We Need Our People (The Church is God's Provision for Us)

We need our people as Christians – our family in Christ is His gift to us in a lonely, dark, and often difficult world.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10) Do you see it? There’s a special and unique gift in “our people,” our family in Christ!

God has called us into a special relationship with other believers, and He uses us in each other’s lives as we live this #invitinglife.

In 1 Peter 2:16-17 we read: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” This gives us a glimpse into the special relationship we have with fellow believers. Our family in Christ is a gift, and one we desperately need.

As fellow believers, we meet each other’s needs (see Acts 2:42-47 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–26).

The descriptions of the early church show members sharing what they had, giving of what they had, and generally being there for each other. We follow the same pattern in obedience to God and it’s not only a gift of provision He gives us, but a picture of His goodness to a lost world.

Our family in Christ is vital to us for accountability (see Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21-23, and Jude 22-23).

The heart is deceitful above all things! We need loving brothers and sisters to speak truth to us when we are deluding ourselves into thinking we are all right. It’s also important to remember as we challenge one another, we must have a right heart – one of brotherhood and humility. Matthew 5 is a powerful illustration as we’re challenged, before “helping” our brother with a speck in his eye, to remove the log in our own.

Jude tells us to have mercy on those who doubt. We need to say the hard things to each other, and we need to listen when the hard things are said to us… and we need to always come from a place of humility. We realize that God has shown us great mercy, and we offer it to each other in the family of God.

Paul set a pattern for accountability with his letters to the church, both in how he challenged his brothers and in how he challenged the church (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus). He didn’t hesitate to call out sinful, harmful behavior and he exhorted the men he shepherded to do the same. We need our church leaders and our “siblings” to speak the truth to us when we forget or just plan disobey God’s commands.

We learn from each other in our believing family.

We should seek out “Titus 2” relationships with older and younger sisters, being poured into and investing in others as we grow (see also Hebrews 10:24-25). No matter what season of life we are in, there’s someone nearby who has walked ahead of us, and who can offer us wisdom from their experience and time with Christ. At the same time, there’s someone nearby who needs what we’ve learned and experienced, and we need to be intentional to invest in those relationships as God reveals opportunities!

In a lonely world, we need fellowship with others who can encourage us (see Ephesians 2:19-22).

1 Corinthians 12 reminds us: “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” We need our family in Christ to hold up our arms when we’re tired, cheer for us from the sidelines, and remind us we are not alone. Our Father promises never to leave us or forsake us… and part of how He walks with us is to send us our family in Him for support.

In a dark world, we need encouragement and reminders of the Truth.

We are commanded to gather for teaching of the Word by appointed elders, for good reason: we need it.

We’re also called to gather for worship (not just in small groups but at a local church); it uplifts our hearts, points us toward our Savior, and again, reminds us of truth we so easily forget (see 2 Timothy 4:2-5 also).

“If Jesus had to be careful about those He allowed to get close to Him, we must be careful, too. We need to seek out those who share our faith and our love for the Lord, remembering that “we are the temple of the living God” (see 2 Corinthians 6:14–16). – Got Questions (source)

Some things to think about:

Who in your life is a “Titus 2” person for you? Who do you lean on for wisdom and accountability, encouragement and reminders of the truth of who you are in Christ? Who are you pouring into, sharing whatever wisdom and knowledge and experience you have at this season? If you can’t think of someone, ask God to show you who you should connect with!

How’s your relationship with the Church – the local body you attend for teaching, worship, encouragement and accountability?

We need our people!