Week 4: The Christian Walk - Gathering Together
So far in this series, we’ve considered the spiritual practices and habits we need for a healthy Christian walk. Every believer needs to be revived daily, pray regularly, and read the Bible consistently. But as fundamental as each of these items is, they may ultimately fail to have a significant impact on our walk with Christ if we only ever walk as an individual believer. To have a strong and consistent Christian walk, we need to gather together with other Christians.
It’s no coincidence that the Bible describes the Lord Jesus as a shepherd and God’s people as sheep. (John 10:1-16) In His creation of the physical universe, God ordained laws and principles; each a shadow of a spiritual reality. The communal nature of sheep serves as an illustration that helps us understand the nature of our spiritual life. And one outstanding characteristic of sheep is that they flock together. The Christian walk is challenging and life-long, and our individual walk with Christ greatly benefits from having patterns to follow. In Song of Songs, Solomon figuratively advises the young and inexperienced believer to “go forth on the footsteps of the flock.” By having companions around us and the examples of those who have gone before us, we are strengthened and encouraged to continue running the Christian race. (Heb. 12:1)
Our connection to other believers in Christ, however, is much deeper than simply the grouping together of like-minded people or even that of a family with the same Father. As believers in Christ, the life we have all received not only joins us to Christ but also to other believers. Romans 12:5 tells us, “we who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” Have you ever realized that as a Christian, you are not only joined to Christ but also to every other genuine believer in Christ? Our union with Christ and every other believer is organic, not organizational. We’re all members of the same Body of Christ, not merely individuals who believe the same thing or share a common creed. Christ is the head, and we are all members of His body. We may have never considered that the health of our spiritual life is inextricably tied to others. With this realization in mind, let’s explore what the Bible has to say about the importance of gathering together with other believers.
Adam might have been the first man, but he was the last to be alone. And since God’s purpose is to have a corporate group of people to express and represent Him, it should come as no surprise that even our individual calling and walk with Christ is as a part of His corporate Body. (Gen. 1:26; Rom. 8:29-30) God’s purpose is fulfilled in the church, and the church is corporate. In its earliest manifestation, the practice of the church is described as explicitly simple and implicitly collective: “and day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with exultation and simplicity of heart.” (Acts 2:46) Here, every activity of the early church was conducted together. This thought is reinforced when the church began to go astray. The writer of Hebrews offers this correction to the believers in Hebrews 10:25: “Not abandoning our own assembling together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as you see the day drawing near.” We may forget or miss an opportunity to gather together with other believers, but forsaking our meeting together should never be so frequent that it becomes our habit.
When we do gather with other believers, our times together are the most beneficial when they align with Scriptural principles. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus tells His disciples, “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in their midst.” As believers in Christ, when we gather together in His name, He is in our midst. This is a marvelous but sobering realization. Yes, Christ is always with us, but God’s Word places special emphasis on the reality of Christ’s presence when believers gather together. This is why when we’re with other believers, the experience is pleasant and enjoyable. Psalm 133:1 declares, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” The unity in this verse is also spoken of in Ephesians 4:3, where Paul instructs us to be “diligent to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace.” The pleasant experience of being with other believers is predicated on the believers keeping the oneness of the Spirit through their walk and fellowship with Christ. These two practices, our individual walk with Christ and our fellowship with other believers, reinforce each other. Our daily and healthy walk with Christ, due in no small part to the habits we previously mentioned in this series, enables us to keep the oneness with other believers in Christ and makes our gatherings indescribably pleasant.
When Christians gather together, we should practice to maintain an atmosphere and spirit of mutuality. 1 Corinthians 14:26 tells us, “whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” “Each one has!” Every believer can and should “bring something to the table.” You’ll find that the stronger your individual walk with Christ, the easier it is to “have something” when you gather with others. Again, the individual and corporate aspects of our Christian life synergize with one another. The supply from one helps meet the demand of the other, and vice versa. If you’ve struggled to establish any of the other practices we considered in this series, try endeavoring with others. You’ll find that corporate pursuit is the secret to individual success.
We hope this post has given you a lasting impression regarding the importance of gathering together with other believers in Christ and will inspire you to make your next Christian meeting. Each one of us is responsible for our individual walk with Christ, but that doesn’t mean we’re running the race alone. If you’re struggling with your faith or in your walk with Christ, reach out. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us, “while a man may prevail against the one, the two will withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
