We can see from the following scriptures that corporate worship was a necessary and vital part of the early church.

Acts 2:46-47 “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (KJV)

Acts 5:42 – “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 14:26 – “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”

The early church’s emphasis on corporate worship created an atmosphere that allowed God to manifest Himself in a greater way.

We can see an example in Acts 4:23 and 31 – “And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.” Verse 31 – “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” (KJV)

F.F. Bosworth said, “A Spirit-filled and praying Church produces an atmosphere in which it is easy for God to work. This makes it difficult for the devil to interfere. This atmosphere is the Holy Spirit Himself. He is more than a match for the devil.” (Bosworth, F. F.. Christ the Healer (p. 179). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)

When believers are continually filled with God’s presence, they experience an individual anointing that helps them maintain the spirit-filled life. When spirit-filled believers gather together in a corporate setting, there is the potential for a greater manifestation of the anointing, or we could say a greater opportunity for God to manifest Himself.

In his message, The Importance of the Corporate Anointing, Gary Crowl discusses the benefits of corporate worship as believers gather together in faith and prayer. These benefits not only affect the individual believer, but they also make a significant impact on the local church.

This full teaching is available as a free audio download, or you can listen to part two here via the audio player below.