16 - The Gate of Heaven

The Gate of Heaven

The Kingdom of God has no greater asset on earth today than the local assembly of believers. The local church is the house of God on earth. Our gatherings are the pillar and the ground of truth. Where we assemble is where we meet with Jesus, Who is in our midst. The local church is clearly called "the gateway to Heaven", indicating that everything God wants to pour out in the earth comes through the there.

Jesus loves His churches so much that He shed His own blood to purchase them. In fact, it is absolutely correct to say that Jesus has never missed a local church meeting! And it's there, in the assembly, that we have the opportunity to fully serve Him. Jesus is so interested in our local gatherings, that He has provided very specific details on how He wants them built and how He wants them to operate

Whether you are a "church-hurt" Christian struggling with the idea of going back; or you're a believer who doesn't know how to answer someone who says, "I don't need to go to church"; or you're a church leader who wants to know God's plan for their congregation - You must understand God has a plan for His church...and a place for you in it!

Part One - Your Need For A Local Church

There has been a great de-emphasis on church attendance in the last couple of decades. We've been told repeatedly: "There are too many hypocrites that think they're OK just because they attend church. But that's just a building, it isn't a church. I don't need to go to church because I am the church. I can serve God on my own!"

Maybe you've heard these lies and half-truths before and didn't know how to respond to them. Maybe you've even believed them to be true.

The first part of this series explains the value of the local church in your life...and destroys these lies that have tried to cheapen it.

01 - Are You Willing To Hear?

02 - THE Church And The Churches

03 - The House Of God

04 - The Pillar Of Truth

05 - Can I Serve God On My Own?

06 - Unexcused

07 - Coming Back

Part Two - God's Blueprint For The Local Church

Pastor, do you ever wish God would just tell you what He wants your church to be like? Wouldn't it awesome if He just handed you the blueprint for building a church?

Good news, God has done exactly that! When God instructed Moses to build the Golden Lampstand in Exodus 25, He gave every church leader a specific plan for building their local church. In fact, that plan is laid in in very plain detail. Any pastor who is tasked with building a congregation would do well to listen to God's advice to Moses in Exodus 25:40 - "...see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you..." This is HIS church after all; it must be built HIS way!

This second part of this series dives into the details of that pattern, and how God wants His church to be designed.

01 - John's Revelation Of The Local Church