Why is a Church So Important?
I. Introduction (Mt 16:18; Eph 5:25; 2Cor 11:2)
A. The New Testament kind of a Church is something wonderful. It is something so important that the devil HAS to twist it, pervert it, ruin it, and get rid of it.
B. But Jesus Christ loves it, and protects it!
C. Every Christian needs a GOOD, solid, fundamental, Bible believing, Baptist Church to be a part of, and to minister in and through.
D. A Christian who doesn’t care what kind of church they attend, and doesn’t care about what Bible is the word of God, and what doctrines they believe is a poor excuse of a Christian. Jesus commanded us to keep his commandments, not adjust them to the age in which we live.
E. So How do we value the importance of our Church?
1. It is not made up of the worth of the brick and mortar
2. Or of the glass and floors
3. Or even of the amount of valuable information that can be learned
F. The Value of a Church is in three things:
1. Its People – just one soul is worth it – much more dozens of them, gathered together to learn of Him and live for Him
2. Its Potential – to evangelise our world
3. Its Purpose – to lift up the mighty name of Jesus Christ and live for Him
G. There are Four Reasons Why Our Church here in Ballincollig is Important
1. Because Christ Loves It (Eph 5:25; Acts 20:28)
2. Because the Devil Hates It – that’s a pretty good reason ()
3. Because the World Needs It
4. Because the Christians Are It
II. Message - Why is Our Church so Important?
A. Why is Our Church Important? Because Christ Loves It (Eph 5:25; Acts 20:28)
1. Did you ever ask yourself, Why would God create this world, knowing just how much trouble it would be?
2. The answer is in the fact that it was because only this way would he get out of the world a bride – a precious kind of relationship with His people that He could love and they would freely love Him back!
3. Love is a great motivator – it makes things valuable
a. And old picture – torn and tattered; black and white – but of someone you love
b. A husband is drunk and in jail, and yet his wife visits him every day – because she loves him
c. An old bike – full of memories of childhood – to someone else, just junk, but not to the one who rode it and loved it!
4. I believe that very few people today know the depth of love that Christ has for His people – even though messed up, and frail
5. Let me show you something in three parables (Luke 15:1-10)
a. Normally when we get all emotional when we LOSE things
b. God gets excited when He FINDS things!
c. It is LOVE for someone that drives Him to go after us, and bring us together, and form us into a body of believers
6. John 13:34-35 Jesus didn't say we would be identified first by our buildings, Bibles, or Baptist beliefs (theology) … but our love for Him and our love for one another. To love the church means to love its people.
B. Why is Our Church Important? Because the Devil Hates It – that’s a pretty good reason (Acts 8:1-3)
1. The worth of a man can be determined by who his enemies are – the same goes for a Church
a. If Drug dealers, and Porn dealers, and Pub owners, and Disco operators, and Homosexuals are against a church – that must be a great Church!
b. Down through history, the New Testament Church has experienced serious persecution – and it proves that the devil hates it
c. The devil loves his own – big, formal religions – no problem
d. But dynamic, fervent Churches are hated!
2. Satan hates a Church for three basic reasons
3. It reminds him of his losses (John 8:36) – from religion to salvation
4. It represents a constant threat (Acts 17:6) – can actually defeat Satan
5. It reminds him of his destiny - we are the only ones constantly reading out of that Book and reminding Him he is DOOMED! Amen! Everybody else is forgetting about the lake of fire!
C. Why is Our Church Important? Because the World Needs It (Philp 2:15)
1. Did you ever think about what this world would be like without Bible believing churches? Just think of the Tribulation. Lots of religions still, but no Christians – no true believers. It would be (and will be) hell on earth.
2. Obviously, this world needs Churches like this one because…
3. We Reveal Jesus Christ to the World (1Cor 1:21-23)
a. You may not think so, but WE are what people read – Our lives as a group, not just individuals, but together in real, Biblical unity affect people’s opinions of Jesus Christ – like an opinion section of the newspaper
b. We preach, talk about, discuss, and ultimately live out:
1) His words – not traditions, and philosophies, but Thus saith the Lord
2) His expectations
3) His way of thinking and doing things
4) And it all shows the world just WHO this Jesus fella is!
c. THAT’S why it matters what we wear and where we go and don’t go, and what comes out of our mouths, and what we put into our minds and hearts! Because the little things we do SPEAK VOLUMES (Philp 1:27)
d. We even show the world how different nationalities, cultures, different languages all can come together and REALLY know peace and love as we follow and obey the Living Saviour named Jesus!
e. We best reveal Jesus THROUGH people – God uses people in a church – not just tracts and Bibles. God uses people best when…
1) When they are Under authority and not rebels
2) When they Work together and are not selfish and self-centred
3) When they are Looking unto Jesus – not at each other
4) While they are Testing every spirit and not easily swayed by fears or fame
5) When they Teach and Preach the Bible only
4. We Represent Jesus Christ in the World
a. We Represent The body of Christ Acts 11:26) – a unit, and physical representation of who Jesus is, and what He can do
1) Jesus physically was here and then left – seated at the right hand of the Father
2) Left his followers here as the physical representation of Himself
3) When anyone meets a Christian, they should be meeting “a little Christ”
4) When you meet believer after believer, and they ALL are just like Jesus, it is a powerful testimony to this world!!!
b. We Represent The bride of Christ – we show the world just how much Jesus loves a sinner, by showing the world how much he loves and cares for us!!!
1) We show how to be loved
2) We show how to love back
3) We show how to change BECAUSE of love – the ironing out of our wrinkles
5. We Resist Evil in the World
a. We are to be a hindrance to people feeling good about doing evil
b. We resist evil First in the lives of the believers (1Pet 4:17)
c. Then in influencing the world around us (Mk 6:17,18) – turned the world upside-down – didn’t leave it feeling good about itself
d. Thank God for Churches that still stand against dishonesty, and carnality, and homosexuality and pornography and drink and rebellion and divorce and everything that is contrary to sound doctrine!
6. We Restore the Believers for the World –enabling them for the task God calls us to do, by:
a. Feeding them
b. Protecting them
c. Scaring them – the fear of God and of sin (Rom 6:23)
d. Encouraging them
e. Always Enabling them – to be what God has called them to be
1) Soul-winners
2) Teachers
3) Preachers
4) Missionaries
5) Husbands
6) Wives
7) Submissive, Humble, Obedient, Serving, Loving
8) Godly Citizens
9) Even Astronauts – it doesn’t matter – whatever God has called you to be, a Church is supposed to enable you to be the best Christian one you can be!
D. Why is Our Church Important? Because the Christians Are It (Heb 10:25)
1. We are all there is to a Church. There is nothing more than a group of committed believers who have bound themselves together to evangelise our part of the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ
2. Church is not the chairs, the building, the cars, the internet, the Bibles, the money – it’s the people!
3. The Church is important because simply WE are the Church
4. Without the believers, there is no Christian Church – only a dark world full of empty religions
5. WE are therefore important! Vital! If you are missing and not actively involved, and not caring about each another, then there is no church, no influence on this world, no restoration of people, no Gospel being preached, no reaching of the lost, no families being saved, no drunkards being made free!
6. No one else is going to make the impact on this world like a bunch of Christians
III. Conclusion
A. We are important. Our Church is vital
B. Without us, yes, the world will go on – to an eternity without Christ in hell
C. But Jesus had other plans – He designed a living organism called His Church, His people, who would go into all the world and preach the Gospel, and get people saved, and train them in living like Him, and
D. There are Four Reasons Why Our Church here in Ballincollig is Important
1. Because Christ Loves It (Eph 5:25; Acts 20:28)
2. Because the Devil Hates It – that’s a pretty good reason
3. Because the World Needs It
4. Because the Christians Are It
E. Are you a member of God’s family? Been born again into it (Jn 3:3-7)?
F. If not, today is the day to get saved – ask Jesus Christ to save your soul
G. If you are a born again child of God, the next step is Baptism – public testimony to the world that you follow Jesus
H. THEN after that, it is time to join up with a local body of believers called the Church.
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland