You Need To Go To Church

Text:

Matthew 16:13-19:

13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

 

Theme:

You Need To Go To Church

 

Introduction:

• The text comes from the Gospel of Matthew.
  • The Gospel according to St. Matthew, is the first book of the New Testament and of the Gospels of Jesus, the Christ, and the 40^th book of the Holy Bible as a whole.
  • Matthew, the disciple of Christ, wrote in more detail of the life of Christ and His ministry than any other Gospel writer even though the book was written over 5-10 years later than the rest of the Gospels.
• In this passage of scripture the disciples proclaim their thorough belief that Jesus is the Son of God. As Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”
  • Jesus replies with “props” for Peter and then begins to erect the metaphysical building upon the foundation of truth that Peter had just proclaimed.
  • Here we find the concept of the church!
    • an assembly, either common or religious
    • In the New Testament it usually means a congregation of religious worshippers
      • Jewish à Acts 7:38,“This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”
      • Christian à Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
        • The universal Christian church
          • either the invisible church, consisting of those whose names are written in heaven
            • whom God knows, but whom we cannot infallibly know
            • Hebrews 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,”
          • Or the visible church, made up of the professed followers of Christ on earth
            • Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:”
          • A particular church or body of professing believers, who meet and worship together in one place;
            • Like New Harvest Fellowship
• Misconception à You don’t need to go to church
  • We often think that church is not necessary since we have direct access to God
    • Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45, “And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.”
  • But, WE NEED TO GO TO CHURCH

Body:

• We need a place to go to worship God – the church is a constant option
  • We learn how to worship Him
    • John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
  • We know that God is there
    • Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
  • We need a break from the “storm” of this world
    • Isaiah 25:4, “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”
• You don’t need or need to fall for false teaching!
  • 1John 2:26-27, “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
    • The info in this scripture has been used incorrectly to say that we don’t need to go to church or be under the tutelage of a man. However, it was referring to the confidence of not following false prophets!
    • False prophets are of the WORLD regardless of whether they are INSIDE or OUTSIDE of the institution or building.
  • Consequences of false teaching…
    • Matthew 24:5, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive”
• We need the fellowship of the Believers!
  • We need to be tried
    • “Folks” can be tough to deal with sometimes, but it is all for a reason!
      • James 1:3, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
      • Zechariah 13:9, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.”
      • Job 23:10, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
    • We need to affirm our election and calling
      • 2Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
    • We need to work in His Will and House
      • Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
  • Consequences of not having fellowship with the believers…
    • No accountability — Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
    • No support — John 21:16, “He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
• We need the Preacher!
  • Romans 10:13-15, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
    • Preacher gives God’s Word, Will, and Way!
      • Vision – The embodiment of God’s Word
      • Stability – The embodiment of God’s Will
      • Leadership – The embodiment of God’s Way
    • Consequences of not hearing the preacher…
      • Death — Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
      • Hunger — Jeremiah 23:4, “And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.”

Conclusion:

• YOU NEED TO GO TO CHURCH!
  • Church is a requirement!
    • 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.”
    • 1Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
  • You don’t need church to be saved.
    • Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
  • BUT you need church out of obedience!
    • 1 Peter 1:2, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:”
• God has given us a “peculiar treasure” in the church!
  • Malachi 3:17, “And they have been to Me, said Jehovah of Hosts, In the day that I am appointing–a peculiar treasure, And I have had pity on them, As one hath pity on his son who is serving him.”
    • Other folk may not understand us!
    • Sometimes we may not understand ourselves
    • Sometimes folk don’t act right
    • Sometimes we may not feel what we use to feel
    • Sometimes we may feel like we don’t belong
      • God didn’t give up on us…SO…don’t give up on God!!!
        • Keep on singing
        • Keep on praying
        • Keep on preaching
        • Keep on serving
        • Keep on believing
        • Keep on trusting

• WE NEED THE CHURCH!!!

 

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