A gathering is good

Yesterday was an awesome day of worship and fellowship with other believers here in Yadkin County. It began at 10:30 at Yadkinville Elementary School with the band Revive leading worship and with me having the privilege of preaching God's word. Students and adults from all across Yadkin County gathered for this time of worship and edification. It was a meaningful and worshipful church service.

Church? Did I really just call this community worship service a church? Yes I did. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means gathering, and can even be translated "mob" (I like that one). In post-resurrection Jerusalem the church was the gathering of all believers in Christ for the purpose of worship, fellowship, biblical teaching, and ministry (see Acts 2:41-47). They gathered together in the temple complex and also in each others' houses. Their identity was wrapped up in who they were and whom they served, not in where they met. They were the church because they loved Jesus.

So yesterday morning a mob gathered at YES for the purpose of expressing corporate love to Jesus and to be edified by biblical teaching. Then in the afternoon, this same mob assembled in downtown Yadkinville for the purpose of fellowship and gospel- centered ministry in the form of a community-wide fall festival that allowed the mob to express to the community how much they - and Jesus - love them.

A gathering is good when it's for the purpose of Jesus. No class roles to be checked, no order of service to function like a straight jacket, no worries about what is going to be sung or who did or didn't give. Just Jesus and His gospel. Because it honors and glorifies Him.