“YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH TO BE A CHRISTIAN”

Additional rationale given by the unchurched:									“Worshiping with other people does not make me a Christian.”						“I don’t want the headaches of the church’s problems and politics.”				“I feel closer to God just being at the lake.”								“I don’t need anyone telling me what to believe and what to do.”	
# Ray is a down home Georgia boy.  He works as a security guard for a local bank.  He is in his mid 50’s and he is as southern as they come.  Ray told me that one reason he does not go to church is because he works on Sundays, but when I asked if he was a part of a church or a member anywhere he said that he was not.  Ray said that he believes the Bible and that there is not much more he needed to be a “singular believer.”  Ray recounted that he used to pray with his kids before bedtime.  He said that he used to go to church in his younger years, but he no longer feels like church is important.  In fact, he encouraged all his children to pray with their kids like he did with them.  He doesn’t know if they do or not, but he wanted me to know that he thought the idea was important.  He is also the person who prays at family gatherings.  When I asked him what he thought an ideal church looked like he took my question literally.  He began describing the church building at which one of his friends preached.  It was obvious that he didn’t quite understand what I was asking.  After I clarified my question for him, he said, “church is a place where people go to learn about the Bible and talk about how that applies to the world.”
1. What is the church?											a. The term church is used lots of ways, e.g. a building, a denomination, a worship event and an 	organization.											b. The word church in the Bible is a word meaning “the called out ones”.				c. We are called out of sin and selfishness to holiness—right living.
2. Church is not so much where we go, but who we are.							a. You are the church—the people of God.								b. We are forgiven and sent into the world to testify of God’s grace.
3. We are not likely to be the church without the church.						a. Few, if any, accept Jesus as Savior without the church.						b. Unless someone, a Christian (the Church), tells us about Jesus how can we (or anybody) know 	about Him?
4. God chose to use the church to bring people into a saving relationship.					# When one lady was invited to worship with God’s people on Sunday, she gave an intriguing 	response. She said she didn’t go to church because she meditates everyday and that is her 	church.  She also shared about “The Science of Deliberate Creation”, teachings of Abraham 	as channeled by Esther and Jerry Hicks.  I don’t know anything about those teachings or 	channeling.  If anyone needs the church, she does. The people of God can help her determine 	what truth is and is not. 									a. Who taught you about Jesus?									b. Who influenced you to confess your sins and give Jesus your heart?
5. We are less likely to act like the church unless the church coaches us.						a. Let’s examine God’s call to holiness (Read I Peter 1:15-16).						b. Do we naturally pursue holiness or selfishness?							c. Selfishness.  So we need someone to tell us God has a different and better expectation of us.
6. The Church’s role is to instruct and inspire us to loftier living.						a. “I’d attend church except for the people there.”							b. “What about all the hypocrites in the church?”
7. God asks us to learn to live in harmony.									a. The second great commandment tells us to love each other.						b. God places us in families so we learn to treat each other kindly.					c. He formed the church as an ally to the family in learning to love.					# In a Barna Poll, 29% of Americans named church as the most important network in their lives.		d. Learning to love is participation in God’s divine nature and preparation for heaven.
8. “One another” passages in the Bible call us to caring beyond our selves. 
9. When we follow Jesus we give up our individualistic identity in favor of a “one another’ 	community.												a. One of the earliest recorded conversations between God and Adam was, “It is not good for 	man to be alone.”											b. Jesus invited twelve men to follow Him in discipleship.						c. The call of God is into community, “Come, follow me.”						d. Discipleship is never solo activity.									e. “I want to be who I want to be” is not reflective of the church.						# “I Did It My Way” is not a hymn of the church.								f. Jesus prayed for His followers to become one, even as He and the Father are one.
10. How can we explain this idea of togetherness to people who do not want to attend corporate 	worship?												a. The New Testament uses three word pictures for the church.						b. We can use these same analogies.										(1) The building of God—the value of a brick is determined by sticking together.				(2) The bride of Christ—the love of His life.  								# Shelly left Steve at the altar alone. What enormous pain Steve felt!					(3)The body of Christ—every member is important.							# The arm unattached cannot function and alone dies.							# Surveys show people are interested in Christ, but not the church.				c. We cannot go with them, for Christ started the church; He is the head.				d. We dare not sever the head from the body.
11. Early in the life of the New Testament Church people began to skip worship.					a. The writer of Hebrew warned them (Hebrews 10:25)							b. We need the encouragement the congregation gives us.
Conclusion:													God, in your wisdom you started the Church.  You did it for us—those who need inspiration, instruction and acceptance.  Help us to be the kind of church you can use.  Open our hearts to the influence of others who imitate the life of Jesus among us. May we find our hope and our help from those who know you best.  Spirit of God live among us, in us and through us.  Amen.