THE CHURCH THAT GOD BUILT

Carl Roodnick

​DO NOT FORSAKE THE GATHERING. I have heard so many prophets and pastors quote and misrepresent this verse with alternative motives. DO NOT FORSAKE THE GATHERING. What does this really mean when the Hebrew writer wrote? 
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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.​

THE CHURCH IS NOT A BUILDING

Our confession of our hope will never waver as long as we gather in some church with other brothers and sisters? Is this what this verse means? NO!
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Here it is referring to our salvation not wavering because it is grounded not in a church, not in our pastor, not in our leaders where we gathered in a physical build with other saints. NO! But we do not waver because our hope is in the One that promised was made to us. It is certainly not in any man or the place men want to gather. It is in Jesus Christ our Messiah and not a physical location or building. 
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the church of the living god

We have to be mindful, that in the past, or in the Old Testament, God had one primary way to communicate to His people. And that was through His prophets. We see this time and time again in the Scripture. But a shift occurred in the New Testament. The one we had been waiting for. The prophets were waiting. God’s people were waiting for had come. And when he came, he settled all matters concerning the sins of man which made us eligible to be in right standing with God once again – as we were in the beginning, in the Garden of Eden. This meant man could once again have direct access to God through the redemption Jesus had completed for all of mankind at the cross.

This is why the Bible writer of Hebrews states. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things…. (Hebrews 1:2)

Paul confirms this at 1 Corinthians 3:16 when he said. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
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At 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15, Paul said. …I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Here Paul speaks of the House of God – the tabernacle of God – a physical place of worship – a physical building or meeting place. But this is not a building built by men – the hands and spirit and will of man. An assembly of men hosting a prep rally boasting about 

• How to have your best life now
• 10 steps to a better you
• How to get God to serve you

​NO! This church which Paul speaks about is a church that is erected and built by God through a selected few men that host the Spirit of the Living God. Where God dwells, runs, and oversees the going on in such a house. Because His Spirit is there. Because it is His. It belongs to Him and not man. 

JUST TWO OR THREE ARE REQUIRED

It is Jesus, our High Priest, the Melchizedek that intercedes for us (Psalm 110:4). And all he needs is 2 or 3 to gather in a home, at a church, in a ministry, or even in the woods. The meeting place does not matter, is nonessential as far as God, Christ, and Holy Spirit are concerned. It really does not matter. So long as true worshipers of God are gathered. He does not need 100, two thousand, or even a million to meet for His presence to dwell and be activated for His purpose to be done. He just needs 2 or 3 (Matthew 18:20). He just needs 2 or 3 to meet together anywhere at any given time and there He should be.