The Brick Building - Israel 2023 Part 1
The building, nondescript.
There is no signage.
But a quiet stream of people find their way to it.
And the sound of singing can be heard echoing in the alley...
It is a Messianic congregation of believers in Yeshua in modern-day Israel.
During my recent visit to Israel, I had the great privilege of visiting a Messianic congregation for a portion of their Sabbath worship service. Of all the places our team visited in the land, this was by far my favorite experience.
The building was not beautiful. The context was not historical. Our time there was incredibly limited. Yet, it impacted me more than almost any other aspect of the land.
If you care to know why, give me a few more lines of your time...
- The music was authentic...Hebrew worship, straight from the Psalms.
- Participants truly wanted to be there. (Being a Messianic believer in Israel can be challenging. Attending a congregation that proclaims Yeshua can make one a target for persecution. Casual "bench-warmers" are scarce in such conditions).
- Congregants were reminded that time is short and to persevere. While it was a serious reminder, it was not given in fear. There was a sense of urgency to complete the work. There was an acceptance that the work would be difficult and that persecution was to be anticipated. But there was joy in the room, and the words were delivered and received in peace.
- Instruction was given in Hebrew and translated to English phrase by phrase.
Which brings me to something that really interested me...
Messianic congregants in Israel do not typically select their congregations based on doctrine...they select them based on language.
You see, modern-day Israel is a land of many languages. While Hebrew is the language most familiar to the "Sabra" population (Jews born in Israel), 25% of the Israeli population is made up of immigrants who are not yet fluent in Hebrew.
So when it comes to worship, Messianic Israelis prioritize understanding the worship service over strictly agreeing to specific doctrine.
Now, obviously there are certain tenants that must be agreed upon for corporate worship. For a Messianic congregation, the utmost would be a conviction that Yeshua is Messiah.
However, essentials in place, there is a lot of room for differences within the Messianic congregation in Israel.
And THAT is what I really liked about visiting.
It was like getting a tiny glimpse of heaven here on earth! Imperfect followers of the perfect Messiah...seeking...sharing...loving...reading...worshiping...walking the narrow path together.
Just. Beautiful!
I know and love many followers of Yeshua, but most of us worship separately due to minute differences in our beliefs.
But what if we actually did our deep studying at home and in small groups, and kept our minute differences there?
What if we united together in corporate worship of The Mighty Creator God and Yeshua the Messiah?
What if we encouraged one another in the separate ministries given to us to carry out on this earth?
What if we shared resources with one another despite our differing views on doctrinal issues?
What if we started behaving like The Body of Messiah -- One Body made up of many parts?
Now perhaps I have romanticized the Messianic church in Israel based on a very quick visit and a few conversations. Fair enough. But we have another beautiful example of the early Israeli Messianic church in Acts 2:42-47, where we are told that "all who believed were together, having everything in common."
No denominations. No separations over pet doctrines. Jew and Gentile. Just a group of people saved by faith in Yeshua, seeking to learn more, love better, and bring healing to those around them. And perhaps, just perhaps, I have romanticized the Acts 2 church as well. Scripture does allude to their problems. But...it's a start...
What would it take to move the Western church a few steps closer to the Acts chapter 2 model?
Is there a desire to move that direction?
Just a few of the things I have been thinking about since my return.
Perhaps we will roll that around another time if you continue to...
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