Loving Your Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-15-2022

Ephesians 5:25-33

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Hebrews 10:25-27 are possibly the most quoted verses concerning church attendance and has been normally been preached as a negative. 

 

1.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “As the manner of some is.”  The word manner means a custom or habitual practice.  There are so many people who professed to be saved that have no desire to be faithful to the local church. 

 

2.  We have a good nucleus here at Temple.  I want to encourage the “as the manner of some is” this morning to get in.  I also want to encourage the faithful to stay in. Many of the unfaithful were once faithful. 

  

B.  There has been a great forsaking of the assembling in the past few decades with many in America unchurched.  What happened?  Desire and delight turned into discipline and drudgery! Discipline without desire and delight is a recipe for disaster!

 

1.  Our nation if following the same path as England and Europe: the path of godlessness which always leads to ungodliness. 

 

2.  The faithful few that make up the nucleus of the local church have become fewer in number, especially Sunday and Wednesday night crowds.  Few want any time of “extra” services such as revival meetings or mission conferences.

 

3.  Sunday has become a day of recreation. 

 

C.  With some, it is a salvation problem. 

 

1.  In the Bible, when people got saved, they assembled!  I thank God that, when we got saved, Barbara and I “got in!”  We have been faithful to church for 46 years! 

 

2.  With others, it is the problem of worldliness.  These have the love of Ephesus, the deadness of Sardis, and the apathy of Laodicea.  As Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world, people of our day forsake the church.

 

D.  With many, it is a leaving your “first love” problem.  This morning, I want to encourage you to love your church!  Make it a major part of your life.  What a privilege it is to come to church!  What a blessing to be able to come to church!  What a benefit to be able to come to church!

 

Why should you love the Church:

 

1.  It Is The Place That God Loves - Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.  (Jesus Christ died for the Church!  He gave His life for that which He loves.  Truly, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  When you get saved, you should love what God loves!)

 

Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

 

2.  It Is The Place Of Worship - Psalms 5:7   But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.  (You can and should worship anywhere but the church house is a special place.  It was a place built to worship in.  You can come here and sing as loud as you please; you can say “Amen” or shout “Glory to God;” you can give your tithe and offerings scripturally in God’s house.  What a blessing!)

 

 

Psalms 84:1-2, 10  How amiable (no love of church) are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  (2)  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD (no longing for church): my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God (no desire for God).  

 

(10)  For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God (no love of service in the church), than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

 

3.  It Is The Place Of Preaching And Teach God’s Word - 1 Timothy 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.  (You probably know it by now but I love this blessed old King James Bible that I hold in my hand.  We can read it at home; We can study it at home; but here in the house of the Lord, men of God preach like they know what they are preaching about!  I rejoice with the Apostle Paul when the Bible is heralded and the preacher lifts up his voice like a trumpet!)

 

4.  It Is The Place Where God’s People Gather - Psalms 55:14  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.  (The greatest people on earth are there!  When I got saved I fell in love with a lot of things that please God but one of the greatest of all was the people of God.  No, they are not perfect but they are my brothers and sisters in Christ!  We are all in the Body of Christ which is the Family of God and we love you!)

 

Acts 2:46-47  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,  (47)  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

6.  It Is God’s Instrument For World Evangelism - 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:  So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God–ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.  (I love to give an offering to missions!  We can help support precious families as they cover the globe preaching the same gospel that we preach.  Missionaries are the greatest people in the world!  There is no greater calling than that.  Carrying the Word of God to a world that needs Jesus Christ and we can help go by giving!  We can personally witness to the Lost and occasionally see one get saved!)