Indeed, we who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we ARE the church. We read in Acts 2:46-47, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH daily those who were being saved.” (NKJV) Speaking of Christ, we read in Ephesians 1:22-23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to THE CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS BODY, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” 1 Corinthians 12:27 tells us, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” Then, we read in Romans 12:4-5, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER.”

What do all these verses tell us? There is only ONE CHURCH. There is only one way of entrance into this church…we are added to the church when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The church of God IS the body of Christ. As believers in Him, we ‘compose’ His body! We believers ARE the body of Christ, and we are members of one another. This shows us that we not only have a relationship with the Lord, but we have a relationship with every member of the body of Christ, the Church. We are “members in particular” and we are “members one of another.” As such, we have a vital connection with every believer in every place. The Lord has built His church in such a way that we need others, and others need us. We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ!

We don’t actually ‘go to church’. As you said, we ARE the church. It is as the local representation of the church that we gather together according to the Word of God and the leading of His Spirit. It is vital that, as believers, we fellowship with other believers, worship with other believers, and pray with other believers. Indeed, we need each other! We are exhorted in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Christians need to be in the company of fellow believers! We need to comfort, cheer, console, rejoice with, weep with, learn with, and worship with other believers of ‘like precious faith.” The Lord created His church to be dependent upon Him to help lead people to Him. WE NEED EACH OTHER!

So, we should not forsake our gathering together with fellow believers. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” We desperately need to be together with fellow believers for our mutual benefit. Romans 12:15 tells us to, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” Should WE not rejoice and weep with other believers, as well? As we clearly see that the Lord’s coming is near, we need to gather together more often with fellow believers. As I said previously, we don’t go to church; we are part of the church and we gather together for various reasons so that we might minister to one another’s needs and to share the Gospel with all those we meet. May we all sense the urgency to be in the presence of fellow believers, and gather often, according to the Lord’s leading.   (244.6)