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And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
—Hebrews 10:25

The first one ever to use the word church was not the apostle Paul. Rather, it was Jesus Himself. He said, “Upon this rock, I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT).

When Jesus walked this earth, He started only one organization, and that, of course, was the church. By stating that the gates of Hell will not conquer His church, Jesus was saying, “Listen, this church is here to stay. Against all odds, it will prevail.”

Interestingly, Jesus made this statement at a place called Caesarea Philippi. We could miss the significance of that altogether. But Caesarea Philippi was a place of paganism and false belief. The Greeks had dedicated Caesarea Philippi to Pan, one of their gods. And if you were to go there today, you would see what is left of a site dedicated to false gods and idols.

In contrast, the foundation of the church is Christ Himself. He will build His church, and the gates of Hell will not conquer it. This reminds us that the church will face hostility and opposition.

The word church comes from the Greek word ecclesia. And ecclesia consists of two other terms that mean “out from” and “called.” When we put them together, the meaning of ecclesia, или church, is “called out from.”

From what is the church called out? We are called out from this world and this culture. Jesus was saying, “My followers should be separate from this culture.”

But we also are called to. God has called us to Himself and one another.

Wherever God’s people gather together, that place turns into a sanctuary. That’s because the church is not a building; it is people. Jesus said, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT). That is what the church is.

When we love God, we also will love His children. And when we don’t love His children, then the question arises as to how much we love God. It is popular today to criticize the church. But understand this: When you speak critically of the church, you are speaking critically of those whom Jesus loves.

Some people claim to be Christians, but they don’t attend church. However, if you are a Christian, then you should long to be with God’s people.

The Bible says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT). If you love God, then you will love His people.

As Christians, we need to live up to our name, which means “Christ followers.” And we need to be Christlike.

If each of us would be what we ought to be as followers of Jesus and as a part of the church, what a difference it would make in our communities, our country, and the world.