Pastor's Desk
Why Should I go to Church?
Often times I hear good people say to me, "Why do I need church?" "I am a good person", "I treat others as I want to be treated". "What's really in it for me?" The truth is that these are good questions. As a Christian, I believe it's good to ask myself why I believe what I do. As I began to discover the answer to this question I have found that many people don't know the real reason for going to church. It's kind of like how people think that Christmas is when Santa comes on his sliegh with eight flying reindeer to bring gifts down your chimney, his workforce is a band of tightly wound elves who live at the north pole and oh by the way he's extremely over-weight!!!
It sounds silly, but that is what a lot of people think Christmas is about when in actuality Christmas is the Christian celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. I am often amazed at how much the truth has been made into a circus of weird ideas and religious rituals that don't produce anything lasting in our lives. Nevertheless, the truth still remains if we are bold enough to search for it! I have found that the ultimate authority on God is in the bible and so to find the answer we must read his Word.
In Matthew 16:16-18 Jesus asks his disciples who do they think that he is? "And Simon Peter answered, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you Simon, son of Jona: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." One of the most important things you can learn about church is that it was created by God, not man. The Christian Church was built by Jesus Christ and it was established on the foundation that Jesus is the son of God.
I believe that because church is a creation of God, that it goes hand in hand with my personal faith in Jesus Christ. Now before I go further, I have to remind myself of what people percieve church as. I have heard people say that church is a "feel-good" business or that it's for people who can't manage their lives and need help. I have heard it called a shelter for those who are trying to earn "brownie points" in the afterlife. The truth is that church is for everyone; the strong, the weak, the rich, the poor, male, female, white, black, young, old. It's not about feeling good although God will touch you. It's not about inability to cope with life although God's grace is sufficient in our weaknesses. It's not about earning brownie points although our faith in Christ inspires us to do good works.
The Church of the Living God was designed to be a beacon of light and truth in everyone's life and to share the message of hope in the world that Jesus Christ is the son of God who came to save us from our sins and give us a personal relationship with our creator. The Apostle Paul shares some wisdom with his young protege in ministry, Timothy, concerning issues in the church and he encourages him in 1 Timothy 3:14-15 "These things I write to you hoping to come to you shortly: but if I tarry long, that you may know how you should behave yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
You know I can honestly tell you that as a Christian, I have needed the church my whole life. There have been many times that I needed to hear the truth, or I needed an answer to a question and it was my church that helped me. You know I don't believe that any man is an island. I don't believe that any Christian is independant of the Church that God created and ordained for his glory. We are all connected to each other and linked by our faith. We need each other. Before Jesus left the earth, he prayed to the Father that his disciples would be one as he and the Father were one. When the disciples recieved the Holy Spirit they were all together and of the same mind and heart praying to God.
There is an undeniable connection between God doing mighty works in the earth and when his people are gathered together in unity. Why is that? Because Jesus built HIS CHURCH on unity of heart and mind which is to say that he, Jesus, is the son of God. In Revelation 22:16 it says, "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the Churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." The Lord speaks to his Church in a way that he does not speak to an individual man. Why? Because a unified church is the very design of God.
Another important part of church is not just what can I get but also what can I give? We often think of church as a getting place for our needs and our wants but it's much more than that. One of the greatest lessons that Jesus taught us is that God so loved the world that he gave.... That's right God gave! I believe that most people give because they have to or feel obligated to give, God gave because he wanted to with all of his heart!
I have a belief that true faith is reciprocal meaning because God gave his very best to me, I am going to give my very best to him. My attendance at church is not a religious duty to fulfill a cosmic quota. I go to church as a sign of my faith in what God has given to me and to give back of my life to him. People who attend church for this reason are demonstrating true Faith in action.
Finally, I want to encourage you, if you have never been to a church or if you have had a bad experience, don't lose hope! There are real Godly churches out there! And as long as there are people who take God at his Word, there will be churches who are built by Jesus Christ. You are beautifully and wonderfully made in God's image and he is longing to know you and for you to know him. Come and join our fellowship for a truly powerful experience with God. We Love You and pray for you always!
All for the Call,
Pastor Colin Tadlock