A New Fellowship Series

EASTER – A NEW FELLOWSHIP

I heard the story of a pastor who was the supply preacher for church in a small town in Texas. He would drive to that town early Sunday morning, preach a sermon to the congregation, and then leave after lunch. Usually he would arrive before the service and go to a local donut shop where he would go over his sermon notes. One Sunday he arrived at the donut shop and opened his Bible and a man sitting there at the counter turned to him and asked "You a preacher or something?" He told the man that he was preaching that morning at the church in town. The man got excited and said, "Hey, I’m a member of that church." The church was small and the pastor had been preaching there every Sunday for over 3 months so he said to the man, “That’s odd, I have never seen you there." The man looked at him strange and said, "I said I was a member of that church. I never said that I was fanatical about it!"

Even before COVID, one of the trends that researchers had noticed over the past few decades is that church attendance has been declining in North America. You would think upon hearing this that it is simply because there are fewer Christians than there was 20 years ago, but actually that is not true. According to researchers, “The number one reason for the decline in church attendance is that members attend with less frequency than they did just a few years ago.” They said, “About twenty years ago, a church member was considered active in the church if he or she attended several times a week. Today, a church member is considered active in the church if he or she attends twice a month.” So, a large part of the change isn’t fewer believers as much as it is much less-consistent worship.

Researchers give a number of reasons for this. The first is that church has been placed as a lower priority for families with kids, choosing to get involved in sports and academic activities over church. When I was growing up, everything was closed on Sundays. Schools did not hold events on Sundays and very few kids were on traveling teams. Today, Sundays are not protected like they once were.

A second reason for this is that there are more online options for spiritual growth resources today than there was 20 years ago. People have changed worship habits, considering online worship services as an equal option to in person worship services. Bear in mind, this research was done even before COVID!

A third reason is that people just do not feel guilty about missing church anymore. At least I think we can all be glad about out the last one. Conviction is from God, but guilt is not. So, while the Holy Spirit may convict you and urge you to get to church for your own good and growth, guilt is not a great reason to be here.

Today I want to talk about the good reasons for going to church. We are continuing in our series today called the Easter Challenge, looking at how are lives are different (or should be different) because of Easter. Last week we talked about the fact that, because of Easter, we have a new Foundation. Today I want to talk about the fact that, because of Easter, we have a new Fellowship. The church was given to us by Jesus. It is God’s idea.

Matt 16:15-19 But what about you? he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 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. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

There are people today who are concerned about the trends away from church attendance. I am not worried about job security. These are the times that you and I have been given. God could have made me a pastor at any time in the history of His Church, and He could have placed you in His Church at any of those times as well. But He has put us here and now for a reason.

I am a pastor today because I believe in the church. I did not always. It was not until I took a course in Seminary on the church that I truly understood the importance of local fellowships. So why do I believe in the church? In this scripture Jesus tells us 4 reasons the church is important for us;