Constant Coulibaly

If we gathered on Sunday to talk about politics, we likely would feel honoured to have King Charles III, monarch of the United Kingdom, in our midst. If we gathered to discuss animal and plant life, we would feel privileged to have the presence of Sir David Attenborough, the renowned British broadcaster and biologist.

However, when we gather for worship and reflection on the salvation of the souls of men, on the first day of the week, we have in our presence One who is far greater than any earthly king - Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. We have a rendezvous with the King of Kings every Sunday.

The Apostle Peter declared, "God has made him both Lord and Christ [“Christ” meaning Saviour]" (Acts 2:36). The Apostle John, guided by the Holy Spirit, declares Him “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:16, 17:14; cf. 1 Timothy 6:15) Christ is supreme, exalted above every earthly monarch or highest authority known to the world. This truth is confirmed by the Apostle Paul who states in Ephesians 1:21 that He is “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come”.

New Testament Scripture teaches that when we come together to worship God, we do this by partaking the bread and wine in remembrance of Christ’s perfect sacrifice. And it assures us that Christ is joined with us in worship, both in spirit and in the fellowship of the breaking of bread. Speaking of the supper Jesus instituted as a memorial to Himself, in Matthew 26:29 He said, “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.” (The “Father’s kingdom” is the church, Matthew 16:13-19). Christ is truly present among the assembled saints. The book of Hebrews affirms that Christ Himself worships alongside His people when they come together. In the second chapter, verse 12, the text records Christ saying, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”

Assembling in the presence of Christ should fill our hearts with awe and reverence for Him and cause us to be well-behaved during worship. Whether we are a small or large church, Christ is with us, guiding us, and blessing our time together in worship. Let us cherish this special opportunity to grow in our understanding of Him and to faithfully carry out His will.

One other instance of church life where Christ promises to be with us is when we gather to correct a brother who has sinned. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus outlines the process for addressing a brother who has wronged another member, and He taught three key steps.

First, the wronged member should privately show the offender their error, providing evidence for it. If the offender refuses to acknowledge his fault, a second attempt should be made in the presence of one or two witnesses. If he still ignores these attempts, the case is to be brought before the entire church for judgment. Remember, the purpose of this process is to bring the erring brother to repentance and save their soul.

If this goal is not reached after these two steps, the church must take action: withdraw fellowship from the guilty party. The Lord said, "but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (vs. 17) This means the church is obligated to sever all social interactions with such a person upon proving their guilt. The exclusion of the erring brother from church fellowship places them in the same category as "an heathen man and a publican." This means they are to be considered as part of the sinning world, with the term “heathen” referring to a pagan, and “publican” to an extortioner or racketeer."

Then, as the Lord concluded His teaching on church discipline, he said: "19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

The “binding” and “loosing” refer to the church enforcing discipline on offenders and withholding punishment when they repent. The Lord teaches that the church's decisions will be approved by heaven, provided they align with the teachings received from the apostles (1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2).

In 2 Corinthians, we see an example of the church in Corinth following Paul's instructions to withdraw fellowship from a man who was sexually involved with his stepmother. This man was later welcomed back into the fellowship after he showed remorse (2 Corinthians 2:6-7). The reference to “heaven” in Christ's teaching on discipline indicates His supreme authority over the church. He stands behind the disciplinary actions taken in accordance with apostolic instructions.

This implies that church decisions regarding discipline must be fair, and not arbitrary.

Jesus emphasized that when the church gathers to make a decision, He Himself will be present among the saints. He declared, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).

The Lord Jesus Christ is present with us whenever we meet in His name. When we gather to do His good will, He abides with us.