Why Church?

When I asked the question “Why must we attend church?” I must admit that I cringed when I heard the most common response as to why we must attend church.  “Because the Bible says so!”  I made a statement the other day that I am sure some cringed at as well.  I said “You cannot be a growing, obedient Christian apart from Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance.”  Have we ever considered the reason why the Bible tells us that it is important to attend church?  Scripture presents some important spiritual disciplines to help us grow in our faith, be encouraged in our faith, and learn in our faith.  Bible reading is one.  The Bible is God’s revelation of who He is and His plan for us.  Do you want to know God more?  Do you want to know His plan for us?  Then read His Word.  It is in His Word that we can learn these two things more.  As it is in every relationship, communication is key.  One sided communication in relationships are a sign that the relationship is not as strong as some people think.  The same is said in our own personal relationship with God.  I imagine that we spend more time talking with God instead of allowing God to speak to us through His Word.  Prayer is us communicating with God.  Why do we pray?  Prayer is our dependence on God.  When we pray, we are in the process of showing how much we trust and rely on Him.  God knows our needs and our burdens before we come to Him in prayer.  Why must we pray?  Perhaps, because if God supplies our needs or care for our burdens without us asking, we could take for granted how much we need God.  Perhaps, we would rob God of His glory by giving praise to ourselves rather than God.  Perhaps, we will arrive to the point in our prideful nature to say that we do not need God.  Whatever the case may be, prayer is essential.  Our prayer life must be consistent in thanksgiving, adoration, confession, and petitions.  We need God and prayer helps us to realize that.  God does not NEED our prayers.  We need prayer to keep us humble and to keep our perspectives correct.  So now we come to church attendance?  Why is it important to our faith?  Why is church attendance important to the growth of our Christian walk?  Let us look at what the writer of Hebrews has to say:

 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

First, notice the phrase “not neglecting to meet together.”  Now I am sure some are shouting, “SEE, it does say so?”  I admit it does, but there is so much more to it as the entire text reveals.  In fact, these three verses tell us why church is important in the life of a believer.

1)      It provides an opportunity to “stir up” each other to love and good works.  The phrase stir up has a twofold action.  The negative action is to irritate.  The positive action is to arouse or excite, which is the case being used here.  Church gives us an opportunity to excite each other to love and good works which is a manifestation of that love.  Of course there is the love for God and then the love for each other.

2)      It provides an opportunity for us to encourage one another.  Looking at the ministry of Jesus, there is a common theme that seems to exist.  Not just salvation but “one another.”  Jesus showed it in His ministry and Paul writes of it in His letters.  We need one another.  In fact, the idea of our need for social interaction exists in the book of Genesis at the creation, when God said it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). 

So why do we need this stirring and encouragement?  Because the “Day” is drawing near.  Time is short.  With our eyes on the future, we know that sometime soon, Jesus is returning.  We need each other so that we can encourage each other and stir up each other to the work of the Kingdom.  We cannot do it alone.  I liked how a new Christian puts it once when we were talking about church attendance.  Church is a support system for her Christian faith that she cannot get anywhere else.  How fitting.  So when we talk about church attendance, don’t use the easy to go to “Because the Bible says so!”  It actually tells us the reason why it is important. 

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!" (Psa 122:1)

 

                                                                                                     

Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne

We pour our ardent prayers;

Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one

Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,

Our mutual burdens bear;

And often for each other flows

The sympathizing tear.

                                                                                                               

An old guy in his Volvo is driving home from work when his wife rings him on his cell phone.

"Honey", she says in a worried voice, "be careful. There was a bit on the news just now, some lunatic is driving the wrong way down the freeway".

"It's worse than that", he replies, "there are hundreds of them!"

God is good

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.  As soon as you read these words and if you are familiar with this song, it is likely that you found yourself singing the rest of it.  In Psalm 107, we actually discover the original version of the phrase “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it.”  In verse 2, the psalmist sings “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”  But what is it that we are to say?  Look at verse 1.  He is good.  His steadfast love endures forever.  One of my favorite things as a follower of Christ is to listen to others share of how good God has been in their lives.  How God has proven to be faithful.  The psalmist, redeemed himself, spends the rest of the psalms explaining how God is good and how His steadfast love endures forever.  Most people when given a chance to give a testimony do not know what to say or do.  Psalm 107 is actually a great standard to follow when giving a testimony.  Think about it, the premise of every testimony is to testify that God is good.  In verse 4-7 we find God is good because He brings satisfaction to the soul.  In verses 10-16, God brought salvation to the slaves.  Verses 17-22, we see that God brought healing to the stubborn. In verses 23-32, God brought strength to the scared.  In verses 32-42 is an incredible list of why God is good but the premise of these verses is that He brought something to someone.  And not all of them was necessarily positive. In the first four points, there is a before and after.  A closer look also reveals a connective point.  When you read Psalm 107, did you notice it?  It is found in verse 6, 13, 19, and 28.  They cried to the Lord in their distress and He delivered them.  Therein lies the reason the psalmist confesses that God is good.  He heard them.  He delivered them.  When we testify, we testify that God is good because in our time of distress, we called out to Him and He delivered us.  He saved us from our sins, our sickness, our stress, and our situations.  Yes.  God is good.  Tell someone about it.  Don’t just say He is good.  Tell them why He is good.  What has He done for you?  Your family?  Your friends?   At the heart of your story is God's story and what He did for you, He can do for others.

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Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!

 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;

 Redeemed through His infinite mercy,

 His child and forever I am.

Redeemed, redeemed,

 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;

 Redeemed, redeemed,

 His child and forever I am.

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At an annual Bosses' Night dinner for Helena, Montana, lawyers, sponsored by legal secretaries, it was time to announce the Boss of the Year.

 The master of ceremonies began: "First of all, our winner is a graduate of the University of Montana. So that already eliminates some of you as candidates.

 "Our winner also is a partner in a downtown Helena law firm. That eliminates some more of you.

 "Our nominee is honest, upright, dedicated..."

 A voice from the audience cut in: "Well, there go the rest of us!"

Why Worship?

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Easter.  Churches across the world experienced an uptick in their attendance.  Such was the case at our church here in the “hollers.”  Of course, many of these individuals will probably not darken the church doors until Christmas or they may even wait another year before returning.  They could be coming for the choir special.  It could mean that they are simply spending the day with family and this is their family tradition.  However we look at it, the premise of worship in the Psalms remains the same.  In both Psalm 103 ad 104, we find this phrase “Bless the Lord.”  It is mentioned 6 times in Psalm 103 and twice in Psalm 104.  The psalmist is actually encouraging this response of praise due to two things.  Let’s take a look at two significant passages in these two psalms and see if we can grasp these two reasons.
Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.   (Psalm 103:1-5)

The first reason to respond to God in worship is because of what He has done.  At the heart of this Psalms is God’s graciousness and mercy in forgiving us for our sins.  In a recent conversation with some who were new in their walk with Christ, the one constant theme to what He has meant to them since entering that relationship is they have been given hope.  I can sit here and share countless times in which “God showed up” in my life and in my hour of need and took care of me or my family or even the church.  When we sit back and think about what God has done for us, a chain of events that began way back in Genesis, there must be a sense of awe and wonderment to what He has done that leads us to a sense of deepest praise and worship.  Now let’s look at the second significant passage of Scripture.  This one is found in Psalm 104:

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. (Psalm 104:1-2)

Now this one is going to be a little bit different to understand.  The reason is because we usually associate praise with accomplishments.  However, in this psalm, the psalmist is encouraging praise and worship based not on what our Creator has done but who He is.  We have the tendency to believe that what He has done is what makes Him God.  Yet it was not the splitting of the Red Sea that makes Him God.  It is not the flooding of the world that makes Him God.  It is not the 10 plagues, the water from the rock, the manna that fell from the sky, and the incredible accomplishments that He worked through the nation of Israel that makes Him God.  It is simply who He is.  All these incredible demonstrations of power is simply a revelation of His nature.  From holiness, omnipotent, omniscient, and the list goes on.  God is God simply because that is who He is.  That alone should drive us to a deep sense of praise and worship.

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O that with yonder sacred throng

 we at his feet may fall!

 We'll join the everlasting song,

 and crown him Lord of all.

 We'll join the everlasting song,

 and crown him Lord of all.

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        A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.

      The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

      My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor." Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"

      He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

The East and West

I could not leave Psalm 103 without mentioning one other incredible point that the psalmist makes about forgiveness.  Especially the forgiveness that God gives.  Have you ever felt like you have to spend your whole life trying to live down your past mistakes?  Others simply find it way too easy to bring up your past, even if it is years ago and you have genuinely and repeatedly asked forgiveness.  Sometimes, it forces you to a point where you are spending more energy avoiding individuals for the sake of avoiding the awkwardness of the guilt trip that occurs because of their constant reminder of your failures.  Bless the Lord, O my soul.  God is not like that.  The psalmist reveals: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12).   There is an amazing illustration that has been used to demonstrate just how incredible this is involving a globe.  If you were to take a globe and put your finger on your current location and go north, when you reach the north pole, you will begin to go south.  If you were to go south and reach the south pole, you will begin to go north.  However, if you were to go east, you will always be going east and the same is said about going west.  Now let’s bring it to a perspective of the psalmist’s words.  The finger going east will never reach the point of going west unless they decide to turn around.  The finger going west will never go east unless they turn around.  God removes our sins so far from us that it is not a part of our lives.  That is the forgiveness he has to offer.  While others may bring our failures to light, over and over again.  In the eyes of God, when we have sought His merciful forgiveness, those sins that we have sought for.  Hopefully with this thought in mind, we can get a sense of how excited the psalmist was concerning God’s grace and mercy in light of his forgiveness of sins.  People are a more difficult critic than God.

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Would you be free from the burden of sin?

 There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;

 Would you o’er evil a victory win?

 There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r

 In the blood of the Lamb;

 There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r

 In the precious blood of the Lamb.

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Three priests were sitting around discussing how things were going at their respective parishes.

 The first priest complains of a terrible bat infestation at his church, and it is soon apparent that this is something of an epidemic at all three parishes. After much discussion of all matters clerical, they go home for the night.

 After a week or so, they meet again and discuss the bat problem.

 Priest-1: I tried to get rid of my bats this week. I shot at them with my shotgun, but I think I damaged the belfry more than the bats! I still have no way of getting rid of them!

 Priest-2: I tried another way. I couldn't bring myself to shoot them, after all they are God's creatures, so I went up with a big box. I knocked all the bats into the box with a stick and drove out to the forest where I released them. But they were back at the church before I was!!

 Priest-3: I've solved the problem. I did much the same thing. I had all the bats in the box, but before I released them, I baptized and confirmed every one of them, and they have not been back since......

Bless the Lord

I am an avid fisherman.  One of the joys of fishing is the exhilaration of reeling in a catch.  No matter what size it is.  Harkening back to the day when I caught my biggest bass ever (7 ½ lbs), I remember shouting loudly from the banks of the farm pond in western Illinois and dropping to my knees whole clutching the lunker to my chest.  What an excitement.  There are moments in our own lives when we can remember the excitement of something good happening in our lives.  When those exciting moments occur and we feel the excitement surge within us, there leads a tendency to share the news with others.  In the very first verse of Psalm 103, you get the sense of exhilaration from the psalmist: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”  The word “bless” implies a sense of praise.  There is something significant about the use of the word “soul” here.  In fact, a return to Genesis will demonstrate that usage.  The word translated “soul” in verses one and two is the exact same one found in Genesis 2:7: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (KJV).  How did we, shaped from dirt, become a living soul?  By having God breathing into our nostrils.  Usually when the human body is described, you hear it described as body, mind, and soul.  Our soul is the very breath of God, the best of who we are.  When the psalmist shouts “Bless the Lord, O my soul” he is shouting that the he must praise God with the very best of who he has and what he has.  God deserves the very best of who we are and the very best of what he has?  Why?  Verse 2 tells us because of his benefits.  What benefits?  That answer can be found in the following verses: who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalms 103:3-5).  Yes.  Salvation.  Redemption.  Forgiveness for our sins.  There have been many excitable moments in our lives.  But nothing compares to the free gift of salvation that offers redemption and forgiveness for all our sins richly and lavishly given to us by God.  Does His forgiveness still excite you?

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What can wash away my sin?

 Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

 What can make me whole again?

 Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow

 That makes me white as snow;

 No other fount I know,

 Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

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The elderly pastor was searching his closet for his collar before church one Sunday morning. In the back of the closet, he found a small box containing 3 eggs and 100 $1 bills.

      He called his wife into the closet to ask her about the box and its contents. Embarrassed, she admitted having hidden the box there for their entire 30 years of marriage. Disappointed and hurt, the pastor asked her, "WHY?"

      The wife replied that she hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings. He asked her how the box could have hurt his feelings. She said that every time during their marriage that he had delivered a poor sermon, she had placed an egg in the box.

      The pastor felt that 3 poor sermons in 30 years was certainly nothing to feel bad about, so he asked her what the $100 was for.

      She replied, "Each time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them to the neighbours for $1."

There is None Like God

There is none like God.  Constantly looking for satisfaction, answers, and hope, society seeks to find their fulfillment in various resources offered in the secular and the spiritual.  From the Psalmist we learned that there is none like God.  "There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours" (Psalm 86:8).  It is in the previous verse that the psalmist reveals that because there is none like God, he will call upon him in the day of trouble.  If you have ever looked on bulletin boards filled with advertisements, you will most likely find self-help guidelines promising help 24/7.  There will always be someone there to listen.  Verse 7 shows that God not only hears but also answers.  Isn't it great to have that someone that we can always go to in our time of need and know that they are there for us.  That is God.  In fact, there is none like God because for Him, we do not have to go far.  He is there.  So how is there none like God?  The psalmist explains further.  Here is a brief list:

There is none who can work like God (v8)
There is none who is as great and can do the wondrous things like Him (v10)
There is none with the steadfast love toward us (v13)
There is none as merciful and gracious to us (v15)
There is none who is as slow to anger (v15)
There is none who is as faithful (v15)
There is none who can help and comfort like God (v17)

There really is none like God.  In the day of trouble turn to Him.  Trust Him.  Rely on Him.
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Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God

Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God

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A teenager who had just received her learner's permit offered to drive her parents to church. After a hair-raising ride, they finally reached their destination.

The mother got out of the car and said, "Thank you!"

"Anytime," her daughter replied.

As the woman slammed the door, she said, "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to God."

Defined by Belief

          The Old Testament is filled with the wonder and the awesomeness of God.  In Psalm 78:1-31, the psalmist highlights some incredible moments in the history of Israel.  Yet, during this wonderful display of God’s power, there is a discouraging response from the children of Israel.   In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. (Psalm 78:32).  However, even today we find the same disappointing response to the evidence of God’s power, holiness, and grace.  All around us is the insurmountable evidence of God’s work.  Remember the psalmist who said that the heaven declares God’s handiwork?  There is even evidence among people who have experienced the life changing Gospel and have been transformed by it.  As a pastor I have simply been in awe of how lives have been drastically turned around when they have experienced God’s grace personally.  Yet, despite the continued evidence…there are those who continue in their life of sin…their unbelief.  What we really believe defines how we live our lives.  In verses 31-55, we read the tragic tale of unbelief.  Instead of being faithful to God and to the covenant, they continued their acts of transgression.  However, we must not miss one encouraging factor in these tragic verses.  It can be easily missed amid these disappointing circumstances: “Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath” (Psalm 78:38).  Yes, God still gave them a chance.  Then it gets discouraging again.  They continued to test God over and over and over.  He remained faithful.  After a few days of encouragement, why this seemingly disappointing psalm?  It serves as a reminder that if we truly believe God is what the Scriptures reveal about Him and we focus on the insurmountable evidence of God’s power, that belief must change the way we think and act.

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Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

 Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

 Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

 Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

 Great is Thy faithfulness!

 Morning by morning new mercies I see.

 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

 Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

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Late one night a burglar broke into a house and while he was sneaking around he heard a voice say, "Jesus is watching you."

He looked around and saw nothing. He kept on creeping and again heard, "Jesus is watching you."

In a dark corner, he saw a cage with a parrot inside. The burglar asked the parrot, "Was it you who said Jesus is watching me?"

The parrot replied, "Yes."

Relieved, the burglar asked, "What is your name?"

The parrot said, "Clarence."

The burglar said, "That's a stupid name for a parrot. What idiot named you Clarence?"

The parrot answered, "The same idiot that named the Rottweiler, Jesus."