Why do I need to be involved in the Church

INTRO

The story is told of a pastor in a New England fishing village who was regularly mocked by several local townspeople when they met him on the street. One day the pastor encountered three men who decided that they would have a bit of fun by challenging the pastor about his beliefs. One of them asked the pastor, "Pastor, you are always inviting me to come to your church. But I have also heard you say that you don't need to go to church to be saved. So which, exactly, is it, pastor? Do I need to go to church or not?"

The pastor responded by pointing to the local harbor and said, "Do you see that rowboat tied to the dock over there? Now if you wanted to go to England, you could get into that rowboat and begin rowing. I suppose you might make it all the way to England, if your boat wasn't swamped by a big wave, and if you didn't die of heat stroke, and if the sharks didn't get you, and if you didn't die of thirst or hunger, or lose your way, or get caught in a storm. Yes, it is possible that you could make it to England by yourself.

On the other hand, take a look at that ocean liner out there on the horizon. My bet is that you would make it to England a lot more easily, if you decided to get on that ocean liner and sailed along with an experienced crew on a route that they had traveled many times before." The pastor continued, "My point, friends, is that you might make it to heaven on your own apart from the church, but I doubt it. There are too many dangers that will almost surely get you off track before you got there. But if you get involved in the church, you have a much higher probability of making it all the way to eternity with God."

Pastor Rick Warren, the senior pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church in Southern California made the following observation: “Only in America do you have a significant percentage of people who believe that they are Christians, but who are unattached to any local church. That’s like believing that you are an offensive tackle, but refusing to play on any particular football team. A Christian without a local church is a contradiction!”

REFEERENCE:

http://www.usachurches.org/articles/why-get-involved-in-a-local-church.htm

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WHAT CHURCH IS NOT

A BUILDING

WINSTONE CHURCHILL SAID WE SHAPE OUR BUILDINGS THEN THEY SHAPE US

AN INSTUTUTE

AN EVENT OR A PLACE TO JUST GO

WHAT IS CHURCH?

A GROUP OF BELIEVERS JOINED TOGETHER IN COMMITMENT TO FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE.

THE GREAT COMMISSION - A PLACE WHERE WE GO IN ORDER TO BE SENT.

WHY CHURCH?

Hebrews 10:25 NLT

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

WELL HEBREWS 10:25 TELLS US THAT WE ARE NOT TO NEGLECT MEETING TOGETHER

HOWEVER BECAUSE OF THIS CORONA VIRUS WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE CANNOT GATHER IN BIG GROUPS AND THERE ARE SOME CHURCHES THAT HAVE QUOTED THIS VERY VERSE WHEN RATIONALISING THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO RIGHT TO TELL USNOT TO MEET.

GOD HAS ORDAINED 3 INTSTITUTIONS IN THE BIBLE

FAMILY

GOVERNMENT

CHURCH

AND THE IDEA IS THAT EACH SHOULD RESPECT THE OTHER AND NOT TAKE AWAY THE RIGHTS THAT ARE THEIRS INDIVIDUALLY.

SO THE ARGUMENT IS THAT THE CHURCH HAS A RIGHT TO MEET.

HOWEVER AND THIS IS A BIG HOWEVER WHEN WE LOOK AT SCRIPTURE AND THE CHURCH IN THE BIBLE WE DO NOT SEE LARGE GATHERINGS. RATHER WE SEE A LOT OF SMALL GROUPS GATHERING IN HOUSES AND THE LIKE AND THEN THEY GO TO THE TEMPLE TOGETHER TO WORSHIP CORPORATELY.

I AM NOT KNOCKING LARGE CHURCHES WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT WE NEED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE CHURCH AND THE PURPOSE.

THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT SAY WE CANNOT MEET TOGETHER - IT JUST MEANT WE HAD TO GET A WHOLE LOT MORE TECH SAVVY AND CREATIVE ABOUT HOW WE MEET TOGETHER.

BILLY GRAHAM PREACHED A SERMON IN 1957 ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE

HE BEGINS BY MENTIONING THE ROBINSON CRUSO CHRISTIANS THE ONES WHO LIVE ON THEIR OWN ISLAND.

HE GOES ON TO SAY HOW CHURCH IS ESSENTIAL:

CHURCH IS LIKE A VINE WITH MANY BRANCHES

LIKE LIVING STONES

1 Peter 2:4–5 NLT

4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

YOU CAN PROFESS TO BE A PART OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH BUT NOT BELONG TO A LOCAL CHURCH

HE SAYS THAT IS LIKE SAYING YOUR IN THE NAVY BUT YOU NOT GETTING ON ANY SHIP

YES THERE IS A UNIVERSAL BODY OF BELEIVERS

BUT THERE ARE LOCAL BRANCHES AND THOSE LOCAL BRANCHES ARE

NAZARENE

ALLIANCE

LUTHEREN

ANGLICAN

YOU GET THE PICTURE

WHY DO I GO TO CHURCH?

IT IS WHERE I FEEL SAFE AND WHERE I HAVE A SENSE OF BELONGING

FRIENDS/SPIRITUAL FAMILY

HELPS ME TO FOCUS ON GOD

HELPS ME TO FACE LIFES PROBLEMS

HELPS ME TO STRENGTHEN MY FAITH

HELPS ME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

HOW DO YOU KNOW THERE ARE NEEDS AROUND YOU? BECAUSE YOU ARE IN COMMUNITY.

Acts 2:42 NLT

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

WHY WE GO TO CHURCH

IT ENCOURGES US TO GROW IN OUR LIVES

THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO ONE ANOTHER - BELONGING

WE ARE GIFTED FOR THE BETTERMENT OF EACH OTHER.

CHURCH IS MESSY AND THERE IS NO PERFECT CHURCH - BILLY GRAHAM

JUST LOOK AT 1-2 CORINTHIANS AND YOU HAVE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW MESSY CHURCH IS.

BUT IT IS WHERE WE ARE SPRITUALLY SHARPENED AND GROWN

THE ENEMY IS PUT IN HIS PLACE

WHY?

JESUS IS OUR ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF WHY WE GO TO CHURCH

LETS JUST TAKE A LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF JESUS TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

MOSES SEAT

TENAGH ON SABBATH DAY

THE WORD OF GOD WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT -

IT IS COMMUNAL AND IT IS TEACHING BUT IT IS FOUNDED ON THE SCRIPTURES. THIS IS WHERE WE LEARN.

THEY LEARNED AND DEBATED AND DISCUSSED AT THE SYNAGOGUE

NOT EVERYONE BECAME A DISCIPLE

WHEN KIDS ALL WENT TO SCHOOL IN HIS DAY, BOYS AND GIRLS ALIKE.

IN ELEMENTERY SCHOOL THEY LEARNED

1ST CENTURY

BETH SEFER - 1 FIVE BOOKS OF BIBLE - TO 12-13

THEN ON TO - MARRY OR BOYS LEARNED TRADE

FEW WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY AND PASSION - BETH MIDRASH

RABBI WOULD TEACH - ANYONE COULD COME AND LISTEN TO BETH MIDRASH

THEN THE NEXT LEVEL WOULD BE TALMEED (TALMEEDEEN)

DISCIPLE

500 - 70 - 12

THE 12 IS THE WORD TALMEED

IT IS A PASSION

WE OFTEN THINK DISCIPLE IS TO KNOW

TALMEED TAKES IT DEEPER

SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE LIKE THE RABBI WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORK OF GOD

PASSION AND DEEP LEVEL OF COMMITMENT - ALL CONSUMMING.

SO LAST WEEK WE WERE TOLD TO GO AND BE DISCIPLES AND MAKE DISCIPLES.

PASTOR KALEB TOLD US LAST WEEK TO GO...... GO TELL PEOPLE THE GOOD NEWS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE AND WELL AND HIS SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN US

DO WE HAVE THE FIRE AND THE PASSION

do we really understand what it means that Jesus believes in us

SO IF YOU WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE OR MAKE A DISCIPLE THEN YOU WILL NEED TO BE WHERE YOU CAN LEARN THE WORD OF GOD AND CATCH THE FIRE.