I was teaching a Sunday school class of children one day and very young teenage girl asked this question: Why do I need to come to church? My response to her was that she may learn what the call of God on her life is. I turned to the rest of the class and told them that because of Jesus every child has a call of God on all their lives. Some will learn what that call is, some don't learn what that call of God on their lives is. The scripture I used was the same one Peter used when God poured out his Spirit upon all flesh on the day of Pentecost. I also quoted the prophet Joel. Then I further explained that John the Baptist proclaimed about the coming messiah in his messages as he who will baptize with fire. That fire that John, the Baptist spoke of, is the Holy Spirit, that the messiah Jesus, the Christ, received at his water baptism. This is the same Holy Spirit that the Apostles were the first to receive that initial baptism of the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the Christ, empowering them to preach the Gospel throughout the world. Then, I said to the entire youth class, "The devil wants you to be distracted and inattentive, this way you will never find out what God in Christ called you to be. This is why the Church exists, to promote the knowledge of God through Christ. This is why every person needs to come to church."
The problem is people think that Church is just a social activity which really does not have a role in the real world, except that of taking peoples money and giving it all to the Pastor. It is sad that this view has been espoused promoted by people who are not real servants of the Lord but scam artist looking to exploit the masses using Christ and a Church as their cloak.
The church's value is in the building of individual lives and families in the will and order of God according to the Gospel of Christ.
The church's importance in society is that it provides service to the hopeless, comfort to the discouraged and provision, as it is able to do it, to those who are needy.
The church's purpose is to maintain the testimony of the saving power of Christ as a light to a dark and lost society, in the hope that its witness concerning Christ will save some.
The church's strength does not only come from God but also from its members who have identified themselves apart of the local church body.
People will never know this, if they don't come to church and learn what their call in God's work is. The Bible states: "My People perish for the lack of knowledge" This is Satan's goal: To get people to not hear the Gospel; To discourage them from coming to church and get them spiritually out on a island all by themselves so that he may steal from them what God has provided for them in Christ, which includes the call of God on the life of the believer and the reward for obedience to the call of God by the believer.
When God called Abram, he went in obedience to Gods directive even though he did not know where he was going, for he knew that if God promised him something it was as sure as money in the bank that it will come to pass. He took God's promise and believed it and consequently obeyed it. Today people can not take the promise of God and walk by faith to receive the rewards of obedience to it. Why? The reason is that people want the reward first then suggest that they will obey God thereafter. God knows that people will not obey HIM. So the reward of the promises of God is of faith first, obedience second. Again people will not know this if they do not come to church and learn what the call of God on their lives is.
So there is a blessing awaiting those who come to church, not just to fill a pew. A blessing for those who come to church to find what Christ wants them to do for his glory. That is why we all need to go to church. Without that knowledge, life can become meaningless and purposeless.
So come to church, find your purpose in God, in Christ for the glory of God. See what blessings God will perform in your life.
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