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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!

WE SHOULD BE GLAD!

INTRODUCTION

A voice called out to Johnny on a Sunday morning.

"Johnny, get up honey it's time to get ready and go to church!"

Johnny said, "I don't want to go to church!"

The voice came back, "Johnny, there isn't much time now. You've got to get up and get ready so we can go to church!"

Johnny replied, "I don’t want to go to church, nobody likes me down there."

"Johnny, for the last time, you’ve got to get up out of that bed and let’s go to church!"

Johnny said, "Give me two good reasons why I have to go to church."

"Number one, you're 47 years old. Number two, you're the pastor!"

Even for those of us who attend church very regularly, we sometimes find our enthusiasm for church waning. We find our desire to go to church dropping off a bit.

Let me ask you a question. How strong is your desire to be in the house of God?

There are many folks who look for and find excuses for not attending a particular service or services.

Things that wouldn’t keep us from going to work keep us from going to Church.

Things that wouldn’t keep us from going to a ball game, or bowling, going out to eat or whatever you do for recreation, keep us from going to Church.

Things that wouldn’t keep us from going to relative’s house keep us from going to Church.

The truth of the matter is, if we are looking for a reason to stay home or do something else rather than be in God’s house, we will find it. Satan will see to that because he certainly doesn’t want us to be here.

On the other hand, if we look for a reason to be here, we will find that too!

If we want to find fault with someone in the Church–whether it be the preacher or someone else, we will find it.

The bottom line is that our excuses do not excuse us in the eyes of God.

Even for those of us who regularly attend church we sometimes need an "attitude adjustment".

Because even though we may be here, we are not here!

It is possible for us to be here in body without being here in spirit. We can be present and accounted for in body, but I wonder if God were to mark our attendance what would he say?

I’m talking about based on our mind being engaged while we are here and our spirit being what it should be. I’m talking about our preparing ourselves in advance to hear from God and our participation in the service when we get here. Would He say that we were present?

How about when you are on vacation. Is the Lord’s day just a travel day for you or do you stop and go to Church somewhere? Don’t misunderstand me, I believe everybody needs a vacation, but not from the Lord! You are doing a disservice to your family and yourself if you skip Church when you are out of town. You are saying Church is not important.

What am I saying? We need to see the importance of the Church. It is the body of Christ. This is God’s business. It is the most important thing going on in the area when we meet here.

Our problem is that we have lost our joy for attending church. We need to get more excited about church attendance.

The problem is that we get more excited about the things of the world than we do about the things of God anymore. Church is considered boring because it is not entertaining and titillating to our flesh like the television, movies, and sports are. We can’t wait to get home and flip the tube on. Would to God that we couldn’t wait to get to Church to worship God, to serve God, and to hear from God!

We need to renew our attitude about attending Church. We should be glad!

Why should we be glad to attend church services?

I. WE SHOULD BE GLAD BECAUSE CHURCH IS A PLACE OF GOD'S PRAISE

            We should come to church to worship and praise God together with others!

Look at Revelation 4:10-11. This shows a heavenly scene. In this scene I believe the 24 elders represent the church. And in Heaven when the heavenly spirit beings give adoration and praise the elders fall down and worship.

            We ought not to wait until we get to heaven to join together in worship and praise of God.

Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

Colossians 3:16–“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

             Psalm 34:3–“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

Psalm 111:1–“Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.”

This reminds us that our worship is to be total. So often we don't get much out of worship because our lips are moving but our heart is miles away.

Sometimes we get just like the Scribes and the Pharisees.

Matthew 15:8–“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

II.       WE SHOULD BE GLAD BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE PLACE OF GOD'S PRESENCE.

Matthew 18:20–“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

We should be joyful about frequent church attendance because when we meet here the Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of us. He's here--right here, right now!

            He is here to answer our prayers.

            He is here as the founder and head of the church.

            He is here as observer and judge.

            He is here to bless us.

            He is here to guide us.

            He is here to encourage us.

            He is here to strengthen us.

            He is here to bestow His power upon us.

            He is here to give us His peace.

            The size of the meeting does not matter. He is here!

            Don’t you want to be where the action is? This is were Jesus is working!

III.      WE SHOULD BE GLAD BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE PLACE OF GOD'S PEOPLE.

            John 10:27-28 - Says that we are His sheep.

            John 1:12 - Says that we are His people.

            The church is to be a place where the friends of Jesus meet.

            John 15:14–“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

            The church is to be a place of mutual support.

                        Encouraging one another.

                        Exhorting one another.

                        Lifting up one another in prayer.

                        Exercising our spiritual gifts to edify one another.

            The church is to be a place for brothers and sisters.

                        We are family!

We are going to spend all of eternity with one another, we should start learning how now.

            The church is to be a place for the closest of relationships and fellowships.

                        You closest relationships should be with God’s people.

John 13:34-35–“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

IV.      WE SHOULD BE GLAD BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE PLACE OF GOD'S PEACE.

            Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and He is in the midst of the Church.

John 14:27–“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 16:33–“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Some churches have no peace. Who’s responsibility is it to resolve conflicts in the Church? Each of us! We are to seek to resolve conflicts quickly so that there will be peace in the Church.

If you can’t find peace in God’s house, something is wrong!

            When someone is always full of strife and bitterness, there is a heart problem.

Ephesians 4:31-32–“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Psalm133:1–“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

            Ephesians 5:21–“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

            Romans 12:18–“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

V.        WE SHOULD BE GLAD BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE PLACE OF GOD'S POWER.

            A.        There Is Power In Prayer.

Acts 4:31–“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

Matthew 18:19–“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

John 16:24–“Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

            B.        There Is Power In Preaching.

1 Corinthians 1:18–“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

Powerful preaching is not how something is preached in as much as it is What is preached. There is power in the Truth of God. It is the only thing that makes us free.

A preacher can preach loud and hard and with a lot of excitement and with plenty of zeal without preaching Truth.

A preacher can preach the Word in a monotone voice reading his manuscript word for word with the power of God being all over it because he is preaching the Truth. (i.e. Jonathan Edwards–“Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God.”

                        1 Corinthians 2:1-5

VI.      WE SHOULD BE GLAD BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE PLACE FOR THE BELIEVER'S PARTICIPATION.

            A.        Here We Participate In Worship Together With Others.

                         Psalm 34:3–“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

            B.        Here We Participate In Growing Together With Others.

2 Peter 3:18–“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

            C.        Here We Participate In Giving Together With Others.

                        1.         We Are To Give With Our Spiritual Gifts.

1 Peter 4:10-11–“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

                        2.         We Are To Give With Our Financial Gift. 

1 Corinthians 16:2–“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

            D.        Here We Participate In Exhortation Together With Others.

Hebrews 10:24-25–“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.”

Conclusion

We should be glad!

What has been your attitude toward Church lately? Is it time for an attitude adjustment?

How has your Church attendance been? Not just bodily. Are you here when you are here?

If you aren’t a child of God it will take more than an attitude adjustment. It takes a complete overhaul. It takes becoming a new creature in Christ. We can show you how you to become a new creature in Christ today if you’ll come!

God loves you, Jesus died for you, the Holy Spirit is drawing you–Come let us help you today!

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!