Why Do You Go to Church?

Today's sermon has been a work in progress for over five month's. It all started after facilitating a new members class and viewing the Conference produced video on the history of the Methodist Church. During the video several people expressed why they go to church and what it meant to them. This prompted me to examine my own reasons for going to church. I wrestled with formulating my reasons for going to church for almost a month and finally realized there were several reasons why I go to church with the most prominent one being to worship God.

This is when the idea of using that question for today's sermon first crossed my mind. Initially, I tried to formulate another topic, but the more I tried, the more my mind drew a blank.

As part of my preparation I asked eight different members this same question “Why Do You Go to Church?” To my utter surprise I got eight different reasons. Several of them were similar to mine but the majority were totally different. So, lets examine some of these reasons and compare them with God's Word on the subject.

First, lets look at the response “I've always gone to church ever since my childhood and I continue to go out of habit.” I would agree, going to church is a good habit but is that what God had in mind when His word in Hebrews 10:25 states “forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.”

I would call your attention to a question concerning this matter, which was asked of Billy Graham. The question was, Dear Dr. Graham “Why should I go to church when I don't get anything out of it? I have gone most of my life out of habit, but frankly I don't see any point in doing it any longer.”

Here is a summary of Billy Graham's response. Have you ever asked yourself what should take place in your life when you go to church? I am convinced one reason some people never get anything out of church is because they never have asked themselves why God wants them there in the first place.

Billy Graham states three reasons why we go to church. First, we go to worship God. In other words, we should focus on Him, not on ourselves or on other people. The Bible states in Psalm 96:1&6, “Come, let us sing for joy Lord — let us bow down in worship.” Before you enter church on the Lord's Day you should ask God to help you focus your mind and heart on Him.

Secondly, we go to learn from His Word. God wants to teach us about himself, and the way he does that is through the preaching and teaching of the Bible. Our prayer should be that of Samuel “Speak, Lord for your servant is listening.” (I Samuel 3:9)

Thirdly, we go to encourage and help one another. It is unfortunate when people come to a church service and never even speak to another person, because as Christians we need each other. We need to pray that God will use us to uplift someone at every service. The Bible says we should not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:25).

As one preacher on television said recently “You can't become a Christian just sitting in church anymore than sitting in your garage will make you a car.”

“I come to serve” was another reason for coming to church. On the surface that seems to be an excellent reason. After all Scripture tells us “faith without works is dead” James 2:17, 20 & 26. I Peter 2:12 says “by your good works you glorify God.” Further evidence concerning serving is found in I Corinthians 7:23 “Ye are bought with a price; therefore be not a servant of man but of God.”

Unfortunately some would have you believe that works are necessary for salvation. That we must earn our salvation. This belief is contrary to the Word of God as stated in Ephesians 2:8 & 9 which says “by grace you are saved through faith; and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. It is not of works, lest any man should boast.” So serving God by serving mankind is great as long as it is done with the right attitude.

Psalm 122:1 says “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” This would indicate an expectation that going to church will result in something special happening. What a thought, to actually go to church expecting to meet with God. His Word says “wherever two or three are gathered in my name I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Yes, God is here but where are we? Of course our bodies are here but what about our mind? As Philip Yancy stated in his book “Church, Why Bother” that too many Christians attend church looking forward rather than upward and inward. They are expecting to be entertained by the minister, the choir or both. But the preacher and the choir are only instruments to be used by God to focus your attention on Him. Christ said my house shall be a house of prayer and He exhorts us to be holy as God is holy. Our faith can only grow through our actions not the actions of others. God can only bless His church when His people are all in one accord. For example, look at the apostolic church spoken of in Acts. It took them fifty days to come together in one accord. Fifty days to settle their differences, fifty days to ask forgiveness of those they had wronged, fifty days to look upward and inward and with the help of God cleanse their lives of all unrighteousness. But, look at the results, thousands became believers, the church grew until all the known world knew about their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I learned in Physics class that for every action there is a reaction. I believe with all my heart that if this congregation got in one accord this sanctuary could not hold the people that would come to worship with us. After all, Christ said “If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me.”

The great commission has not expired. We are still challenged with “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel” beginning in (Jerusalem) Laurel.

Christ told the disciples “That greater works than I do you shall do.” What greater work than spreading the gospel resulting in salvaged lives, mended marriages and deliverance from addictions?

Next, let us look at “I come to church for the fellowship.” When I think of fellowship, my thoughts go farther than the social time between the 8:30 service and Sunday school. They go farther than the bazaars, the ham luncheons or ever the Lenten luncheons. They go to the people who make up our congregation and the caring attitude displayed by many of our members. People like Wayne Becraft who spent the night with me the night Carolyn died. He showed up at my door and said “We don't want you to be alone.” People like Ben Elliott who was at my door as I returned from the hospital and told me “I came over to help you clean up the blood on your family room floor.” My thoughts are about those who give of their time every month to go with me to minister to our shut-ins, or those who faithfully every month go with me to hold a church service at Holy Cross Rehab Center. What about the women who work tirelessly to prepare a lunch after every funeral. They do these things because of their love for God and their love for the church family.

If I only want someone to talk to or share a meal with, there are a number of groups I could join. Groups like Kiwanis, or the Rotary. I could get involved in Little League or Pee Wee football. But something would be missing. Love for God and one another.

Believers need the church because we need each other. To think we can “go it alone” is to thumb our noses at Scripture and to diminish the impact of the church body upon our sinful world. Consider the metaphors that the Bible uses for the church, particularly that of the human body and of a building. Both Paul and the apostle Peter used the picture of a building to help us understand the point, now God is using us, fitting us in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. I urge you to present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life.

It may be difficult to believe that every member of the church is vitally and crucially important to the optimal functioning of the whole, but Scripture asserts that this is indeed so.

Finally, lets look at the statement “I go to church to worship God.” Worship is very important to God, so much so that there are more writings in the Old Testament about worshipping God than there are about Jesus in the New Testament. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be thankful unto Him and bless His name.” Christ told the Pharisees that if the people didn't praise Him the stones would immediately cry out Luke 19:40.

I realize that each of us has our own way of worshipping God. For many it is a very personal thing and we choose to do it very quiet without displaying any emotion. As many of you know I come from a Pentecostal background where praising God vocally is a very important part of worship.

Sometimes when I think about what Christ suffered for me, how He was beaten and ridiculed for the forgiveness of my sins I just have to say as the song writer states “Thank you Lord for saving my soul. Thank you Lord for making me whole.”

Yes, sometimes I get emotional about my religion. Society says its okay to get emotional about the Redskins or the Ravens or ever the Orioles, but not about your God. God who gave His only Son for your redemption whose resurrection assures our eternal life. So don't be surprised if I say Praise God or if you see tears in my eyes as we sing some of the old hymns such as Amazing Grace or The Old Rugged Cross. I'm just returning in part to my Pentecostal background.

In closing, I pray that each of you will look upward and inward as you evaluate your response to the question “Why Do I Go to Church.”