Why Do I Need the Church?
The following is an article that I prepared for House to House/Heart to Heart
July/August issue. The article below will appear on the back page of the issue which we will mail out to everyone in Venus, Texas. I submit it here for your reading and encouragement. I hope you find it worthwhile.
Why Do I Need the Church?
“Why do I need the church?” By their actions, people give a lot of different answers to the question, “Why do I need the church?” It’s pretty obvious that many choose to ignore the church. They seem to feel no real need of the church. I’m sure that many who do not attend church are simply doing what their parents did. Their parents may have never gone to church, so it’s hard to change the way we have been brought up.
Well, what is so special about the church? That’s an excellent question, and some become a bit confused. The Bible describes the church with several different comparisons. One such comparison is that of a body. “And He [that is Christ], is the head of the body, the church, . . .” (Col 1:18 NKJV)
Why this comparison? I think one reason is to show the relationship between Christ and the church. I trust we all understand that our head, or our minds, give the directions for our body. Our minds decide what we want to do and give instructions to our bodies to carry out those directions. I’m always saddened when I see someone who is confined to a wheelchair. It’s a case where part of that person’s body will no longer do what the head would like to do.
Sometimes the church can be like that. Sometimes, it does not do what Christ would have us to do. When that happens, people may be turned away from the church. In spite of our failures, the church consists of all saved people, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV)
As the saying goes, this is “The good, the bad, and the ugly.” Since the church consists of people, there are some like the legs of those confined to wheelchairs; they do not function as God intends that they should. What is their function? The Bible gives many illustrations of what Christians should be and do. The apostle Paul put it this way, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Gal 5:14 NKJV) In other words, our number one task in regard to our fellow man is to love him, and help him.
King David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. David said, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.’" (Psa 122:1 NKJV) David was going to God’s house to worship God. David wrote many of the beautiful Psalms such as the 23rd Psalm which millions have memorized, and almost everyone in a Christian culture has heard about.
Jesus was once asked "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? "Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' {38} "This is the first and great commandment. {39} "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' {40} "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Mat 22:37-40 NKJV)
Okay, so how do Jesus words complete the story of church? It is at church that we have the opportunity to worship God and show our love for God. It is at church that we have the opportunity to show our love for others by encouraging them with our presence, and with our words of encouragement. In (Heb 10:24-25 NKJV), we find these words: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, {25} not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Here in two verses, I find two thoughts I want to share. Part of our task as God’s children is to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” In other words, to help others “be all they can be.” The other thought is to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together:” In other words to attend the services of the church.
In Mark 5, there is the story of a demoniac who was cured by Jesus. His response was that he wanted to follow Jesus wherever He went. What a noble idea! But Jesus had a better idea. “However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’" I must confess that I have not been good at that. I guess I stumble because it’s hard to keep it from sounding like I’m bragging, but let me share a few of the joys that I have for which I give credit to God.
At the age of ten, I was baptized into Christ. I attended every service of the church, and I learned right from wrong. When I was in junior college, one of my classmates said, “Harley, you ought to sow your wild oats while you’re young.” I said, “No, I don’t want to reap the harvest.” I didn’t sow my wild oats. I’ve only had an intimate relationship with one woman, and that’s my wife of 45 years.
God has blessed us with three Christian sons who are married to three Christian women, and they are in church every week with their families. Our sons were never into drugs or drinking. They were never rebellious. They have been a source of joy.
For thirty-three years I taught school is Texas. Several years ago, a storm warning was being sounded over the public address system when suddenly it stopped because the power had been interrupted by the storm. The sky became black at noon. We were told to get into the hallways away from the windows. As I stood on duty in the hallway, one of my students came to stand beside me. She said, “You aren’t scared, are you Mr. Pinon?” I said, “No,” and her immediate response was, “I need to get right with the Lord.”
God has given me great peace even in the storms of life. On March 4, 1998, my aorta dissected (the same thing happened to John Ritter). I was calm, even though I knew I might not live another day. My brother was told I had one chance in twenty of living, but thanks to God, and countless prayers, I am here today. In so many, many ways, the Lord has been good to me. Countless and great have been his blessings.
Coming to church will not solve all of your problems, but it’s a way to show God you care about Him and His will, and there’s no way to know how He can bless your life until you turn your life over to Him. Why not worship with us next Sunday?
Harley Pinon
Minister
Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.