Basics #1- The Church
The Top 10 Reasons for Connecting with a Church
Romans 12:6-21
CHCC: July 5, 2009
INTRODUCTION: The Top Ten things you’ll never hear in church: (present these the way they do on the late night TV show)
10 – Since we’re all here, let’s start the service early!
9 - Why can’t I have nursery duty EVERY Sunday?
8 - Can’t we please have more sermons about money?
7 – Personally, I’d much rather paint the office building than play golf.
6 – Why can’t we stand up for the WHOLE service?
5 – Please, let ME clean out the storage closet!
4 – I love it when we sing 7 or 8 new songs I’ve never heard before
3 –– Hey! It’s MY turn to sit in the front row!
2 -- Let’s raise enough money to send all our pastors to that Bible Conference in Hawaii
1 – Preacher, can’t you make your sermons a little longer?
Reminds me of the little boy whose mom had him sit with her in adult church for the first time. Afterwards she asked him what he thought and he said, “The music was good ---- but the commercial was too long!”
If you’ve looked at the sermon notes you’re probably worried that THIS commercial is going to be too long. Let me reassure you that … even though we have 10 points … they are going to go by fast. So stay with me!
I want you to think back to how many years you’ve been attending church. I know for some of you, church-going is kind of new. For others, you need a calculator to count the years.
My parents took me to church a few weeks after I was born. For most of my life, I was at church at least 2 or 3 times every week. Let’s see, 58.8 years X 52 weeks a year X 2 times a week = 6,115 church services … and counting.
Church has been such an important part of my life that I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have a church family. But I’ve heard people say things like, “I believe in God, but I don’t need the church. I can worship God better by myself out in nature.”
It’s even more common to find people who were part of a church family for years … but then something went wrong - they left that church and never got connected again.
Even more common than THAT are the ones who never DECIDED to stop going to church. They just got busy or felt tired a few weeks … and kind of wandered away from the church. Without thinking about it, they just got out of the habit.
Is it really that important to connect with a church family and meet together regularly? Jesus saves us as individuals, so why did He also commission the Church? Well, a big percentage of the New Testament is dedicated to telling us how we are to treat one another within Christ’s church. Today, we’re going to look in just one chapter (Romans 12) and we’ll see Ten Reasons we need to be in church. So --- Number 1 ---
1. In the church we use our gifts
Romans 12:6-8 says, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
God has given every one of you gifts --- and these gifts are not just meant to improve your family or your community. God wants you to use your gifts in His Church. You might prefer to worship God alone --- and that’s great. But if you want to help other people and if you want to grow God’s Kingdom, you will use your God-given gifts within a church family. It’s only in the church that our gifts can be combined together to make a “body” that is fully functioning.
I’ve been here at CHCC now for about 24 years, and during that time I’ve been amazed over and over at how God brings people into our church just at the time that their gifts are needed. It’s always sad to see people go. Gary and Robin Haines and their family have been such a blessing here for the last few years, and I wish we didn’t have to say goodbye to them as they move away! But I know that God will lead them into another church where they will be just as great a blessing as they have been here. And I believe God has people in mind to fill the gaps they will leave here.
2. In the church we hold up God’s standard of right and wrong
Romans 12:9 says, "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."
Do you sometimes feel like our culture is turning morality upside down? We idolize people who do things that are shameful … and we demonize people who are honorable. Individually we may not have much ability to influence our culture --- but when we join together, the church can have a huge influence.
The word for “church” in Greek (Ecclesia) means “called out ones.” The church is called out to be a special and separated people with a holy and righteous purpose. When you connect yourself to a church, you are taking a public stand for God’s standards of right and wrong. Whether the culture follows our lead or not, I’m glad to be part of a church that upholds the values God gave us in His word.
3. In the church we love one another
Romans 12:10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love."
People may be impressed by a loving person --- but when they see a church where people really love one another, they will be drawn to Christ.
A huge part of evangelism is to be able to bring your friends and family into a healthy congregation that can help introduce them to Jesus Christ. People are hungry for a place where they can feel accepted. And they are often amazed when they see a community filled with unconditional love.
4. In the church we honor one another
Romans 12:10 says, "Honor one another above yourselves."
Let’s face it, most people are out for “number one.” And of course they themselves ARE “number one.” In the church we learn the opposite pattern. In the church we can practice the kind of servant leadership that Jesus showed us.
We can put others above self. This is another quality that draws people to Christ. I’m glad to be part of a church where this is our pattern for leadership … where we can brag on one another rather than bragging on ourselves.
5. In church we stir up our passion for Christ
Romans 12:11 says, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
Our church has this motto: Passion for Christ - Compassion for people. That’s much more than a catchy slogan. It’s exactly what Christ wants His church to be.
I like this definition: A church that has passion is a church where "Discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks fess up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up! But most of all, Christ the Savior of the entire world is lifted up."
I hardly ever leave church without having my spiritual life re-charged. Something amazing happens when we worship and read God’s Word and pray TOGETHER. God’s Spirit is let loose among us and our connection with Christ is strengthened.
I’m so thankful that Jesus gave of this pattern of meeting together on the first day of every week. THIS (what we’re doing right now) is what gives me the strength to get through the rest of the week with its troubles and temptations.
6. Church is where we can always bless others
Romans 12:12-14 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
The church is an instrument of blessing. I have observed this church in so many ways … blessing those inside the fellowship as well as people outside our fellowship. We take care of one another within the church AND we are a blessing that reaches out into the community – even to people who stand against the church.
I had a strange thought come into my head, the night when we discovered that someone had thrown rocks at this building and had broken the glass in two doors, two windows, and the desk top in our foyer of our worship center. The thought was, “Pray for who ever did this that the Lord will reach out and touch them in some way for good.” (Actually, at that moment I was thinking of praying that they would get caught and punished.) But evidently God had a higher motive in mind.
I’m glad to be part of a church where we can challenge each other to bless even those who hurt us. Church is where a higher purpose can sprout wings and fly.
7. Church is where we share life with others
Romans 12:16 says, "Live in harmony with one another"
Our connection in the church needs to go much deeper than just sitting in the same room once a week. The church is a place where we can share life with one another.
It can be a challenge to share life together when most of us don’t live close to each other. Let me see a show of hands here. How many of you travelled 15 minutes or more to get here today? We meet together here week after week because we know that the fellowship we share in the church is worth any sacrifice of time and travel.
8. In church we break down barriers of prejudice
Romans 12:16 says, "Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."
The church is meant to be a place where the barriers that divide people are demolished by the all-encompassing love of Christ. In the church everyone stands equal before Christ. Barriers of race, gender, or class should never separate us within the church. When we succeed at this, it always catches the world’s attention … because it is so rare!
I’ve had people tell me they were drawn to our church because they could see that people of different ages and ethnicity and social status and even different languages were welcome to worship and work here as ONE body. That is what the church is meant to be.
9. In the church we build bridges of peace
Romans 12:17-18 "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
In a book called The Safest Place on Earth, Larry Crab said this about the church: “The difference between the spiritual and unspiritual community is not whether conflict exists, but is rather in our attitude toward it and our approach to handling it. When conflict is seen as an opportunity to draw more fully on spiritual resources, we have the makings of spiritual community.”
One day Jesus Christ --- the head of His church --- WILL bring perfect peace. Meanwhile, we are to show the world what it looks like to live together in harmony.
I remember Mark Gabriel writing about his epiphany in a South African church where he became close friends with a Jewish woman who had become a believer. As a former Muslim, Mark had hated Jews and had even spit on them. Now he and this Jewish woman were able to interact without distrust or hatred. Mark Gabriel concluded that this kind of reconciliation was impossible anywhere else but in the church --- the place where Jesus is Lord.
10. In the Church we overcome evil with good
Romans 12:21: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
There is a battle waging in the world – a spiritual battle between good and evil. One day, Jesus will win the ultimate victory. In the meantime, God doesn’t intend the battle to be waged by individuals on their own. The battle will be waged and won by the Church. Collectively --- as we stand together --- we learn how to overcome evil with good on every front.
CONCLUSION:
I want to close with this beautiful description of the church from Bill Hybels:
“Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused.
It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness.”
Hybels concludes, “Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organization on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close.”
(Prayer)
