolutely critical to the
success of any given worship service. They see themselves as that body part mentioned in I Corinthians 12:12, which is valuable to others in the church and
precious to God. Please read I Corinthians 12:12-31.
When the saints of God gather for worship there is a strong spiritual dynamic that takes place, which is called the corporate anointing. This means there is an
intensified level of God’s power that is present to fulfill His will for His people. His power moves through the various aspects of the worship experience:
• through the Word as it is taught
• through the praise and worship of the saints
• through Holy Communion
• through fellowship with others of like faith
• through the gift of the Spirit as they flow
• through personal ministry to individuals
• through spiritual warfare against the evil one
• through our sacrifices of tithes and offerings
The in Hebrews 10:24-25 God addresses the importance of being together in the worship experience. Read this short passage. As you can see, with the
passage of time as the end draws near, it is more and more necessary that we be together in corporate worship. There are very important factors from which
we benefit when we worship together. One of those we see in this passage as it reveals to us our responsibilities to one another. (consider one another,
provoke one another to good works, exhorting one another, etc.) The church is where a lot of “one anothering” takes place, which is why you must be there each
time the saints gather together. They need you and you need them – that’s covenant.
I encourage you to start practicing what I call the PEW dynamic. Here is what it is:
P = PREPARATION. Prepare the worship service through your prayers of intercession, through your confessions of faith, and by seeing to it that others are there
to worship the Lord. Take personal responsibility for the success of the worship service.
E = EXPECTATION. Arrive at the house of the Lord expectant that He is there in power and that He will manifest His glory during the gathering.
W = WILLINGNESS. Set yourself into the willing mode that God might use you to fulfill His will in the life of someone else or in the corporate family.