The Church: Its Meaning - The Priority of the People of God, Part 1

While I was growing up, my parents had one non-negotiable, one priority, one thing that would never be tolerated or compromised in our home. And that non-negotiable was the very fact that on the Lord's day, on the first day of the week, you worship the Lord.

That was a non-negotiable in my home. So my sister and I were raised to be at church with the people of God on Sunday morning. My dad would say, it's the Lord's day. It's not our day. It's the Lord's day. Therefore, you honor the Lord on the Lord's day. If anyone or anything would take precedence over that, then you would dishonor the Lord on the Lord's day. And that we are not going to compromise. That we are not going to do. They recognized that the church was vital to your spiritual life. The church was pivotal to your mental perspective, crucial to your emotional state, essential to your relational health.

That's how my parents saw the church. The church was not a part of their lives. The church was their life. Big difference. Most people make church a part of their life, but it's not their life. To my parents, church was their life. Everything they did centered around the church. It didn't center around anything else other than the church, because they realized how absolutely necessary the church was in their everyday life. Why is that? Because the church simply is what? The plan of the Son of God.

It's the possession of the living God. The church is the pillar of the truth of God. It's the picture of the love of God. It's the product of the grace of God. They understood that. And we've covered those points with you over the last several weeks. The sixth point simply is that the church is the priority of the people of God. The church is the priority of the people of God. If you go back with me just a few years to March of 2020, when COVID began, and everything was locked down, everything was closed down, even our churches, and I would preach to an empty auditorium and you would go home and you would turn on your computer or your television or however it is you were able to watch that recording or live streaming event, and you'd sit down with your children and you'd maybe have your pajamas on and your cup of coffee and your donut or bagel or whatever it is you were having for breakfast, and you would watch on television or on your computer or on your phone or wherever you did it, that's Sunday's service.

And those nine weeks seemed like an eternity. We didn't know when everything was going to open up again, and we had determined to open up at a certain date anyway as a church, but the fact of the matter is no one knew exactly how long it was going to be, but it seemed like an eternity. And there was this longing in our hearts to be with the people of God. There was this passion in our hearts to somehow sing with the people of God, grow with the people of God, learn with the flock of God. Because you realize that the church is, we're all a bunch of sheep, a flock of sheep, under one chief shepherd, one good shepherd.

We're all part of the body under the head who is Christ. We are all living stones being built up to a spiritual habitation under the chief cornerstone Christ himself. We're all part of the same bride. We are the bride of Christ, and we remain spotless and blameless until the bridegroom comes and receives us to take us home to be with him. And there was this longing, this passion to be together. And when things finally opened up and we saw each other, and we saw each other's faces, and we hugged one another, and we greeted one another, and we loved on one another, and we were able to laugh with one another, sing and praise the Lord with one another.

How exhilarating was that? How much joy was there? How great it was to be back together again as a flock, as a body, as a bride, as living stones worshiping God together. How great that was. But soon all that excitement and exhilaration began to fade in people's lives. The Lord had given us a brief moment in time to realize that man was not to live in isolation from one another when it came to the church of Jesus Christ. And yet there was a time we would give anything, anything to be with the people of God on the Lord's day.

But today there are many who would go anywhere or do anything except be with the people of God on the Lord's day. How quickly everything began to fade and things began to be routine once again. Very few people could say as the psalmist said in Psalm 84 verse number 10, for a day in your courts is better than a thousand places elsewhere. Can you say that today? Better is one day in the courts of the Lord than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I'd rather be with the people of God in the courts of God than a thousand other places. Why? He tells us, for the Lord God is a sun and a shield. He is a provider. He is a protector. The Lord gives grace and glory and no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. In other words, those who walk uprightly realize that it's better to be in the house of the Lord. It's better to be in the courts of God than any other place on the Lord's day. But most people today can't say that and that is so unfortunate.

The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 18 verse number one, a man who isolates himself seeks his own desire.

He rages against all wise judgment. A man who separates himself, a man who isolates himself is one who does it because he seeks his own desire, but he rages against all sound judgment, all wise judgment, all wisdom says don't do that. But the man who separates himself, who isolates himself goes against sound wisdom. You understand the illustration of a fire pit and coals and bringing that charcoal together and putting lighter fluid on it and setting it ablaze and watching it heat up. And as the coals begin to go from charcoal black to grayish white, they begin to be so inflamed and so hot so that they can perform what it is they need to perform.

They need to cook what you place on top of them, whether it's some kind of meat steak or hot dogs or chicken or carne asada, whatever it is you want to cook on that day in order to do their purpose, they must be together. You take one charcoal and you isolate it from the rest of the group. It quickly becomes very, very cold and it cannot perform its essential duty. Why? Because it's lost the blaze, it's lost the fire. You separate yourself from the body of Christ. You separate yourself from the flock of God.

You separate yourself from the building of living stones. All of a sudden you lose your fire in your soul and you become very, very cold for you're unable to perform that which God has designed you to perform as you gather together with the people of God. Because it's when you gather together with the people of God that the heat, the warmth, the blaze is able to accomplish its purpose. So important to understand this. People have asked me since COVID was over three years ago when it started, now it's over.

Why we don't live stream our services any longer? And my answer is always the same. Live streaming church is not church. It is a bad, bad substitute. It's not the same. In fact, it's like watching a fireplace on television. You can see the flames, right? But you can't feel the warmth of the flames. You can see the embers glow, but your face does not reflect the glow of those embers because you're not face-to-face with the fire. It's virtual. Virtual church is not church. It is a bad substitute. I love what my friend John MacArthur says about this.

When he talks about the importance of the local church, he says, at a time when there's more Bible teaching than you could ever consume available through radio, television, and the internet, why should it matter where and how you're taking in God's truth? What's wrong with virtual web-based congregations for the digital age church? Why can't your iPod be your worship leader, your tablet, your pastor, and your friends, and your fellowship, and accountability? The answer is simple. That is not the way God designed it.

That's a great answer. That's not the way God designed it. Well, we're in a different age now, so what's that got to do with the truth of Scripture and how the church is to function? He goes on to say the New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the importance of local assemblies. In fact, it was the pattern of Paul's ministry to establish local congregations in the cities where he preached the gospel. It is only in the local body to which one is committed that there can be the level of intimacy that is required for carefully stimulating fellow believers to love and good deeds.

And it is only in this setting that we can encourage one another faithfully and biblically. Active involvement in your local church is imperative to living a life without compromise. It is only through the ministry of the local church that a believer can receive the kind of teaching, accountability, and encouragement that is necessary for him to stand firm in his convictions. God has ordained the church provide the kind of environment where an uncompromising life can thrive and his people can grow spiritually.

I couldn't have said it better. He's absolutely correct. Virtual church is not church. It's not. It can never replace what happens here on Sunday morning. Let me say it to you this way.

What is happening here right now in this hour that we are together is the clearest taste of heaven you will ever receive while on earth. This is it. Because everything that we're doing here on Sunday morning is the foretaste of what we're going to do in glory perfectly. While we do it imperfectly now, one day we're going to do it perfectly in glory. One day we're going to sing praises to God perfectly. Right now we don't sing so perfectly, right? Our praise isn't always with a pure motive. But when you get to glory, that's exactly what you're going to do.

The Bible says in the book of Revelation that we're going to serve the Lord day and night. What does that mean? I have no idea. But right now we gather together to serve the Lord. And as we serve the Lord in the ministries that God's entrusted to us, we are giving everybody we come in contact with a little simple taste of eternity. This is it. And it only happens at this time. It doesn't happen throughout the week. It only happens on Sunday morning on the Lord's day when we gather together to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness.

And that's why it's imperative that we understand the priority of the church in the life of the believer. It's absolutely essential. The psalmist said it this way. Psalm 27, verse number four. One thing I have asked from the Lord that shall I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple. One thing. I just want one thing, nothing else. One thing I desire. One thing I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

I want to behold the beauty of the Lord. I want to see the glory of the Lord. And he knew that the Lord's glory was in the temple of God. So important. He would say in chapter 26, verse number eight. Oh, Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. I love the habitation of your house. That's the place where your glory dwells. Now, it's true that God is on the present. God is everywhere. But there was one place in particular where his glory would dwell. And it was in the temple of the living God on Mount Sinai.

Before that, it was in the tabernacle in the wilderness. But there our Lord would specifically dwell in it with his presence. It did not diminish or demean the fact that our Lord was on the present anywhere. He's everywhere in every place at all times. But there was a special place where they came to worship him. It's like people say, well, you know, I know that Sunday is the Lord's day, but every day is the Lord's day. Every day is the Lord's day. Well, you're right. It is. But there's something special about the first day of the week on the Lord's day.

It's like prayer. We're to pray without ceasing, right? That means we pray all the time. That means we go through life praying as we drive, praying as we work, praying as we play, praying as we eat. We just pray without ceasing. But Jesus also said in Matthew 6 that when you pray, enter into your closet in secret. And your father who sees you in secret will reward you openly. Why do that? Because there's a special place, a special location where you gather together to pray and commune with the Lord, you and your God.

It doesn't mean you don't pray without ceasing, but there's a special place where you do this. Same is true with the Lord's day. It is the Lord's day. Every day is the Lord's day, but there's a special day in a special occasion, in a special place where you gather together to worship and praise the Lord. People will say to me, I love this one. I don't have to go to church to be a Christian. To which I respond, you don't have to go home to be married either. But if you don't go home, your relationship is going to suffer greatly.

If you don't go to church, your relationships are going to suffer greatly. You got to go home, right? As the father, let's say I decide not to come home for a week or two or three. What will my wife think? What will my kids think? They would think I abandoned them if I didn't go home, right? When you don't go to church for a week or two or three, what do the people of the church think? Where are you? Where did you go? If you decide as a father to come home late every day, that's going to affect your relationship with your family.

Now there are times where there are traffic happens and accidents happen and your boss asks you to stay at work later and you got extra work you got to do and you're going to be home late, but you make a phone call, you tell them you're going to be late and they understand. But you keep showing up late at home and you're not there for dinner that your wife is prepared and your kids are sitting down to have dinner and you're late. That's going to wear very thin quickly. You show up late to church week after week after week, just come strolling in at 10, 15, 10, 20 or 9, 15, 9, 20.

Okay. You say, well, it's just a few songs I'm missing. Just a pastoral prayer. So I miss the announcements. I'm there for the preaching of the word and that all matters anyway. No, you've missed the whole concept. We see, we don't think twice about being late to church. They'll understand. It's okay. But do you think twice about being late when you go home or are you late to work? What happens if you're late to work? You're fired. We're not going to fire you if you're late to church, but you see all that is very important to understanding that church is your life.

It's not a part of what you do. Church is who you are. You are sheep in the flock of God. You are living stones in the building of God. You are parts of the body and the body of Christ. You are the bride of Christ. That's who we are. And therefore everything I do has an effect on everyone else in the body. Everything I do. So whatever you're engaged in or not engaged in, it's going to have an effect on the body of Christ, the flock of God, the building, the stones that make up that building where Christ is the chief cornerstone.

The Bible says in Psalm 22 verse number three that God inhabits the praises of his people. God is everywhere, but there's a particular time which God inhabits the praises of his people. And when they gather together to sing praises to his name and to glorify his name, there's something about God's presence among the people of God that is clearly evident and clearly seen and clearly heard. When you gather together as the people of God, you come to encounter the living God. And the reason the body of Christ functions as well as it does is because the body of Christ is a picture of Christ himself who is the head of the body.

And when the church gathers together, we function together as a body so that Christ is clearly seen to those who come. Extremely important. God inhabits the praises of his people. Psalm 122 verse number one says, I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.

Isn't that great? I was glad when they said to me, let's go to the house of the Lord. When you woke up this morning, were you glad that you were going to the house of the Lord? Psalm 122 was a psalm of ascent. They would sing those as they would ascend up to Jerusalem. And three times a year, the Jewish people had to ascend and go to Jerusalem and go to the temple. And they would say, I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. There's something joyous about being with the people of God in the house of God.

I was glad when they said to me, let's go. Were your kids glad this morning when you said, let's go, let's go worship the Lord. Let's go to the house of the Lord. Let's go and worship the king. I've come to realize over the years that your children's perception of church is directly correlated to the parent's passion for the Christ. If you didn't write that down, you need to write it down. It's really good. The children's perception of the church is a direct correlation of the parent's passion for the Christ.

If you're passionate about the Christ and you're passionate about the church of Jesus Christ, because you can't be passionate about Christ and not his church. He died for the church. If you're passionate about Christ, you're passionate about his church because you're a part of that church. You're a part of that assembly of called out ones. And if you're ecstatic about it, it's going to roll over into the lives of your children. You know, I love what Spurgeon says. Spurgeon said, church is the dearest place on earth.

I love that. This is the dearest place on earth. When I was growing up, my father and mother, I told you earlier, their life was the church. And I told you this story before, but I'm probably sure you've forgotten it. Whenever my father's family or my mother's family came to visit us, my parents made it very clear. On Sunday, we go to church. And if you're visiting with us, you too are going to go to church because you're in our house. Now, my father, his parents were divorced. And so his biological mother and his stepfather would come to visit us.

Neither one of them were saved. His stepsister and her husband would come to visit and they were not saved. My aunt and uncle, my mother's mother and her husband and their children would come to visit us and they were not saved. But the rule applied across the board. We worship the Lord on Sunday and so will you. Do you know that every one of them, except for my father's biological mother, gave their life to Christ? You know why? And they would tell you today, we gave our life to Christ because your parents were uncompromising on the gospel.

They were uncompromising on their convictions. And because of that, we realized that their God was the God, the only God. And they gave their life to Christ. And my parents had the opportunity of leading every one of them to the Lord. Over the years, I have heard people say these words, yeah, I was going to come to church, but my family's from out of town. So? Well, we were going to stay with them because they were going to go to church. Why would you do that? What kind of testimony is that? What are you telling them?

Your God's just not that important. That your family is more important than your God. That's exactly what you told them. Whether they're saved or unsaved, you have a testimony to behold and to uphold. And you live that testimony out. I've had parents over the years tell me, yeah, my son and my daughter, they live at home, but they won't come to church with me. What do you mean they won't come to church with you? Well, you know, they're adults now.

And they're 27, 28, and they just don't come to church. I said, well, did you not make them come to church? Well, they're adults. I said, well, they can't be that much of an adult, but they're still living at home at 26. So they still need you, evidently. So they still need you. Guess what? You're in charge. So tell them, hey, you're going to church. You don't like it? There's the door. You want to be on your own? Live on your own. Take care of yourself on your own. See, you're good enough to be for them what they need to be at the time, but not good enough to worship the Lord that you worship.

See, I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. And you're going to bring others with you, your family members. Show them that God is your priority. He is the first place in your life, and he will never be compromised because there's one thing that's non-negotiable.

Worshiping the Lord on the first day of the week, the Lord's day, because it's his day, he is the priority.

Is he your priority? Many of you know that three of my sons play travel ball. I had the opportunity to coach two of them in travel ball. And travel ball is very extensive, big time commitment. In today's day and age, athletics fall on the weekends, especially on Sundays. So you got to make a choice. And my children, my sons played the key positions. One was a catcher, that's pretty key. One was a pitcher, extremely key. The other was a quarterback, definitely the key, right? So we had to make a choice about what we did on Sunday mornings.

And we never compromised church on Sunday morning. And they missed a lot of games and a lot of opportunities because they would not miss worshiping the Lord first on his day because he's the priority.

And I recall one day a number of years ago that my wife was here on Sunday morning with A.J. in the first service.

And after service was over, they would travel down south to play the game that afternoon. And when she was walking up with A.J., they said, where were you? We needed A.J. this morning to pitch. Where were you? We could have used him. We lost. And my wife said, well, we were in church, worshiping the Lord. Couldn't you miss church just this week? To which she responded, I pray every day that the Lord would protect my son, that the Lord would honor my son as he competes athletically. How can I pray for God to honor my son and then dishonor him on the Lord's day?

That's a contradiction. We can't do that. And so we don't. Now, they didn't understand that because they weren't believers, but that's okay. That was important to us as a family. And all three of my sons will tell you that, you know what? They're not the worst because they missed a game or two or three or four or five or six or tournament of that. Not at all. Because you see, their character was more important than their competition. Their sanctification was more important than a few wins because character is everything.

And we instilled in our life of our children that the Lord is the priority on the Lord's day, no matter what. I think that's pretty important. I know there are a lot of debates about that today with what's happening with athletics on Sundays. I get that. But your children need to know what's important and things of eternity are important. The clearest taste of heaven they're ever going to receive is Sunday morning worship. You want them to get as much taste as they possibly can because there's only 52 of those in a year.

That's it. Not very many times do we gather together on the Lord's day. So important. We gather together on the Lord's day to come apart from the worldly distractions that fill us every day of the week. We come apart on the Lord's day from the normal daily pursuits of life. And the only reason someone would not come apart from those worldly distractions and those normal daily pursuits on the Lord's day is because there is some interest or someone who you're interested in that's more important to you than the people of God.

If that's the case, that something or someone has taken the place of your God and therefore you are an idolater. You have violated Exodus chapter 20. You shall have no other gods before me. That might sound harsh to some of you, unkind and unfriendly. I don't mean to sound that way. But I think we need to come around to understand the importance of the priority of the church in the life of a believer. Turn with me in your Bible to Hebrews chapter 10.

All that was introductory by the way. It is seven minutes to two. But Hebrews chapter 10, we studied this verse not too long ago. It says, let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembly together as is the habit of some, but encourage you one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. In other words, he says, I want you to consider something. Remember in Hebrews chapter three, verse number one, he says, I want you to consider Jesus.

Okay. It means to think deeply about something, to think according to something, to meditate strongly on something. And we know that we're to do that with Jesus, right? Now he says, I want you to consider this as you're thinking deeply about Jesus. I want you to think deeply about the people that Jesus died for. And as you think deeply about the people that Jesus died for, I want you to figure out how you can best stimulate them, best motivate them, best excite them, best arouse them to love and good deeds.

In other words, as much as you think about Jesus and you should deeply think about Jesus, I want you to think deeply about how you can motivate the people of God to love one another, to love their God, and to do deeds appropriate to their walk with the Lord. That's just something we need to do because why John 13, 34 and 35, the Lord said a new commandment I given to you, right? That you love one another. And that is by this shall all men know that you're my disciples because you have loved one to another.

So I'm thinking deeply about how I can motivate you to love one another as Christ loves us because this is the picture that the world needs to see because this is how they know that we're his disciples. Because we have sacrificial, volitional, beneficial, provisional love, one for one another. So much so that the world sees and knows that Christ is our King. Think deeply how you can motivate one another to love and good deeds. Titus 2 verse number 15 says that the grace of God accomplishes great things that it makes us zealous for good deeds.

But there's times we're not as zealous as we need to be. So when the coals come together and are on fire and heated up, they become zealous for good deeds to honor the Lord, to serve the Lord, to serve one another. So the writer of Hebrews says I want you to consider deeply how to stimulate, motivate, arouse, excite one another to love and good deeds. And then he says this, not forsaking the assembly of yourselves together. You can't do it if you're not together. You can only do it when you're together.

And when you're together, this is what's supposed to happen. Because some are in the habit of doing this. But you need to encourage one another. You need to console one another. You need to admonish one another. And all the more, as you see the day approaching, what's the day? The day of Christ coming again. Because Christ is coming again, you need to all the more be motivating, stimulating, exciting, arousing everyone to love and good deeds. But you can only do that if you're together. If you forsake the assembly of yourselves, you cannot do that.

But you need to do it. For that's what the scriptures say. So that's exactly what we do. How do you do that? Well, by praying for one another. Right? We have a group of people that pray during our service. Did you know that? They pray during both services. And they pray particularly for you. They pray for your holiness. They pray for your purity. They pray for your forgiveness. They pray that you would encourage others. They pray that you'd be used by the Lord. They pray that your ears would be open and receptive to what you hear.

That your heart would be soft and supple to the truth of God's word. They are actively praying for you every single Sunday, every single Wednesday during those service times. Because you hear the word of God, they want you to respond and apply those truths to your word, or to your life, of the word to your life. They're praying for the purity of our church. That God will keep us pure. You know, people always ask me, do you ever worry about people leaving the church? I said, no, I never do. What? Because I always pray for the purity of the church.

And I pray if people are leaving for the wrong reasons, God's purifying the church. That's why. I just figure God's doing what I ask Him to do. So it doesn't bother me. Because I want people here that want to be here. I want people here who want to serve the Lord and honor the Lord and be a part of a body that is on fire for Christ. That's what I want to see happen. So we have a bunch of people praying in other rooms during the services that God will purify the church. And God will make the church receptive to the truth of the word of God.

We know that you stimulate one another to love and good deeds by example, right? By example, by testimony. In other words, we need examples of marriages that are on fire and love the Lord and serve the Lord and serve one another. But you can't see those marriages on fire unless you're here. We need families that where children are obedient and follow the Lord and serve the Lord and follow their parents direction. Why? Because I want my children to follow the Lord's direction and submit to their mother and father as well.

So you need examples. But you can't have those examples if you're not here. You need accountability. The Bible says in Hebrews 13.7 and Hebrews 13.17.

In Hebrews 13.7 you're to imitate the faith of those who have led you. You can't imitate their faith if you don't see them actively involved in living out that faith. So where are you going to see them? At the church as the body gathers together to worship the Lord. You don't obey your leaders. They give account for your souls. Hebrews 13.17. And so you look at all those things that they're very vital to the life of the church.

They're all the one another's in scripture. To pray for one another, to admonish one another, to rebuke one another, to forgive one another, to love one another, to serve one another. Well you can't do the one another's if you're apart from one another. You've got to be together. So those things can happen because it stimulates you to love and good deeds. When you gather together as a people of God you begin to get answers to troublesome issues in your life. Things you don't understand. Hardship that comes.

Difficulty that comes. Trials that come your way. Why are these things happening the way they're happening? Why am I going through these things? Why isn't God doing this? You come because you have questions. Questions that can only be answered. Listen.

That can only be answered here, today, right now. How do I know that? Because Asaph had those questions. In Psalm 73 he was perplexed. Could not understand why it is the wicked prospered so much. He could not understand why it is that he as a godly man was suffering such great persecution, such great hardship, such great distress. But all of his friends who were unbelievers were wicked and they were prospering and things were going well for them and he just could not understand it. He was frustrated.

So it says in verse number 16 of Psalm 73, when I pondered to understand this it was troublesome in my sight until. Until what? Until I came into the sanctuary of God. Until I came into the assembly of the people of God. Then I perceived their end. Modern translation, it was troublesome in my sight. Until when? Until I went to church. Assembled with the people of God. In the sanctuary of God. And then I understood their end. Then I perceived their end. Now it came clear to me what was happening. But if he did not gather with the people of God, in the sanctuary of God, he would still be living a troublesome life all these years later.

But there's something about gathering together with the people of God, being instructed by the word of God, by men who preach and teach the word of God, that helps me gain a perspective about life that I would not have if I do not come. And on top of that, listen how he concludes his psalm. So important. Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you will perish.

You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge that I may tell of your works. In other words, he realized that when he gathered together in the sanctuary of God, that's when he was near to God. And the nearness of God was his good. And he realized that there was nothing on earth he desired more than that. But if he never went, he never assembled, and never was with them, he'd have missed all that and more. How about you?

Is the nearness of God your good? Do you understand that God is your refuge? He realized that God was doing a work in his life in spite of his affliction, in spite of his difficulty, and all he had was God. That's all he needed. But if he never gathered together with the people of God in the sanctuary of God, he'd have missed all that. Every time you don't come, you miss. Did you know that? Every time you don't come, you miss. Well, what do I miss? Well, listen to this. So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, this is Resurrection Sunday.

And when the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. And when he had said this, he showed them both his hands and his side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them, peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you have forgiven the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them.

If you retain the sins of any, they have been retained. Wow, what a day. Peter and John had recognized that the tomb was empty. The Lord had been raised from the dead, but there was much perplexity. There was much misunderstanding. There were things they did not know. They were shut up in the upper room in fear. And Jesus showed up to calm their fears. Just walked right through the door. Peace be unto you. And they rejoiced. Not only peace, but receive the Holy Spirit. As the Father sent me, so send I you.

They had gathered together on the eve of the Lord's day out of fear. As they gathered together, the Lord showed up and encouraged them greatly. Read the next verse. But Thomas, the great but-ologies of scripture. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, the twin, was not with them when Jesus came. What did he miss? He missed the resurrected Christ. Why wasn't he there? What was he doing? Was he so distraught, so discouraged that he couldn't assemble with the other men of God? What kept him from assembling with the disciples that he had served with for three years?

What kept him back? The Father didn't tell us. But he wasn't there. And he missed the resurrected Christ. So it says, so the other disciples were saying to him, we have seen the Lord. Can you imagine that? Thomas, where were you, bro? We've seen the Lord. You missed him. For whatever reason, you weren't there. Maybe you're watching the NFL. I don't know. Maybe you're having dinner at some other place. I don't know. What were you doing, Thomas? Why weren't you with us? We have seen the risen Lord.

But he said to them, unless I see in his hands the imprint of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails, put my hand into his side, I will not believe. He was left in unbelief because he decided not to gather with the men of God. They were rejoicing for eight days. There was no joy in Thomas's life. While there was joy in the lives of the other ten, because Judas was already dead, he hung himself, right? There was joy in their lives. They had seen the resurrected Lord. They had been commissioned by him as the Father said to me, so send thy you.

Wow, how great is that? And I received the Holy Spirit. He breathed on them the Holy Spirit of God. Thomas missed all that. For whatever reason, he wasn't there. So he could hear the excitement. He didn't experience the excitement. He could feel the joy of the other men, but he didn't have joy. He could hear their conviction. He had no conviction because he was still in unbelief. Why? For some reason, he decided not to be with the men of God on Resurrection Sunday. You see, when you miss, you miss.

Swing and a miss. You miss everything. And so it's imperative to understand that the church is the priority of the people of God. This is the one non-negotiable experience, the one non-negotiable happening. This is the one thing that cannot afford to be compromised, because this is the clearest taste of heaven you will ever receive while living on this planet. And it happens only in one place, at one period of time, with the people of God. In church, on the Lord's Day, with the people of God. How about you?

Is church your priority? I would pray that it is.