How Church Helps You

A Churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complainedthat it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. He wrote, “I’ve gone to church for 30 years now, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: Those meals nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

How much nourishment do you miss when you miss church?

In Psalm 122:1 the psalmist David shared some important words on this very subject…read…

Psalm 122:1 NASB95

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Here King David, expressed the joy and gladness he felt when it came time to go to the house of the Lord.

What do you feel when each Sunday rolls around and it comes time to go the house of the Lord?

One sunny Sunday morning, Henry Jones awoke to find his wife standing over him, shaking him by the shoulder. "You have to get up," she urged. "We have to get ready for church.” "I don’t want to go to church," he replied. "I want to stay in bed.” Crossing her arms over her chest, his wife demanded, "Give me three good reasons why you should stay in bed and not go to church." "OK!" "First, I don’t get anything out of the service. Second, I don’t like the people there. And third, no one there likes me. Now can you give me three good reasons why I should go to church?" His wife responded, "First, it will do you some good. Second, there are people who really do like you. And third, you have to go, you’re the pastor! Get up and get dressed."

Well this morning I want to share with you 3 reasons why church is important. The 1st reason:

1. IT HELPS YOU CONNECT WITH GOD. (Psalm 100)

- In Psalm 100 we’re told…

Psalm 100 NASB95

A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

- When we come to church…we come to worship God - we come to meet with the Living God!

- And the wonderful truth is this: God wants to meet with His people! God is here – His presence is here in His House!

- In Hebrews 10:25 we’re told not to forsake our assembling together as is the habit of some!

Hebrews 10:25 NASB95

not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

- Why? Because when we gather together as the church, we gather to connect with God!

- In Isaiah 6:1-5 the prophet Isaiah had a vision of God high and lifted up in Heaven…and he experienced a great worship service…read…

Isaiah 6:1–5 NASB95

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”

- As Isaiah connected with the Holy God, he saw the sin in his heart and life!

- When we gather here each week, we gather here to sing praise to the Lord, to honor Him, to lift Him up, to lift our prayers to Him, to hear a word from Him – and hopefully to deal with our sins.

- You see, church helps you connect with God!

TS – A 2nd reason church is important:

2. IT HELPS YOU GROW IN GOD. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

- When we come, we focus on the Word of God (the Bible – God’s Holy Word) and its instruction to us.

- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says... 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NASB95

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

- When we come to church, we learn from the Bible and we are challenged in our lives.

- The Lord teaches us things that help us in our struggles and things that help us grow in our faith and trust in the Lord.

- Again in Hebrews 10:25, we’re told…

Hebrews 10:25 NASB95

not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

- You see, church helps you to grow in God – to grow in your faith, trust, understanding of His Word…His will!

TS – A 3rd reason church is important:

3. IT HELPS YOU SERVE FOR GOD. (Mark 10:42-45)

- In Matthew 28:18-20 we’re told to be on mission with God and for God…

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.”

- And in Mark 10 when a teachable moment occurred about greatness, Jesus said these words to His disciples…Mark 10:42-45 …

Mark 10:42–45 NASB95

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

- You see, church helps you to serve for God!

Conclusion

The story is told about the guy who came to church with his family, and as they were driving home afterwards he was complaining about everything. He said, “The music was too loud. The sermon was too long. The announcements were unclear. The building was hot. The people were unfriendly.” He went on & on, complaining about virtually everything. Finally, his very observant son said, “Dad, you’ve got to admit it wasn’t a bad show for just a dollar.”

Well I want you to know that church isn’t perfect if you haven’t already figured this out…but it sure can help you / it does…it can help you CONNECT with God…it can help you GROW in God…it can help you SERVE for God!

I pray you will decide today to be in church week after week after week! And to make Church a central part of your weekly life!

And I pray you will be glad when they say to you, "Let us go to the House of the LORD."