Why

Intro - next few weeks we are going to answer some common question and maybe some tough questions, I believe they need to be answered.

Why Series

Why - often times the toughest question to answer, most often answered with I don't know, it would be easy to answer When, and what, but why is well I believe the most difficult to answer but we are going to attempt to answer why

Why join the church?

Let that sit for a minute, why should you join the local church,

Ever thought of that question

Often times we believe that we can go about things and be growing believers in Christ and not be connected to a local body

We say I come to church and I get fed, and I do the church thing, but with no real connection

I believe that the real reason people don't join the church or don't believe they need to join the church because they can come and do things and if it is not convenient leave when they want

Or if they get upset for some reason they leave and it's no real lose for them

Maybe you have been burnt in the past and you think all churches are the same

Today we will hopefully lave with an understanding that joining a church is pivotal to our personal growth in Christ

Before though we can answer why we need to join the church maybe we need to look at a few things

1 What is the purpose of the church?

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Carry out the great commission, carry out God's purpose

Great Commission - spreading of the good word, telling people what Jesus did on the Cross, and how he died to save their sins this is the great commission

2 What is the church made up of?

1 Corinthians 12:12–14 NASB95

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

, the church is made up individual members put together as a body with Christ as the head.

3 What is the role of the invidious with in the church?

your role is to be what God has called you to be within the walls of the church which means you are to be serving and be active, coming in sunday after sunday and attempting to grow just can’t work anymore

your role is to be part of the body, fulfill your role as your specific part of the body

That brings us to the why we are to join the local church

God never intended for you to go at this life alone, rather we are to do it as a body with Christ as the head.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NASB95

And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

1 Corinthians 12:20 NASB95

But now there are many members, but one body.

We are to join to church in obedience to Christ, he has called to a specific purpose to be part of something greater,

no thumb has ever heard anything or gone anywhere on its own rather it is an important part of the body and without it we cant do certain things,

maybe you are the thumb, or maybe you are a toe, or an ear, or an eye

whatever God has called you to be it is the part of body that maybe Maranatha needs, and you need to be obedient to that call and join the church

If God has called you to be part of Maranatha then you need to join, because within the body you may be a thumb, and since we don't have two we need you, and if you try to do things on your own you are just a thumb wiggling on your own by yourself

Invitation

Maybe you came today already a member of a church or even a member of this church, my prayer is that you now understand your role within the Body of Christ here at Maranatha, or maybe you are looking to join the local church and well frankly we would love to have, or maybe you came and all of this is over your head and maybe you don't know Christ, I would invite you down front where we can talk more about that, it is simple, Christ gave his life for you on the Cross, Christ took on sin yours and mine, so we don't have to bear that burden, and if you have not accepted that free gift of salvation, this is an opportunity to come and do that