The Church of Jesus Christ is not a building, but a vibrant community of believers who support, uplift, and encourage one another in their faith journey. A few years ago, God encouraged me by allowing my wife and I to get to know a woman who was getting involved inside The River Church at an amazing rate. She was serving, attending Growth Communities, and serving inside our prison ministries. It seemed as if when the doors were open; she was there. God has let me be a part of watching her grow. One day, in Growth Community, she said, “For years I knew about church, but I never knew what I was missing.” If “going to church” is the strongest sentiment in our hearts regarding the gathering, I feel that it is possible that we can miss out on the amazingness of what Christ wants His Church to be.
It is good to take a moment to refocus on the vision of The River Church, which is to Reach the lost, Gather with the saints, and Grow in God’s Word. If we stop long enough to look around, we see God moving Paul’s heart and pen to offer profound insights into the nature and blessings of being part of Christ’s Church. This study guide aims to explore various passages throughout the book to the Romans that emphasize the importance of gathering together as believers.
Mutually Encouraged
Romans 1:11-12 says, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you - that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Right out the gate, in the notion of “did not know what we were missing,” we, so often, try to live our lives as separated and as individualized as we possibly can. When we live that way, it is possible that all of the beneficial aspects of gathering as a church can be lost. For a man as devoted to the Gospel as Paul was, for him to be encouraged because he was able to see people grow in their faith in Christ, Paul must have seen the heart behind Jesus’ intentions for believers. We cannot do life alone. A follower of Christ is meant to be an encouragement and an encourager in other believers’ walk with Jesus.
1. When was the last time you were mutually encouraged?
2. Why does sharing our faith with others in the church strengthen both people?
His Purpose, Your Good
Romans 8:28 adds, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
I love the depth of Romans 8:28. It is an amazing truth to meditate on. While not everything we encounter in life is “good,” it does not mean that what we encounter has no meaning. Our God is an active God. He is always working even when we do not see it or understand why. The beautiful reality about God is He is working everything together for good. If God is the One working all things toward good, then that is a goodness I know I can rest in. The fun truth I came to realize is that God is the One working together to do everything for good, even in His church. While not all things are good, He is the One who has everyone there for a reason. The mind-blowing reality is that God worked out everything in order to have every person in your Growth Community tonight! So, there is a reason you are in a church with people who are not like you, who think differently, and who respond differently. In the book “Identity Theft” the author wrote, “Unlike our self-chosen communities, the local church is a community of people God has chosen for us, for His glory and our good.” Amazing how God works when we gather!
3. How does the assurance of God’s plan working for our good encourage us in difficult times?
4. How can we, as a church community, support each other in trusting God’s plan?
Gaps
The great theologian, Rocky Balboa, once talked about gaps. Basically, the idea is that one person has gaps and another person has gaps, but when those two people walk together, they have no gaps. In that notion of “I did not know what I was missing,” so often we feel we have to have everything together; we have to be “gapless.” However, the way that Jesus designed His Church was to be a team. It is a team of broken people who are full of gaps, but all redeemed, restored, and rescued because of Jesus’ work on the cross. While we are all broken, Jesus brings us together to be one functioning body.
Romans 12:4-5 says, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
5. What does it mean to you to be part of the “body in Christ”?
6. How is the body of Christ meant to function?
7. How does gathering together help with unity?
Romans 12:6-8 continues, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
8. How can we celebrate and encourage the diverse gifts within our church community?
All We Do Ought to Point to Jesus
Oftentimes, as a preacher, I feel I need to add to or explain God’s Word. While reading the following verse, I felt as if God was telling me to quiet down. As a final encouragement to the church in Rome, God is moving Paul’s pen as Paul writes, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).
9. How can adopting the attitude of Christ toward one another strengthen our unity at The River Church?
10. How does unity and mutual encouragement within the church glorify God?
Many times, I fall into the trap and do not realize the beautiful gifts God has given. Sadly, I feel His Bride is one of them. Gathering is more than just going to church. Christ designed His church to be an active, living entity that helps people come to know Jesus and walk in new life with Him. Living in the “I did not realize what I was missing” is never fun, but for those of us who now know, let us gather purposely and passionately as we praise the One who is King.