a Christian assembly

This article is intended to be a description and purpose of a Christian assembly and is to be used as information to help serve those seeking a group of fellow believers with whom to meet and share Christ’s vision for his followers.

A Christian assembly is a group of people who are disciples of Christ coming together to build each other up. Christian assemblies are mentioned several times in the New Testament writings. These assemblies of Christians are not “churches” since the meaning of the Greek word ekklesia is translated as assembly or congregation and reflects its local nature. The word church was not introduced into the English New Testament until translations biased by the hierarchy of religious groups and reflects a building or an earthly institution. It’s introduction into the English translations was a direct result of political and institutional religious pressure. William Tyndale, the first to translate the bible from the original Greek to English always used the term congregation in describing the assembled Christians. As a Greek scholar, he wanted to perfectly reflect the meaning of the original text instead of bowing to the pressures of the Roman Catholic leaders.

A Christian assembly should never be a cultural event. We are called to give up our own identities and put on the identity of Christ. Assembling Christians should be encouraged to relinquish their own cultural wants as they seek to be Christlike in serving others. Seeking cultural relevance is a recipe for division. Sacrificing yours wants or cultural needs for others is always a declaration of your willingness to put others above yourself. That’s why Jesus wants us to think of ourselves as a “body” when we meet together. We remember Christ’s body that he gave up on the cross for us when we take of the bread and the fruit of the vine together. We remember that Jesus calls for us to give up ourselves for others as he did. This is the way we know what love is and are eagerly seeking to accept that example in our own lives. Jesus exampled this time of remembrance as he called on his disciples to show their love for each other by washing each others feet and commanding them to love one another. Our assemblies must be a time of service to each other if we remember Jesus’ sacrifice.

A Christian assembly by definition is a meeting of those who, trusting God, have believed that Jesus is the son of God and been born again by putting on Christ in baptism. This assembled group, now saved by Jesus’ sacrifice and made righteous by God’s grace, now seek an avenue of declaring God’s grace by living a life of sacrifice to God. This life of sacrifice is not fulfilled in physical worship to God at a place or time but is rather declared by a life of love and service to others. It is now by the fruits of this spiritual worship that God is glorified. A Christian assembly is an occasion for those seeking to glorify God in this way to edify others and be edified by others. It is a time to build each other up to love and good works which is the fruit that glorifies God. Loving others, the command of Jesus, must be the assembled Christians first and overriding concern and is the indispensable ingredient of unity. Assemblies of diverse people that call themselves Christians will find continuing opportunity to display the sacrificial love that Jesus calls us to be known by. Jesus also taught his followers that their love for each other would be the measure of their love for him and his Father. Having this love, and the unity that it will bring, we truly will be known to be his disciples. The world will truly know the love of God and the sacrifice of His son by seeing this group of people sacrificially loving each other. This is the very scene described in Acts 2 and 3 and is essential in our describing Jesus Christ to others.

Putting love above all else, this Christian assembly will endure the problems that will invariably come up. There will always be those who through immaturity or Satan’s power, will seek their own way. Others, mature in their understanding of Christ’s love, will continue to sacrifice and call on this body to focus on being like Jesus instead of their own wants. Assembling Christians will call out those mature in Christ and full of his spirit to step forward to shepherd the body. New Testament writers compared the body to a flock of sheep needing shepherds to imitate Christ’s model in leading the sheep to green pastures and still waters. Looking after the body’s spiritual and physical needs is a task given to those who are spiritually gifted to oversee the health of the body. Love for the least of the body is to be their calling and no one should be left out. Each part of this body of Christians is indispensable to each other. Love and unity must never be just uttered words in a Christian assembly or by those who profess Jesus as savior.

Assembled Christians, looking to imitate Jesus, will build each other up for the tasks of service outside the assembly and a daily war with Satan. A daily sacrifice is the worship that Jesus seeks for each of us since he has brought us into a relationship with God. Understanding our individual talents and using them to God’s glory is the sacrifice that smells sweet to God. Giving to those in need and sharing the burdens of others becomes the very life of the mature Christian. Seeking opportunities of service to others out of love is the Christian’s joy. Jesus calls us to this service and says that doing it to the least of these is doing it unto him. Assembling Christians will look to perfect their love as taught by Jesus to reflect the perfect loving nature of God who by grace made us perfect through the sacrifice of His only son.

A Christian assembly of people that takes on these qualities of Christ will be one with God and His son Jesus and He has a place prepared for those who seek that relationship.