Gardeners know that if a seed is not planted deep in the ground, it will not grow up and produce fruit. A tiny seed, outside of the ground, is nothing but unrealized potential; it is not until the seed is buried in the earth that it can become a mighty tree, producing much fruit.
The same is with the follower of Christ. The Bible says that “Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing” (Psalm 92:13, 14). Belonging to a local church (a group of believers in a certain area) is about much more than where you spend your Sunday mornings. When you are planted in a church, you join in the work of Jesus Christ and receive the nutrients vital to your growth and productivity as a Christian.
Jesus said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus Christ is in the business of building, and what He has chosen to build is His Church, the group of His faithful followers who will perform His will on earth until He returns for them. When you belong to a local church, you receive the elements you need to be a successful Christian: good teaching, developing of spiritual gifts, and support of a family. Just like a newborn needs a family for his health and growth, so does the Christian! The Bible says, “God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land” (Psalm 68:6).
To become involved in a local church, begin by asking God to lead you. Then look in your area or ask believers you know about a good church. A healthy church is one that teaches the Bible, believes Jesus is the only way to God, and continues Jesus’ work on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit. Planted in the local church, you will grow up to be a healthy follower of Christ and will produce much fruit!
Verses
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf does not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).
“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Colossians 1:18).
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).