WHY SHOULD I GO TO CHURCH?
May 27, 2007 Jay Davis Robison ROMANS 1:8-13
Man wrote letter to Ed. complained it made no sense to go to church
"I’ve gone for 30 yrs now in that time I have heard 3,000 sermons.
But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them.
Think I’m wasting my time & pastors wasting theirs by preaching.
Forceful argument but then letter in response
I’ve been married 30 yrs. My wife has cooked 32,000 meals.
But for the life of me, I cannot recall entire menu for a single meal
But I know this They all nourished me & gave me strength for life
Sometimes people think have to go instead of get to go to church
Just so you know now with summer here tell you
10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Wash
1. I was forced to wash as a child.
2. People who wash are hypocrites--think they’re cleaner than others.
3. There are so many kinds of soap, could never decide which right.
4. I used to wash, but it got boring.
5. I wash only on Christmas or Easter.
6. None of my friends wash.
7. I’ll start washing when I’m older.
8. I really don’t have time to wash
9. The bathroom isn’t warm enough to wash.
10. People who make soap are only after your money.
Church excuses too Paul had never been to church at Rome,
But he prayed fervently that God would allow him to go.
Interesting to see why he wanted to go
3 reasons you and I should bother to go to church
1. To GIVE SOMETHING
First and foremost Paul wanted to visit church at Rome to give
I want to see you and share with you the same blessings that God’s
Spirit has given me. Then you will grow stronger in your faith.
Vs 11 CEV
Paul wanted to give something to the church blessings see it?
What are some of the blessings you have to share?
SPIRITUAL GIFTS, from God PASSION, burning in your heart
ABILITIES, Vs 9 Serve God with all my heart
$$, takes money to run our church
EXPERIENCES what you have been through others may face
Add PRAYER vs 9 Never stop praying for you, PRAY for TBC
Note Paul’s attitude toward church was first to GIVE
I wonder what difference it would make if came to church
1st of all to give, not what will the preacher say to uplift me?
Or why should I give I don’t have $$ or time or ability
What would happen if came to church to give 1st of all
Give $$ or a smile, or of my time,
Shared before worth repeating This Is My Church
It is composed of people just like me. It will be friendly if I am.
It will do a great work if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them.
Its seats will be filled if I fill them. It will be a church of loyalty & love, of faith & service. If I who make it what it is am filled w\these
Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being
All these things I want my Church to be. Anonymous
If you come to church to put something into it
You will rarely if ever go away disappointed.
Because you will receive so much more
We each have something to Give at church
2. To GET SOMETHING
Interesting that Paul also says come to church to Get something
As a leader, used to helping others, have to humble self to receive
Barclay points out Paul as willing to receive as was to give.
Though Paul was greatest thinker Early Church produced, yet when he thought of people to whom he longed to preach, he thought of himself not only as giving to them but also receiving from them.
It takes humility to teach as it takes humility to learn.”
Roman church They had a REPUTATION
Benjamin Franklin “Glass, china, & reputation are easily cracked
& never well mended.”
Vs 8 NKJV First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,
that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world
Paul says Romans Had reputation for their faith in Jesus Christ.
Their faith being spoken about all over world w\no mass media.
What is our church’s reputation? What is your reputation?
WE are MORE THAN THE SUM OF OUR PARTS
As we come together, Christian fellowship not a one way street
Studies show geese fly w\51% less effort & get 73% more distance
by forming a "V" and flying together rather than by flying solo. Each goose gives strength to formation & receives benefits back.
Our church is the same. Work together witness more serve more
All we do takes teamwork we stronger as depend on each other
Paul said it this way Vs 12 NKJV That I may be encouraged together
with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Send mission teams, Deacon teams, Committees better called teams
To compensate for weaknesses & multiply strengths
How many times have you been encouraged by a card or a call
A hug, or a small gift, that says I encourage you
How are you being the encourager instead of the encouraged?
3. To GATHER SOMETHING
Bruce Larson author & minister at Crystal Cathedral what’s wrong
W\church “put on your best clothes but you don’t bring your life!
You leave behind all your pain … your hopes, even your joys.”
Church at Rome Marked by AUTHENTICITY
the Roman Christians were genuine, not perfect, struggled at times
Means church not a perfect place Chuck Colson Being the Body
“The church is like Noah’s ark: The stench inside would be
unbearable if it weren’t for the storm outside.”
Lewis Smedes: Yes, somewhere people still make & keep promises. They choose not to quit when going gets rough cause they promised once to see it through. They stick to lost causes. Hold on to a love grown cold. Stay w\people are pains in the neck. When person makes promise she reaches out into an unpredictable future & makes 1 thing predictable: she will be there even when being there costs her more than she wants to pay. Keeping a promise means you stretch self out into circumstances no one can control & controls at least 1 thing: a kept promise
When you make a promise, take a hand in creating your own future. Keeping Promises, Lewis Smedes, "The Power of Promises," A Chorus of Witnesses, ed Long & Plantinga, (Eerdmans, 1994)
Promises a struggle Ken Medema If this is not the place . .
“If this is not a place where tears are understood,
Then where shall I go to cry?
And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings,
Then where shall I go to fly?
I don’t need another place for tryin’ to impress you
With just how good and virtuous I am, no, no, no
I don’t need another place for always being’ on top of things
Everybody knows that it’s a sham.
I don’t need another place for always wearin’ smiles
Even when it’s not the way I feel.
I don’t need another place to mouth the same old platitudes
Everybody knows that it’s not real.
So if this is not a place where my questions can be asked,
Then where shall I go to seek?
And if this is not a place where my heart cry can be heard,
Where, tell me where, shall I go to speak?
So if this is not a place where tears are understood,
Where shall I go, where shall I go to fly?”
What was Paul seeking to gather most of all?
What are we seeking to gather together?
Vs 13b TNIV In order that I might have a harvest among you,
just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
Their faith was CONTAGIOUS
Faith was heard of & talked about throughout the known world,
They communicated it to others. As they shared faith, church grew.
Was something about them that made people want what they had
Several centuries ago, in a European mountain village, a nobleman
decided to build a church. No one saw complete plans for church
until it was finished. At opening people marveled at its beauty & completeness. “Where are the lamps?” Someone asked.
“How will it be lit?” Builder pointed to some brackets on walls.
Then he gave to each family a lamp they were to bring with them
each time they came to worship. “When you are here the area where you are seated will be lit,” “Each time you are not here, that area will be dark. Reminder that when you fail to come
to church, some part of God’s house will be dark.”
There’s a poem called "A Perfect Church." And it goes like this:
"I think that I will never see
A church that’s all it ought to be.
A church that has no empty pews.
A church where people never get the blues.
A church whose music is always great
A church where people are never late.
Such perfect churches there may be
But none of them are known to me
If you could find the perfect church
Without one fault or smear
For goodness sake, don’t join that church
You’ll spoil the atmosphere.
If you should find the perfect church,
Then don’t you ever dare
To tread upon such holy ground,
You wouldn’t fit in there.
But since no perfect church exists,
Where people never sin,
Then let’s stop looking for that church
And love the one we’re in.
Outline originally adapted from an article by Cecil Taylor from "Proclaim," A,M,J, 1992.
WHY SHOULD I GO TO CHURCH?
May 27, 2007 Jay Davis Robison ROMANS 1:8-13
10 Reasons Why I’ll Never Wash
1. To G
I want to see you and share with you the same blessings that God’s Spirit has given me. Then you will grow stronger in your faith.
Vs 11 CEV
What are some of the blessings you have to share?
Note Paul’s attitude toward church was first to
2. To G
They had a
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world Vs 8 NKJV
WE are
That I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Vs 12 NKJV
3. To G
Marked by
“The church is like Noah’s ark: The stench inside would be unbearable if it weren’t for the storm outside.”
Chuck Colson Being the Body
Ken Medema If this is not the place . .
In order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. Vs 13b TNIV
Their faith was
