THE FAMILY AND CHURCH ATTENDANCE
Introduction: I believe, if ever there was a time for this message, it is now. All across this nation in Bible-believing churches where the Word of God is loved and proclaimed, there is a very sad trend taking place. It has to do with indifference by families, young and old, to the attendance of church services and true worship. This indifference has to do with attitudes toward the attendance of Sunday School, AM, PM and Mid-week prayer meeting. But even deeper, I believe, is an indifference in people’s hearts to the things of God which is in direct relationship to their lack of interest and commitment to the Lord’s work through the local church. Very few people have a vision of what God can do through the local church.
Realing that the pressure of shame never works in most people’s lives, it will be my purpose this AM to show you what God’s Word says and pray that the Holy Spirit will be allowed to use the Word to bring changes in our attitudes and actions in regard to church attendance.
I. THE PRIORITY OF LOCAL CHURCH ATTENDANCE
Does God’s Word make church attendance a priority? Does God make church attendance and worship in the Lord’s house a priority? If the answer is a resounding yes, then each believer here needs to ask themself a question - Am I obeying this command of God and is it a priority in my life and my family’s life?
A. It is a priority because church attendance is commanded by God--Heb. 10:25
Apparently, it was the attitude of some at the time when the book of Hebrews was written to not attend the worship services of their local church. They probably felt, as many do today, that they could worship God just as well at home as at church. It is true that we can worship God at home and at church, but why would God put such a command in the Word of God if He didn’t intend for His people to obey it and follow it? Why would God issue such a command to believers if it didn’t really matter if they obeyed it or not? The point is clear - God doesn’t make useless commands for his people to follow. The believers who received this letter in the first place were even having difficulties in remaining true to their profession and what they had been previously taught because of the rise of persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ. If ever there was a time for believers to gather together for mutual protection, fellowship, comfort, ect it is when they are under attack by the world. But many were defecting from the local church to their own harm. The Musk Ox seems to have more sense than believers at times. When they are faced with danger they form a circle with their heads and horns outward and with the young in the center. They gather for mutual protection rather than individually running away. Faithfulness to the local church was necessary as the author of Hebrews wrote.
We will examine in the second part of the message this AM some of the benefits of regular and faithful attendance at a local church that preaches the Word of God and lives it. If God’s Word tells us to not "forsake the assembling yourselves together" then I believe that entails coming to church everytime the doors of this church are open for the purpose of singing, preaching, and fellowship. I realize that some have work schedules that often prevent them from making it to all the evening services of the church, but for many there is absolutely nothing preventing them from coming to church for the evening services other than a lack of surrender in their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Is it difficult to make your way to church several times a week? Is something that important worth the effort on our part to be in obedience to the written Word of God? We all have cars that buzz up and down these roads with great speed. We do not have to walk to church. What is keeping you from faithfully attending all the services of this local church? Is it TV programs on Sunday and Wednesday evenings? What is keeping you from bringing your family to Sunday School and the study of the Word of God during that hour?
Faithful and consistent church attendance and worship is a priority to God, is it a priority in your life?
B. It is a priority because the next generation needs to learn the importance of church attendance and what it means to worship the Lord.
Notice what it says in Psalm 78:4-8 "We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that ehy should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God."
The Word of God provides us illustrations of what happens when this command is followed and when it is not followed. We will examine briefly two father/son kings from the history of Israel to learn the great importance of this Biblical principle.
1. What happens when the command is obeyed--2 Chron. 27:1,2
Uzziah and Jotham
2. What happens when the command is not obeyed--2 Chron. 32:24,25; 33:1,2
Hezekiah and Manasseh
Father, it is absolutely vital for the spiritual well-being of your children to commit this Biblical principle to the very deep places of your heart and obey it consistently. Often, I believe, fathers and mothers put more emphasis on educational and other important areas of training in a child’s life over that of their spiritual education in the home and at church. Fathers, it is your responsibility to train your children in the things of the Lord. The Word of God does not command the church to train the young people in all their spiritual training. Yet when someone is looking for a church home, the first thing that I am asked is what do you have for the young people, what kinds of programs do you have to train and entertain my kids while at church? Since when did programs at church become the measuring rod of whether a church is obeying the Lord? No, I beg to differ - that is a command that has been directed to the Fathers in the home. When the responsibility is set aside then that is when trouble will result in that home and on down the road in rebellion and often an unsaved person leaving the home with no desire to know God.
Notice with me what it says in Psalm 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me, ’Let us go into the house of the LORD’ " This verse is another principle that Christian parents need to develop in their own hearts and then in the hearts of their children. Can we say that we are "glad" when it comes time to enter the house of the Lord, or are we finding excuses for why we cannot come to church. It is clear that many simply come to church out of duty, the personal desire to uphold some religious reputation, or a desire to please somebody else (other than God, I might say), ect. Many would rather insert the word "sad" where the word "glad" is found when it comes time to attend church for Sunday School, AM, PM and Wed. PM. They just cannot find any enthusiasm in their heart that drives them forward in their expectation of coming to church to worship the Lord and to be with God’s people.
We would all be shocked and embarrassed if the things which are said in our homes or thought in our hearts were broadcast for everyone to hear when it is time to come to church. Dads and Moms, are you gripping and complaining that you have to get up and around on the day off just so you can come to church? Is that what your children are hearing most Sunday AM’s? Are you deliberately planning other events which will clearly interfer with making it to church? When other things are more important than obeying God’s Word in regard to regular and consistent attendance of church, then there are definitely some major spiritual priority problems in our lives!
Consider this thought and honestly answer it in your heart - Do you use the same excuses to miss church on Sunday AM, PM and Wed. PM as you do for work on Monday? I have personally found it very disheartning and discouraging to see what will keep God’s people from coming to the church services whenever the door are open, but those same things never get in the way of making it to work on time every day! You and I know what the real problem is, don’t we? The problem is a basic heart problem and a lack of surrender to everything that God has told us. Work on Monday is manditory unless you are retired, but attendance is optional, many surmise. Since when did God’s laws become less important than man’s laws? I believe many Christian Dads and Moms need to memorize and put to practice what Peter and the other apostles told those who told them to stop preaching in Jesus’ name in Acts 5:29 "We ought to obey God rather than men."
Am I coming down hard on this subject this AM? I hope you have come to that conclusion in your hearts as I preach this message. As the pastor of this church it is my responsibility to preach the Word of God as clearly as I can and to lay out what God has commanded us. I must do so in a manner that leaves every one of us with no doubts as to what we need to do. It is then in your ball park and what you will do with God’s Word.
Parents, are you building a positive, expectant attitude toward church attendance and worship in your children? Some may ask, "But pastor, what do I do if my kids don’t want to go to church." Well, let me put it another way and you can answer that one yourself. What do we do when the kids don’t want to go to the doctor, the denist, or to school? Do we let them run the show and not take them to the doctor, the denist or school simply because they do not want to go? Unfortunately, we do see such behavior taking place in many families today - the kids running the show at home, not Dad and Mom. No, the normal thing we do is tell our kids that they are going to the doctor, the denist and to school whether they want to or not. Does this scar them for the rest of their lives? Does this teach them that they cannot make choices? It certainly does not! Kids do not always want what is best for them, that is why God gave them parents who are suppose to have grown up already! So then, why is it such a problem to tell you kids that they are going to church with you whether they want to or not, they have no decision in the matter. Some may think that this will harm them spiritually but just the opposite is borne out with time. You are the spiritual leader in the home, Dad, not your kids. Often kids are putting up a fuss about going to church because they have picked up bad vibs from their parents over time in regard to church attendance. They overhear their parents talking about so and so at church, or finding fault with the pastor’s message, or some other church matter. It is no wonder that they rebel over church matters because they see hypocricy in their parent’s lives.
What more can I say to help you see the utter importance of what I telling you this AM?
Let’s move on from the priority of church attendance to the profit of church attendance.
II. THE PROFIT OF LOCAL CHURCH ATTENDANCE
A. It is an avenue for worship--Heb. 10:22
God wants us to draw near to Him through worship. This can only happen when we do so in the full assurance of faith. Families need to worship the Lord together. When Dad or Mom do not come together or are skip and miss in their attendance and worship of the Lord at church, that is what the kids are learning. Dad’s, since you are biblically responsible for getting you family to church for all the services - help your wife get things ready so you can get to church without her feeling that she has so much to do in making it to church because you say you have to, and are right in that decision. Wives, don’t resist your husband’s attempts to obey the Lord in this matter of faithful attendance at all the services of the church. Many a family would have gone on for the Lord if Dad had not become discouraged because his wife was always dragging her feet and finding senseless excuses for why they can’t do this. Ladies, I tell you, if that is your response to your husband’s leadership, you are going to have to answer to God some day for those acts of rebellion on your part. I said "senseless excuses" didn’t I. I really meant that too. Many of the excuses that are thrown out by husbands and wives would never be used in other situations such as work or something you really want to do, but amazingly those same excuses suddenly become walls when it comes to making it to church to all the services. I believe this is true because people simply do not want to come to church because of the deadness in their heart to spiritual matters. When we really want to do something we beat a path to that place or that event, so why not with church? God’s people really need to spend some time in searching their soul as to their true walk and relationship with God in this matter. Worship of God is why we gather together in the Lord’s house. In the Word of God people gathered for corporate worship and God blessed them.
B. It is an avenue for service--Heb. 10:24,25
Ministering in the local church through service can take many forms.
1. Pray--James 5:16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
2. Comfort--1 Thess. 4:18 "Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
3. Serve--Gal. 5:13 "by love serve one another."
4. Admonish -- Rom. 15:14 "able also to admonish one another."
5. Care -- 1 Cor. 12:25 "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another."
6. Greet -- 1 Cor. 16:20 "All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss."
These are all avenues for serving one another while we are gathered together for the services of the church throughout the week. If you are not here somebody else cannot do these as effectively for you, nor you for others. Again, these are not options for us to take or leave - these are commands to be obeyed.
Parent’s, for you to serve the Lord through the local church you need to be saved, baptized and added to the membership of a local church. If you know the Lord as your Saviour and have not been scripturally baptized to show your ID with the Lord, you need to get that taken care of right away. If you are saved and scripturally baptized, what is keeping you from making it known that you wish to be a member of this local church so that you can serve the Lord here. I like the way that my Dad has described the situation of believers attending a church and yet not members of it - it is like two people living together outside of marriage because they do not want the responsibilities that come with the legality of marriage. Many believers are living with the local church they are attending because they do not want to take on the responsibilities of being a believer and serving the Lord and coming under the responsibility of that local church. I believe God’s Word teaches that believers are under obligation to state their acceptance of the doctrines of a particular church and state that they want to be a part of that church and where it is going for the Lord.
Conclusion:
What about you?
I have preached what some will call a hard message this AM. Jesus preached messages like that and people hated him for it, and found what He said as too difficult for them to obey. I trust and pray that there are none here today who think that and walk away from the clear teaching of the Word of God in regard to church attendance and serving the Lord through the Local Church.
Are you "glad" to come into the house of the Lord, or are you overwhelmed by other attitudes which you know are not correct? Surrender yourself completely to the Lord today and ask Him to cleanse your heart of the refuse that stands in the way of walking faithfully with your God.
