Good morning Church!
We welcome you all back to the house of the Lord and we are happy that He has enabled us to praise and worship Him today, yet again.
As we are learning through the ongoing series, “Lord’s Favour”, we will continue today as well with the same, however, we will specifically focus on “Importance of Church!”
We see that many people who have received God and assume that it is alright to skip Church and grow personally in Christ. But remember, there is a purpose of God who established Church.
Purpose of Church is fellowship, praise & worship, grow im Christ.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:37-40
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:19
And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
Acts 2:44
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
Acts 20:7
We understand traveling could be a challenge, but this is God’s idea for fellow believers to continue having fellowship and praise and worship the holy one, Jesus, together.
Many people don’t just like to recognize themselves attached with one church, rather than multiple churches. I don’t believe this should be a pattern since people oftentimes fail to recognize the purpose of God pertaining to the establishment of Church.
so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 3:10
The Church was the purpose and idea of God built for people.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
Acts 20:28
For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
Ephesians 5:23
Just like it is important for a young person to enroll himself/herself to a vollege to be identified as a college student, it is important for a person to be part of a specific local church. Not just being identified as a part of the church, but also being active in Church service.
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 13:1
Local church are walking units and this is a great responsibility that God has given to us. Just as a member of a sports team has an important role to play in an active team, similarly, it is important for us to stand for our local church to help each and every person grow together in Christ. Not just attending the local church but we need to be rooted in the local church.
Only when we are firmly planted and rooted, we can walk with a community and not just walk with the community but lead communities.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16
God wants you to get involved in the ministry and make disciples so that it will grow and serve God.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10-11
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:4-8
Pride is a sin in us by nature; we need to be cautioned and armed against it. All the saints make up one body in Christ, who is the Head of the body, and the common Centre of their unity. In the spiritual body, some are fitted for and called to one sort of work; others for another sort of work. We are to do all the good we can, one to another, and for the common benefit. If we duly thought about the powers we have, and how far we fail properly to improve them, it would humble us. But as we must not be proud of our talents, so we must take heed lest, under a pretence of humility and self-denial, we are slothful in laying out ourselves for the good of others. We must not say, I am nothing, therefore I will sit still, and do nothing; but, I am nothing in myself, and therefore I will lay out myself to the utmost, in the strength of the grace of Christ. Whatever our gifts or situations may be, let us try to employ ourselves humbly, diligently, cheerfully, and in simplicity; not seeking our own credit or profit, but the good of many, for this world and that which is to come.
The Bible tells that church is the bride of Christ. If we love Jesus, we cannot hate His bride. If we love Jesus we need to love the things He loves. So, today is the time when we start taking the house of God seriously. Let us all commit ourselves to the house that God has established. We must unconditionally pray and seek God’s presence in order of have His favour, and to do this, we need to follow what God has suggested.
We hope you all are encouraged with today’s message and look forward for a fellowship in days to come at your local Church. We look forward to see you again next Sunday. God bless!