Galatians 3:26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
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You may have heard the adage attributed to a few different people, 'Christianity started as a fellowship in Jerusalem, became a philosophy in Greece, then a culture in Rome and finally became an enterprise in America', a view that unfortunately appears all to true when examined through the truth of the Word!

I have had the opportunity in my years of ministry to travel over a large part of this world preaching and teaching. During that time I have always taken the opportunity when meeting strangers on the street, in stores, in restaurants—in just any everyday setting—to simply ask: ‘Do you mind if I ask you a question’ to which almost 100% inevitably say alright. That opens the door for me to ask, ‘Do you know how much Jesus Christ loves you?’

That is a question that has led so often to some amazing results! A frequent response, regardless of the location, would be that the person I was asking would tell me what non-Christian religion they were a part of, or if “Christian”, what church they attended (however infrequently) or what church a family member was part of, or what church they 'belonged' to, or a great opening for me to really share the Word, or ask why they chose not to go to church or had stopped attending!

For all of that, the one thing that was most obvious to me was that most people, saints and sinners alike, really don't know what church is! So I would like to tell you what I see in God's Word: It is simply a gathering of the children of God. No more and no less!

Look at our starting verse for today that speaks of us as the sons of God, then consider the apostle Paul's comment to all true disciples of Jesus: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” {Rom.8:14-16}

Church is clearly a "Family Affair." Jesus was speaking to the multitudes one time when somebody told Him that His mother and brothers wanted to speak with Him. His response told the whole story of 'church' and still does today.

“But He answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."
(Matthew 12:48-50)

DON’T JUST GO TO CHURCH TODAY — DO THE WILL OF GOD AND BE THE CHURCH TODAY