Rev. David Holwick T I Believe in God, But...
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
June 18, 2017
Hebrews 10:19-25
I DON'T NEED CHURCH
I. Plenty of people don't like organized religion.
A. Movie stars are no exception.
Charlie Chaplin was born and raised in London, England,
though he was a traveling performer from the age of five.
Chaplin was baptized and raised in the Church of England.
He didn't seem to like it much, though.
In his autobiography he wrote:
"How relieved I was when the Reverend closed the Bible,
for it meant that the sermons would soon end and
they would start prayers and the final hymn."
In other words, let's go out of here!
The website I got this from contains hundreds of profiles of
the religion and politics of Hollywood stars.
Almost all of them are non-religious, though many describe
themselves as "spiritual."
Your neighbors may describe themselves the same way.
They have no problem with God or even prayer.
What they don't like is shoehorning it into an institution.
And no doubt about it, we are an institution.
B. Why people have a problem with church.
1) It's boring - ancient hymns and stained glass don't do it
for me.
2) It's irrelevant - doesn't address the real needs of life
or the issues which interest me.
3) It's not human enough - uncaring and insensitive.
a) I heard this week of a man who went to church
faithfully every week, as did everyone in his town.
b) Then his mom became ill, and no church people visited.
c) He stopped going to church.
4) It's too human - filled with self-satisfied hypocrites.
a) One aspect is the atmosphere of authoritarianism.
1> "Do it our way, or else!"
2> Fathers can be like this - maybe that is why
Father's Day is not as popular as Mother's Day.
b) It is natural to not want any restrictions or
judgments put upon you, and churches excel in this.
C. These are challenging days for churches.
1) A survey in 2007 found that 70% of young Protestants
between the ages of 18 and 22 stop attending church
regularly.
2) Almost all churches established before 1970 are declining
in attendance and finances.
3) Yet I believe God has not abandoned the church.
a) He established it, and he will sustain it.
b) Church may not be "cool" anymore, but it is still
where most people will learn about God most directly.
II. With all the negatives, why come to church?
A. The Bible tells you to.
1) Granted, today's passage is about the only one that
challenges people to attend church.
a) That might seem surprising, but it is true.
2) That should tell us that we should go to church, but
not make it the focus of our Christian life.
3) A daily personal relationship with your Heavenly Father
should be your focus.
B. Jesus did.
1) It was his habit to go to the synagogue every Sabbath.
a) His parents took him when he was young.
b) He continued on his own throughout his ministry.
2) The church of today directly grows out of the synagogue.
a) The synagogue was locally based.
b) It focused on worship and teaching.
c) Jesus benefited from this and so can we.
C. Church can be a blessing.
1) I know it is not much of a blessing for many, but it
can be.
2) Perhaps we need to change our attitude, and the church
needs to change its presentation.
III. Why church matters.
A. Sound instruction.
1) The synagogue grew out of this need.
a) Synagogues probably began during the Babylonian Exile.
b) Jews had been cut off from their sacrifices and worship,
so they devoted themselves to prayer and Bible study.
c) When they returned to Israel under Ezra they gathered
the whole community to do this.
1> Nehemiah 8:2-9 tells us:
Every age and gender gathered.
(Those who couldn't understand were excused,
so they must have had Children's Church too.)
They read the Bible - for 6 hours!
The people listened and the Levites explained it.
Everyone worshipped God with great emotion.
2> We only make you worship for one hour so count
your blessings.
d) Because of what Jesus learned in the synagogue, he could
quote Scripture to religious leaders at the age of 12.
e) He could also preach from a random passage that was
being used on an occasion.
1> Do you have enough knowledge to do this?
2) The Bible is a challenging book, so you need help to
understand it.
a) I try to explain Scripture in my sermons, in Sunday
School classes and in our many Bible studies.
b) The advantage of a church is that you can pool the
knowledge of others.
B. Effective service.
1) Hebrews 10:24 says Christians should gather so we can
spur one another on toward love and good works. 10:24
2) Church is a great place to learn about the needs in our
community.
a) The long and detailed prayer list in each bulletin.
b) Announcements of opportunities of service.
3) We can also encourage each other to DO SOMETHING.
a) Some make prayer blankets for those who are sick or
shut-in.
b) Mary Caddigan and the nursing ministry.
c) The deacons help many through the Deacons' Fund.
1> Part of this fund goes to buy supplies for local
food pantries and soup kitchens.
2> They appreciate our contributions very much.
4) If you want to make a difference, we can connect you with
those who need help.
C. Intimate fellowship.
1) Modern people have a difficult time connecting to others.
a) Social organizations of all types are dwindling.
b) People don't tend to join clubs - or churches.
2) The bonds between people are loosening.
a) People don't join organizations of any type these days.
b) Churches are suffering from this.
c) But people were created to be connected.
3) Good churches connect people to each other.
a) Our church does a fairly good job of this.
b) But some feel the best fellowship is limited to a
certain group of "in" people.
4) I want everyone to feel this is their church.
a) If you feel disconnected here, dig deeper.
b) Attend Sunday School, special events, one of our Bible
studies, or volunteer for something.
D. Authentic worship.
1) Hebrews 10:25 warns about not meeting together.
a) Christians have done it for 2,000 years.
b) It doesn't have to be in a traditional church, but
you need to meet with other Christians on a
regular basis, at least weekly.
2) When we do meet, we should aim for a spiritual connection.
a) Prayer to focus on the Lord and our needs.
b) Singing to lift our spirits to God.
c) Sermons to inform and, hopefully, inspire.
IV. Keep your focus on God.
A. Humans will always mess up a church.
1) I met an electrician at church on Wednesday.
a) He was here to give us a bid, and started talking
with me.
b) He grew up Catholic - "Mom forced it down my throat."
c) He went to church every week, got married in church.
d) His priest was later accused of molesting young boys,
and defrocked.
2) This electrician still believes in God.
a) He prays each night, but only goes to church once
every few months.
b) He said when he was young, the church could do no wrong.
Now it seems as if it can do no right.
3) I have no doubt that many of you have had disappointed
experiences with "churchy" people.
a) Almighty pastors who ended up having feet of clay.
b) Devoted members who were actually quite nasty.
1> Perhaps you are one of them.
2> If you are one who has caused hurt, consider Jesus's
words about causing little ones to stumble...
(millstone around neck) and repent!
B. There are only sinners at Ledgewood Baptist.
1) It is true of our members, and our leaders - it is also
true of you.
2) Rebuke us when it is called for.
3) But always follow the advice of Hebrews 12:2 - fix your
eyes on Jesus, and him alone.
C. Can sinners experience the real God?
1) I have heard of many who don't sense God in churches.
a) They see music and speaking and handshaking, but God
seems to be missing.
b) That is tragic, but I don't doubt it is often true,
even in our own church.
2) Judge your own attitude right now.
a) Do you come here anticipating contact with God?
b) Do you come seeking deeper understanding?
c) Does this usually happen?
V. Do YOU need church?
A. Only you can answer this.
1) It may be that our church doesn't meet your needs anymore.
2) If this is the case, find a better one.
3) Our community has almost every flavor of church.
4) You need to be faithful somewhere.
Our men's Bible study once used the book "The Man in the
Mirror" by Patrick Morley.
In it he writes:
I don't think a person can say they love God very much if
they don't attend church regularly.
The Bible instructs us to worship God in His house on a
regular basis.
Do you remember how you used to "hang out" at your wife's
place when you were still dating?
They couldn't have kept you away with mortar fire!
That's what love does!
Jesus established the church.
He loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
While the people of God, not a building, are the church,
the institutionalized church is the historic vehicle
for the people of God to come together.
The physical church, a facility, has been part of spiritual
life since ancient times.
Before they met in buildings (temples or synagogues), they
met in tents.
King David's last act was a building fund drive for a new
temple for God.
Join a church where Christ is honored and the Bible is held
in high regard.
#65862
B. If may be that your level of faith is very low.
1) Without a personal faith, just about every worship service
will be tedious.
a) Church cannot compete with the world's entertainment
and excitement.
b) It will only be valuable to genuine Christians and
those who are truly seeking God.
2) Do you know God?
a) We believe Jesus came to earth to create a new organism,
the church.
b) We are an extension of his body on earth.
c) You can only become a part of it by accepting Jesus
as your Savior.
d) If you have not done this, consider his claim on you
now.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
1. “The religion and political views of Charlie Chaplin,” Tom Kershaw,
last updated October 13, 2012, <link>.
The quote is drawn from <link>.
#65862 “You Need To Attend Church,” Patrick Morley, Book: The Man in
the Mirror: Solving the 24 Problems Men Face (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1997).
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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