Inconceivable!

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a love of the brothers without hypocrisy, fervently love one another from the heart,

1 Peter 1:22

In the movie, The Princess Bride, Vizzini, Fezzik and Inigo Montoya have kidnapped the princess bride. They are on the ship and the hero, Westley, is in pursuit. Over and over, Vizzini keeps using the word inconceivable to describe that he cannot believe the hero is gaining on them. Inigo's rebuttal to Vizzini's constant bewilderment is, "I do not think that word means what you think it means."

The word inconceivable is defined as not capable of being imagined or grasped mentally; unbelievable. It is inconceivable that anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ does not love His church. I would go as far as to say that any individual who holds that view is a very immature believer or not one at all. How can one claim to be a follower of Christ and not love His bride, the church ( 2 Corinthians 11:12, Ephesians 5:25-27 Revelation 19:7-9)?

What is the church? The word church is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia and is defined as "an assembly" or "called-out ones." If you ask most people, they will define church as a building where people meet. Romans 16:5 says, "Greet the church that is in their house." The church is not a building or a home. It is a body of individual believers that come together to worship and serve one another. In Acts 2:42, we see a description of the early church, "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers." Paul goes further in explaining the role of every believer to the church in Romans 12:4-8,

"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another, but having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: whether prophecy, in agreement with the faith; or service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with generosity; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

For a Christian to say, he loves God, but not the church is inconceivable. To not gather with fellow believers to fellowship, worship, and be taught God's word by His shepherds is inconceivable. To belong to a local body of believers and not use your gifts for the church is inconceivable. It is inconceivable that anyone calling themselves a Christian would say that they love God but not the church, His Sons bride. Jesus died for His bride the church, and one day the bride will come to Him.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark