The Church. ( Hebrews 10 v 19 - 25 )

John Stott states the following,'Some people construct a Christianity which consists entirely of a personal relationship to Jesus Christ and has virtually nothing to do with Church. Others make a grudging concession to the need for church membership, but add that they have given up the ecclesiastical institution as hopeless'. In Ephesians 5 v 25 we read,'Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her'.Paul who  wrote those words writes in 2 Corinthians 11 of the great trials he had experienced,but then he adds,'Beside everything else,I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches'. Often those who leave the church are very critical of the church they have left,as they no longer identify with the Church.There are many people who stop meeting  with their local church,it is Philip Yancey who has written a book  called ,'Soul Survivor', He writes,'How my faith survived the Church'.We may have differences within the church but it does not give us the right to forsake the church.Jesus our Saviour tells the church  that He will not forsake them,so we should not forsake the Church in fact we are clearly told that we are not to give up meeting together (Hebrews 10 v25 ) We are all individuals, but we are all part of the body of Christ,the church needs us and we need the Church.  John Stott says three things about the church.

                                                 

                                             The church is central to history.

                                             The church is central to the gospel.

                                             The church is central to Christian living.