Why You Need Church: Part 1

by Curtis M. Burton Sr.

As I transition from being an Arizona resident of almost ten years to living in the south, there are many differences that I have observed. Most prevalent of those differences is the fact that a large majority of the people I have conversed with in the Metro Atlanta area have at some point been regular church going members and for one reason or another have fell away. Even more startling is the admission and recognition of the need to be part of a church. The common phrases you hear are, “I know I need to get my life right” or “I do go to church, but I haven’t been in a really long time, I need to get back” or “I need a church home”. It’s as if it is in the very roots of the people of the city: I SHOULD go to church, I SHOULD be seeking God. Countless folks are the sons or daughters of ministers, grandchildren of preachers or nephews and nieces of pastors, yet in their own life, something is amiss, for one reason or another they have not been able to find their way back into the presence of God on a Sunday morning, Wednesday evening, or any other day of the week.

As a dual occupational pastor, husband, and father of four, I can relate to the fact that our attention is daily pulled in several different directions. There are very real and valid concerns that compete for our attention. Bills. Kids. Work. School. Family. Trust me, I get it. Some folks are overworked and tired from so many hours on the job. Others are underpaid and tired from scrambling to make ends meet. Some are in the midst of misunderstandings with family members, others are overloaded with school assignments as they strive to achieve educational goals. Some are overwhelmed by the seemingly insurmountable amount of problems in their lives, and others just feel like underachievers. We live in such an over-under generation! How can there be balance in such a lop-sided, peak and valley, fast-paced world?

It is ironic to many that my answer to this complex equation would be to add, yet another factor, CHURCH. And to be sure, I am addressing church attendance, but first and foremost, you must have a relationship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, who died once for all, defeated death and sin, and by doing so made provision for sinful man (aka everyone) to reconcile with God, who is holy (John 3:16, 1 Peter 3:18). But it is not only important to start a relationship with God, but also to continue in that relationship with God. It is this continual communication with God that allows us to combat this over-under dilema. If you don’t remember anything else, remember this:

Giving God time on your schedule creates balance in a world full of extremes.

Let’s look at two verses from one of my favorite scriptures.

Psalm 27:4-5

One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord

And to inquire in His temple.

For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock.

Even in just these two verses, there are so many truths that apply to our lives. These verses suggest that we should not only attend church, but be EXCITED about it. Not a fake or forced excitement, not a front because it is the politically or religiously correct thing to do, but the type of excitement you get when you know that you are going to receive the benefits of being in the right place at the right time.

So let’s break this down, how does this passage apply to our lives? This week we will look at:

1. SEEKING

The writer suggest that there is a certain desire that he had. That desire was to dwell in the house of God “all the days of my life”. I believe that the author for one reason or another found obstacles in the way of him dwelling in the house of the Lord. We see this in the fact that it is something that must be sought after. In other words, he wanted to be in church, but it was going to take some action on his part to get there.

If we were to read this passage, beginning at verse one, we might come to the conclusion that this psalm was written as a reminder of who God is in times of trouble. Like a self administered pep talk. “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?” When my enemies came against me, they stumbled and fell because God took care of me. I can be confident of WHO God is because of WHAT he has already done.

These are bold statements of faith, but seem to be made by someone who is still in the middle of the battle. This is so important to our day to day lives. Although church only happens on certain days, the battles of life continue throughout the week. But through the singing of songs that declare who God is, or by reading a scripture about how He delivers, even by taking a trip down Memory Lane and thinking on the things HE has already done, we can encourage ourselves in the Lord to make it through. I have a rather eclectic taste in music, there are many genres I listen to, but there is something about singing a song about WHO GOD IS that will pull you through some rough times that other songs can’t. There’s something about singing How Great Is Our God instead of thinking about how horrible your situation is. There’s something about singing “great is your mercy toward me” instead of focusing on how bad others have treated you this week. Yes, at times we need to be picked up throughout the week and reminded of who God is, even when we are unable to make it into the house of God. However, as we see in verse 4 (quoted above), even in these bold declarations and reminders of who God is and what He has done, the writer’s ultimate goal is to get back into the house of the Lord, and he sets his mind to seeking this desire. In other words, he is declaring that he WILL find a way to make it into God’s presence.

To put it plainly, there simply is no substitution to being in church on a regular basis.

I realize that this is an absolute statement, and I stand by it. There are many verses in the Bible that would point to the importance of church (Hebrews 10:24-25, Colossians 3:16, Matthew 18:20), but even right here in our text, Psalm 27, David gives us reasons to be in attendance at church. I prefer for today to use the text because it is a beautiful example of viewing church as a deep longing or desire, as opposed to just punching in and out as if church is a chore or a relationship with God is a job. This man wanted to go to church, but WHY?

To behold the beauty of the Lord. There is something about being in the presence of God that gives you the strength to continue in life, even in times of turmoil, confusion, or strife. In a world that can be so ugly at times, as we observe with terrorism, racial division, poverty, violence and hopelessness; it is a merciful gift from God to be able to come together and focus on Him and be in His presence. Through the faithful preaching of the Word by the pastor, we should be learning how to properly address the issues of life through the lens of the Bible, but there is also a beautiful doxological aspect of church service as well. There is something special about getting together and just beholding God in all his grandeur. As I stated earlier, there is an uplifting and beneficial reality to praising God for who he is, what he has done, AND what he can do (His identity, history, and ability), for his love toward us and grace on us that even though he could have let us die in sin, he has chosen to awaken us. If it is beneficial to dwell on these things in private for the purpose of making it through and staying strong, how much more when we are in a body of like minded believers who have come with the singular task of exalting God. Yes, we come to church to focus on who God is and to give him thanks and praise for being God.

This is not the only reason we attend church. As we look in the weeks to come, we will begin to explore different benefits of regular church attendance. Without going to deep into our content, I would like to say that I am excited for next week. We will focus on a second reason David, the writer of this psalm, wanted to be in God’s house. To inquire in his temple. Church is a place where you should be able to get answers from God, a place that causes you to think, a place that should cause you to consider your world view, and yes, become biblically educated. Church is not mindless entertainment. A relationship with God is not ignorant emotionalism. Having faith is not equivalent with not asking questions and spiritual strength is not validated by never wrestling with the identity of God. At some point, theology WILL collide with day to day life and if you do not inquire of God, you risk misinterpretation of who He is. The knowledge of the Holy One IS understanding, and church should create an atmosphere that encourages understanding through the rightly divided word of God.

Church appeals to your spirit, mind, and soul. Going to church causes you to ponder your relationship with God, reflect on yourself, and evaluate your relationship with others.