In they eyes of the New Testament writers, the local church – ordinary as it may be – is the fundamental work of God on the Earth. It is the center of his kingdom, His Temple 1 Core 3:16. It is the outpost of his gospel. It is the foremost display of his glory. It is the laboratory of sanctification, the entity that, as the dwelling place of God, we are to love, serve, edify, pray for, and devote ourselves to.

We all need the local church. It is where we find all the resources we need to love God and our neighbor in this sin-stricken world – exhortation, encouragement, rebuke, opportunities for service, enjoyment, edification, and so much more. It is specially set up and calibrated to mature us, to lift our eyes from ourselves to see the needs of those around us and the glory of the church’s Lord.

Every local church that preaches the true gospel is a part of the most dynamic movement the world will ever know. By the power of God working in the hearts of men, the lowly are great, the weak are mighty, and the mustard seed of faith topples a mountain (Matt. 17:20_). The local church is not the B team – it is ground zero for God’s kingdom work. Join it, serve it, love it, and experience the satisfaction that comes with involvement in the gospel cause that transcends all others.

Satan is the great accuser, always pointing a cruel finger at our transgressions. But God has put these spiritual forces “to open shame, by triumphing over them” in Christ’s crucifixion (Col. 2:15). The debt has been paid. The law has been fulfilled. Our justification is real. The pattern for the church remains unchanged. God wants us to be changed by the Spirit, filled with hope, delighting in Christ, loved by the fellowship, and free from shame. Entrance into the Kingdom