Why do YOU go to church?
What are you expecting from our worship service and the people here?
When you come on Sunday mornings to our church, what are you expecting? Local religious themed entertainment? Sing some songs, hopefully in your favorite style. Listen to some advertisements, … oops I mean announcements. Throw a few bucks in the plate. Listen to a lecture that is hopefully not too boring. Make some light chit chat and then go home and do it again next week. Is that all?
Or… are you expecting a Life Transforming Encounter with the Living God, with unique opportunities to grow in relationships with other God lovers and show your love for him and others?
What is God expecting? What is God hoping to see? We see the answers all through the scriptures including the following …
John 4:30 “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”
Matt 22:37-38 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 28:19-20 Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
How are we doing with that as a church? How are you doing as a follower?
If you are not coming to church expecting to meet with God and be changed, we are not doing our job and you aren’t a part of what God wants for you. If you are not coming to church hoping to be able to deepen not just your relationship with Him, but with a whole community of other believers, you are missing out. If you aren’t expecting for God to give you the high honor of serving His Kingdom, impacting a world desperately in need of His love, then you have come to the wrong place.
We all need fellow disciples to share the journey with. We all need to be discipled by someone, someone to look up to and learn from, submit to and be accountable to. We should all be inviting someone younger in the faith to follow us and be our disciples. Otherwise, we are lacking the community and growth opportunities God wants us to have and are not fulfilling the calling and commission we have been given.
Let’s explore these general questions with some more detailed ones so you can see if you are growing up or not.
Here are some questions to help you find out: List NAMES of REAL PEOPLE for yourself!
Are you serving? Is God using you to impact the world and bring His Kingdom to earth?
I sure hope these questions make you think a little bit about what Church is all about and what God wants from you.
Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (NLT)
A guest post by Jason Chollar. Thanks for permission to use.