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Psalm
122:1
"Johnny,
it's time to get and go to church!"
"Ah,
Maw, I don't want to go to church!"
"Johnny,
there isn't much time. You've got to get up and go to church!"
"Ah
Maw, they don't like me down there."
"Johnny,
for the last time, get up and go to church!"
"Ah
Maw, give me two good reasons why I have to go to church."
"Number
one, you're 52 years old. Number two, you're the pastor!"
Even
for us who attend church very regularly, we sometimes find our enthusiasm for
church waning. We find our desire to go to church dropping off a bit.
We
can tell our interest in church attendance is dropping when:
1.
We find many excuses for not attending evening service.
2.
We think that church on Wednesday night is the last place we want to be.
3.
Our church attendance even on Sunday morning is becoming spotty.
Even
for those of us who regularly attend church we sometimes need an "attitude
adjustment".
We
need to get more excited about church attendance
A
verse that helps me is Psalm 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me
Let us go into the house of the LORD."
Our
problem is that we have lost our joy for attending church.
Why
should we be glad to attend church services?
1.
Church Is the Place of God's Praise
We
should come to church to worship God! Revelation 4 shows a heavenly scene.
In
this scene I feel the 24 elders represent the church. And in Heaven when the
heavenly spirit beings give adoration and praise the elders fall down and
worship. Revelation 4:10-11
Hebrews
13:15 tells us to worship continually.
Colossians
3:16 and Psalm 34:3 indicate that worship is corporate as well as individual.
Psalm
111:1 reminds us that our worship is to be total. So often we don't get much out
of worship because our lips are moving but our hearts are miles away. Matthew
15:8
2.
Church Is the Place of God's Presence _ Matthew
18:20
We
should be joyful about frequent church attendance because when we meet there the
Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of us. He's here, right here, right now
He
is here to answer prayer. He is here as the founder and head of the church. He
is here as observer and judge.
He
is here to bless, to guide, to encourage, to strengthen.
He
is here to bestow power and peace. The size of the meeting does not matter. He
is here!
3.
Church Is the Place of God's People
John
10:27-28 We are His sheep.
John
1:12 We are His people.
The church is to be a place of friends.
The
church is to be a place of mutual support.
The
church is to be a place for brothers and sisters.
The
church is the place for the closest of relationships and fellowships. John
13:34_25
4.
Church Is the Place of God's Peace
Jesus
Christ is the Prince of Peace.
He
is in the midst of the church. John 14:27, John 16:33
Some
churches have no peace. It is our responsibility to resolve conflicts so there
will be peace.
If
peace can not be found, perhaps a person is in the wrong church. Psalm 133:1,
Ephesians 5:21, Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:9
5.
Church Is the Place of God's Power
There
Is Power In Prayer _ Acts 4:31, Matthew 18:19, John 16:24
There
Is Power In Preaching _ 1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 2:1_5
6.
Church Is the Place for the Believer's Participation
In
Worship
In
Growth 2 Peter 3:18
In
Giving 1 Corinthians 16:2
In
Exhortation Hebrews 10:24-25
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