Why Go to Church?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
Why go to church? Did you miss it much? Why? Why is church essential? What purpose does it serve?
The Proper Response
The Proper Response
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
Motivated by Joy
Motivated by Joy
Glad = have a feeling or attitude of joy and happiness, with a possible focus of making an outward expression of that joy
Motivated by Pride
Motivated by Pride
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
Pride is not a good motivator for coming to Church — it’s not a good idea at all to be proud that you’re here this morning — or to look around and figure who isn’t, and take pride that you’re more committed then they are
Motivated by Loyalty
Motivated by Loyalty
"I’ve been a member here for __ years, and my family attended before that.”
Although loyalty is an admirable quality, it’s not why you come to church.
Going to church on Sunday morning is not a tradition, it’s a Bible command.
Since Christ rose from the grave that Sunday, His people gathered in His name every Sunday.
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
If you wake up every Sunday and attend out of loyalty, to keep the family tradition alive, you are focusing on the wrong family — loyalty to earthly families does not win you spiritual rewards.
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Who are you hear to honor? Who are you here to please? Who are you here to impress? Your legacy, or Christ?
Motivated by Emotion
Motivated by Emotion
Here to be entertained
Here because of someone they know
Here because they are fond of the style
Here because things are happening
Here because it’s the “in crowd.”
The minute their opinion — their emotions — changes, they’re gone.
ILLUSTRATION — These Christians are a lot like King Saul — enjoying David’s beautiful harp playing one moment, and then hurling javelins the next.
They start criticizing, or making excuses, and you pick the reason — music, methods, people, they find a reason and they move on to have their emotions satisfied somewhere else.
ILLUSTRATION — A man was marooned on a desolate island. After he had been there for five years he was found and rescued. As he climbed into the rescue boat the curious rescuers noticed three grass huts. “We thought you were alone, why are there three huts,” they asked.
The man replied, “The first hut is my home; the second is my church.”
“What about the third hut?”
“Oh, that’s the church I used to belong to!”
If church-hopping has become a habit for you, I’d challenge you to take a step back and ask God to help you examine your motivation for going to church. You might just realize you’re asking this congregation to fill a void only Christ can fill.
Motivated by Religion
Motivated by Religion
ILLUSTRATION — The Difference on Easter
As the pastor introduced his children’s sermon on Easter, he asked the little ones, “Do you see anything different about our church today?”
Little Heather quickly figured out the difference and blurted out, “It’s full!”
I’m glad that folks see value in attending Church on special days, but those that are only in the church when it’s a special day, when they see that day coming, whether Christmas, or Easter, or whatever, and think to themselves “I really ought to go to church that day,” what is their motivation behind that thinking?
What makes one day more important than the next? What are they hoping to achieve by making it in the doors on those certain days?
Perhaps, their motivation is just religion. I had better do the minimum so that I can be a Christian — so that I can keep my favor with God — or the Pastor — or my family — or whatever
Motivated by the idea that showing up in the building does something to advance their standing in God’s eyes. You cannot advance your spiritual standing before God.
But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Why do you come to church? To make God happy with you? To feel good about yourself spiritually? That’s not a relationship, that’s religion.
Motivated by Joy — are you?
Motivated by Joy — are you?
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.
The Primary Reason
The Primary Reason
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Provoke = rousing to activity, stirring up, provoking, “to encourage someone in love”
To Inspire Growth
To Inspire Growth
You are here to be an inspiration to someone else. Not an idol, but an inspiration. To provide what they need, when they need it, to keep growing for Christ.
To be Inspired to Grow
To be Inspired to Grow
You are here to find inspiration in someone else. Not an idol, but inspiration. Someone gives you what you need, right when you need it, to help you grow for Christ.
You welcome the accountability that comes with building a relationship with God’s people — you don’t run from it
To Invest in Growth
To Invest in Growth
You walk through those doors expecting, and totally willing to give time, money, effort, moral support, to whatever need presents itself — so that someone else can grow in their relationship with Christ.
To Invite Growth
To Invite Growth
Your attitude is such that people draw strength from it. No matter what the outside world may be like, together we invite growth by holding each-other up, by encouraging each-other.
The Priority Realigned
The Priority Realigned
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Forsaking = Cease assembling
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Church is not something you should ever stop being a part of. That’s ceasing assembling. That’s forsaking the assembling. It’s something that Christ’s followers continue stedfastly — hold fast to, continue in, persevere in — busy oneself with, be busily engaged in, be devoted to — and more and more often as you see the day approaching!!
Our priority as Christians, as we look around us and realize that Revelation no longer seems far-fetched, that we can think of ways, practical, real ways, that the things the book describes to actually happen, right now, today — our priority should be to gather even more frequently — to put Church above all else
QUOTE — Joshua Imler, 7 Ways Some Christians Made Church Non-Essential Long Before this Quarantine — “Rather than letting other things be your reason for missing church, let church be your reason for missing those other things.”
ILLUSTRATION — President James Polk spent his last day as president on March 3, 1849, and at midnight, Polk was out of office. But his successor, Gen. Zachary Taylor, a staunch church goer, refused to be sworn in on March 4, 1849 because it was a Sunday. He said, “Going to church was a higher priority than becoming president of the United States.” He postponed his inauguration until Monday, March 5. So for one day, US Senator David Atchison of Missouri was president pro tempore of the US.
Can you think of anything more important than becoming president of the US?
Zachary Taylor could – it was going to church.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
What has been your response to coming together for Church? What motivated you to come? Was it joy? Or something else?
Are you fulfilling the reason for assembling ourselves together? Are you fostering growth in others, and opening yourself up to be provoked to grow?
Are your priorities straight when it comes to church? I mean, had the church not been closed for two months, how many services would you have really made it to, and why? Church is essential, not necessarily for liberty, or for levity — it’s essential for life — and without it, you’re not really living your best life for Christ.
INVITATION — In your seats
INVITATION — In your seats
