Is the church essential or non-essential? Does the Bible really teach that the church should occupy a place of primacy in our lives? Is the church really fundamental to our Christian identity or is it really just supplemental?

In 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic caused society to shut down. And when society shut down, questions arose about what institutions in our culture were actually essential and which were non-essential. Many states in our country determined at the outset of the pandemic that the church was in fact non-essential and mandated closures.

One of those states was California and one of the churches mandated to close was Grace Community Church in Los Angeles. But Pastor John MacArthur knew his Bible and knew his church history and he knew that the church was essential. That is why Grace Community Church ultimately defied Gov. Newsom’s order and remained open.

Last year a documentary was released entitled The Essential Church, which detailed Grace Community Church’s journey to remain faithful to God, to his word and to the mission of the church. It is a truly inspiring story and if you have not yet watched it, then consider clicking the link above and checking it out.

In January of 2023, Nate, Peter and Kyle also sat down and talked about the essential nature of the church and why the church should have pride of place in a Christian’s life. They discussed the challenging, and perhaps dangerous proposition that the church calendar should come before the sports calendar, the school calendar or even our personal calendars.

So join, Nate, Peter and Kyle as they discuss the primacy of the church.

https://theparrhesians.com/