When Church is Done Right #2: You Gotta Go To Church

I've gone to church my whole life, at least as long as I can remember. I've been involved in several different local churches at a variety of levels, but most recently (for the last 8 years) as the Senior Pastor of Edgewood Baptist Church in Danville, IL.  Over the course of these years I have been forced, by reason of necessity, to consider what the scriptures say about how church ought to be. A week or so ago I posted some of my first thoughts on this topic in When Church Is Done Right: It Is Like Family. In this post I want to discuss a topic that I have had mixed feelings and varied beliefs over the years. The topic is Church Attendance.... So, here we go:

Open Doors (Image Source)

I want to begin with why I have had mixed feelings on this topic. You see, I grew up with the idea that "every time the church doors were opened, we were there." This usually meant Sunday School, Sunday Morning Service, Sunday Night Service, and Wednesday Night Service. When I was really young, I vaguely remember it also included Thursday Night "Calling". There was additionally the occasional week-long Evangelistic services that included the Saturday before when church members began canvasing local neighborhoods.

The older I grew the more I began to reject this idea because of what I sensed were legalistic undertones. In my mind, many were going to church every time that the doors opened simply because they believed that they had to... or possibly that they believed they were more righteous because they had gone. I suppose I might have been right, as far as some were concerned. I know that, at least for myself, this was partially true. Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my mind, if I had read my Bible and attended church... God was just a little bit happier with me. This bad theology would rear it's ugly head when I would feel the urge to pray for something, but then would think about the fact that I had skipped a service or failed to do my devotions... How in the world could I ask God for anything when I had not been doing everything for him?

I don't think that I was alone in this thought process. There are many in my generation that have moved from "I Gotta Go To Church" to "I Oughta Go To Church." I think that the heart motive here may be in the right place. Many are going for a genuineness of church attendance. I understand the reasoning here. If their heart is just "not into it", they believe that they shouldn't go. Some have even, maybe in part because of disappointments with church, decided that they were better off away from it.

Church attendance then moved from, " I Oughta Go To Church" to "I Coulda Gone To Church."  For so many people, now in the second generation of thought, have completely disconnected actual sit-in-a-pew-church-attendance to anything to do with their spiritual life. Now it is, "I Woulda Gone To Church, But..."

As a Pastor, I see this from a different perspective now. In a generation of "I Woulda Gone To Church, But..." Christians, everything trumps church. Traveling youth football/basketball/soccer games, work, vacations, dance recitals, overtime opportunities, needing extra sleep after a hard week, catching up on housework, work opportunity that might lead to promotion, needing more time with family, sports events on TV, sports events at a stadium, etc., etc., etc.

I think that these hearts seeking after authenticity have, in all actuality, led to hearts of apathy.  We have become satisfied with unfulfilling things and non-eternal ideas.

So, if you would stay with me for one more minute, I'd like to Biblically share with you why you should and can believe within yourself, "I Gotta Go To Church."

Reason #1- It is commanded.
We all know the passage in Hebrews that tells us this. Our Grandma probably quoted it to us when we didn't want to go to church.

Hebrews 10:25 - NAS – "not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near"

That first phrase literally means, don't abandon getting together in one place. It has become customary for some to do just such a thing. Don't miss the fact that this is actually in the Bible.

Reason #2 - It is needed.
If you look in this same verse, there is a little phrase that is used throughout the New Testament: "One Another".  Over and over again you will see the New Testament authors using this phrase: help one another, love one another, bear one another's burdens, be kind to one another, encourage one another... And without a doubt, this is referring to a local group of believers when they are together. Sure, there are plenty of scriptures that tell us to love the people of this world that are not Christians. We are to even love our enemies. But we are uniquely commanded over and over again to love and care for one another.

You will also find, when you dig a little deeper, that the majority of commands in the New Testament are written to you (plural). In other words, the majority of commands in the New Testament are written to the Church. Go ahead, pick up your Bible, if you are reading in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Romans, etc. (all letters written to churches) and you read a command... if you look at the Greek language it was originally written in, you will find that it is most likely written in the plural. This means that it is a command to a church: to a group of believers that are connected together in a relationship.

I would go so far as to say that the majority of the New Testament commands cannot be obeyed if you are not a connected member of a local church. So, being there becomes a necessity to obedience.

Reason #3 - It is beneficial. 
Because of all of these "one another" commands, being at church becomes hugely beneficial. Now you go to church and you will be loved, your burdens will be shared, you will be cared for, you will be treated with kindness and compassion, you will be encouraged and confronted when necessary. There is great benefit to being a part of a church that is seeking to be obedient to scripture.

Also consider that the Spiritual Gifts that are mentioned in the the Bible are all Gifts to the Church (I Corinthians 12-14). Consider especially that God has given to the Church Pastors and Teachers (Ephesians 4). You want to understand the Bible better? You want to learn about what God wants for you? Then yes, read your Bible!  But also go to church!

Reason #4 - It is unique.
The Church is the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-31, Colossians 1:24, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 5:30). There is not other institution among men that is ordained by God the Father and headed by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. To be a part of a church is to be a participant in the Trinitarian work of God. It is truly unique.

You gotta go to church. Not because you need to make yourself righteous... you can't do that anyway... but because He is righteous.

God's righteousness binds together his love and his wrath.

We have seen that God's love always observes the boundaries of his righteousness. Even in redemption, god takes enormous pains so that in showing love he may be just (Romans 3:26). the sacrifice of Christ ensures that God's redemption is both loving and righteous, so that Scripture can even appeal to God's righteousness as a ground for the forgiveness of sins, and thus God's righteousness becomes a form of love. But it is also God's righteousness that ensures  the final punishment of those who reject his love, that is, his wrath against them. Without the wrath of God against those who finally disbelieve, God's love is no longer righteous. So God's righteousness binds together his love and his wrath. God's righteous love must be wrathful, if at the end of history there remain any unrepentant people. 

John Frame, Systematic Theology pg. 275

You are Serving the Lord Christ.

Tomorrow I am preaching the final message in a series that dealt with the points of our (Edgewood Baptist Church's) statement of faith. When I began this series, I thought that I would be able to wrap it up in a few weeks. I was planning on combining several of the points from the statement into single messages. I actually thought it might be a tad bit boring if I wasn't careful... and I really just wanted to use these points as a sort of filler until I started to exposit through the next book of the Bible. ... boy was I off ...

With each point of our statement, our confession of faith, I have found it to be a struggle to condense that point to just one week. It has been exciting. It has been enlightening. There are several things that I have learned, that I genuinely didn't know or didn't believe before I began this study. Well, tomorrow is not different.

We will be dealing with the final point, which is the reality of the return of Christ Jesus to this world. It is dealing with end times... last things. Over the past week, as I have studied this point, examining the relevant passages of scripture, I am genuinely being motivated to continue in the work of the ministry. As I have looked at how Jesus (and the Apostles) talk about the End, when we will see Him, it has been an encouragement to keep at it, because quite frankly... He is going to reward us.

Consider John Frame's words:

not for incarnation's sake

"... Jesus did not become incarnate for incarnations sake, as if the incarnation were itself sufficient to save his people. Our plight is not that we are finite, that we are not-God; and the remedy for our plight is not some new metaphysical connection to God. Rather, our plight is ethical: We have sinned, and therefore we are in a state of personal estrangement from our Creator. Jesus' in carnation was a means of bringing about reconciliation between ourselves and God."
~John M. Frame (pg. 899 Systematic Theology)

This is really important.

Spectacular Sins by John Piper - Book Review

The thing I love most about John Piper books is that they are some of the most scripture-saturated books I have ever encountered. Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ is no exception to my encounters with his literature.

I started this book quite a while ago, you can read some of my first thoughts on this book by clicking here.

Even though I started this book quite a while ago, I didn't finish it right away. I was working on several other books at the time, so this one got shuffled to the back burner. Last week I remembered it and started from the beginning again: This time I devoured the book in just a few sittings.

Who sent Joseph into slavery? Who was behind that? Who planned the murder of Jesus? Why was Adam allowed to fall into sin?  What about Satan? There are little answers for these questions. There are answers that are rooted in our own thoughts and are drawn from the shallow well of consensus public opinion, but there are other answers for these and similar questions. There are answers that are pulled from the deeps of the mind of God that can be found in his book, the Bible. Sometimes these answers match the pitiable, fickle answers of the public mind, but the answers that come from the Word of God are steadfast and accurate representations of the truth... which is hopefully what we are really after.

I am not going to attempt to answer these questions in a book review, that is what the actual book is for, but I will say that John Piper does an amazing job of analyzing the Scripture's answers to these questions and putting them into an easy to read and intriguing format.

These questions and their answers are important, not just for some theological bit of knowledge, but for facing the spectacular sins that will affect your own life. They will come, and you need a view of God that accurately accounts for these sins and gives you a basic understanding of His purposes for you in the midst of these sins.

Four Views of the End Times - Book Review

Four Views of the End Times is a rather short book.  It is meant to be a quick overview of the four predominant Biblical views of the End Times.  These four views center on the Biblical understanding of the Millenium and other apocalyptic prophecies normally found in the final book of the New Testament, the book of Revelation. These four views are Dispensational Premillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, Amillennialism, and Postmillennialism.

I know that the majority of people that I am acquainted with would be slightly surprised that there is more than one Christian view of the End Times. The view that is most popular today, in American culture is the view called, Dispensational Premillennialism. Most think that real Christian scholars are in agreement over this view, but they just don't know the timing of when these things will come to pass. End Times discussions that I overhear or are involved in tend to focus on this pervading thought that the rapture is going to happen any day now, and we can be assured of this because of the current events in the Middle East.

This book does an excellent job of describing the other three views and giving the facts regarding these views.  We learn the different time periods when different views were most popular. We also learn of different influential Christians who have held these different views throughout the ages.  Finally we learn much of the Biblical perspective on each of these views.

It is a short enough read that one could make it through the entire book in less than an hour, but you will still walk away from this book with a better understanding of our exploration of this fascinating topic.

If you are looking for a way to get a better grasp on the different views of the End Times, then I would highly suggest this book.

A Theologian Discusses Harry Potter...

From Justin Taylor's Blog:

Jerram Barrs—Professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture at Covenant Theological Seminary, and Resident Scholar of the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute—talks about his love for the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Warning: contains spoilers!)

I think this is worth a few minutes of your day.

if it be not God that you seek

From Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor :

Your study of physics and other sciences is not worth a rush, if it be not God that you seek after in them. To see and admire, to reverence and adore, to love and delight in God, as exhibited in his works -- this is the true and only philosophy; the contrary is mere foolery, and is so called again and again by God himself. This is the sanctification of your studies, when they are devoted to God, and when he is the end, the object and the life of them all.

Though not as eloquently, I have thought this many times myself.  It has been my philosophical struggle while teaching in a public school.  Even in a "Christian" school, this can be a danger.  Consider the rest of what Richard Baxter has to say on this topic.

And, therefore, I shall presume to tell you, by the way, that it is a grand error, and of dangerous consequence in Christian academies, (pardon the censure from one so unfit to pass it, seeing the necessity of the case commandeth it,) that they study the creature before the Redeemer, and set themselves to physics, and metaphysics, and mathematics, before they set themselves to theology; whereas, no man that hath not the vitals of theology, is capable of going beyond a fool in philosophy.  

Theology must lay the foundation, and lead the way of all our studies. If God must be searched after, in our search of the creature, (and we must affect no separated knowledge of them) then tutors must read God to their pupils in all; and divinity must be the beginning, the middle, the end, the life, the all, of their studies.  

Our physics and metaphysics must be reduced to theology; and nature must be read as one of God's books, which is purposely written for the revelation of himself. The Holy Scripture is the easier book: when you have first learned from it God, and his will, as to the most necessary things, address yourselves to the study of his works, and read every creature as a Christian and a divine.  

If you see not yourselves, and all things, as living, and moving, and having being in God, you see nothing, whatever you think you see. If you perceive it not, in your study of the creatures, that God is all , and in all, and that 'of him, and through him, and to him, are all things,' you may think perhaps, that you 'know something; but you know nothing as you ought to know.' 

Think not so basely of your physics, and of the works of God, as that they are only preparatory studies for boys.

Do you think this way about theology?  Do you believe that it must lay the foundation of all that you believe?  Are all of our other studies worthless without this basic understanding of all that is?

Buried in these thoughts are the challenges that I face teaching at a public school.  What if I succeed in educating a child, but they have no concept of the origins of knowledge?  Should there ever be a secular education?

The deeper question is this... IS there such thing as a secular education?  Do we not teach something of theology when do not mention God?  Do we not teach His attributes when we present a world devoid of Him?  Do we not expound on His nature when we study a nature that is apart from Him?  Do we not tell His story when we teach history without His providential hand?

I know I've talked about this before, but as I read this portion of Richard Baxter's book yesterday, I was reminded once again of my ongoing philosophical dilemma.

God in Action - Book Review

I finished the book God in Action by Karl Barth about a week ago, but haven't had the time to devote to writing a proper book review.  I still don't have the time, but I would like to take a moment to post a quick review, one not quite worthy of the book.

God in Action is one of Karl Barth's early theological works.  It is a compilation of a set of lectures.  I have read that this book is a great way to get an understanding of Karl Barth's theology.  I found that its primary focus was on the authority of scripture and the reality of the Church.  He would define and reiterate the necessity of understanding the doctrines related to these topics.  As he discussed each, there was an emphasis on a logical flow of thought, this is what drew me in.

God in Action made me think.  I've had a couple of posts quoting this book already.  You can read those posts here and here.  There were several other occasions where I felt that a particular statement had earned blog-quote status, but they didn't make it there because of a lack of time.  I was drawn to his statements because of that analytical approach.  It permeated every page.

I was a little disappointed at his lack of scripture use.  In his defense, it wasn't meant to be a scriptural exposition, but a verbal discourse on the topics.  Nevertheless, I always appreciate an appropriate amount of proof-texts in relation to a theological work.  I guess I've been spoiled by Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology.

I would still recommend God in Action to any of you.  It was challenging at parts, but well worth the read.  It is currently less than $3 through Amazon.  Click the link above to go to the purchase page.

Theology

"Of all the sciences which stir the head and heart, theology is the fairest. It is closest to human reality and gives us the clearest view of the truth after which all science quests."

Karl Barth (God in Action)

Reading Theology

I just re-started a book by Karl Barth.  I picked it up at a library sale (I think) and started it right away.  I was sidetracked by The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink, so I put it down for awhile.  Since I am done with that now, it is time to pick it back up again. It is called God in Action: Theological Addresses .

I have to say, I am really enjoying these theological works.  I've been trying to read some other books and even some fictional stories, but I just can't get into them.  Reading theology, especially accurate and well-written theology, can be very uplifting.  It is about God.  It is about who He is.  It is about what He is like and what He does.  They remind me that He is a rock... He is my rock.

If you have never taken the time to read any theology, I would like to recommend a place to start, so that you are not overwhelmed.  The book is Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (RE: Lit) by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Bershears.  It is a really good book on doctrine that follows the story line of the Bible.  It was really easy to read, but at the same time it was chock-full of information.  There were footnotes in the hundreds.

Feeling discouraged at the state of the world today?  Get away from your TV and jump into a good solid book.

(Don't forget.  If you buy something through Amazon, use one of my links.  I will get a small portion for advertising.)

The Sovereignty of God - Book Review

The Sovereignty of God
by A.W. Pink.

You may have noticed that I have included a few quotes from this book lately.  I've really enjoyed it, but I might be a little biased because of the "fluff" that I've been reading along side this book.  I only have a couple of pages left in this book, so I thought I would go ahead and type out a short book review.  (Reviews of the "fluff" will come later.)

This book is clearly about the sovereignty of God.  From God's sovereignty in creation, administration, and the natural world, to His sovereignty in salvation.  The book seemed to start a little slow, but that was mostly because it was dealing with topics that most people wouldn't question.  When you deal with sovereignty in creation, that's simple.  Sovereignty in administration (the workings of the world), that doesn't press any buttons.  As the book progressed, it picked up steam as it inched closer and closer towards that inevitable conclusion... God is sovereign in salvation.

I picked up this book with many of those understandings and teachings already, but as I progressed through this book it built in me a love for the topic.  Pink discussed the sovereignty of God the way someone might describe a beautiful painting or the way a husband might describe the beauty of his wife.

Whether you are into old theology books or not, I highly recommend this book.

The Kindle Edition is available for only $0.99!  Click through now to get it: The Sovereignty of God  Use these links that I've provided so that I get credit!

The Church is not a religious society.

"...neither is the Church a voluntary association for the cultivation of impressions, experiences, and impulses which men may have received from divine revelation and by reason of which they have formed definite convictions, condensed them into definite resolutions, rules, and customs of life and made them the center of their piety and morals. 

"The Church is not the result of human election, decision, and disposition toward divine revelation.  It arises from the election, decision, and disposition of God toward man.  In revelation they have become an event.  There God meets men and communicates Himself to men. Men are not gathered into, nor preserved as, the Church by an agreement in sentiments, convictions, and resolutions. 

"Rather, it is the one God, one Christ, one Spirit, one baptism, one faith.  The Church is not a religious society."

Karl Barth
God in Action: Theological Addresses

Westminster Larger Catechism (Q1)

Q. 1. What is the chief and highest end of man?

A. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.

Proof Texts: Romans 11:36, I Cor. 10:31, Ps. 73:24-28, John 17:21-23

What does this mean for me? 

I was not created for myself, therefore my purposes in life should not revolve around me.  I was not created for my comforts, my successes, my dreams, my aspirations, my career, my family, my friends, or even my ministry.  I was created for the Glory of God.  Since that is my chief purpose, I should submit all areas of my life to God and for that purpose.

Since God is the greatest good in the universe, living for His glory will also bring the greatest enjoyment of this life and the next.

The New Calvinism

Time magazine (at least the online version) did an article about the top 10 ideas that are changing the world. Residing at number 3 is The New Calvinism.

Here is the first paragraph:

If you really want to follow the development of conservative Christianity, track its musical hits. In the early 1900s you might have heard "The Old Rugged Cross," a celebration of the atonement. By the 1980s you could have shared the Jesus-is-my-buddy intimacy of "Shine, Jesus, Shine." And today, more and more top songs feature a God who is very big, while we are...well, hark the David Crowder Band: "I am full of earth/ You are heaven's worth/ I am stained with dirt/ Prone to depravity."

Read the rest here.

[ht: Desiring God Blog]