Why Do We Have Church Anyway?

I admit I have asked the question, “Why do we have Church anyway?” Especially when there is conflict between its participants. In today’s world with the internet you can go to church anywhere. So why should we invest our time, talents and money in the local church at all? We will look at three areas to help us understand the need and responsibility to be a part of church.

Celebration
1. Read Matthew 22:37. What does Jesus say we are to do? What does He call this commandment?

Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. It was considered to be one of the most important texts in the Torah. (The Old Testament). The Jews refer to this as the “Shema,” which is how the first word in the Hebrew text is pronounced. (shma) “Shema” means, “to heed, listen and obey.”

The “Shema” was said to remind the faithful to believe in the One True God but also to preserve that belief. The religious of Jesus day would repeat this Scripture, but by this time it had lost its true meaning. They were saying it by rote instead of believing it in their hearts. Now Jesus was shedding new light on this verse and teaching the original meaning.

God should be our first priority in life and in worship. We are to give our whole being, heart ~ soul ~ strength, to the worship of our great God. Church is meant for this. It’s where we come to celebrate our Great God, the Creator of the earth and all that is in it. Our worship shouldn’t stop after church, but continue throughout all our days.

2. Read Matthew 4:10. Who is Jesus talking to? What does He say to him?

Again, Jesus uses the holy scriptures. In Deuteronomy 6:13 we read, “Worship and obey the Lord your God with fear and trembling, and promise that you will be loyal to him.” He refutes and rebukes the evil one with the very words of God’s Holy Scriptures. It silences Satan and removes the power of his attack. We learn from Jesus how to defend ourselves with God’s Word. We also learn to worship and be obedient to God. When we attend Church, we celebrate the truth God is the object of our worship and respect.

3. Read John 4:23-24. What does Jesus day about a time that is coming? What takes place then? 

What kind of worshipers does the Father seek? How does Jesus describe God? How are we to worship  Him?

Here we learn that now is the time of real worship. It’s not a time to play at worship. In other words, going to church to go through the motions of worshiping God is not true worship. It is a time of connecting with God in spirit and truth. It’s authentic worship. All other worship is not real at all. It’s not about the songs we sing. It’s about the attitude in which we sing them. Are we there to bring glory to God or to hear our favorite song?  When we come together each week in communal worship it should be directed solely to God. Our spirits should take this time to connect with His Spirit. When we do this God is honored and those who don’t yet know Him will see the truth through our time of true worship.

Connection

A. Inside the Church

4. Read John 13:34-35. What new command does Jesus give? Why is this command so important?

Jesus calls us to love one another just as He loved us. If we aren’t in community, how can we have any opportunity to love others? If we isolate ourselves from church, we can’t fully experience the giving and receiving of this marvelous aspect of God’s love. When we love those in the our Christian community and the world, the world will see that we are truly followers of Jesus’ and the benefits to loving and serving Him. Loving one another as Christ commanded draws people to Him.

5. Read James 1:22 and 2:17. Describe what James says in each verse:

James 1:22 ____________________________________________________________

James 2:17 ____________________________________________________________

Connecting through Church also includes hearing what is taught then acting on what is taught. In other words, we are to put into action what we learn from the pastor and teachers in Church. Truth without actions doesn’t benefit anyone. We should take in God’s truth and fully express it through our words and deeds. If we learn to give in Jesus Name, then we should give in Jesus Name. If we learn to get rid of all anger, then we should get rid of all anger. Hearing and applying is important to connecting our heads with our hearts.

Outside the Church

6. Read Ephesians 3:10. What does the Apostle Paul say God’s intent was to do through the Church?

7. Read Matthew 24:14. What is the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven? Who shall it be preached to? 

8. Read 2 Peter 3:9. Why is God so patient?

Our role as the Church united is to tell others about God through knowing Christ Jesus. We are to tell others the wonderful news of salvation through the forgiveness of sin because of the extreme love shown through His sacrifice. Everyone has the opportunity to have a relationship with God through Jesus. God doesn’t want “anyone to perish but for everyone to come to repentance.” The Church supplies a setting in which the Gospel is preached and equips Christ Followers to share this Good News with those they encounter in their daily lives.

Challenge

9. Read Hebrews 6:1. What does this verse say? Why is this so important?

Stagnation is a spiritual disease of sorts. If we don’t grow in our knowledge of Jesus and His Word how can we really get anywhere? We go to Church so we can mature in our faith.

Have you ever eaten a green banana? It tastes awful. What happens as the banana ripens? It becomes mature. It begins to have a wonderfully sweet and rich flavor. (Stick with me here even if you don’t like bananas). As we mature in our faith, we become able to provide the richness found in Christ to others in the world in which we live. We become strong in our faith and learn more and more about Jesus when we faithfully attend a Bible believing Church.

10. Read 2 Peter 3:18. What are we to grow in? What does this bring to Jesus?

We are to grow in grace and knowledge. So, let’s break these two words down:

The Greek word for “Grace” is “charis.” We get our word “charity” from it. The root word of “charis” is “chairo” and it denotes “that which causes joy, pleasure and delight.” The Apostle Peter is saying we are to grow in our delight  in Christ Jesus. We find pleasure and joy increasing as we grow in the marvelous grace found in Him.

The Greek word for “knowledge” is “gnosis” and means “understanding, awareness, familiarity, recognition.” As we grow in our faith our knowledge increases. We are able to understand more and more of the Bible and the characteristics of God through Christ. We become familiar with the way Jesus does things and how we are to live as He did while on this earth which was in total obedience to and love of the Father. We begin to recognize God’s will and bow to it as we learn it’s the best thing for us.

Church is important in order to celebrate through worship of our marvelous Savior. It is important in showing who Jesus is to the world around us. It is important in being transformed into the likeness of our King.

Satan wants nothing more than to destroy the Bride of Christ (the Church). He attacks each member of the Body because he hates what Christ will do through us. We all benefit when we are unified through Christ as the Church. This is the role the Church plays and its an important one. May the true Church be seen. May we as the Church bring glory to God’s One and Only ~Jesus. Blessed be His Name.