Why Go to Church? - Sermon Notes | Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig

I. Introduction (Hebrews 10:24-25)

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.” - Hebrews 10:24-25

What has a Bible-based, Bible-only church ever done for you?

A. People Are the Church

A church is not the building it meets in
It is the people who assemble together as believers in the living Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t believe in modern philosophies, feminist ideologies, and diversity theories — we believe in the Jesus of the Bible!
Last week we looked at the kind of people that make up a church:
1. Not perfect people, but forgiven, washed, cleansed, blessed people — born again
2. Still sinners in our own eyes…
3. But saints in God’s eyes — because God sees every believer through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for them
4. Those are the kind of people that make up a New Testament kind of church
So, WE are the church
Jesus is the builder — building us on Himself, bit by bit, little by little. He is the Potter and we are the clay!

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:10

B. Our Bodies Are God’s Temple

The Lord Jesus Christ is IN every believer!

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” - 2 Corinthians 13:5

YOU are a place where God’s Holy Spirit resides now — IN us!

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” - 1 Corinthians 6:19

So a Christian is a walking, talking place of worship of Almighty God — cleaned up and made beautiful for the presence of God!

C. So, Why Go to Church Then?

Why can’t we just attend, or visit when we have the time, or watch the services on our own?
Why are we all supposed to assemble together like this, week after week, Sundays and Wednesday evenings, and as often as possible?
There are some very good reasons!

II. Message - Why Assemble as a Church?

A. Because God Calls Us to Assemble (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.” - Hebrews 10:25

NEWS FLASH… by ourselves, we are incomplete as Christians
1. If you are born again, you KNOW this to be true!
2. No Christian is meant to be alone! We are saved to be a part of Christ’s work in the world today
So God commands us to meet together with other nearby Christians and be a church locally — to perfect us, to make us better!

What is a church?

A church does not just “gather” like a club or a society
A church is an assembly of believers, who have been called out of the world, to represent the Lord Jesus Christ to the world, as if He was here!
Its people link up and inter-depend on the other believers there:
- Like a sports team depends on every other player — you cannot win with just one player on the team
- Like a human body has many parts depending on all the other parts
- Inter-linked like cloth is woven together to become something strong!
And we commit to a greater cause than just ourselves — the work of the Gospel

We are called out of this world, TO BE A CHURCH, right here, right now. It was the work of the Gospel throughout the first century to preach the Gospel and start churches — all over the Middle East, Europe and northern Africa:

Jerusalem — Acts 8:1
Antioch (in Syria) — Acts 11:26
Caesarea — Acts 18:22
Cenchrea — Romans 16:1
Corinth — 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1
Ephesus — Acts 20:17; Revelation 2:1
Thessalonica — 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1
Philippi — Philippians 4:15
Laodicea — Colossians 4:16; Revelation 3:14
Smyrna — Revelation 2:8
Pergamos — Revelation 2:12
Thyatira — Revelation 2:18
Sardis — Revelation 3:1
Philadelphia — Revelation 3:7
Even Babylon — 1 Peter 5:13

These were all cities, large and small, that were filled with born again people assembling together to learn how to be more like Jesus! Evidently, local Bible-believing, Bible-preaching churches are important to be a part of!

B. To Be Provoked (Hebrews 10:24)

You may not realise it, but you become part of a church to be “provoked” to doing good works — they don’t come naturally! Not just instructed, and not just constantly encouraged, but provoked.

Provoke means:

To MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE! To call into action; to arouse; to excite — as to provoke anger or wrath by offensive words. YES, to offend you!
It means to sometimes make you angry enough to consider what the Bible says instead of just sleeping through another service
Provoke means to offend; to incense; to enrage sometimes — GOOD!
I hope to provoke you to hate some sins in your life:
- Make you uncomfortable about what you secretly watch on your phone
- Make you uncomfortable about how you talk to your wife or husband
- About how little you read your Bible or pray
- About how carnal you are and how little you care!
I hope to provoke you to do better — to be more like Christ instead of the devil!

Anyone can watch a YouTube video and listen to a podcast:

But I believe that is KILLING biblical Christianity more than helping
It is just making people numb
We have more sermons available than ever before — audiobooks, podcasts
We can listen to preachers from all over the world
We can watch church services online, and listen to biblical teaching almost every hour of the day
And yet, I wonder whether all this teaching is producing the kind of Christians that the Scripture calls us to be…

But that is not the worst. Some things trouble me:

How can someone attend church for 10, 20 or even 30 years and remain largely unchanged?
How can someone hear hundreds of sermons and still be unable to control his temper?
How can someone study the Bible for years and still be unwilling to acknowledge when he or she is wrong?
How can someone participate in so many ministries while continually causing conflict with other brethren?

One possible answer is that we’ve become accustomed to hearing the word without responding to it. We don’t allow anyone to PROVOKE us — to upset us with THUS SAITH THE LORD!

We only want to be told what we already believe — what we already agree with
We don’t want to be told there is something we should be doing!

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” - James 1:22

You can deceive yourself through just sitting there hearing
You can become convinced that you’re doing well spiritually because you’re continually exposed to truth

But what did you actually DO with what you heard?

Perhaps you don’t need more understanding about forgiveness. Perhaps you need to forgive everybody who has ever hurt you!
Perhaps you don’t need another sermon about prayer. Perhaps you need to begin praying like your life depends upon it
Perhaps you don’t need another message about Christian responsibility. Perhaps you need to accept personal responsibility instead of blaming everyone else around you for how you act!

God gave every church two special people — pastors and teachers. They are GIFTS:

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” - Ephesians 4:11-12

Pastors exist to perfect believers — polish them, make them better
So that believers can do the work of the ministry — not to be done only by pastors and teachers
To edify the whole church — build everyone up, strengthen them, equip them to stand and support each other

God expects pastors to provoke through PREACHING:

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” - 2 Timothy 4:1-4

You want a TED talk? Sorry, that isn’t going to happen here
You want a lot of stories and humour? Nope, not here
You want psychological therapy? You are not in the right place
But if you want the Gospel truth, then welcome! Sit down and buckle up!
If you want to know what is really real, and worth living for and dying for — get a Bible and I will show you!

C. To Be Shepherded (Acts 20:28)

Shepherding means being guided, warned, directed, helped — not just left to yourself.

“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.” - Acts 20:28

Jesus told Peter and all His preachers to feed His sheep like a good shepherd:

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” - 1 Peter 5:1-4

But nobody wants shepherding anymore:

Evidently the LAST person people want to talk to is the pastor!
The last thing they want to do is actually DO what the pastor shows them to do from the Bible
So instead they spend a fortune on therapists and counsellors (and they have their place, but what has God given you that is right here and FREE?)
You have got to start doing what I show you in the Bible to do
When I just read a Scripture, some of you will instantly stiffen up and act like I am the enemy!

What the Bible actually tells us to do:

Christians — assemble together. Don’t just come and attend services. Humble yourself and learn how to faithfully, consistently SERVE messed up people!
Christians — FORGIVE absolutely everyone who has hurt you. Period!
Wives — humble yourselves and submit to and reverence your husbands
Husbands — humble yourself and love your wives sacrificially
Men — if you are not working a job and can, then you ought not to eat. Get a job!

My job is to get you to DO the opposite of how you feel — that is shepherding:

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.” - Hebrews 13:7

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” - Hebrews 13:17

Obedience and submission to Bible preaching is gone in the western world
So guess what? Islam is replacing it — it expects submission, and it is wicked!

D. To Edify Each Other (Ephesians 4:12)

“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” - Ephesians 4:12

Every member is given spiritual gifts
Not the invisible body “out there” — but right in HERE!
Edify means building up, strengthening, holding together, reinforcing
It is not just the pastor’s job, or the pastor’s wife’s job, to help everybody
I need you all — I get encouraged by your fellowship and friendships, words of encouragement, prayers, and help when I need it!
I think you all need all that too
No pastor can help everybody — but everybody can help everybody!

E. To Worship Together (Psalm 34:3)

“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” - Psalm 34:3

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” - Psalm 122:1

You are supposed to walk with God yourself, on your own, especially when you can’t be at church
Worship is what a Christian does all day every day!
1. You are supposed to be spiritually hot — passionate about God all the time!
2. Washing dishes — worship God
3. Mowing the grass? Worship God! Praise God! Sing to God! Love God!
4. Changing the oil, cooking breakfast, hoovering, driving, studying, working… worship God as you do all things!
But a hot coal, when left on its own, will cool off and take on the temperature of the room around it — the same happens with Christians:
- Stay away from church and they cool off
- They become lukewarm, Jesus says — and He detests that!
So if there are other believers near you (and there usually are), you’re supposed to worship God together with them — not sit at home, or at the park!

F. To Pray Together (Acts 12:1-5)

“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword… Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” - Acts 12:1-5

Of all the activities and events we do as a church, the one I yearn most for is for us to gather together to pray:

To humble ourselves before God, to seek His face and direction and His will
To cry out to Him in faith for what we as a church need
To believe God TOGETHER

“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” - Matthew 18:19

It is so much better to pray WITH someone!
Let’s make sure we do more praying together as a church, not just fellowshipping — come on Wednesday evenings!

G. To Remember the Lord’s Supper Together (1 Corinthians 11:26)

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” - 1 Corinthians 11:26

Paul was writing to the entire church in Corinth:

“Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.” - 1 Corinthians 11:33

BE a church body
Do not act like most people do at the dinner table, just grabbing and eating as soon as they sit down, never waiting on everyone to sit and then give thanks!

That’s a church ordinance — a command just for churches to do together:

It’s not something you do at home
It is something we’re supposed to do as a church
As often as we can

H. To Baptise New Believers (Matthew 28:19)

THAT’S OUR JOB — to make sure people are saved, growing and visible. Not hiding, but openly confessing that Jesus Christ is ALIVE and worthy of following!

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” - Matthew 28:19

III. What Do We Get Out of It?

Sorry to disappoint some of you, but going to church can’t save you. It can’t make you more holy. It doesn’t even make you always happy. Yet there is so much a Christian will get out of assembling together with other believers — not wealth, not happiness, not customers, not grace and special access to heaven…

A. Maturity - We Grow Up!

We grow when we are forced to love each other like Jesus loves us
Forgive one another in the same measure God forgave us
Pray for each other
Serve alongside each other
When we start to care about each other, and carry each other instead of tearing each other down!
THAT is when we start maturing and growing — we need church

B. Fellowship and Family

We are now part of the household of God, and we meet in the house of God
Not a digital, virtual family — but the real deal!

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” - Acts 2:42

C. Spiritual Encouragement

God made you with three parts: body, soul and spirit
Your body needs food and exercise
Your soul needs to be loved and listened to and encouraged
But what about your SPIRIT?
Most churches focus only on the comfort of the body, and emotions, and feelings
And then they throw in a few religious platitudes, Scripture references and nice-sounding words that leave most people starving!
But if you will hunger for God, and for solid spiritual nourishment, you will find it in a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church!

D. Stability in a World Gone Mad

This is not a place where there are visions, dreams and constantly new everything
We teach sound doctrine — faithful, consistent preaching, line upon line upon line, learning this Bible from start to finish, again and again
And just obeying it as we read it!

E. Purpose - Don’t Ignore This!

We get a place to use our gifts
Teaching children, teaching teenagers, serving coffee and tea, being Barnabases, helping plan events, going out soul-winning, repairing cars, mowing people’s grass
A church is a place to use whatever gifting God gave us, to serve someone else’s needs

IV. Conclusion

A. Why Do YOU Come to Church?

Some come to church out of duty or guilt — a sense that you have to, or you are sinning
Maybe it is just a good habit you have
Maybe you want community — a belonging, friendship and support
None of those reasons are wrong
But some of you are actively seeking something more than the world gives:
1. You have genuine questions about God, death, sin and meaning
2. You want to be a better person
3. You want to know if God is really there
4. You want to know if you can truly trust God when everything is falling apart
5. Well, this Bible proves that you can!

B. He Is Still Drawing People to Himself

Jesus worked so hard so we could assemble together, and work together, and grow together, and serve together — and yet we resist!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” - Matthew 23:37

He is drawing people to Himself still today.