The Blessing of the Local Church
I love the local church. I've been impacted by the teaching and preaching of a Sovereign Grace Church for 25 years. It has transformed my life. And I’ve seen how God works through the local church. It's been something that has marked us as a family of churches, our love for the local church.
A local church is the focal point where God works to mature his people and to save sinners. And we just can't forget that in our day, that the local church is the place for the Christian to be, and to live life together, and to reach the lost and to do good works.
And so my heart is full of not just love for my church, but for all the churches in Sovereign Grace, and a desire for us to not lose that.
As Spurgeon says:
"Give yourself to the church. You that are members of the church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a church until I had found one that was perfect, I would never have joined one at all. And the moment I did join one, I should have spoiled it. For it would not have been a perfect church after I became a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth."
Mark Prater is the Executive Director for Sovereign Grace and serves as an elder at Covenant Fellowship Church.