There are many reasons why we go to church. Some go expecting that they will fall asleep once they are there, others it is a way to meet new people, and some believe that if they don't go to church regularly then they will not have eternal life with God.
* Church is not a building, it is people coming together with one purpose to worship, praise and live for God. When scriptures are speaking of the church, they are speaking of the people and not the building.
This is the outcome God expects from the church:
In Isiaiah 40:1
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2Corinthians 2:7
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow.
1Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those that are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be
patient with everyone.
Luke 9:60 But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."
Does this sound like a strange statement coming from Jesus' mouth? There are two types of dead being spoken about here, there is dead in the Spirit (meaning not lead by God) and then there are the physically dead. Jesus basically told this man that there are far more important things to do than to bury his father, God needed this man more than the dead father needed to be buried by him.
God wants us to serve him by publicly showing our love for Him. This is very difficult for you to do, inside your own home with an evangelist on T.V. Though he/she is serving you and many people like you and me by sharing, encouraging, praying, building up, warning the idle, encouraging the timid, helping the weak, and are learning, showing and teaching patience. But God also wants to take your life, your experiences, your talents and use those special qualities to seve His people, you are a part of this plan, you can help people in your local church and they can help you, you can comfort them, and they can comfort you, you can teach them, and they can teach you, you can pray for them, and they can pray for you. In turn you get some really special friendships that you might not have had otherwise, and when God's children get together for one purpose Amazing things can happen and have happened.
Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve...",
The Son of Man being Jesus was not put on this earth with us to be served by us, but rather He was to come and serve us, even with His death He was serving us. *We are to serve amoung believers and non-believers alike we are to be an example among the people. Our eyes are not to be on being served but to serve.
Is God seeking more from you than you are willing to give to Him? Is your time and energy being saved for things that you thought were more important ? Does it satisfy your soul to stay away from the wonderful group of believers that God has given us an opportunity to be with? Even Jesus was to serve with His time, and energy, and at times He did feel run down, but He took those times and went to the top of the mountain to be alone with God, and there He prayed.
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