Are You Saved? # 5

Some people mistakenly believe that they are saved because they GO to CHURCH

Sometimes you will hear some people say things like this:

“Yes, I am a Christian because I GO to the...

Baptist CHURCH

CHURCH of England

Pentecostal CHURCH

Now, going to Church is a good thing – but going to Church doesn’t save you – the reason we go to Church is because we ARE saved!

Isaiah the Prophet recorded the Word of God concerning the mistaken belief that simply going to Church (the House of God) saves you

Isaiah 58: 2 (The Lord says) ‘they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about Me... pretending they want to be near Me’.

Jesus was even more direct and said this about Isaiah’s prophecy

Matthew 15: 7-9a ‘You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, “these people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship is a farce’”

The writer of the Book of Hebrews gave a very serious warning to these ‘pretenders (and) hypocrites’ who go to Church, but reject Christ

Hebrews 10: 29 ‘Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us’.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews then goes on to warn these ‘pretenders (and) hypocrites’ of their coming judgement

Hebrews 10: 39a ‘But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction'

Jesus said that He is the Source of salvation, not the Church

John 10: 27 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish’.

Please notice that Jesus said, “I give them eternal life” - He didn’t say, “If you go to Church, you will be given eternal life”

I don’t often quote other people but here is an excellent quote from 34-year veteran Pastor John Piper about what it means to be saved; He says:

“If you don’t want God more than you want anything else, you are not a Christian. That is what the new birth is. It takes hearts that are in love with the world and puts them in love with Christ and His Father, and the Gospel.

And if that is an insignificant thing to you and everything else in the world is real to you, you are not a Christian. I don’t care how many Churches you have been to, how many decision cards you have signed.

And then he quotes, Philippians 3: 8 ‘I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.”

“OK Pastor David, so why do we go to Church?”

Thank you for asking

There are many reasons we go to Church - Here’s just 5

1/ Because God Says To

Hebrews 10: 25 ‘We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing.’

If this were the only reason for us to be in Church on Sundays, it is the only reason we need

Q. Let me ask you, are you in Church on Sundays in obedience to God?

Let me encourage you: Come early, bring a friend, sit up the front - God will bless you if you do!

2/ To Hear The Preaching Of The Word Of God

Romans 10: 17 ‘So faith comes from hearing, hearing the Word of God’.

Also: Acts 2: 42a

The Word of God is vital for the strength and growth of our faith - I have learned, over the years, that Christians who are faithful in Church have a strong faith, but those that only come to Church sometimes are weak in faith and eventually they don’t come at all

Q. Let me ask you, are you in Church to hear the Word of God?

Let me encourage you: Bring your Bible, take notes, watch the Message a 2nd time on our You Tube channel - God will bless you if you do!

3/ To Connect With Our Leaders

2 Timothy 3: 10 ‘But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance’. (Paraphrase: “Timothy, you know me”)

I recently commented to our Pastoral Team that real ministry doesn’t come from the Internet, it comes from one-on-one, up-close and personal relationships with our Leaders here in Church

I was talking with a friend of mine recently and I was asking him about how his Church was doing – he replied me that some people had not come back to Sunday Services but were staying home to watch Church on the Internet

This is a very concerning new ‘trend’

Q. Let me ask you, are you in Church to connect with our Leaders or, do you just come in sit down and walk out later without even connecting to people?

Let me encourage you: Build a meaningful relationship with our Leaders and learn the ways of God from them – God will bless you if you do!

4. To Be A Light To Our Community

Matthew 5: 14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden”.

Q. Let me ask us, does the Nelson Community even know we are here on Sunday, if they do great! If they don’t, why not?

Let me encourage you: Let your light shine and let the unbelieving world know we are here - God will bless you if you do!

5/ To Participate In Corporate Worship

Acts 2: 46 ‘They worshiped together...each day’

Worshipping together pleases the Lord and gives us a taste of Heaven to come!

Testimony:

About 30 years ago, Jennifer and I were at a Sunday morning Service at Majestic House in Christchurch. It was one of the most inspirational worship services I have ever been in; I still remember it today - 1, 000 people in one voice worshipping the Lord, 'Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus’

‘Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him. Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen. Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus’.

Q. Let me ask you, are you fully engaged in worshipping the Lord

Let me encourage you: Fully engage in worship – as we do, the Lord will inhabit our praises (Psalm 22: 3) - God will bless us if we do?

So, are you saved?

Do you know Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior?

Hebrews 5: 9b ‘He (Jesus) became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him’.