The Local Church!
Jeremiah 31:7-9 For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’ Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labours with child, together; a great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn. (NKJV).
When you think of the local church, what does it look like? When reading this Scripture recently, I got very excited! It gave me a glimpse of what the local church can be. We all know the local church can be a wonderful place when everything is good, but we all know also that the local church can be a tough place.
In this passage, Jeremiah was prophesying of the return of the captives. What a beautiful picture of the church. People coming out from captivity! There’s so much here about what the local church could be like, but here’s just a glimpse.
In Jeremiah 31:7 we read about singing, shouting and praising! Surely in the local church there should be loud, exuberant, heart-felt, roof-lifting, anointed, Holy Spirit inhabiting, Holy Spirit led, life-changing, spirit lifting, united musical worship with Jesus at the center! Songs written-in-the-house worship. Miracle releasing worship. I believe there’s coming to our churches a fresh dimension of worship like we’ve never known.
Then in Jeremiah 31:8 we read about the wanderers returning. The scattered returned. Speaking of the Jews returning from their captivity in the North and other places. But who has been scattered away from the Kingdom of God from your family? Who has been driven away, taken away, stolen by the enemy? They’re coming back! We’ll see prodigals returning to the Lord and to the local church, in repentance and deliverance, and in genuine salvation!
Then in Jeremiah 31:8 we read about the blind and lame coming. Let’s believe for the physically blind to see again, because we surely will. But spiritual blindness healed too. The church is not a place to simply gather a crowd and have a great time, it’s where spiritual eyes are opened, people SEE things they never did before. It’s a miracle when someone finally “sees” and is able to understand the things of God and His Word. God wants to open people’s eyes! It’s not about deep teaching, (though God often works through teaching), it is about spiritual understanding.
The lame will come and are healed! Physically. Physical problems no Doctor or medical specialist can heal, but God can! Once they were unable to walk through life, but now, their eyes are open and they’re spiritually alive! They’ll come, they may be messy, they may not be ordinary, they may be broken, but they’re here because God has brought them here to heal them, into the local church. We’ll call them in through evangelism and prayer, but God brings them. He’s brought them to the local church because it is about God and people and they get healed. The Apostle Paul speaks much about “walking”. Who do we know who is lame, and unable to walk in life? Well, the local church is a place where they can be healed. Surely!
In Jeremiah 31:9 we read that they’re walking on a straight way and they’re not stumbling. No longer wandering or scattered but walking through life with clarity, purpose, they’re able to see life’s obstacles, they walking with destiny and maturity.
Again in Jeremiah 31:9 we read about the rivers of water. Water speaks of the Holy Spirit, of refreshing, water sustains life, water speaks of washing, cleansing, and fruitfulness. Around the world we’re seeing an increased measure and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But, the best is yet to come!
Another great thought from Jeremiah 31:9. “I am a Father to Israel”. Oh the security of Father! Paul starts most of his letters with “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Gone was his baggage of hate and offence. He was free in the security of his Heavenly Father. A testimony of the healing, the change, and the work God had done deep in his heart. It’ll happen again in the local church, where people will come and be healed of the “chips on their shoulders”.
Who wouldn’t want to be part of a church like that! But you know what? You and I and our family and loved ones, we can.
With Christmas just around the corner, what a fantastic opportunity to let the local church loose and be all that it can be! We have a great moment in many people’s lives when they’ll be thinking about the meaning of life, and wondering where real answers can be found. Surely, SURELY, the local church, can and is a place where the lost can be found, where the blind can see, where the lame can walk again, where those who’ve lost their voice can praise and worship again, where people can be filled and refreshed with the water of life that never runs dry! The local church. Its expression is varied, its people all different, but the fruit for the Glory of God is much the same.
The local church. It may not be perfect, but it is the hope of the world. It is what Christ died for and is coming back for soon as His bride. The church is all about God and people! Let’s be part of one, doing what we can, receiving and giving, praying and inviting so that God can be God on the earth.
