And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Virtually all of you whom I have had communication with are people who – to my knowledge – truly desire to have fellowship with Christ’s people. But it has grown increasingly difficult to find Christ’s people, hasn’t it? Many of you have told me how you have searched and searched for a real church where Christ is truly present and His Word is truly preached and practiced. But to your frustration, you have come up empty. This is not because you are one of those narrow, picky, everything-must-be-an-exact-match type individuals. But because you want to be in a fellowship of real believers who love Christ and one another and love His Word and strive to be holy and who will not permit evil to exist in their midst.
Think of the verse I cited above. What is the expected result when a Christian fellowships in a real church? You are stirred up to love and good works. You are encouraged. Your faith and hope are strengthened because you watch more and more for Christ’s return.
Now, think about all of this. If I go to a supposed church and I am DIS-couraged, where I do not find myself “stirred up” to serve the Lord Jesus more and to love Him and His people more, and to do His good works more, then what in the world is going on? I can tell you. Christ is not present. The thing looks like a Christian church, but it really isn’t – or at least it is a very sick one. The primary illness in such places is a famine of the Word of God preached. The preacher may claim to be preaching God’s Word, he may be quoting some scripture verses, but so often what is really happening is man’s word is being preached. Tradition, not the Word.
And this famine of the Word of God has terrible effects. It builds a counterfeit church consisting of counterfeit “christians.” When you are in the midst of the counterfeit, nothing good is going to happen. You will be exposed to anything from Pharisaism and its harsh judgments to rank liberalism that denies the fundamentals of the gospel. These things often present themselves in very confusing disguise, so they sneak up on you and make you think that you are the problem.
And, once more I say, this is why our church here has continued to invite Christ’s people to join us, even if you live far away. We have been very blessed by numbers of people who have come to consider us their church and to be regarded as part of the body of Christ here. I talk to them almost every week. Some even travel here to meet us face to face and this is a great encouragement to all.
We are not to neglect to meet together with the saints. But this gathering is with the saints. Just because you might be physically present in a local church in a face-to-face setting, does not mean you are gathering together with one another, ie, with the saints. In fact I maintain that nothing good comes from fellowshipping in a counterfeit place that has a form of godliness but denies its real power.
If you are the kind of discouraged Christian I am describing here, our invitation goes out to you. All you need do is let me know and you will be welcome. And by the way, have I ever mentioned to you that there are only two kinds of people who are welcome in Christ’s church? Think about it. First, genuine Christians. People who are born again through faith alone in Christ alone. The real deal. And second, people who sense the Lord is calling them, perhaps even bringing them under a real conviction of sin and their need of salvation. People who want to hear about Christ and this free offer of salvation He died to procure for all who believe in Him.
But hypocrites, fakes, counterfeits, wolves – need not apply.