Church - For Our Own Good

 Since we had the intrusion of a miniature "snowmageddon" yesterday we had to go virtual for the third week in a row. While none of us wanted this, it was definitely necessary because the roads got bad last night! I'm usually not too worried about driving in the snow because there was one winter when I was in college that I had to drive home in the middle of a blizzard. An experience like that hardens you, and while last night's snow didn't compare to that blizzard, I also recognize that there is always potential for accidents on the road. The real issue isn't even my driving skills (or those of your parents), but the other drivers on the road. I could be the very best driver in the world and still have to worry because there are other drivers out there who have no business having a driver's license. So anyway, we went virtual last night.

We tried out a new game (I say new, but really it's an oldy) - Scattergories. There is a website that lets you set up a game for free and invite friends, so we gave it a shot. I realized that I am not so good at coming up with words on the spot, but I think we had fun seeing what everyone did come up with. We had a surprising underdog win from one of our middle school students, who I will refer to as Hummingbird.

We had a special guest speaker, our church's very own Serminator, who brought a message on "Why We Go to Church". He opened with a story about his days as a youth pastor and his experience with a foreign car. Evidently, this car had a manual transmission (which meant he had to manually shift the gears, using the clutch). The hydraulic system in the car contained a little message - "Use Castrol Girling Green Only". Apparently, it was common practice for manufacturers to include little advertisements for products in the car, so he assumed this was the case. Well, every six months or so the hydraulic system would break down and he would have to go to a mechanic and get it fixed. And every time, the mechanic would look at it and need to replace the entire system (which was pricey). When the Serminator moved to Denver to attend Denver Theological Seminary, this happened again. But this time, he had very little money and couldn't afford to take it to a shop, so instead he decided to try and fix it himself. He went to a shop to scope out the parts he would need and described his problem to the clerk, who handed him a small plug in a plastic bag. "That's all you'll need," the guy said, and then pulled out a big canister of hydraulic fluid. "You can refill the reservoir with this, too." And guess what the canister said - "Castrol Girling Green". "If you use anything else, you'll have the same problem in about six months." Evidently, that label had been there for his own good, and he had ignored it, causing this recurring problem that he had to deal with every 6 months.

According to the Serminator, church is very much the same way. It is there for our own good. He had us look to a passage in the Old Testament of the Bible, Deuteronomy 10:12-13 - "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?" He broke it down for us in 5 parts:

1. Fear the Lord. This is not the same as being afraid of the dark or swimming in the ocean. Instead, it means to have a deep respect for God and to worship Him as the Lord.

2. Walk in obedience to Him. There is a sense of togetherness that comes from following God and aligning ourselves to His path. Just like going on a hike with others, walking in obedience to God builds us up as a community. It is where we can experience fellowship.

3. Love Him. Obedience to God, walking in His ways, is not a checklist for the Christian to check off. Christianity is not about rule-keeping. Instead, it is a relationship with God. There is give and take, and personal intimacy to be found with the Creator of the universe.

4. Serve the Lord. We have a responsibility (as well as the great opportunity) to work alongside God and help His people as well as others. There is stewardship involved in our faith. God has entrusted us with the responsibility to working to further His Kingdom and spread the message of His Gospel to others.

5. Observe His commands. This is discipleship. A disciple listens to and obeys the commands of the master/teacher. The disciple also carries the responsibility of discipling others - teaching them to obey the commands of God. There is a passing on of knowledge and faith.

All of these things in Deuteronomy are there for our own good. They will help us. Worship keeps our attention on God, fellowship allows us to have community and be encouraged, the relationship we have with God strengthens us in our faith and keeps us close to God, stewardship allows us to express our faith and love to others, and discipleship gives us opportunity to invest in others as we keep the commands of God.

We "go to church" for several reasons. For one thing, it meets the expectations of God. He expects us to gather together as believers regularly. As Christians, we base our lives on the Word of God, and church is one of the places where we study and learn about what God has to say in the Bible. Interestingly, the Bible tells us to meet together regularly, which would include going to church.

And finally, we go to church for our own good. The Serminator shared an illustration that many of us have recent memories of - a fire pit. For those of you who joined us when we met outside for the first part of the Fall, we had a fire pit almost every Wednesday. Well, he had us imagine that we took tongs and removed one of the logs from the fire and placed it on the ground. At first, it would continue to burn brightly. But, over time, the log would go out, becoming dark and cold. Now, imagine what would happen if you took that dark, cold log and put it back in the fire? Naturally, it would be rekindled, and begin to burn brightly again. The Christian life is very much like this. When we are regularly attending church and meeting together, our faith is strengthened and encouraged and we "burn brightly". However, when we stop meeting together and try to do it on our own, our fire begins to fade. Our faith wavers and we struggle to remain close to God. God never intended for us to "go it alone" in our faith. We are meant to meet regularly together and worship, have fellowship, build relationships, engage in our stewardship, and train in discipleship. The church offers all of this. It is the complete package, and not just another item on the Christian checklist.

Church is there for our own good. 

As Hebrews 10:25 advises all Christians, do not give "up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."