The Church is Essential
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"The Essential Church" opens in theaters July 28. Look for a showing nearest to you, or visit http://essentialchurchmovie.com. Footage provided by Grace Productions. To subscribe to our podcast, visit http://wwutt.podbean.com!
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- In March of 2020, churches in North America and around the world were instructed by governing authorities to shut their doors.
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- A deadly pandemic was said to be sweeping the globe, only essential services should remain open, and the church was not essential.
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- Many churches complied. In fact, famous pastors like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, and then
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- Southern Baptist President J .D. Greer said they'd keep their churches shuttered until the next year.
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- There are people on the other end of this argument, I keep hearing them say over and over, the Lord commands us to meet, the
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- Lord commands us to meet. He does not. God requires us to meet, the very nature of who we are, the
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- Ecclesia. We are a gathered people. In the 17th century, John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, was arrested and put in prison for holding unlawful meetings, preaching to groups of more than five people outside his own family.
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- During the COVID restrictions, Canadian pastors like James Coates and Tim Stephens went to jail for having church, and very few
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- Christians stood by them. Hebrews 10, 24 -25 says, Let us consider how to stir one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
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- The church is essential. When it happens again that a tyrannical government wants to impose its will on the church, remind them that Christ, not
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- Caesar, is head of the church. Stand with the apostles who said, we must obey