Saturday, May 27, 2006
3 Homes
The Church Home
Heb 10:25 NIV
God instituted the Church, in the Old Testament Church was in relation to the tabernacle.
A place of sacrifice, a place of repentance and a place of acceptance.
The tabernacle was the main focus of everyday life. Everything centered around the tabernacle from where you lived to the holidays you celebrated. The tabernacle was not 2nd option, if we get back in time.
The first temple was built (Solomon) and they had a great celebration, 100’s upon 100’s of sacrifices.
They had a temple choir, musicians of every sort along with 120 trumpeters.
The shechinah glory of God came upon that temple, shechinah (cloud) type that comes down and the priest come not stand to minister.
You can read about it in 2Chr. 5-7, they were of one voice singing “the Lord is good and the mercy of the Lord endures forever.”
You see Church is not about us but it is about the Lord.
Move on to the NT and Jesus is crucified raise from the dead on the 3rd day and now sets of God the Father’s right hand.
120 future trumpeters are gathered in the birthing room of “the Church” and the shechinah cloud of Glory fills the room, they spoke in tongues and flames of fire where dancing on the roof top.
They were in one accord to give God the Glory for His mercy endures forever, thousands were saved and the Church Home was established.
Breaking of bread, prayer and fellowship.
Based on these facts alone I would want my family to have a Church Home.
A Church Home is the Home of your Faith.
Last week we spoke about your “family home” that is were you live your faith, the Church Home is the Home of your Faith.
My Text:
NIV Heb 10:25 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.
Attending Church is God’s command. I could show you though out the book of Acts they gathered together for Church, in Paul’s Epistles he speaks of coming together on the first day of the week. And here we have an exhortation from the Hebrew writer keep meeting together at the Church.
The Church Home
Interesting place the Church Home
For most of us it is were we received our salvation, the grace and mercy of God became real to us.
But if we are not careful it is a place were we fail to show grace and mercy.
1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
NIV 1Co 11:17 ¶ In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. :18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
Interesting place the Church Home
There are those that you can count on to attend every service they are called “the Core”.
One choir director was upset because the choir members were not dedicated to choir practice but the piano player had attended every practice. So he bragged on him in front of the choir for being their every practice and he said I thankful for those words but I thought it was the lease I could do since I won’t be here for the next 2 Sunday’s.
Interesting place “the Church Home”
There is a Divine Protection connected to the Church
Mt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
You and I need the Church and we need to take the Church seriously.
We don’t need another social gathering or organization, we need the Church so that we will keep the word of God has our center attraction.
The church encourages you and I to make and keep God first in our Home.
Ps 91:1 ¶ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
The Church Home
It is a place dedicated to Worship
In Phillip Yancy’s book entitled “Church: Why Bother”? he quotes a Pulitzer Prize winning writer named Annie Dillard. She described Church Worship this way:
Week after week I was moved by the pitiful worship service in which no follower of Christ cheered. We had fatigued Bible readings and a laggy emptiness of worship, followed by a vacant sermon colored with the fog of dreariness, which caused me to ponder, “why did we come? But we showed up week after week we went through it.
The Church Home is a place of Worship
Your children and mine watch how we worship. ):
In many places Church on Sunday morning is nothing more than a speed bump in the day.
Why does this happen?
Mostly because we have replaced the purpose of Church with programs that operate by the ticking of the clock.
We have forgotten or do not want to be apart of a Church that began as a mighty volcano eruption which the power of God overflowed and spilt over into the hearts of everyone around.
The Church Home is a place of Worship
Acts 1.14-Acts 3 you will find they worshipped and there were no pew warmers.
There prayers were followed with praise for the most high God.
Chuck Swindoll stated: Most churches have programs and activities, but little worship. There are songs and hymns and musicals, but so little worship. There are announcements and readings with prayer but so little worship. The meetings are regular but dull and predictable. The events are held on time, led by well-meaning people, supported by folks who are faithful and dedicated, but that tip-toe expectancy and awe-inspiring delight mixed with a mysterious sense of the fear of almighty God are missing.
The Church Home is a place of Worship, instruction, fellowship and evangelism.
Ac 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple,……….
:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The Lord added to the Church.
Worship, Instruction, Fellowship and Evangelism
Lets end with Evangelism today, how many of you was saved in the Church house, in a Church service.
(raise your hand)
The Church Home is important.
Today in the Church House do you need to ask God for forgiveness? Ask and you will receive.
Today in the Church House do you have a need to worship? Began to worship God for His mercy endures forever and ever.
Do you and your family need to dedicate yourself to the Church Home?
