Why Church?
Notes
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Good morning, Gateway Chapel!
Scripture
Prayer
Intro
I think a universal experience in life is walking in a room…looking around, and asking, “Why am I here?” Maybe it happens more when you’re older and you’ve got more things on your mind. I don’t remember that ever happening as a kid, but as we get older and your mind is like an internet browser with 20 tabs open... “Don’t forget to pay the credit card bill…did the Mariners win last night?...How do you repair a leaky faucet?…what’s the weather like tomorrow…oh yeah I forgot to text Spencer back.......I’m in the garage. Why am I in the garage?”
Today, you all have organized your Sunday morning in such a way as to arrive here. At 15715 Main St E, the current home of Gateway Chapel, for church. That’s what happened, but why did it happen? Of all the things you could do on Sunday, why church?
Think of what you could be doing today. You’re behind on house projects. I know it! Don’t pretend it’s not true. Your neighbor put moss out on their roof before the rain came, why aren’t you doing that? You’re tired from the first week back from school. You deserve some rest! You could be kicking back on the couch and watching NFL Redzone. And in the time that it took me to say this sentence, five new Emmy-nominated shows just debuted on Netflix, so you need to keep up! You could be catching up with friends and family by going out to brunch at that new place you wanted to check out. Exercise is important, right? You could be working out. And yet you chose to be here, in a small concrete box with drip coffee, with some people. You’re at church. Why church?
Of all the groups you could associate yourself with right now, why church? In 2020, for the first time in 80 years, Gallup polls said less than 50% of the country calls a religious gathering home (church, mosque, or synagogue) with the last 15 years showing a steep decline. In Sumner, WA we are far from the geographic center of world Christianity. The church is exploding in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Who would’ve thought 100 years ago that many church buildings are now museums, Hindu Temples, mosques, or trendy bars.
Why come to church? You can listen to way better preachers online, or stream church right to your TV!
I talked with a friend recently who is a nurse and watches church online and says, “I love the church and the pastor...I just don’t know that I can go back. I’ve been fighting against COVID and I feel like the church has told me my fight doesn’t matter.”
Attending church can feel like choosing sides. Oh you go to that church? Republican. Hate masks. Oh you go to that church? Critical race theory. Love is love.
So why are you here? Why am I here? What are we supposed to do here? What are we about?
As we come back from summer, and begin more regular rhythms of life together, I wanted to take time to clarify important questions. Why church? So the next four weeks we’ll look to Scripture to cover some foundational aspects of our church life…why church? Why discipleship? Why baptism and communion? And why church membership?
This morning, we’ll be reading out of 1 Peter 2:9-10, and in this text Peter is writing to an eclectic group of people who outside of Jesus, don’t share a lot in common. They live in different towns, they have different ethnicities, they have different backgrounds. And they’ve also experienced major trials in the recent past. Their faith has been shaken by death, persecution, and fear. Can anyone relate?
And in 1 Peter 2:9-10, Peter tells them why church: You’re the people of God who worship God because you’ve received the mercy of God.
Prayer
Let’s read 1 Peter 2:9 together.
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession...
Our first point this morning is that
We’re reading out of 1 Peter, which is a letter by the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ first disciples. In the greeting of the letter it says...
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
As you see on this map, Peter is writing to a wide range of Jesus-following communities around the Ancient Near East. Why is he writing to them?
We read in verse 6
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
Imagine you are a Christian in the first century, your neighbors wouldn’t know what to do with you. You don’t go to the temple to appease the local gods and make sure life went smoothly. And you also don’t go to synagogue with other Jews and eat Kosher, get circumcised, and the like. Who are you? Why are you worshiping some Jew who died on a Roman cross.
You say Jesus is Lord, your neighbors say Caesar is Lord. You follow Jesus, others reject Jesus. Imagine getting strange looks by your neighbors, wondering if rumors were growing about you and your family…wondering if those rumors would eventually grow and cost you your life.
Imagine the feeling…now that I follow Jesus…where do I belong?
The church is the people of God.
The church is the people of God.
Note Peter doesn’t say church, but he’s writing to churches that probably met in homes, they were gatherings of people who believed Jesus was the Messiah.
The first thing Peter says about these early Christians is they are a...
Chosen race
Chosen race
Is God racist? Race is a strong word. If I said on the weekly video, “Hey we’re going to talk about race!” You’d say, “Man I hope he means Rayce Whitson.”
Race is a top of mind conversation for our culture now, just as it was then. Peter was a part of the Jewish people, a race of people connected way back to Abraham.
In our text, Peter is quoting from Exodus 19:5-6.
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
God saves Israel from slavery in Egypt, brings them through the Red Sea, and enters into a binding relationship - a covenant - a marriage ceremony - with the people of Israel (descendants of Abraham).
Peter is Jewish, so he traces his identity back to this text to say this is who I am and why I exist.
But in his letter, he’s writing to people who do not trace their lineage back to Abraham. So how can he say they’re a chosen race?
What is race if not a connection through blood relation? And what is a Christian if not someone who is connected to God and others through the blood of Christ?
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Peter is saying through Jesus, you are now a part of the people of God. Just like God chose Israel, he chose you.
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
And this new people is full of all ethnicities and nationalities because it’s united around the eternal King Jesus. Jesus redefines family.
Over the last couple of years, have you felt like you don’t belong? Church is the family of God, united by the blood of Jesus. You belong.
Peter says you are
A royal priesthood
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9...a royal priesthood...
Again, Peter is quoting from Exodus, uniting his Gentile audience into the thousands year old story of the people of God.
Peter is saying Gentiles are priests. Blasphemy! In Acts, people think Paul is trying to bring Gentiles into the temple, and the whole city nearly lights on fire. That’s like saying, “I think that sex offender would be a good pre school teacher.” What Peter is saying is grounds for murder.
Through Jesus, we are given the Spirit of the King and we become royalty.
Queen Elizabeth died this week. Any fans of the Netflix show “The Crown”? I know very little about her, but that show definitely gives you a window into the grandjeur of her position. The prestige. The power. The influence. The impact she’s had on the entire world. As one person. The epitome of royalty.
Peter says to a poor, powerless, persecuted group…you are royalty. You are of the king. And you’re priests. What is a priest?
A priest is someone who lives in two worlds…the divine and the human. They go into the temple and come out. They are connected to God and humans. As Christians, we are given the Spirit of God, we are the temple where God dwells, and we go to Mariners games. And we buy Juanitas at Fred Meyer. And we talk with our neighbors about the housing market.
Priests look different.
I don’t know any priests, but I think I’d know one if I saw one. How? They wear different clothes. They’ve got the collar.
I’m not saying we should go back to wearing dresses, suits, and ties to church, but the Bible does talk about clothes as a priestly illustration for how we are to live our lives in Christ. Paul will say put off your old self and put on the new self…like changing your clothes.
Imagine if people in the Puget Sound could say, “I don’t know any Christians, but I think I’d know one if I saw one.” They talk differently, they are more hospitable, generous, gracious.
Being a priest is a full time job. Everyone Christian is in full-time ministry. I was as much a priest selling TV ads at ROOT SPORTS as I am now getting paid by the church. You are a priest because you connect God to people and people to God.
Our souls need priests. I’m not saying go to confession. But what does a priest do? Remind us of God’s forgiveness. You can go to that person and share anything, and they will listen, respond kindly, and say, “I forgive you, and Jesus forgives you. Let’s move on.”
What would change about your life in the church if you viewed yourself and others as the royal priests of God?
Peter says you are
A holy nation
Peter is still quoting from Exodus 19…God chosen the nation of Israel to be set apart for his purposes. But did he say, “Therefore, move away from your ungodly neighbors so they don’t contaminate you!” No, he called them to stay.
We are shaped by our culture. Church is no different, and for good reason, churches in Sumner look different than churches in Ethiopia because they need to represent Jesus differently there. But how many of you have been frustrated by the church during COVID because it has increasingly looked more like the culture than Christ? Church can look more like Texas or more like Capitol Hill.
And if I’m honest, I look more like Sumner than Jesus. I produce the fruit of the suburbs and not the Spirit.
But the church is the people of God who live intentionally to be shaped by the holiness of God, receiving God’s grace to become a holy nation.
And Peter says you are
A people for his own possession
Again, this is from Exodus 19 and a host of other texts in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 7 being a key one.
You possess something by purchasing it.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
The church is the people of God, filled with the Spirit of God, bought by the blood of Jesus on the cross.
Even as our culture becomes exponentially individualistic, the church is meant to be a people that meets the deepest needs of every human being. You belong....you have purpose…you’re family…you are deeply loved.
Why are you here? You’re the people of God. You’re a part of a chosen race, you’re royal priests, a holy nation, a people in the possession of the Prince of Peace. What changes when we think like that?
The church is the people of God…and
The church worships God...
The church worships God...
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
9...that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
The church’s task is worship.
Peter is saying in light of who you are this is what you do. Worship. Proclaim the goodness of God.
The church worships. It’s not a thing we do, it’s the thing we do.
At Gateway Chapel we say our mission is to make disciples because that’s what Jesus told us to do in Matthew 28…go and make disciples. What is discipleship if not the process of learning to worship Jesus over everything else? Discipleship is becoming more like Jesus…and we certainly become what we worship.
Every aspect of church life is meant for worship. You worship God with your time…taking time to be here on Sundays is worship. Taking time to be a part of a community group is worship. Taking time to be hospitable and spend time with other people from church is worship.
You worship God with your money. Tithing is a crucial part of worship because you’re saying God is the source and ultimate authority of my finances.
You worship God as you serve. Rosie Ray worships God as she puts together curriculum for the older kids. Brian Doherty worship God as he cleans this building every week.
You worship God as you sing. It’s a biblical evidence of the Holy Spirit, singing spiritual songs.
You worship God as you hear from his word. We worship what we listen to. Hearing Jesus is the first step in responding in worship to Jesus.
You worship God as you mingle before and after church. Small talk can be fake…but it can also be compassionate. Taking time to talk and share your life with others is showing you care about God and his people.
Everything we do here is worship.
Peter says we proclaim the excellencies of the God who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. What a beautiful word picture.
Peter has literally seen the marvelous light of God. He watched Jesus be transformed into glory…he saw Jesus raised from the dead.
There’s this almost angelic nature to church life. Angels are messengers of God’s goodness. And whenever they show up, what do they look like? Bright lights. When Moses goes to speak with God on the moment, he gets close with God and comes down the mountain what do people notice? His face is shining. Before Stephen is martyred for his faith, the people notice that he looks like an angel. Jesus says quite literally that we are the light of the world.
If you went to the fair yesterday sans hat or sunglasses, we can tell. Why? You’re red. You look different. You were close to the sun.
As the church, we are people who stare at Jesus, the son of God, and worship him with everything we do because he called us out of darkness and into his light.
When you showed up today, what was your goal? What did you hope would happen?
The church is the people of God, who worship God, because...
They’ve received the mercy of God.
They’ve received the mercy of God.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Peter is an Old Testament nerd…and here he is quoting from Hosea. Hosea is all about God’s redeeming love for his sinful people. In fact Hosea’s also famous for Francine River’s novel adaptation, “Redeeming Love” which I’m told is very good and also not my cup of tea so...
God asks Hosea to marry a prostitute as a lived out parable for his relationship with Israel.
God says, you know what my relationship with my people is like…it’s like marrying a prostitute. One husband is not enough for my wife.
Hosea 1:6–9 (ESV)
6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all....
8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”
Call your daughter, “I’m done with you” and your son, “Not my kid.” The story at this point seems over. God is done with his people. And in the biblical story, when Israel goes to Exile, it certainly seems that way. No more temple, no more city, no more priests, no more Davidic king…God has left, right?
But God shows mercy. It says in Hosea 2...
23 and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ”
The church is the people of God, who worship God because they’ve received the mercy of God.
The story of Hosea is how God showed mercy to a people that didn’t deserve it and seemed hopelessly lost because of all their mistakes. The church is the people of God who respond to God’s mercy by trusting Jesus as the one who came to save us.
Why church? Since 2020, how hopeful do you feel about the church in America? Statistics would say the future is grim. Why associate with a seemingly sinking ship? Because the church, like the people of God throughout history…has gone through valleys so dark they seem hopeless…it seems like God has completely rejected his people…but then redemption comes. God shows his mercy.
The church is the people of God who worship God because they have received the mercy of God.
Three thoughts as we close.
Because the church is God’s people…you belong.
Because the church is God’s people…you belong.
You belong. You’re welcome here. We want to get to know you. You belong because you’ve trusted Jesus and God chose you before the foundation of the world to be in his family. If you’re here and you haven’t trusted Jesus, we’re glad you’re here. Hang out with us, spend time with us, get to know us, you don’t have to convert to get coffee with us. And church is more than a social club. It’s the people of God.
Consider living out your belonging by joining a community group, we have several that meet throughout the week. Maybe that means grabbing me and going for coffee. Maybe you feel deeply that you belong to Gateway. You are so thankful for a church community to call home. How could you help others know they belong?
Because the church worships God…you have purpose.
Because the church worships God…you have purpose.
What is your goal when you come on Sunday? What do you hope happens? How could you look at everything you do here on Sunday through the lens of worship. What would change?
Because the church receives the mercy of God…there is hope.
Because the church receives the mercy of God…there is hope.
Maybe you’ve been burned by the church…by a pastor…by other church members…our region has been and will be shaped for decades by the fallout of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. If you’re feeling hopeless about the church in general…join the club. And remember that God works in broken places. The church is his plan A for letting the world know how God he is. If you’re feeling trepedacious about church because of past hurt, would you consider telling us? We’re far from perfect, your pastor is as broken and sinful as they come.
I cannot say enough how thankful I am for you. It’s now been two years that you’ve allowed me the honor of serving you as pastor. And can I say, it’s a joy. There are moments where it becomes a little more clear to me how much God loves you. And I love you.
And each week we take communion as a reminder that it’s true…God loves us. Communion is about the communion we have with God and with each other because God chose to send Jesus to die for us and for his blood to cleanse us from sin and bring us into his family. Communion is worship of God as we thank him for forgiving and loving us. Communion is a story of God’s grace, we are acting out the story that Jesus’ body was broken on the cross, he bled for us not because we deserved it but because he loves us.
We’ve all walked in the garage and said, “Why am I here?”
May God allow us to grasp the why of church…we’re the people of God, who worship God because we’ve received the mercy of God.
Community
While we may not be related, we are united by blood.