God has given us the means for fulfilling His eternal purpose—the local church. "The local church exists as God’s chosen vehicle for aiding believers in the fulfillment of the Great Commission." I like this definition of the local church. God is the one who thought of and formed the church. It is not a man-made invention. Sometimes people say, "I’m spiritual, just not into ‘organized’ religion." Well, I think organized is better than disorganized. But, we must remember that the church is God’s idea. He has given to us the means for carrying out the ministry He has called to participate in.

The first instance of the word "church" in the New Testament is in Matthew 16.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matt 16:18, NKJV).

Jesus, the King, is building His church on the confession of faith that He is the Savior-King. The church of King Jesus is the manifestation of the kingdom of God in the present age. Local churches are really outposts of the kingdom. They are not just religious organizations that exist as one among many communities in the "global village." No, a church is made up of kingdom citizens who will one day live in the fully-realized and established kingdom of God during the Millennial reign of King Jesus.

God the Father has promised to Jesus, the Davidic King, the right to rule the world: "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall [rule] them with a rod of iron" (Ps 2:8-9b; Cf. Rev 2:26-27). Jesus will one day rule the world physically. In the meantime, King Jesus exercises His authority in and through the local church.

Any Christian who is not participating in the God-ordained structure of a local assembly of believers is in disobedience to God. The first Christians were drawn to each other out of mutual love and fellowship. It was their new identity in Christ that drew them together seemingly without having to be told "this is what Christians do." What they did can give us insight into the ministries of the church that we should emulate.

42　They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43　Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44　All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45　Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46　Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47　praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47, NIV).

From this description of the early church we can identify five ministries of a local church:

1. The ministry of teaching: "they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching."

2. The ministry of fellowship: "they devoted themselves to . . . the fellowship. . . . All the believers were together and had everything in common.　. . . They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

3. The ministry of worship: "they devoted themselves to . . . the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe . . . . they continued to meet together in the temple courts . . . praising God."

4. The ministry of service: "Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. . . . enjoying the favor of all the people."

5. The ministry of evangelism: "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

It is quite evident from a study of the New Testament that a believer cannot live out the Christian life apart from the local church. Yes, it’s true that sometimes churches do not live out their calling to love one another and many people have been disappointed and even hurt by a church. But that is no reason to abandon the local church. God uses the local church, as imperfect as it is due to being filled with imperfect people, to refine and sanctify us as we participate and exercise the "one anothers" of the New Testament. God will never abandon His church. May we give ourselves to loving and serving our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, through our participation in the local church.

In service of the King,

Pastor Massimo