WHY I GO TO CHURCH
Why I go to Church – Because Jesus Built the Church
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. “Acts 1:8 explains that one of the last things Jesus told his disciples was, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The book of Acts tells how these predictions by Jesus came to fruition. The first few chapters tell how the disciples started preaching, led by Peter, “the rock,” on the day of Pentecost and thereafter. Then other followers started spreading the Word. Later, the book focuses mainly on the conversion and preaching of Paul.
As time went on, these followers spread the message further and further throughout the known land. To Jews, to Gentiles, to Samaritans, to Ethiopians and even to Romans. They taught that Jesus is for every single person on earth!
Why I Go to Church – To be Part of a Congregation
Pastor Cliff at First Baptist Leesburg is currently delivering a sermon series based on the book of Acts. The book of Acts reveals the transition from the life of Christ to the new church after his resurrection. It tells how churches took root.
Acts explains what the believers did in Acts 2:42-47,
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.“
THEY MET TOGETHER WITH GLAD AND SINCERE HEARTS AND THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR NUMBER DAILY!
The word “meeting” is a Greek word where we get our word synagogue. It also indicates a congregation. A congregation is a community where our lives touch one another. You don’t just come together to hear a speaker or to have an experience. You eat together, you pray together, you learn together, you love one another. When you are in church, you’re not part of an audience; you are part of a congregation. An audience comes to hear a speaker, but a congregation shares their lives with one another.
Why I go to Church – Because it’s a Habit
I learned the habit of meeting together at church from a very early age. I’m so grateful I was raised by parents who accepted few excuses for missing church. The benefits of attending church regularly are immeasurable for me.
One of the main reasons I believe you should develop the habit of regularly worshipping together in church is because Jesus established the church for us. In essence, I believe God commands us to be a part of a church.
Many of us aren’t wise enough to understand God’s commands. Many seem to doubt that His commands are good for us. This is a lack of spiritual wisdom. God doesn’t tell us to do things because He has needs, but because we have needs. He knows we need church. God’s commands what is good for us.
- Every one of God’s commands is for our happiness.
- Every one of God’s commands is for our holiness.
- Every one of God’s commands is for our safety.
- Every one of God’s commands is for our security.
- Everyone of God’s commands is for our good.
Why I go to Church – Because Jesus Went to Church
As a Christian, I try to follow the examples of Jesus. He came to earth, in part, to model how we should live our lives.
Luke 4:16 reads, “He (Jesus) went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.”
Jesus went to the synagogue “as was his custom.” Even though he was the perfect Son of God, he attended services every Sabbath. The example of Jesus, in addition to God’s command, should make everyone pause before making an excuse for not attending church. If he needed to go, how much more do we need to?
Why I Go to Church – To Grow as a Christian
This past Sunday, the message was titled “The Marks of an Effective Church” and focused on Acts 42-47. Pastor Cliff offered a different take on Acts 2:47 that gave me much to think about. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
He noted that it does not say, were saved, or had been saved. It says being saved. Being as in a continuous process. Yes, we are saved when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, but from then on it is a continual process of growth.
Jesus knew people would be saved. But he also knew churches would need to be established where believers could work on their process of growth–of being saved.
Why I Go to Church – To Walk the Talk
My husband and I winter in Florida. This past December, we went home to Missouri for ten days to celebrate Christmas with our family and enjoy spending some quality time with them.
One evening, I took my grandson, Jace, to watch another grandson, Zac, play basketball. On the way home, totally out of the blue, Jace asked me, “Grandma, do you go to church when you’re in Florida?”
I don’t know why this question came to him. But I was glad I could honestly reply, “Yes, we go almost every Sunday.”
I have always encouraged all members of my family to go to church each Sunday. How hypocritical it would have been if I had to tell my grandson, “No, we don’t go to church unless we are home!”
Going to Church as a Snowbird
We’ve been wintering in Florida for about 8 years. The first two years we stayed at a “fish camp” on the St. John’s River. There we attended Sunday services in the activity center of the campground. It was led by a lay pastor who had moved to Florida from Cuba. He was a very conservative man who was truly grateful for all the opportunities granted to him by becoming a citizen of the United States as well as the grace offered him by following Jesus Christ. We learned much from him.
Later, we moved to a different community. We attended the church services in that park for two winters. While we enjoyed gathering with the other residents, we desired a more dynamic service, so we started attending church at Leesburg First Baptist. Now, going to that church each Sunday has become a highlight of my week. The spirit of the Lord is truly in that place!
Church Attendance Statistics
Current statistics indicate that many people have switched from going to church weekly to going to church monthly. Others have switched from going to church monthly to going quarterly. Many families that were faithful to church only a decade ago, now have slipped to holiday church goers.
I believe one of the tragedies of this age in which we live is that there are so many who say they know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet they do not regularly attend church. Some people say they are Christians but only go to church once every couple of months, or only at Christmas and Easter. Some only go for weddings and funerals.
I read of a pastor who called upon some families who had missed church for two months. He was hoping to encourage them to come back to the church. To his surprise, the families considered themselves active members. They believed their sporadic attendance to be normal. Unfortunately, it is becoming more normal all the time.
Do you believe a church can be successful if every member only attended once every two months?
My Home Church
I’ve attended the Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in Hatton, MO, my entire life. I am currently the sexton of the Pleasant Grove Cemetery. It is my duty to assist families in selecting gravesites. I recently compiled a more accurate record of all the burials with the names as well as the birth and death dates. I did this by checking every single tombstone.
The closer I got to the newer part of the cemetery, the more people I remembered from my past. You might think this was a sad occasion, but it wasn’t. I have wonderful memories of so many of those faithful church members who did their part in attending regularly, so that our church could remain open, and offering their gifts and talents for the glory of God.
I’d like to share a few memories with you. Just as the book of Acts tells of the patriarchs of the early church, I think it is a good thing to contemplate those of our own churches today.
Raymond and Mary Schoening – Mary was well known for sending birthday cards to everyone she knew in the church. As time went on, she and Raymond became very hard of hearing. Their “whispers” during the services kept us entertained. After she moved to a nursing home, Raymond continued to attend Sunday School and church even though he heard very few words said by anyone. I admired his commitment and knew he needed the companionship and encouragement he got there. He taught me that just being in the presence of other believers can enrich our lives.
Emma McCarty – Emma was a giver. She was not interested in things of comfort or show. She desired to serve others. A hard worker on the farm and a caregiver to her husband, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, did not stop her from always being at all church activities, running community errands and chauffeuring around many of the elderly. She is remembered for always giving an iron skillet for wedding presents, baking pecan pies and making the strongest, worst sweet tea around! She taught me to put others first.
Jack Hovey – Jack was very active in the church, I especially remember that he felt the call to be re-baptized by immersion very late in life. He taught me how we can continually grow in our faith.
G. H. Shryock – G. H. is the one who encouraged me to start playing the piano for church at the age of 17. He always said, “If you have trouble playing a song, just start over or pick another song.” He instilled in me self confidence and acceptance.
Glenn Crawford – It seemed that Glenn was always, always at every church event and service. He was the one who came early to turn on the heat and clear the sidewalks of snow. He was the one who left last making sure all the lights were turned off. He loved singing in the choir and always had a kind word for everyone. He taught me humility.
The past success of our church depended upon their consistent presence. They touched countless lives through their years at Pleasant Grove. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer just as members of the early church did.
Who Will Keep the Church Open?
All the folks I just mentioned have all gone to their heavenly home. For any church to be successful, others are called to fall into the steps of their patriarchs. We are to follow the model of Jesus who had the habit of attending the synagogue every Sabbath.
Will you be a patriarch for those of our future? What will be your legacy?
We need encouragement – we need to gather together. Online services will not substitute for this. Haven’t we all felt the energy that comes from a packed room of worshippers? Our attendance encourages one another.
Looking for the Perfect Church?
Perhaps you’re looking for the perfect church to attend and you can’t seem to find it. You’re looking for one that meets your needs, suits your time schedule and is completely free of hypocrites.
I read about a church in Seattle, Washington. The parishioners received a special announcement in the mail, listing the many things that would be done for them at the upcoming “no-excuse-to-stay-home-Sunday.” Here’s what they were told:
Cots will be available for all those who say that Sunday is their only day to sleep in. Eye drops will be supplied for all those who have red eyes from watching late Saturday-night television. Steel helmets will be given to those who say the roof would cave in if they ever went to church, blankets for persons who think the church is too cold, fans for those who say it is too hot, scorecards for those wishing to list all the hypocrites present and TV dinners for those who can’t go to church and also cook lunch.
And finally, the sanctuary will be decorated with Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who have never seen the church without them.
Go to a Small or Big Church – As Long as it is Actively Demonstrating God’s Love
My home church, Pleasant Grove, is a rural Methodist church in a small village of about 30 residents. We have both a traditional and a more contemporary worship service. We average over 100 in attendance each Sunday and have about that many attend Sunday School. We reach out to all area youth through our Kids for Jesus and Limitless Youth Group activities on Wednesday nights–often having around 120 kids. We host a monthly food bank and reach out to the needy through our Bethlehem Store. We are a thriving rural church.
God’s love is demonstrated through many programs at Pleasant Grove.
My Florida church is a very large Baptist church in a town with a population of over 29,000 plus a huge group of snowbirds. It has churches on three different campuses and offers three services at the downtown campus we attend. The winter attendance at the services we attend is about 600. The church has a school for ages K-12. My favorite ministry of the church is their Christian Care Center. https://www.christiancarecenter.org
Comprising CCC’s ministries are Samaritan Inn (which the current movie, No Vacancy, is about), the Men’s Care Center, the Children’s Shelter, the Pregnancy and Family Care Center, the Women’s Care Center, the Fresh Start Job Program, and the Benevolence Center housing the largest food pantry in Lake County. In cooperation with a local hospital, the CCC oversees the Community Medical Care Center, a free dental and primary health care clinic.
God’s love is demonstrated through many programs at Leesburg First Baptist.
No Vacancy is a current movie about a jaded reporter who is demoted to a rural news station, but her cynicism is slowly transformed when she befriends a recovering addict as she works a story about a church (Leesburg First Baptist) struggling to purchase a motel for homeless families. It is currently streaming on YouTube TV.
We regularly attend both of these churches. Different denominations. One large, one small. One in town, one rural. Both in the business of preaching the Word of God and demonstrating his love to those around them.
Will you Make the Choice to Attend Church Regularly?
If you don’t now, I hope you soon make the choice to attend church. Paul tells us in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I would enjoy reading your comments about why you do or do not go to church.
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Great work Leslie. Very motivating. You have always been an awesome example of the importance of attending and being part of a church family. God bless.
Thanks for the very kind words, Cindy. So glad you are a part of that family too.
Leslie, I enjoyed this reading very much. I can relate to most all of what you say. Church, to me, is actually habit. I have had people look at me with a frown when I say it has to become a habit. But that habit absorbs soooo much each Sunday through prayer, communing with others, praising Him through song together, scripture, and pastor sermons. Oh, did I mention lifting up my sinful self to Him to get me refreshed for a new week to come? I need church!
Great comments, Carolyn. So glad we’ve developed that habit.
Excellent blog. Ivremember those people you mentioned and remember worshipping with them iften during revivals and community services. Church is family…can be old family like home church or new family like the ones we attended while traveling. I agree that church is not the sermon. The church is worshiping together, working together, helping together and praying together. Thanks for putting this out there.
Susan, thank you for your comments. God knows we need others to lean upon and to share our ups and downs with.
You have no idea how Jesus just reached out. Last year I had several things happen in my life, and as a Christian friend said to me, “after all you’ve been through and had to do, you’ve just ran out of fuel and need filled back up”. I haven’t been to church in over a year, until last Sunday. I realized that after things that happened and I grew weary, that I stopped going, I questioned some things. A constant battle but most of all, I realized that I had lost my joy that I had once gained after turning my life over to Jesus. I realized that I NEED to be surrounded by Christian’s on a regular basis. I NEED church to see those people and I NEED to be there , not only to learn what I lack knowing but to become part of a family that I crave so much. This has been a big conversation for me over the past couple of weeks with people. Some completely understand, some don’t discuss and some disagree and that is ok. I KNOW what I WANT, what I NEED and what I am going to DO!
Thanks for letting this blog stand out to me specifically today. I love how God works through someone to get through to others.
Oh, Missy, your comments have made my day. So glad you found your way back to church!
Like a battery I need to be recharged regularly.. .I agree with your reasons. If
Yes, we do need it to be recharged!