THE DEAREST PLACE ON EARTH

Col 2:1-7; Eccl 4:7-11

 

Charles Spurgeon once referred to the local church as

“the dearest place on earth.” 

Why would he say that? Maybe he was thinking of what Paul said? “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Eph 2:19-22 What Paul is saying here, is that we are no longer separated from the blessings, because we have been brought near though the gospel. “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ…..” Eph 2:11-18

 

Where else would you rather be?

 

The very first Sunday I preached to an empty church…..I quoted an answer Sinclair Ferguson gave at the 2020 Ligonier’s Conference Q/A Session. Sinclair said this when asked about the present state of the church because of the pandemic. And he said this “Some people will say, “My life is changed forever because of this, and the danger is we stay the same because of this.”

 

May we learn something about our time

in church history?

 

My life is changed forever!

 

This has been a long three months for me, because I love the church and miss everyone here and those who are absent still today; regardless if they feel the same way about me in return.

Why? Because God has blessed me with the burdens of the church and this is what keeps me focused, and to study and prepare well for His children. But I will say…..”This time in church history has been a strange one. A time of learning as we rest in God sovereign hands in a world that is seems to be spinning out of control. It’s been an especially a hard time for loved ones who have sick family members and are unable to see, sit, or hold their hand during this time. We have had two dear people leave our congregation… forever, to be with Christ, during this time apart.

 

I’ve said to both families… these have been the hardest funerals I have ever had to perform. I can personally tell you… that each Sunday didn’t get easier to preach to an empty building. It seemed to get harder and I would find that Sunday afternoons where the worst for me or the most miserable for me.

 

Why? Because I miss the fellowship! I miss the jabs we give to one another, the serious, to humorous conversations, we have together. See! Having a conversation over the phone or through social internet is not fellowship. Just as doing T.V church and watching sermons, listening to podcasts online isn’t doing church. They are helpful and a blessing for spiritual growth and keeping your heart focused to God’s truth

But that isn’t fellowship

 

Now I know I had my family close and I love them dearly thought-out this; but we all still felt like we were missing something. There was a number of times the little one’s asked “Are we going to church daddy?” to where I would respond “Not today sweetie” Why would my children ask me that question? We were created for companionship and community. Fellowship means “the act of intimate communion, sharing and participating in activities of mutual interests and delight.” Biblical fellowship goes beyond a meal and checking up on each other’s lives.

 

“It means belonging to each other.”

 

For example our fellowship calls us to….. 

Love one another…..John 13:34

Be devoted to one another……Romans 12:5

Honor one another……Romans 12:10

Rejoice with one another……Romans 12:15

Serve one another…….Gal 5:13

Carry one another’s burdens……Gal 6:2

Forgive one another…..Eph 4:32

Offer hospitality to one another…..1 Peter 4:9

Confess our sins to one another……James 5:16

Pray for one another……James 5:16

 

The “one another” commands in the Bible, reveal that the church isn’t just merely about programs and meetings. It’s about “sharing life together” Because the One that unites us together is the gospel confession. See! The opportunity to “share life” with one another is the kind of fellowship the church is to long for and strive for.

 

Why is my life and your 

life changed forever?

 

Because God has stripped away our fellowship and social gatherings to really exam our lives in light of His glory and grace. It has caused my heart to long for and recognize how precious our corporate worship is, despite our inabilities and imperfections. This time has caused my heart to lean in more through the avenues of prayer, scripture and gospel focused.

 

See when Paul wrote to the church at Colossae it was a demonstration for the listeners to know his heart…. and this should be ours as well. Paul demonstrates this on the opening remarks of chapter two. (v1) “I am struggling” Paul uses the noun “agon” from which we get the word “agony”. Figuratively “an effort or anxiety.” The word originally derived from the place where the Greeks assembled for their Olympic Games. It’s a place where they agonized in wrestling and footraces, where they would agonize to win.

 

“That’s the struggle Paul

had for these people”

What makes this portion of Scripture amazing is the fact Paul never once personally visited them, or their neighboring churches. With the exception of Epaphras, Philemon and few others Yet! Paul agonized over them. He had a deep seated gospel love for God’s children, yet he did not know them personally.

 

The gospel has that effect on God’s children!

Why do I say that? You’re here are you?

 

The gospel not only impacts our lives privately, but it also impacts us corporately. It was said that William Carey (a shoemaker) made a leather globe so he could pray for a world still unseen to him. Ultimately this caused William Carey to take this agonizing heart to India to where he became the founder of modern missions. Its stems from an agonizing heart for God’s children as Paul pens these words in (v5) “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” When we love God and love His Scriptures, we ultimately love His church, because it unites us all into His love. And this is where the mystery unfolds. (v2-3) “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” We are created for companionship and we are created to agonize for one another.

 

This is what this time apart has

really revealed in my heart.

 

This time has caused me to re-evaluate my position and heart for the church. This is why my mind on the church has been laying heavy on my heart during this time apart. And what Paul reveals in this portion of Scripture can be summarized by what he said in (v5). My heart rejoices because I have observed and heard, about the gospel in your life. To be back together is like watching your child come into this world for the first time. Yes! This is Paul’s heart and desire as he was unable to come to them and see them for the first time; but it didn’t diminish his overflowing love for them. Paul says “I delight, or rejoicing” a time that delighted Paul’s heart because they were growing. Their faith was being strengthened, to stand strong as a family for God and His glory.

 

We know this church was genuine; by what Paul said in the opening of his letter. “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.” Col 1:8

 

This is why Spurgeon was right to say this about

the church “the dearest place on earth.”

It’s this place that stands strong for the gospel confession. It’s this place that will go to battle if need be for the sake of Christ. It’s this place that will persevere… when the fighting, the rioting, the hate, and the killings stops. Nothing is able to suppress the true church and the love the gospel brings to one another. Because in its times like these it make us stronger than before.

 

Did the closed doors of this church for three months

stop us from loving one another?

No….it only made us stronger to realize how much we truly need each other. And how important our fellowship truly is and what it means to be together. Paul calls it a “knitting together” (v2) this means “to unite, or bring together.” This means “compacted in love” a gospel love that draws us closer than any relationship.

“The bond that unites believers

is the gospel though Christ.”

 

It is the cement that holds us together; it is the Elmer’s glue of the church.” This is what a church family does and we are responsible to one another to keep this biblical foundation knit together. A fervent love for the church is a necessary balance to a strong mind!
 

Believers share a common life.

We all come to Christ in the same way.

We all possess the same eternal life.

We are all placed into the body of Christ by the same Spirit.

 

As the bible says “all one in Christ Jesus” Paul also uses the word “full assurance” It literally means “to be under full sail” What does a sail do? It moves a boat along the water. The Christian is to continue moving along spiritually, moving along for God, despite the road blocks we face as a church. See! Without that assurance, believers cannot enjoy all the blessing that are theirs in Christ. For example, no one can look forward with hope to the blessings of Heaven who doubts whether he or she is going there.”

“understanding” refers to applying biblical principles to your everyday life.

 

This is exclusive property of Christian’s because the natural man does not accept the things of God. “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor 2:12-16

 

We have “the riches of full assurance” meaning though the gospel confession… we (the church) are established though Christ Jesus to the riches and treasures of His Word. The church is unique and resilient. History speaks and affirms that. As D.A. Carson said “What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything else of that sort. Christians come together because they have all been loved by Jesus himself. They are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus' sake.”

 

The more your read the bible the more you begin to see an underlining theme with God’s children. We are designed for family, fellowship and friendship.  And this strengthens us to face opposition as a family to stand strong. (v4) Which means….Not allowing your understanding to be deluded or swayed away from the truth found in Scripture.  As Paul wrote “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”1 Tim 4:1

Think about it! “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises [masquerades] himself as an angel of light.” 2 Cor 11:13-15. This is why these past few months have been hard on us all. In all honesty when you think of it! We do not function well as loners.

 

Listen to this for a moment because it’s sad to think about this! Nearly a quarter of the people in a recent survey said they had "zero" close friends with whom to discuss personal matters. More than 50 percent named two or fewer friends; most often they were immediate family members.

 

What does that look like? “

I came across a news report of a 70 year old man was found deceased in his home in front of his TV with the TV still on. The strange part of the story is he had been dead for a year. Nobody had missed him. His next door neighbor is quoted as saying, “I didn’t really know him very well, but apparently nobody did."

 

There is an aloneness problem out there and it is having devastating effects on many people, even still now.

 

Why is that?

 

As one theologian said “God has designed us with a need for one another. So be sure to have friends, and be a friend. That's the only way to fulfill God's design for companionship.”

 

As one writer said “I went out to find a friend, but could not find one there; I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere!”

 

This time in church history has definitely revealed this truth. “A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.” Prov 17:17 This is what Paul means when he said “understanding the mystery which is Christ.” That’s why the institute of the local church is so important to God. This is where we find our refueling, comfort, encouragement for the week. This is where God’s people use their gifts for the glory of God, for the edification of the saints. That’s why I love what Sinclair Ferguson said "Our fellowship with other Christians is one of the chief instruments God has given us to overcome sin" That’s why it says in Pro 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

 

That’s why Paul said, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Rom 12:9-18

 

The loving influence which a brother or sister has upon one another is vital for our moulding and shaping in Christ. As C S Lewis said “The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.” God desires and designed us to a people who are bound together to grow in the grace that He gave in His Son. to be a part of a community that has one purpose to glorify God in all His glory, for all His goodness, that He gives us.

 

The dearest place on earth was where Spurgeon wanted to be and same goes for me because Surgeon went on to say “If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.” ~The Church is the nursery for God’s weak children where they are nourished and grow strong. It is the fold for Christ’s sheep—the home for Christ’s family.”

 

To that I say 

“Welcome home family”

 

Because as Paul said, “This has been a struggle to be apart for so long.” Are there problems in the church? Of course. Is the church always a perfect depiction of Christ? Not in this life. But this time apart as really revealed in my heart the beauty of the church, the longing for the church, and privilege to come to this church. This time has revealed the many ways the Lord is at work in spite of her imperfections.

  

As Spurgeon said “the church truly is the

dearest place on earth.”