Why I Love the Church

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-17-2025

Ephesians 5:22-33; Matthew 16:15-18; Psalm 84:1-12

 

Introduction:  Psalm 84 has been called “The Pearl of Psalms.”

 

A.  Hebrews 10:25-27 are possibly the most quoted verses concerning church attendance and, like biblical separation, have been preached as a negative when it is a POSITIVE!  I fear that much negative preaching should be positive.

 

B.  Psalms 84:10 is also in direct contrast to the end-time professing Christian.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “As the manner of some is.”  The word manner means a custom or habitual practice.  There has been a great forsaking of the assembling in the past few decades, with the majority of America unchurched at present.

 

1.  Church attendance is at an all-time low, with more churches and professing Christians than ever.

 

2.  The faithful few that make up the nucleus of the local church have become fewer in number, especially on Sunday and Wednesday night crowds.

 

3. The church has gone from meeting every day in Acts 2 to having 6-8 week meetings a century ago to no Sunday or Wednesday night services!

 

C.  Faithfulness has turned from a blessing to a hardship for many. Today, more is said against the church than for the church.  Many local churches have brought this problem upon themselves by their compromised behavior.

 

1.  Some say that the church is full of hypocrites.  Two things I see about hiding behind a hypocrite:  The hypocrite is bigger than the one hiding because it covers them.  Also, the hypocrite is closer to the Lord than the one hiding behind him.

 

2.  Some say that the church has become a social organization.  Unfortunately, this is true.

 

3.  Some say that the church no longer portrays the love of Christ.  Unfortunately, this is also true.

 

4.  But there are still good, not perfect, churches in America and especially in the Bible Belt.

 

D.  The majority of the average church’s visitation program is spent visiting people who professed to be saved and either make shallow excuses for missing church or have become disgruntled over some petty problem and now are permanently excused from faithful attendance.

 

1.  Many Of These Have Religion And Not Salvation – I personally do not understand saved people not wanting to go to church.  They evidently did not get what I got!  I fell in love with church and still do not miss it, even when traveling!

 

2.  Many Of These Are so Worldly And Carnal That They Cannot Know The Will Of God.

 

a)  They have the love of Ephesus.  They left it.

 

b)  They have the deadness of Sardis.  They have no heart or spirit of worship.

 

c)  They have the lukewarmness of Laodicea. They are neither in nor out.

 

E.  But I still love the local church!  In spite of its shortcomings and problems.  This beautiful Psalm gives some of the reasons that I 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.

 

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.

 

3.  It Is The Place Of Preaching And Teaching 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.

 

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!

 

5 It Is The Place Where Sinners Are Both Sought And Loved - Luke 14:23  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Matthew 9:10  And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

 

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.

 

7.  It Was There That I Heard The True Gospel Preached And Was Gloriously and Eternally Saved – Luke 18:10, 13-14  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican …  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

8.  It Is A Place Of Comfort And Spiritual Joy - Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

 

9.  It Is An Encouragement Filling Station - 2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

10.  It Is Just A Little Bit Of Heaven On Earth - Psalms 84:1-2  How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.