Man is a social being, and as such, God wants us to serve him as a group; “Oh Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together” (Psm. 34:3). As we say, there is strength in numbers, and that is true as we strive to serve the Lord. We are encouraged to be evangelist, to bring others to the Lord, to “compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled “(Luke 14:23). God likes a crowd!
God wants His “crowd” to get along. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psm. 133:1). I’ve heard it said that if you can’t worship anywhere, if you can’t worship everywhere. In our “one body” we are instructed to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3,4) God wants a united crowd.
The first church in Jerusalem loved to be around each other. “They were together and had all things in common…taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart” (Acts. 2:44-45). They had daily gatherings to pray (Acts 3:1). There is safety in numbers, but danger away from the group. Satan is always looking for the “loners” among God’s people. It is assuring to know that “where two or three are gathered together, in my name, I am there in their midst” (Mt. 18:20.) God also joins the crowd.
-Dennis Doughty