Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical dot net.

Nehemiah chapter 10 verses 28 and 29

the rest of the people the priests priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge

and understanding. Join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law that was given by Moses the servant of God,

and to observe and do all the is a covenant among the people of God.

They're basically saying all of us,

all the people, priests,

Levi's, gatekeepers,

singers, temple servants,

everybody, men, women, sons, daughters,

everybody's got knowledge and understanding. we are entering into this covenant together

that we have been separated and we are a people who belong to God, we obey the law of God, we will observe the commandments of God, his rules, his

statutes, and it's this picture of a community of faith that really forms the foundation in the Old Testament for the

picture that God's designed for the church in the New Testament. Like what does

it mean for us to be a part of a local church?

It means that we have coveted together

with other brothers and sisters in Christ

to follow his law, to obey his commands, to be his people, to glorify his name.

We have been set apart by God, by his grace, to be his people, to live as his people.

And we don't ever need to underestimate the importance of this kind of community.

You know, sometimes I hear people talk about, well, I'm, I love Jesus and I want to follow Jesus, but I'm really not a part of a church or I'm really not committed to a local church and that's really not God's design for us like we are all every father of Christ is intended to be a part of a church,

that we are a meaningful member of, that we have covened together with other brothers and

...