God So Loved the World, He Gave His Church

It is 2020 and perhaps you’ve submitted your New Year’s Resolutions.
 
Exercise 3x per week.
Read more books.
Watch less Netflix.
Drink less coffee.
 
Which…
I just resolved to drink MORE coffee.
I’m telling you so that you can hold me accountable.
 
Sometimes people have spiritual resolutions.
 
Connect more with God.
Find inner peace.
Pray more often.
 
But…
 
How many have BE MORE ACTIVE IN CHURCH as part of their resolutions?
 
According to a 2017 PEW Research poll, (www.perform.org/religious-landscape-study):
 
71% of Americans claim to believe in God.
56% think that religion is important.
58% pray daily.
 
That doesn’t sound horrible.
About half.
 
But…
When it comes to religious service attendance….
 
Only 36% attend on a weekly basis.
And when you remove the non-Christian versions of those…
 
The number is even lower.
Maybe 15% of Americans in ‘church’ on a weekly basis.
 
Why so low?
Why such a low view of “the church?”
A big part of the answer lies in misconceptions about church.
 
This morning out goal is use the Bible to answer the question WHY CHURCH. Because, church is a GIFT from God. But before we do that, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth, your Word is truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see, our ears to hear what you want us to hear and our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen.
 
I. WHY Church
 
Before we get going, it’s important to define church, because the word “church” has at least three definitions:
 
1. A building (brick and mortar)
2. A corporation (See: “Church, Inc.” or “Gethsemane Church”)
3. A group of believers.
 
It’s that third definition that is the Biblical definition of church, because it is that third definition that brings about definitions 1 and 2.
 
And one of the greatest Biblical texts on church is found in Hebrews 10. Hebrews is a letter written shortly after the time of Jesus that connected Jesus to the Old Testament. And in chapter 10, it begins with a comparison of Old Testament and New Testament “priests.”
 
Look at verse 11 (In the case of Old Testament worship), every priest stood ministering day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which are never able to remove sin. (v.11)
 
The priest, an old testament version of pastor, attended a religious ceremony each day. He’d wake up, dress up in priestly garments, walk to the local temple, and begin his daily religious ceremonies.
 
One key ceremony was sacrifice. People would bring with them whatever animals they could afford: a ram, a goat, a bird, 0r a lamb. The priest would then take that lamb and sacrifice it on the altar to “atone for the sin of whoever brought.”
 
But here’s the thing. People sinned a lot. Sometimes on the way home from the temple.
 
“Hi Jehoiachin, what did you bring me today?”
“Hello priest. I brought a small dove to pay for my sin of lust. The next-door neighbor is very beautiful, and I couldn’t help myself.”
“Very well. I’ll take this dove and sacrifice it for your sins.”
“Thanks.”
 
2 minutes later.
 
“Umm…priest?”
“Yes, Jehoiachin why are you back so soon?”
“Yes, um. Sorry. Here’s another dove. I was on the way out and – another beautiful woman. My apologies.”
 
1 minute later.
 
Umm…priest?”
“Jehoiachin!?! Another woman?”
“No. This time I just stubbed my toe on the corner rock and said some words I shouldn’t. Anyways…I’m out of birds. Do you take VISA?”
 
These priests offered the same sacrifices again and again.
 
But here’s the kicker:
These sacrifices can never take away sin.
 
All that sacrifice.
All that time.
All that repetition and religious ceremony.
None of it did anything.
 
It never took away any sin.
It never removed guilt.
It never removed actual shame before God.
 
TRUTH:
Church isn’t FOR SACRIFICE
 
That’s important.
Sometimes we can be tempted to look at church like that.
 
I need to sacrifice some time this Sunday to make up for the time I spent overdrinking during the holidays.
I need to sacrifice some money this Sunday to make up for the money I spent on materialism this Christmas.
I need to sacrifice some energy this Sunday to make up for the energy I spent arguing with my spouse over New Year’s.
 
These “sacrifices” can NEVER take away sin.
These “sacrifices” can NEVER take away guilt.
These “sacrifices” can NEVER take away shame.
 
You can never sacrifice anything to pay for your sins.
 
But if sacrificing in the Old Testament didn’t take away sins, why did God command it?
 
Check out verse 12:
(A different) priest, after he offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. 
 
Do you get it?  
Old Testament sacrifice never took away sin.
They simply pointed forward to the priest who would.
 
TRUTH:
Church exists because GOD SACRIFICED for us.
 
That one priest is Jesus!
He made a sacrifice for us – for our sins…
For you – for your sins.
 
But if you remember the story of Jesus, there isn’t ever a story about him putting on priestly garments and entering the temple to sacrifice an animal.
He did things much differently than your common priest.  
 
(1) He Sacrificed HIMSELF
 
This is truly different than any other priest.
Because there was never a priest that ever went up to the altar and said, “OK. Today, I think I’ll take my own life for the sake of Joe Schmo.”
Nope.
 
But Jesus did.
In fact, the Bible calls Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
 
He is priest and Lamb.
The one who demands payment and the one who pays.
Sacrifice-er and sacrifce-ee.
 
But that’s why it worked! It wasn’t just the blood of some random animals, but the blood of God himself.
 
(2) He Sacrificed ONCE.
 
The Old Testament priest went home at the end of the day. They took off their bloody clothes, placed them in the wash, and went to bed only to do the same thing the very next day.
When Jesus was done with his sacrifice, he sat down at God’s right hand. (v.12) He never sacrificed again.
 
This means the payment was complete. You sin has been paid for.
 
Whatever you did wrong in 2019.
No matter how many times you did it.
No matter how big it was.
No matter how guilty you still feel about it.
 
Jesus paid for all your sins in 2019.
And for all your sins in 2018.
And for 2000—however many years you’ve been alive before that.
 
He paid for all your past sins and…
He has paid for all your coming sins.
 
(3) He Sacrificed FOR ALL TIME
 
Because look at what it says next;
Since then he has been waiting until his enemies are made a footstool under his feet. By only one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being sanctified. (v.13-14)
Notice Jesus isn’t up and ready to be a sacrifice for your 2020 sins.
Because Jesus’ one sacrifice has eternal value.
 
You don’t need to go into 2020 with absolute terror of sinning again.
Newsflash – you will.
 
Not that it is our goal to sin, it isn’t. God love empowers us to love others and fight sin.
 
But…
 
When you do sin…
Do not despair.
 
When you do sin…
Simply look to the same Savior you looked to in 2019.
 
In Jesus, you have forgiveness.
And in Jesus, you will always have forgiveness.
 
Friends, this is the reason we are the church.
 
Church is not something that you need to FEAR.
Nor it is something that you need to do out of FEAR.
Rather it’s something Christ made us so we wouldn’t FEAR.
And something we participate in because we have no reason to FEAR.
 
II. Blessings of Church
 
But it doesn’t stop there. Because God gives us blessings through his gift of church.
 
(1) Access to God
 
Check out verse 19, “Brothers, we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place through the blood of Jesus. It is a new and living way he opened for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh.”
 
In the Old Testament, worship the temple area was separated into various parts.
There was the courtyard where people could enter with sacrifices.
There was a special area called the Holy Place where only priests could enter on behalf of the people.
And there was the Most Holy Place that only one High Priest could enter once a year.
To emphasize this, the Most Holy Place was even separated from the rest of the temple by thick heavy curtains.
 
The point?
God’s is MOST HOLY.
As a result, we sinful people could never commune with Him.
 
But…
 
Do you know what happened when Jesus died on the cross?
The Bible says this:
The curtain of the temple was torn in two. (Matthew 15:38)
God’s holy requirements were gone.
The sin that separates unholy humans from Holy God has been removed.
And…
 
Church is one of the ways God does that.
 
Because church is where we hear his Word.
Church is where we gather around sacraments.
Church is where God communes with us, whether it’s here in our worship space or around a round table for Growth Group at Starbucks.
 
We have access to God thanks to Jesus and that’s an amazing reason to be a part of church.
 
Because can you imagine if you were given high clearance, top secret government clearance to walk into a top-secret government agency?
Like FBI Headquarters or maybe Area 51. Wouldn’t you love to go?
 
The same thing has happened with God.
God has given you an all access pass to Him.
You don’t need a secret code.  
You don’t need to put your fingerprints on file.
There isn’t a retina scanner out front. (Mostly because we can’t pay for it)
 
You have access to this group where God speaks to his people.
 
(2) A Clean Conscience
 
Verse 22 continues, “Let us approach with a sincere heart, in the full confidence of faith, because our hearts have been sprinkled to take away a bad conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
 
Because it is so easy for the devil to get into our heads.
To tell us, “You used to be able to be near God, but you sinned this past week.”
“You did bad.”
“You did wrong.”
“You’re too guilty to be a part of church.”
 
But do you know why the devil wants you to believe that?
Because church is a place where God removes that guilt.
 
Where a pastor preaches a sermon with the conclusion, “Thanks to Jesus! We have forgiveness.”
Where a song points out: “Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
Where a friend quietly listens to your confession, grabs you by the hand, looks you in the eye and says, “Jesus died. Jesus rose. In him, you are forgiven.”
 
(3)  A Strengthened Grip on Hope
 
Verse 23 says this, “Let us hold on firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.”  
 
Because life is like driving a go-kart on a bumpy road. Have you ever tried that? The bumps, the divots, the gravel can make for a rough ride so much that you aren’t able to keep a steady, straight line as you travel. If you want to keep on course, you have to grip the steering wheel very tightly to make sure that you stay straight.
 
It’s the same way in life.
Bumps come in many forms.
 
Financial bumps.
Relationship bumps.
Health bumps.
 
And all of these bumps threaten to throw you off course.
And lose your grip on your hope.  
 
But in the church, God gives you others who can help you steer for a bit.
Who can give you hope.
Who can say things like:
 
“I know this is tough, but God is still the victor. Stay faithful.”
“God has your back brother. Can I pray for you?”
“As hard as it is now, God promises he will take you home to heaven and I know that’s what he’s going to do.”
 
(4) Spurring Buddies
 
I’ve got a new workout group that I’m a part of and the current trainer has developed all kinds of ways to keep me active.
She spurs me on with emails: “Here’s the workouts for the week. Can’t wait to see you there!”
She spurs me on with Facebook group messages: “Workout tomorrow. Better be there.”
She spurs me on with text messages: “Hey Phil! Haven’t seen you for a while. Did you trade your dumbbells in for a bag of Doritos?”
She spurs me on with text messages from other trainers: “Hey Phil! Your trainer said I should message you to get you back in the gym. You in?”
 
At some point, I go back to the gym. Sometimes because I’m encouraged. Other times because I’m annoyed.
Both times? The result is a good thing.
 
In church, we do the same thing for each other spiritually. The exact phrase from Scripture is found in verse 24. It says, “Let us also consider carefully how to spur each other on to love and good works.”
 
Because on the one hand, you might be having a hard time being nice to a particular coworker. But then you hear a sermon on “Kindness,” someone mentions being kind to coworkers as an answer in Growth Group, and another church friend keeps putting “being a light” photographs on Instagram.
 
You’re spurred on to good works.
 
And vice versa!
Church isn’t just a place for you to be spurred on to good works, but a place where you spur others on to good works.
 
It happened not that long ago. Someone was super excited to say they had just invited a friend to Christmas worship.
And, feeling proud and sinfully vain, I thought: “Oh, they listened to my sermon…Hmmm.”
 
But this person said:
“It wasn’t even your sermon. I just heard another church member talking about doing it and it spurred me on to try it myself.”
 
But do you get it?
Prayerfully, I might give some encouragement in a sermon.
But prayerfully, you’re giving encouragement too.
 
(5) Preparation for the Day
 
God’s Word says, “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing. Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (v.25)
 
Because it’s easier to prepare for something with others.
 
It’s always easier to prepare a New Year’s celebration with others helping you. Together you can put up streamer decorations, turn on the live broadcast of the Acorn, cook some of those little hot dogs, and spending hours cutting out little pieces of construction paper to throw as confetti (and about 10 seconds actually tossing it).
 
It’s the same things for the Day!
Except…
 
Here’s the thing about The Day.
And by The Day, I mean, Judgment Day.
And by Judgment Day, I mean, when Jesus either ends your life on this earth or when Jesus returns to end all life on earth.
 
It’s easier to stay prepared for Jesus with others surrounding you.
In fact, it’s almost necessary!
 
That’s why God tells us to “not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing. But to encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
 
Don’t think you’re the one person in the history of the world that’s going to be able to hold onto faith by yourself.
That’s foolish and in direct contradiction to what God is telling you here today.
And it may very well result in you not be prepared—at all.
 
Let us not give up meeting together.
Let us encourage one another.
And all the more as the day approaches!  
 
It’s why CHURCH needs to be on your New Year’s Resolution.
Because church is a lot like charcoal.
 
There’s the story of a man who used to be a part of a church but had stopped coming for months on end. He wouldn’t answer phone calls. He wouldn’t answer email. He wouldn’t answer text messages. Finally, the pastor got into his car and went to see him.
 
The man saw the pastor as he approached the house, so he went to the front door to greet him.
 
“It’s fine pastor. You can come in, but I know why you’re here. And let me tell ya – it won’t work. I’m not coming back to church.”
The pastor simply nodded and listened as he sat next to the man’s fireplace.
 
“I won’t come back because someone was mean to me.”
The pastor grabbed the fire poker.
 
“He didn’t apologize, and no one came to get me.”
The pastor stirred the coals.
 
“Besides, I don’t think staying home hurts me…”
The pastor moved a single coal away from the other coals.
 
The man stopped talking.
Together they watched as that single coal started to fade.
To grow dim.
To stop burning.
 
“I’ll be there this Sunday,” the man said.
 
This is the gift of church.
A place where God lights a fire of faith in our hearts.
A place where we help each other keep that faith burning. Amen.