Psalm 27:4-One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.
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After attending church one Sunday morning, a little boy knelt at his bedside that night and prayed, 'Dear God, we had a good time at church today, but I wish you had been there!""
1 Timothy 3:15-but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Some people are saying the church is obsolete.
Like the horse and buggy, the manual typewriter or the rotary phone.
Some are saying the church is irrelevant, outdated, and old fashioned.
Then there is some who say the church is optional.
They say the church is for some, but not for everyone.
There are millions of professed followers of Jesus Christ who are churchless Christians. They go to no church, they assemble with no fellowship, they worship at no location, they have no pastor, they give no tithes, they lead no souls to Christ. They occasionally tune into their favorite Christian television celebrity but are content to be….
CEO Christians----Christmas and Easter only.
Sometimes you meet people who are church shopping. They want to know what they can get out of church.
Churches are one more consumer commodity.
Worship services are not a place for us to serve God and neighbor but a place where people expect to purchase the best: inspiring worship, good music, moving sermons, quality child care.
As if we purchase God and instead of that God purchased us!
It is not up to us to decide if the church has purpose or not, because Jesus said it did and to be honest we don’t get a vote!!
It was God’s idea to have church or be the church, or to worship as a church and no matter how bad we mess that up, it is still God’s idea and God still works thru the church!
Matthew 16:18-And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Ephesians 5:25-Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her
One Thing I Have Desired Of The Lord-This should be our top priority!
ONE THINGS OF THE BIBLE
Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “One thing thou lackest,’ Mark 10:21.
To a frustrated Martha Jesus said, “One thing is needful,” Luke 10:42.
The blind man who had been healed said, “One thing I know,” John 9:25.
Paul said, “This one thing I do,” Philippians 3:13.
That Will I Seek-To attend church should be more than just good intentions, more than just “I’ll try to be there” it should be our passion, our greatest desire!
When we are passionate about something, we will go to great lengths to do it, we will walk miles, or drive miles to participate in it, we will spend money to do it, or have the equipment to do it, but do we do the same thing about attending church.
That I May Dwell In The House Of The Lord- What kind of salvation did people get that is supposed to take them to heaven when they die but doesn’t take them to church while they are alive?
DWELL-reside: to live and have a home in a particular place
Matthew 6:21-“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,”
The reason the house of the Lord is no longer our priority and passion is because the Lord of the house is no longer our priority and passion.
All The Days Of My Life-We should spend the rest of the days of our life in church and if not in church, then preparing to go to church!
To Behold The Beauty Of The Lord, And To Inquire In His Temple.
The house of the Lord is all about the Lord of the house.
The Lord’s presence is far beyond this church, but in this church there is a special presence of the Lord.
Matthew 18:20-For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them
Beauty-Are we attracted to Him?
The more time you spend with someone the more attracted you become to them!!
Inquire-“to plow, to break forth.”
The idea is that open our lives to the inspection of God.
