WHY
GO TO CHURCH?
(CHRISTIAN
LIVING)
LESSON
#1
LESSON
THEME: church
INTRODUCTION:
WHAT
ARE THE PROBLEMS THE FAMILY IS FACING?
(Choose
from the pictures and share something about you’ve chosen)
From the pictures we’ve shared, we can
see that the family has many problems to face. Whether we like it or not, there
are situations we face which we feel that these are too hard to handle. Before
we proceed, let me ask, who created the family? In Genesis 2:24, God created
the family. Before, the relationship of the family and God were intact or close
but we know that sin entered in the family and we know the story of Adam and
Eve how they were tricked by the enemy. Eve was tricked by Satan in a form of a
serpent. Then when they were got out from the Garden of Eden, and built a
family, another problem arose. Cain killed his brother Abel. Because of envy,
he did this horrible crime. Family is in danger. Let’s take a look in Ephesians
6:12,
For we wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places.
TAGALOG: Sapagkat
hindi tayo nakikipaglaban sa mga tao, kundi sa mga pinuno, sa mga maykapangyarihan,
sa mga tagapamahala ng kadilimang umiiral sa sanlibutang ito, sa mga hukbong
espirituwal ng kasamaan sa himpapawid.
It says, we don’t
fight against flesh and blood. We see in God’s creation how Satan wants to
destroy the family. He moves in a way we don’t notice. The enemy wants to
destroy relationship and he doesn’t want to fix the relationship therefore the
family is at war. The enemy doesn’t want the families to be reconciled with
God. Can we fight the enemy with our own strength? The battle is not physical;
it’s spiritual therefore can we do it by ourselves? Can the family do it by
themselves? No, we need a powerful God to fight with us.
What community
agency where we can go to help us spiritually? (Give examples of community
places: hospital, barangay, city hall, malls, and others) These examples can’t
answer or help us. Bible says in Matthew 16:18
At sinasabi ko sa
iyo, ikaw ay Pedro, at sa ibabaw ng batong ito ay itatayo ko ang aking iglesya
at ang kapangyarihan ng kamatayan ay hindi magtatagumpay laban sa kanya.
Only church has
the power to help us in spiritual matters. How important church in our lives?
Why Go to Church?
BIBLE LESSON POINTS:
1. GO TO CHURCH SO YOU WON’T BE
HARDENED BY SIN
Bible says in Hebrew 3:12-13,
Take
heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God. 13 But
exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Human hearts ay
deceitful and not stable and if you don’t guard your heart, we will be in danger.
We always see this saying posted in Facebook, “It’s better not go to church
than go to church without life changed.” We must always remember that people
are not perfect and church goers are not exempted on this. What we can say
about this on Fb? If a bad person goes to church, there’s possibility that the
Word of God would strike his heart and be convicted rather than not going to
church.
How about in
families, do we hear members of the family get involve in fighting, killings
and other bad situations? If we just watch news, yes they are many families get
involved in killing their own families. We should not let hatred grows in our
hearts and then suddenly hurt our families.
2. GO TO CHURCH BECAUSE GOD TELLS YOU
TO
The
bible itself tells us that we should not forget the assembling of ourselves
together. Hebrews 10:25 says,
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.
What’s the day of
our gathering in the church? Since from the New Testament, God gave the day of
assembly of Christians in the first day of the week.
ACTS 20:7 - And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the
morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
1 CORINTO 16:2 - Upon the first day of the week let every one of you
lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings
when I come.
God Himself
commanded us that going to church is a command that we should obey. If we
neglect this, we disobey God’s command. God won’t command us if this is least
important. Going to church is vital in our lives.
3. BECAUSE YOU NEED ENCOURAGEMENT AND
YOU NEED TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS AS WELL
Part of the
assembly in the church is to encourage one another. Bible says in 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.
Whether we accept
it or not, we’re not created by God to be alone; we need others. Have you come
to the point of your life that you can’t find someone to tell your problems or
just listen to you? That’s the hard thing, that’s one of the reasons why some
get depressed and become hopeless. This verse was written not just to be read
but need to be applied in our lives. This is part of the commandment –
exhorting one another.
4. GO TO CHURCH TO HEAR GOD’S POWERFUL
WORD PREACHED
Only God’s Word has the power to enter
in the depth of our hearts. It converses to our souls and most importantly, this
is the food of our souls. This is the manual of life; it helps us how to live
on this world.
Bible says in Hebrews 4:12,
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.
Other people say “Bible is hard to be
read understand.” The first thing we should remember, we should not understand
the Bible and penetrate in our hearts unless God the Holy Spirit will guide you
and that’s why we need to pray before we proceed reading.
Bible says in James 1:5,
Ngunit kung ang sinuman sa inyo ay kulang sa
karunungan, humingi siya sa Diyos at siya'y bibigyan, sapagkat ang Diyos ay
nagbibigay nang sagana at hindi nanunumbat.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
5. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE USED BY GOD
We cannot be used by God alone; we need support
from the church. For example, God gave you the talent of singing. You can’t
sing by yourself alone and no one hears you. If you do it, it’s not productive.
You need the church. If the members listen to your song, they will be blessed
and thank God for that. Let’s remember you sing for the Lord and God wants others
to be blessed through you. Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:5,11
And there are
differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
But all these
worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he
will.
6. GO TO CHURCH BECAUSE YOU ARE PART
OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
The church is likened to the Body of Christ.
Christ is the Head and every member is part of the body. It’s possible that you
are the foot, others might be the nails part, others are eyes, others are arms
and many more. Though we are different parts, we are in the same BODY and every
one of us are important. Therefore, each one needs to fulfill his purpose in
the church. If you are expert in cooking, do it for the ministry and if you
have the gift of teaching, use it in the ministry to fulfill your purpose in
the church. Romans 12:5 says,
So we, being
many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
7. GO TO CHURCH BECAUSE YOU WANT YOUR
FAMILY TO GET INVOLVED TOO
Does everyone know what is right from
wrong? Can you discern what is good decision and bad decision? (Give examples
from the Bible: David, Solomon, Rehoboam and others)
Others have attained highest degree,
others have higher positions and others are wealthy but still they failed to
recognize and do what is right from wrong.
The fact of the matter is no one knows
what’s good; only GOD. Even we already adults, still we need GOD. He knows what’s
best for us. Therefore, our family needs guidance: our children. Bible says in
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and
when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Bring your family, your children in
the Lord. The world is strong to drag our families to love the world. The world
is worldly and has the great power to influence our families and we can’t do it
alone. We need GOD. We need the CHURCH.
8. GO TO CHURCH TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Whether
we like it or not, God wants us to love one another. Bible says in Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.
LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR FOR:
a)
TO SHOW GOD’S LOVE – to show God’s
love to people and God uses Christians to fulfill this.
-
Galatians 6:10
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
-
John 13:35 - By this shall all men know that ye are
my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
b) TO BEAR ONE’S
BURDENS – Whether we like it or not, there’s a command
by God that we should help and bear one another’s burden especially in the
family of faith. Bible says,
-
Galatians 6:2 – Bear ye one another's burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ.
We don’t know what our brethren face in their
lives that’s why we should learn to show care and pray for the brethren.
c) TO CELEBRATE
BAPTISM AND TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION – The great commission is written in Matthew
28:19-20. Let’s read.
-
Matthew 28:19-20 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power
is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
We can see that being a follower of God, BAPTISM and
TEACHING are important in able for people to follow GOD. This is the greatest
purpose of Christians on earth.
APPLICATION:
Attending
Church gathering is a sign of being a genuine Christian (Matthew 7:20). God has
given us six (6) days to work and only one day for Him. It would be more than
enough if you take one day for God.
God
built the church to help us fulfill our needs spiritually. Therefore, we need
to bring or involve our families in the church. Doing this, we make them get
nearer to God and they’ll be led on how to live life with purpose on this
earth. Neglecting this, we just let them live life in danger.
