One of my favorite scripture verses is Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” To put it simply, He will come in and have fellowship with you.
So many times people judge Christians by someone they may have seen on television; overly aggressive ministers shouting loudly and always asking for money. Some want you to buy their latest book, or a special ornament to make you feel more spiritual. Some Christians travel hundreds of miles to Lourdes in France to climb the stairways on their knees thinking it will bring them closer to God. Yet others join isolated groups or cults, thinking their sheltered lifestyle will somehow gain merit with God.
Jesus simply stands at the door of your heart, continually knocking. He does not try to break the door down or push His way in. He stands outside the door, waiting for you to open it and invite Him in. There once was a song several years ago named; “I Was There All The Time – Waiting Patiently in Line”. Yes, He waits patiently in line while you go here and there trying many different solutions to your life problems. Some may even help for a little while, but then the same old problem raises its ugly head. So, why don’t you just open the door to your heart, right where you are and ask Jesus into your life?
Talk to Him daily, while driving in your car or just going about your day. If you are sincere, I promise He will answer you, not in an audible voice, but through people or situations in your life. At first you may think it’s a coincidence, but your heart will tell you when it’s real.
Louise LaRosa
Today Pastor Greg gave us a sermon titled “Why Go To Church” that I think is a question many people ask themselves and others. I thought the notes from the sermon where very good and might answer many of your questions so I’ve taken his sermon slides and am giving you the high points below.
Why Go to Church
- There is something here for which there is no substitute.
- There is something here you cannot get anywhere else.
- There is something here that your soul craves for.
- There is something fulfilling that you can do and only here.
We Become Different at Church
- We feel different
- We feel renewed
- We feel revived
- We feel refreshed
- We feel encouraged
- We feel empowered
- We feel ignited
- We change here!
There are key phrases in the scriptures about church
In Hebrews 10:24-25 it says “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
What Your Church Owes You
- A place of Worship (see 1 Corinthians 14:26)
- A place where you get Biblical Instruction (read 2 Timothy 2:15)
- A place of Fellowship (see Phillipians 2:1-3)
- A place where there is Evangelism Outreach (read Matthew 28:19-20)
- A place where there are Opportunities for Service (see Matthew 20:26-28)
What You Owe Your Church
- Prayer Support (read Galations 6:2)
- Faithfulness not only in attendance but other areas as well (see Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Involvement, don’t just be a spectator be a participant! (read Romans 12:6-8)
- Loyalty – stick up for your church and defend others (see Galations 5:13-14)
- Financial Support, it’s Bibical and needed to help the church help others (read 1 Corinthians 16:2)
Remember the Mission of the Church
- Evangelism
- Worship
- Discipleship
- Demonstrate God’s love and compassion
If you do your part in all of the above the final point below will be the rewards you will get for attending.
What Happens at Church?
- We grow here!
- We are revived here!
- We minister to others here!
- We love and find love here!
So if you are wondering why you should go to church these are the many reasons and benefits to consider. Not convinced yet? Why not attend church for the next few weeks and see for yourself. Find a church where this is occurring and you will find people that care for you.
This week many folks watched the farewell show to Captain Phil Harris of the Discovery Channel’s series “Deadliest Catch“. I have to admit I am a fan of the show and watch every episode. So why would Jesus have watched the show in my opinion? Because Jesus knew and understood a lot about fishermen. But most importantly He knew they had passion. Fishing – especially Bering Sea fishermen require passion and think those of you that watch the show would agree Captain Phil Harris had passion when it came to crab fishing.
Jesus choose several fishermen as disciples – Peter and his brother Andrew were just two but I think Peter was a true fisherman. He showed the passion that ran in his blood several times in the Scriptures. Peter was the one that drew a sword and cut off the ear of one of the men that came to arrest Jesus in the Garden. Peter was always getting in trouble by shooting off his mouth.
But most importantly, Jesus recognized Peter’s passion because in Matthew 16:18 He said “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (NIV) That is an endorsement that I think showed Jesus understood the deep passion of this humble fisherman. Jesus knew that nothing would stop Peter from spreading the message of salvation because of his passion. He would succeed no matter the hardships or obstacles.
Captain Phil also showed passion I think just like Peter in his dealings with his crew and his sons. I don’t believe Captain Phil had a relationship with Christ and for that I am sad. I hope that his sons will someday meet someone that can share Christ with them.
Passion is something that I think everyone should have. If you have passion like Captain Phil and Peter why not turn that passion towards something that counts not just here on earth but in eternity? Jesus likes people with passion – especially when they use that passion for sharing the Gospel message.
Turn your passions over to Jesus and watch what He can do with that passion!
Andy Larrimore
How many of you have had a bad customer service experience tainted your view on a really good product? I’m talking about a product that had really good reviews, several of your friends recommended it and it was exactly what you had spent considerable time looking for.
But then you might have experienced a minor problem or needed some routine service completed (perhaps like an oil change on a car) and the place where you went to have the service performed basically screwed up really bad! Because of the bad experience with the service provider you now feel like the product is flawed. It is no longer any good even if it still works as well as ever.
Well the same in true with your faith. I’m sure you have experienced times in your life when your faith has been shaken. Perhaps someone has said something that hurt your feelings, or perhaps someone in position of trust has violated a trust. Examples like this have been in the news over the last few years – scandals in the Catholic Church, famous television preachers that fell due to various scandals.
Have you have stopped going to church because of these types of experiences in your faith life or you have turned your back on God? Then you are tossing away a totally good product because of bad service.
It is important to remember that people – not God failed. People just like you and me. People that struggle with the same things in life that you and I do. In other words the service provided was bad but the product is still good. This is not something new. Many times throughout history (both modern history and also in the Bible) people providing service for God have failed – but God has not. If we allow the failures of man to poison our faith in God we are falling into a deep pit that is very difficult to climb out of.
If you have been hurt by people or circumstances in your life that are a result of the interactions of people don’t let those put a wedge between you and God. God is still there for you but you have to reach out to Him.
Hebrews 13:5
“For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Psalm 118:8
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”
Take time now to fix your relationship with God – the product is still good!
Andy Larrimore
Dear Jesus,
Sorry to bother you, but I was just wondering, have you taken a look around down here lately? We are in an awful mess. There are numerous wars going on, not to mention right here in our own city. People are killing each other, children are dying and cries for help are going unheard. We just can’t seem to get along.
Did you hear what happened on Wall Street? Greed, greed, greed! Bankers and investors in powerful places were taking life savings from people who trusted them. If we can’t trust people who are running our country, who can we trust? We are also having a lot of earthquakes, hurricanes and natural disasters. I thought there were boundaries that the waters could not cross.
Some of the things coming upon the earth are troubling! I remember reading in Luke 21:11: “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” I just don’t feel safe any more.
Some people say there is global warming going on that could have a devastating impact. We also live under a nuclear threat from other countries. I cannot imagine the impact of such a horrifying event. We would just disintegrate in a second. I believe you already warned us about this in Zechariah 14:12 when you were talking about the nations that go against Jerusalem: “Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” It’s a pretty scary thought.
We have polluted our food, water and air. After we make ourselves sick, we then take medications from the pharmaceutical companies which also make us sick, sometimes resulting in death. Did you know some scientists are cloning people? I wonder, will they will have a conscience? It just doesn’t seem natural. This worries me. Maybe one of them will turn out to be the Antichrist!
Now that I think about it, it seems we have done all this to ourselves. In the beginning, everything was created perfect and good. You gave us charge over all the animals and the earth. This was a sacred trust and we have failed you miserably. After all of this, you still offer us forgiveness and salvation. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Louise LaRosa
What kind of a sick, perverted, twisted mind could have thought up such an evil, diabolical scheme. The very word “crucifixion” makes my stomach turn, sends chills up my spine and shivers to my bones. To inflict such a horrifying act onto another human being is totally beyond my comprehension.
I am totally amazed at the kind of evil that people can inflict on someone else.The very thought of putting someone on the cross and deliberately pounding nails into their flesh is beyond reason. To leave someone to suffer such an agonizing death; bones popping out of joint, muscles and tendons tearing, blood clots forming and just about impossible to breath is shocking!
Many people ask God how He could have let His son die this way. I, myself have wondered why such a sweet, gentle soul like Jesus would be allowed to die such a horrible death. It wasn’t until the devastating death of my daughter that I totally and completely understood the suffering of Jesus. I wanted to cry out and shake my fist at God, BUT, I could not. I realized for the first time that HE also suffered and died. Romans 8:32 says: “He did not spare his own son, but gave Him up for all of us.” (Abbrev) . Isaiah 53:4 says: “Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains, yet we considered Him stricken, smitten and afflicted by God.” If it wasn’t for Jesus’ suffering, and feeling our pain, I could not have related to Him or gone to Him for help. Yes, the crucifixion was a terrible act, but Jesus has paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. Matthew 11:28 says: “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
Louise LaRosa
Why couldn’t Jesus have come in the 20th Century? Why was He born more than 2000 years ago in Bethlehem when crucifixion was the popular choice for the death penalty?
I wish that Jesus was born in Boston, Massachusetts where the people would have taken Him in. He would have been given the best of the best of lawyers, probably from The Harvard School of Law. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League would have come to His defense. We would have made sure his civil rights were not violated. He would have been given immediate housing, food stamps, and possibly a car to get Him around. We could have taken Him on the Duck Tour and walked the Freedom Trail. We would make sure He had comfortable shoes to walk in, maybe Nikes’ Air Jordan sneakers and a visit to J Crew for a change of clothes. A trip to Newbury Street to a hair stylist would definitely be on the agenda. Nothing but the best for Jesus. I am sure a trip to the North End for pizza would have impressed Him. If pizza was not his favorite food, locks and bagels from one of New York’s Jewish Deli’s would have pleased his pallet.
He could have had many speaking engagements throughout the state. He could fill in for Pastor Greg when he was sick, and we would let Him use the guest room.
If after all of this, He still had to die, we would have called in Hospice Care to keep Him comfortable, to die with dignity and give Him all the medication. He needed. We would start a prayer chain and bring Him Matzo Ball soup!
This all sounds wonderful, but, fortunately for us this was not in God’s plan. Jesus came to earth for one reason, and that was to die for our sins and bring us hope. 1 John 4:10 says; This is love; not that we loved God, but he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. In other words, Jesus already paid the penalty for our sins and if we put our trust in Him and follow Him, we can be assured when the time comes, we will stand before God with a clear conscientious.
Louise LaRosa
I often wonder what it was like when Jesus and His disciples walked the earth. How did they ever get anything done! I think it would have been so much easier if they had a Blackberry or cell phone. They could have it attached to their waist and whenever they needed Jesus, they could “text” Him or send a “tweet”.
If the disciples were in a prayer meeting and someone needed them, they could have their cell phone on “vibrate” so it would not disturb anyone praying! Just think, when Jesus was out on the boat and ministered to the crowds, He could have sent them all a “group email” or maybe have them “follow Him on Twitter” as He was moving about. It would have been so much easier than yelling across the lake. The disciples could have had special ring tones so Jesus would know who was calling him. People could also log into “Facebook” and send Him family pictures, maybe pointing out (this one really needs prayer). People could post a note on Jesus’ wall and let Him know about special events, like (Rock the Beach), etc.
In all honesty, I am so glad we have “direct access” to Jesus any time of the day or night! In a way, we already have “instant messaging” because He hears us instantly when we pray. We don’t need “Facebook” as He already knows what we look like (He made us, right)? He already knew what the people were thinking and what they needed. How could anyone follow Him on Twitter when He would up and disappear from sight!
In this age of technology we could all be wiped out in a nano-second if something happened to the satellite, but, we will never lose our access to God.
Isaiah 66:1 says: “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my foot stool.”
So take comfort in knowing that God is in complete control. Nothing in the airways can separate us from heaven’s throne. Psalm 46:1-2 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will NOT fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
Louise LaRosa
The challenge was given over 2000 years ago but that doesn’t mean it has been completed. What am I talking about? The Great Commission that Jesus gave to his disciples – Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel.
If you think about that it was a mission that was really impossible for any one of them to complete. Yes they could go to places themselves via donkey, on foot and perhaps by boat but for any one of them to reach the whole world was impossible – they didn’t have the means or time.
Well times have changed and today we are in a different position than the disciples.
The moment that this really hit me was when I was watching a video online of Rick Warren speaking at Spring 2010 Church IT Roundtable. He said something that was the real catalyst for this blog. I know I won’t quote him exactly but basically he said – this is the first generation that can actually fulfill the Great Commission – with today’s technology each and every person can truly reach the whole world with the Gospel.
Think about that for a minute – you and I can reach around the world with the internet access we have today and effect lives with the message of Christ. WOW!
Well I began to think that this was God speaking to me to get going and talk to Pastor Greg about launching Media Ministries at LibertyCC (an idea that had been nagging at me for over a year). So here is the beginning – Silence the Rocks. If you’re wondering were the name came from read the About Our Blog link to learn more.
I will not be the only blogger posting – other members of our Media Ministries will be involved as well as some guests – so we hope you will subscribe and engage with us. We welcome your comments.
Andy Larrimore
