God Said Go To Church - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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God Said Go To Church

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.

Intro: I am going to preach a highly controversial message tonight. I’m going to preach on going to church.

But tonight, I’m pulling out all the stops. I’m not going to beat around the bush.

The message tonight is clear – God said go to church.

It is not the preacher that is saying it.

It is not the deacon board that is saying it.

It is not the decree of the church.

You wouldn’t let your children play T-ball for a coach that was OK with them missing every practice and game.

You wouldn’t have a job if you lay out and were AWOL.

You wouldn’t keep an employee that didn’t show up.

But we have a generation of church members that want to “belong” to a church without ever going!!

The God of Heaven said GO TO CHURCH!

So, at the risk of hurting some of your feelings, I’m going to preach tonight on GOD SAID GO TO CHURCH!

I. The Admonition that is Plain – not forsaking

NOT: means don’t do it

FORSAKING: abandon, desert; leave in straits, leave helpless; totally abandoned, utterly forsaken

Going to church is not a chore, it is a blessing!

Going to the house of God is not an obligation, it is an opportunity!

The church is the pillar and ground of the truth.

And that is not talking about the people – it is talking about a PLACE!

· 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.

II. The Assembly that is Provoking – the assembling of ourselves together

The word CHURCH in the New Testament is found 79 times.

That does not even refer to the number of times we find Old Testament references to the house of God, the tabernacle, the temple, the sanctuary, etc.

For that crowd that yells at me every time I preach on going to church, let me explain something.

The word CHURCHES is found 36 times.

If the people of God were “the church”, why is the word CHURCHES used 36 times?

Why would churches be referred to in the plural if the Bible didn’t teach the doctrine of the LOCAL CHURCH?

Of the 125 times that the Bible uses the word “church”, nearly every one of them are referring to a SPECIFIC church.

Even David knew that you could meet with God in multiple locations.

· Psalms 84:1 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!

DO ILLUSTRATION WITH STRONGS CONCORDANCE AND SHOW THAT THE SAME GREEK WORD FOR CHURCH IS USED IN ALL BUT ONE VERSE.

I want to emphasize something else tonight.

The word CHURCH means:

· a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly

· an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating

· the assembly of the Israelites

· any gathering or throng of men assembled

In other words, watching the church assemble on Livestream IS NOT going to church.

You are watching OTHERS assemble; you are not there, so you are not assembling.

ILLUSTRATION: I enjoy watching the Atlanta Braves play baseball sometimes. But I would be lying if I said I have been to a Braves game because I’ve never once stepped foot in that stadium.

If I said I went to the game, I’d be lying.

If you say you went to church, and all you did was watch the service online, you are lying.

You didn’t go to church.

You didn’t go to church until you ASSEMBLED TOGETHER.

And you know what you miss when you’re not here???

The PROVOKING TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS AND THE EXHORTING OF ONE ANOTHER!

Hebrews 10

· 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

· 25 …but exhorting one another…

You miss out on the people of God that are assembled together provoking one another.

Notice verse 24 – Consider one another…

When you miss church, you’re not considering anybody but yourself!

You’re not a blessing to a single person by logging on the livestream.

You’re not encouraging a single person in this church by sitting on the couch and watching the service.

Every time I’m gone from here, I watch the service either live if I’m in a different time zone, or I watch it later.

But every time I come back, I have people say “We missed you!”

I don’t say to them, “But I was watching online!”

Me watching online didn’t encourage, edify, or provoke a single person to love and good works!

ILLUSTRATION: I love the encouragement that I get at the house of God.

· I don’t get that kind of encouragement anywhere else!

· The singing sounds much better in person!

· The preaching is much hotter in person!

· The fellowship of God’s people is much sweeter in person!

I’m glad God set it up for His people to ASSEMBLE THEMSELVES TOGETHER!!

III. The Apathy that is Prominent – as the manner of some is

Paul used those that DO NOT go to church as an illustration of what NOT to do!

I am going to make this as clear as I possibly can.

GOD SAID GO TO CHURCH!

If you are ABLE to go, and don’t, it is considered forsaking, and it is forbidden, which makes it a sin.

ILLUSTRATION: Every time I post something online about being faithful to church, I get attacked by every invalid and quadriplegic on this side of the Mississippi River.

If you’re unable to go to church, then I am not talking to you.

But if you’ve got a problem with this pastor preaching faithfulness to church to those that CAN go, you need to get right with God!

I’m 50 years old with grandkids. If I can’t preach to the Senior Saints, I need to find another job!

We don’t have as many SHUT-INS as you think.

We do, however, have a bunch of SHUT-OUTS.

• If you can go to the Golden Corral, but you can’t go to church, you’re not a shut-in; you’re a SHUT-OUT.

• If you can go grocery shopping and walk up and down every aisle, but you can’t go to church, you’re not a shut-in; you’re a SHUT-OUT.

• If you can go to your family reunion cookout with the grandkids, but you can’t go to church, you’re not a shut-in; you’re a SHUT-OUT.

• If you can get out and work in the flowerbeds, but you can’t go to church, you’re not a shut-in; you’re a SHUT-OUT.

I’m going to say something that I’ve wanted to say for a long time.

If you pretend to be a shut-in so you can get out of going to church, it’s a wonder God doesn’t put you flat on your back in a hospital bed on hospice for the next five years!!

There are legitimate shut-ins. To pretend to be one when you are not just wrong!!

Missing church to sleep is Forsaking. And it’s wrong.

Missing church to go to a family reunion is Forsaking. And it’s wrong.

Missing church to go to a ball game or sports event is Forsaking. And it’s wrong.

Missing church when you’re on vacation is Forsaking. And it’s wrong. Find a church!

Missing church on your anniversary getaway is Forsaking. And it’s wrong.

ILLUSTRATION: I got married on a Saturday afternoon. We drove 5 hours to Valdosta, Georgia. We were in Sunday School at 10 o’clock the next morning. Why?

Because missing church is forsaking. And it’s wrong.

IV. The Appearance that is Promised - and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

There is no question as to what “day” this verse is talking about.

It is referring to the day of our Lord’s return.

Nothing else would make sense.

This verse teaches us that Jesus is coming again.

I’m starting to believe that these preachers that are cutting out services do not believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ.

They are having less preaching and less services.

There is no substitute for preaching.

Discipleship classes are important.

Small groups are fine.

Cottage prayer meetings are great.

But there is no substitute for ASSEMBLING OURSELVES TOGETHER and going to church!

The closer we get to Jesus coming back, the more church we should be having – not less!

When He returns, I want Him to find me and my family FAITHFUL TO THE HOUSE OF GOD.

Because God Said to Go To Church!