THE MANUAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE #3

HOW TO COME TO CHURCH

DATE: 2/7/2010 pm

TEXT: Psalm 122:1-9

INTRODUCTION

Ill. I’d like to share a story about two fellows by the names of
Alex and Rex (The names are factious)

Both went to the same Church meeting on the same day

Alex came and heard the pianist miss a note, and he winced

He saw a teen talking when everyone else was praying, he

frowned

He felt certain the usher was watching to see what he put in

the offering plate, he was mad

Five times, by actual count, he caught the preacher in a slip-

of-the-tongue

During the invitation, he slipped out the side door, all the
while muttering to himself, "What a waste of time!"

Rex was in the same meeting

He heard the pianist play an arrangement of "A Mighty

Fortress Is Our God," and he was stirred to worship by the
majesty of it
 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

A special missions Love offering was received, and he was

glad his church was doing what they could for people around
the world

He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday; it really

spoke to his heart

He thought, as he shook the preacher's hand and left

"How can anyone come here and not feel the presence of the
Lord?"

Both men were in the same church meeting that day

Each heard the same music and message, but the experience
was totally different – Why?

What made the difference?

The simple truth is both men found what they were looking for

What is a Church? – It is a called out assembly of Baptized

Believers meeting to worship and serve the Lord

But HOW they came - made all the difference in what they got

Let’s pray and then I would like for us to think on this thought

“HOW” SHOULD WE COME TO CHURCH?

~~~OPENING PRAYER~~~

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

I. THE “PRIVILEGE” OF COMING TO CHURCH

The Psalmist said - “I was glad when they said unto me, Let
us go into the house of the LORD”

The word “glad” literally means “to brighten up” “To

Rejoice”

When someone said to the Psalmist - “Let’s go to Church”

His face lit up and big smile broke out

He rejoiced at the very thought of going to Church

He didn’t look at attending Church as a Burden, but a

Blessing

It was not Drudgery, but a Delight

As for the Psalmist, his Reaction Reveals that he considered

it a Privilege to be able to go into the house of God

A. How ‘Excited’ Was He?

He was “Glad”

Ill. Two type of People

Some get out of bed on Sunday and said, “Good morning,

Lord!”
Others get out of bed and say, “Good Lord, its morning.”

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

Some, after a struggle, force a leg off the side of the bed,
and say, “I’ve got to get up and get ready for Church.”
On the other hand, there are some who jump up and say,
“Praise the Lord, it’s Sunday. I get to go to Church!”

If there is anything that ought to get us excited - it is

coming to Church

You know that you can judge what a person loves by what
they get excited about

What we get excited about is a tell-tale sign of what we

really care about

If you love going to Church, you will get excited about

going

If you don’t - going to Church will not excite you

How excited was the Psalmist about going to the House of

the Lord?

I think he was VERY excited!

B. How ‘Eager’ Was He?

When someone said to the Psalmist - “Let us go into the

house of God”

You will notice that he did not begin making excuses why
he could not go

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

The Psalmist did not offer up excuses why he couldn’t go

But rather rejoiced when he was invited

He revealed an eagerness to go to Church

When it comes to attending Church, we should rejoice at

every opportunity we have to be able to attend

We should look forward to every Meeting with great

anticipation

It’s a privilege to come to Church

We should be ‘Excited’ and ‘Eager’ about coming

Therefore, we should come to Church with a glad heart

Can you say with the Psalmist: “I was glad when they said
unto me, Let us go in the house of God”

Secondly, think with me of not only the

THE “PRIVILEGE” OF COMING TO CHURCH

But also:

II. THE “PURPOSE” OF COMING TO CHURCH

The Psalmist said in v.2 - “Our feet shall stand within thy
gates, O Jerusalem”

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9
Jerusalem was the place where the children of Israel came
for their solemn feasts

The Psalmist states this is where his feet shall stand, or

(to say it another way) this is where I will make my abode

He is talking about being faithful to God’s House

I can’t stress enough the importance of being faithful to the

meetings of the Church

So, the question I’m asking is Why do you come to Church?

What is the reason for being faithful?

God doesn’t command us to come to Church without a

reason (a purpose)

There is a Divine Purpose behind our coming to Church

If coming to Church is to be what God intended it to be …

We must come with a Right Purpose

Some just come to Church because they should

They know they ought to be in Church so they come

We know it’s right to obey …

But if that is the only reason you come –

Then you will miss out on the greatest blessing that Church
is designed to bring in our life
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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

Let me suggest three reasons why we come to Church

The first reason is to:

A. ‘Meet’ the Family of God

The Psalmist said - “Let us go into the house of the

LORD”

Going into the house of God was not just a personal matter

But it involved others as indicated by the word “us”

As you look at the Psalm you find that through out the
Psalm a collective number of people are described

In v.2 he says “our feet”

In v.4 he uses the plural “tribes”

In v.6 he says “they”

In v.8 he speaks of his “brethren and companions”

The Psalmist is speaking of his spiritual family

The Psalm actually speaks of the times of the year when all
the tribes and families of the children of Israel came to
Jerusalem for their solemn feasts to worship the Lord

It was a collective assembly of the people of God

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9
The Church meeting is where God’s family gathers on the
Lord’s Day

It is a place where those who are saved assemble together

as a redeemed family

For those who say they don’t need to go to Church …

I would remind them that they are a part of a spiritual

family and the Church is that family that meets together

Ill. I think of the words of John Donne (Dun) the English

poet of the 16th century who said -“No man is an island,
entire of itself…any man’s death diminishes me, because I
am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know
for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

The words of Donne’s meditation remind us that none of

us are isolated from those around us and that we are all
interconnected in many ways

As a spiritual family there is the need for each other

Each believer brings to the table spiritual gifts and assets

that benefit the body as a whole

Together, we minister to one another, build one another,

strengthen one another, and encourage one another

That’s why the writer of Hebrews said in 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”
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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

“Exhorting one another” speaks of comforting one

another, consoling one another (Being there for each other)

We come to Church to be with those who believe the same

way we believe, think the same way we think, feel the
same way we feel, live the same way we live, and desire
the same things we desire

Paul said in I Corinthians 15:33 – “Be not deceived: evil

communications corrupt good manners”

In simple terms, Paul was saying that if you hang around

bad people they will lead you to do bad things

If you spend time with people who do evil things, you will
end up doing the same things they do

A good example is young people

Why does a person end up using drugs or drinking?

In most cases- they were out with the wrong friends

Who they were with - influenced what they did

The implication is that as God’s people - we are to

fellowship with God’s people

We are to be around people who will influence us to do

what is right, not what is wrong

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9
That’s one reason we come to Church, to be around our
spiritual family

When we are around our spiritual family, we draw strength

from one another

We are not in this alone!

In v.3 the Psalmist said – “Jerusalem is builded as a city

that is compact together”

He is talking about the unity of the city in its design and

structure, as well as its politics and religion

There is a unity about the family of God that is designed

for the spiritual welfare of God’s people

When we live as an island, we cut ourselves off from the

blessings and benefits of being around our spiritual family

We come to ‘Meet’ the Family of God

Secondly, we come to Church to:

B. ‘Hear’ the Word of God

The Psalmist says in v.4 – “Whither the tribes go up, the

tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel”

One of the reasons the people of God assemble together is

for the “testimony of Israel”

This speaks specifically of the Ark of the Covenant that

was kept in the most holy place of the Temple
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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

In it were kept the tablets of stone on which the Ten

Commandments where written which were a summary of
God’s laws for His people

It speaks to us of the Word of God

One of the reasons we come to Church is to ‘Hear’ the

Word of God

I am not saying this because I am a preacher

But there is no substitute for the preaching of God’s Word

in our life

In II Timothy 4:2 we have a great statement that reveals

the Purpose of Preaching

As well, it speaks of Why preaching is so important in our

life

Paul said - “Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of

season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine”

The preacher is to reprove, rebuke, and exhort

The word “reprove” literally means “to convince, convict,

tell a fault”

I know some people don’t like it, but a preacher is to

shoot straight and point out the sins of the people
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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

Some may not like it, but the kind of preaching that
skins the hide is the kind of preaching we need

Furthermore, preaching is not only to reprove, it is also to

rebuke

The word means “censure or admonish; by implication

forbid”

Preaching should not only call to one’s attention their

sins, but also show disapproval for their sins

We live in an age when the so-called experts and

models of Church growth are telling us that we should
tone down our message, not preach against sin, and not
mention hell or the judgment of God

There is a Hebrew word for that kind of thinking

It is the word HOGWASH!

Preaching is to reprove and rebuke!

Furthermore, preaching is to exhort

Preaching is also not all about confronting sin

As we have seen, the word means to “comfort”

It has been said that preaching should comfort the godly

and make the ungodly uncomfortable

God’s people need encouraging and comforting

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

There are people who sit on Church pews Service after

Service that are hurting, suffering, and struggling with
the things they are facing in life

Preaching should encourage their hearts and point them

to the One who can help them with their problems

Understanding what preaching can do …

Helps someone understand why they need preaching

We need the man of God to take the Word of God and

point out the failures and sins of our life so we can be
right with God

We need to hear God’s Word to get a word from God

that will help us carry the burdens

Thirdly, we come to Church to not only ‘Meet’ the Family of

God and ‘Hear’ the Word of God

But also to:

C. ‘Worship’ the Person of God

The closing words of v.4 say - “to give thanks unto the
name of the LORD”

In this phrase we have the ultimate purpose for coming to

Church

We come to Church first and foremost to Worship God

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

We often think of Church as the place where we go to get

something

I have heard people say - “I didn’t get anything from the

service today”

Well, that may be due to the fact that you didn’t put
anything into the service

It’s true that we get something when we go to Church (or

should), but the main reason we go to Church is to give
something rather than get something

We go to Church to “give thanks unto the name of the

Lord”

The Psalmist said in Psalm 34:1 - “I will bless the LORD

at all times: His praise shall continually be in my
mouth.”

We come to Church saying - “Lord, bless me,” when the

Lord is saying - “Bless Me!”

I’m glad that some of you say Amen! Praise the Lord!

I know you dead heads think that’s out of order

Regardless of what others may say, Church is to be place

where God’s people come together and give thanks unto
the Lord

Now, let me ask the question again

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

How should we come to Church?

First, we should come to Church with a glad heart

We should come with excitement and eagerness

Secondly, we should come to Church with the intention of

participating in the services

I don’t think I am being unfair when I say that most people

who come to Church come only to watch what happens

Every Christian should do more than just sit in a service

They should participate in the service

For example, each of us should join in with our brothers

and sisters in Christ, singing heartedly the songs of Zion,
enjoying and making the time of fellowship a meaningful
matter

We should listen carefully and intently to every word of

the message, soaking in the precious Word of God

We should be a part of the praise and worship

Instead of just watching those around us worship, we

should all worship

If you really want to get something from the services, put

something into the service

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

If you’ll come to Church with the “Purpose” of :

‘Meeting’ the Family of God

‘Hearing’ the Word of God, and
‘Worshipping’ the Person of God

It would turn the service into a blessed and wonderful

experience

Don’t come to Church to be a Spectator, be a Participator

THE “PRIVILEGE” OF COMING TO CHURCH

THE “PURPOSE” OF COMING TO CHURCH

Lastly, in Closing let me say a word about:

III. THE “PROFIT” OF COMING TO CHURCH

If we will come to Church for the right reason it will have

great “Profit” to our Christian life

In the remainder of the Psalm, the Psalmist speaks of the

city of Jerusalem and certain things that he desires for his
beloved and sacred city

There are two particular things that he mentions

I would like to show these things he seeks for Jerusalem

can also be a blessing to those who learn to come to
Church as they ought to come

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9
First, there is the profit of:

A. Spiritual ‘Prosperity’

In v.6 the Psalmist says - “they shall prosper that love

thee”

In v.7 he speaks of “prosperity within thy palaces”

The Psalmist is praying for the prosperity of the city of

Jerusalem

One of the benefits of coming to Church as we ought to

come to Church is the spiritual prosperity it brings

I am not talking about getting rich, winning the lottery, and

coming into a large sum of money

I am talking about the ‘Prosperity’ of our Christian life

I’m talking about ‘Prosperity’ of Soul

Just coming to Church will not make you a better Christian

There are people who sit on Church pews every Sunday

and who live like the world on Monday

However, if we come to Church as we ought to come to

Church, it will have a spiritual impact on our life

It will Benefit us greatly!

There is the blessing we receive from ‘Meeting’ with the

People of God, ‘Hearing’ the Word of God, and …
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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9

‘Worshipping’ the Person of God

If we come to Church for those purposes, it will aid in our

spiritual growth

Furthermore, there is the profit of:

B. Spiritual ‘Peace’

In v.6 the Psalmist encourages us - “Pray for the peace of

Jerusalem”

In v.7 he prays - “Peace be within thy walls”

He is not only praying for the Prosperity of the city …

But also that it might experience Peace

There is nothing quite like the Peace of God that fills the
heart of one who is living and serving God

To be able to lay your head down on your pillow at night

and know that all is well between you and God is indeed a
blessing

When we go to Church and deal with our sins and receive a

word from God that our needy souls need to hear, it brings
a peace to our heart that all is well

Someone else has said, “Some people never come to church

except for their baptism, their marriage, and their funeral,” or

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 How to Come to Church – Psalm 122:1-9
Simply stated “When they're hatched, matched, and
dispatched”

As Christians we should be faithful to Church

But even more important is “How” we come

If we’ll consider it a “Privilege” with a “Purpose” –

We will “Profit” by the way it will change what Church

means to us

How did you come to Church today?

INVITATION

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