“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”
John 1:18
Does local church actually matter any more?
If I browse the internet for my next pair of trainers then why not for my next sermon? If I find it easier to make friends and interact on social media then why would I go through the effort and expense of being physically present in my local church?
The trend towards de-localisation and the resulting loss of neighbour which is characteristic of our time, makes the always-important topic of local church seem more pressing now than ever.
One of the loveliest and most powerful concepts in Scripture is the concept of knowing. Both the Hebrew and Greek words for knowing (yāḏa and ginosko) go deep, they mean to recognise, notice, care about, learn about, truly understand, be intimate with. These ‘knowing’ words shape God’s story of love in Scripture and teach us what love truly is. What life itself is.
Here’s the thing: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) because knowing and being known matter. Christian maturity is not delivered through an app on my phone because my flesh and where I dwell are an intrinsic and unavoidable part of who I am.
I meet Jesus, and the Father whom he has made known, when I am connected to his body, the church, which is made alive and made beautiful by the power of the Holy Spirit. I receive the abundant-life-giving coming of Jesus as I know and am known in my local church.
Local church matters because knowing and being known matter.
