Stop Going to Church
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Illustration—
A pastor overheard a couple of older men talking. They were talking about religion. As he listened to them, I almost had to laugh as they talked about a few of the churches in the area and some of the members of those churches. I had about as much as I could take of their criticism of the local churches. I asked the men if they went any of the local churches in the area. The first man replied, “Nope, there ain’t no good ones around here.” The other man replied, “Yes sir young man, I go to church at Ebenezer.” My face lit up and I begin to grin ear to ear. Then I replied, “I’ve been looking for a good church to go to in the community.” Then I asked, “Are you a deacon there?” He replied, “No.” I asked again, “Are you a teacher there, server there, in the choir there???” Again he replied, “No.” I even asked who the preacher was, it took him a minute, but stated one of the former preachers of the church who had sadly passed away nearly 6 years earlier. The Holy Spirit spoke boldness into me and I stated, “You belong to a church that you aren’t a deacon, a teacher, a choir member, or even serve in. You also attend a church that the preacher had been dead for six years.” It is time you “Stop Going to Church.”
The Biggest Danger—
There is a danger in going to church and leaving without having church in them.
Church is not something you go to, attend or become a member of. It’s not like a country club that one pays their dues, visit a few times a year, become a member, and are considered faithful church members. No my friends. That is not what church is not somewhere you go, but something you are.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 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.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
I’ve seen the statement on Facebook
“Don't say you'll go to jail over your faith when you won't even go to church over it.” I was reading some of the comments people made about his post. One person wrote that she disagreed with the statement and stated that church attendance is not necessary and that God will not judge her because she won’t go. She then added, “I go to the Lord daily…right in my recliner.”
Church attendance is vital to stay faithful to the LORD, but there are simply far too many Christians out there who have this mistaken belief that church is just something that you go to for sixty minutes on Sunday morning (assuming the preacher doesn’t go over-time).
The truth is—you don’t go to church; you are the church! The church isn’t a place; it’s people! Jesus said…
“You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13)
“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
“You are…a city set on a hill.” (Matthew 5:14)
Transitional Sentence—
This morning I want to challenge you not to just attend church. Stop coming to church. Instead be the church. Even more than that, become planted in the House of the Lord.
Read Scripture—
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; They shall be fat and flourishing; 15 To shew that the Lord is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
For the next few minutes, I want to break these passages down to learn what the LORD wants to reveals to us about the church.
First Scripture—
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD…
Back in the Old Testament, everyone knew what the house of the LORD was. It was the Temple in Jerusalem. Before the Temple was built, it was the Tabernacle. From the days of the Tabernacle, the priests would construct the tabernacle building, cover it in cloth, hair, and animal skin and the presence of the LORD would enter into the building and Jewish tradition states that when the Ruach Hakodesh (spirit of God) came into the building that the curtains would begin expanding and contracting as if someone were breathing in and out.
My friends if you are a true believer, that same Spirit of God now dwells inside of you.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
If you read 1 Kings 6, you’ll notice that the entire Temple of Solomon was built using cedar covered in pure gold. Also both inside and outside the temple walls, he carved palm trees into the gold. Even the temple in Heaven has palm trees etched on it (Ezekiel 41).
These trees were both contained the presence of the LORD Almighty. Literally, the LORD lived within the walls of the Temple and dwelt among His people.
Palm Tree
a. Bears fruit
b. Bends but does not break
c. Is a sign of victory
d. Points the way to water
A cedar tree
a. Releases a fragrance
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
b. Strongest of the woods
—The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary states about “the trees of Lebanon (especially the cedars), which cast down their roots as deeply as is their height upwards ….” (Stand Tall because rooted deep)
Second Scripture—
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Definition of Flourish—to grow, produce, increase.
Third Scripture—
They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
Ekklesia is a Greek word defined as “a called-out assembly or congregation.” Ekklesia is commonly translated as “church” in the New Testament.
Truth: If you are planted in the House of the LORD (where His presence dwells, you will florish)
When things are planted they will grow
When things grow they will produce fruit
When fruit is produced a harvest will be reaped
When a harvest is reaped more can be planted.
Characteristics of Those Planted in the House of the LORD
1. Those Planted Will Have Roots
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
2. Those Planted Will Be Alive and Produce
3. Those Alive Will Stand Strong Despite the Season