Why Church? Part 3
Author: Pastor Kalen Brown
The church is a place of covering and protection of the family of God.
When I was in my early teens, I got into trouble with some older rough, and angry teenage boys that got furious with me and chased me around the neighborhood for what seemed like hours. In my recollection of the events of that day, I am sure that I did not deserve their ire, either way, I was pretty concerned for my safety.
I knew my neighborhood very well; where to run, where to hide, and which backyards to navigate to secure my escape; all to no avail. In my last-ditch effort to preserve my life, I remember very distinctly running up to the porch of my house and yelling for dad! Praise God he was actually home! Those older angry boys were pretty bold and marched right up to the same porch determined to, I think, kill me! But dad! He got in their face, he did not back down, he saved my life and those boys wandered away, never to be seen again! I was very thankful for my family that day! I felt protected, I had a covering over my being and a father that was most interested in preserving my life! I am sure he was probably wondering if I didn’t deserve what those boys wanted to do to me, I never asked, but I think I saw it on his face.
We are living in interesting days, unusual days. We are living in days where it seems that everything that can be shaken is being shaken. If our trust is in government, or our trust is in military power, if our trust is in a superior political system, or if our trust is in natural resources, then rest assured the Lord will test those things in our lives.
There will be days prior to the coming of the Lord that will suffer times of great pressure. We can see days similar to the time of Noah where violence and immortality abounded. Days similar to the days of Lot marked by perversions of every type. These days will be characterized by tremendous deception and even a departing of the faith. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 to take heed that no man deceives us.
Yet the people of God who are walking in the ways of the Lord need not be fearful. Days are upon us and days ahead of us that will hold times of great testing. We see biblically that times of wickedness will abound in the world, but we also know that the righteousness of God will also abound among God’s people!
5 Then the Lord will provide shade for Mount Zion
and all who assemble there.
He will provide a canopy of cloud during the day
and smoke and flaming fire at night,
covering the glorious land.
6 It will be a shelter from daytime heat
and a hiding place from storms and rain. Is 4:5–6 NLT
The Lord tells us that upon every assembly the glory of God will be for defense as a covering! He promises covering and protection for His people. When we are in the place God says we must be, rightly related to the family of God, His people, the church, we will experience protection and covering!
The following Old Testament examples display the protection provided by God when we are under His covering. This is seen first in the days of flooding. God warned His people of a coming desolation and the people of God responded by faith and prepared a boat that would be their ark of safety as seen in Hebrews 11:7. God provided a place of refuge and a hiding place and the only safe place for the family to be. Only those that identified with the family, who entered into the provision of God were spared from the judgment experienced outside the boat. It is not good enough to only be right in our thinking, we must be right in our placement!
Secondly, this is seen in the days of the plagues. During this time in the book of Exodus God worked a special miracle on behalf of his people. He put a division between His people and the Egyptians.
22 But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land. 23 I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’ ” Ex 8:22–23 NLT
If the Israelites were to experience the benefit of the redemption they had to be in the place of God’s provision. When there were flies in Egypt there were no flies in Goshen. Where there was darkness in Egypt there was light in Goshen. Where there was death in Egypt there was life in Goshen. They had to stay near to the Lord in the place of the Lord to experience the provision of the Lord.
The local church today is being established to the work and pattern of God by the faith of Gods’ people. It, too, is God’s prescribed place of refuge and safety. Like my experience with dad being my protector, let us run to the place He has provided for us. God is showing us that in our day; days of judgment, of wickedness, perversion, and of deception, that He has provided a place of covering and protection. When we submit to God’s authority in our lives, through humility and the acceptance of His provision, we will be covered and protected from the fiery darts of the enemy and will not be deceived in days of moral, religious, political, and natural upheaval.
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with long life
and give them my salvation.” Ps 91 NLT
