June 30, 2025 • 36 mins
Why bother going to church? In this episode of Battle Ready Sermons, Salvation Army officer Rob Westwood-Payne tackles the tough question many Christians secretly ask: is church attendance still essential in our busy modern lives? Drawing from Hebrews 10:19-25, Rob explores why gathering for worship and community matters for spiritual strength, encouragement, and standing firm against life’s battles. Discover practical biblical insights about the power of meeting together, supporting one another, and holding onto hope—even when faith feels hard. Whether you’ve drifted from church or long for deeper connections, this sermon offers truth, challenge, and hope to keep you spiritually battle-ready.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:07):
I wonder if you
ever wonder to yourself,
what's the point in going to church?
I'm not going to askfor a show of hands to anybody
who thought thatwhen they woke up this morning.
But what's the pointin going to church?
After all these days, there's 1001other things that we could be doing.
(00:28):
Days gone by.
There wasn't really anythingthat we could do.
But these days, there'slots of things
we could goand do our weekly shopping.
If we really wanted to do that,we could meet
with family and friends.
We could either participate in
or watch sports and other recreation.
We could just, you know, sleep inand catch up on our
(00:49):
energy after a busy week.
So that
we're ready for tomorrowwhen it comes round.
And if we're honest, sometimes
the reason that we don't go to churchis because we're just too lazy.
And, we can't be bothered.
What's the point in going to churchtoday?
We can see around us.
(01:10):
We know from what we can see.
We know from the statisticthat there has been a decline
in regular churchattendance over many years,
but it was certainly acceleratedby Covid 19.
But I'm sure that if you look backin your own lives, you can see it.
You can see familymembers and friends who've chosen
not to attend once they becameindependent and left home,
(01:34):
and can make their own choices,they decided that
regular church attendancewasn't for them.
I'm sure that you better than I can,
can look around the congregationtoday and see gaps
where people who used to comeand used to be regular Sunday
attendershaven't returned after our lockdowns.
(01:55):
So we need to think
aboutwhy people stay away from church.
And here's a few reasonsyou might have others.
You can come and tell me about them.
Other afterwards.
But lots of Christiansfeel that, solitude,
which is a big thing these days.
You think about meditationand headspace
and all that kind of stuff,that solitude and personal devotions.
(02:16):
Enough that it's just enough to spendtime with God during the week.
You don't necessarily have to go tochurch on a Sunday to be a Christian.
Have you ever heardanyone say, my relationship
with God is between me and himand no one else?
Anybody heard anybody say that
I don't need a community
(02:37):
in order to be a Christian?
Another reason
might well be why committo turning up to a building
every Sunday, when you canjust stay at home in your pajamas
and watch a much more gifted preacherand worship team
than your church has?
And it's true.There's lots out there.
There are much more gifted preachersonline than you'll get this morning.
(03:01):
So maybe there's something in that.
Why commit
to turning up to a buildingwhen you can just watch online?
We have to recognize thatsome people have given up
on regular Sunday attendancebecause of the detriment that being
in ministry and being in servicecan have on family life.
Like any community,church is a demanding place.
(03:25):
And so when we decide not to go quiteso often,
it might allowa much needed recalibration.
The other reason that sometimespeople stay away from church
and going regularly, is becausesometimes church is difficult.
There can be a clash between
traditionalismand the old way of doing things,
(03:47):
and the need to alwaysbe moving forward.
I don't know if you've noticed,but living together
can be difficult sometimes.
Don't lookat the person you live with.
Whilst I say that.
But in church,
in our core, familyrelationships can be superficial
if we don't committo deepening them in some way.
(04:07):
And that takes effortand sometimes it's difficult.
I don't know if you've noticed,
but people rub you up the wrong waysometimes.
And anybody noticed that?
Yeah.
Community exposes people's
weaknessesas well as their strengths,
and we can hurt each otheron occasions.
(04:29):
But despite all of those reasonsand all of the people
might give for not attendingchurch regularly.
I want to suggest to you this morningthat gathering for worship
is an essential witness to Christ,
and a valuable time that we havefor spiritual nourishment.
And I do thatnot just because I'd be out of a job
(04:49):
if we didn't meet together,
but because the Bible tells usthat we need each other.
The Bible doesn't envisagethe Christian life
ever being lived alone.
It envisageslife together in community.
The Bible encourages usto strengthen, to heal
and to support each other.
(05:11):
Do you know that there are almost 61?
Another commands in the Bible
that proves that we are supposedto do things together one another?
Come on.
As we thought about a few weeks ago,when Jesus
teaches us how to pray,he begins Our father.
It's a collective prayer together.
(05:34):
If you look at acts chapter twoin the early chapters of acts,
the early church gives us the example
of growing strongby holding all things in common
and meeting regularly for fellowship,encouragement, prayer, and study.
And Christians throughout the ageshave followed down on this truth
from the early church,
through people like some Cypriansaying Augustine, Luther, Calvin,
(05:56):
all of the confessions and creedsthat you might think of.
Those things where we say we believesuch and such
are all based on being in communitytogether.
Those of youwho have signed the Articles of War
or the Salvation Army'sSoldiers Covenant have signed to say,
I will be actively involvedas I am able in the life,
(06:17):
work, worshipand witness of the Corps.
The Salvation Army never envisagedstandalone Christians.
John Mark Comber,
who's an American pastor,has written a book,
written several great books,and I recommend them all to you.
But practicing the way in.
He says, you cannot followJesus alone.
(06:41):
You cannot follow Jesus alone.
Now just notice those words,John Mark came.
It doesn't say you shouldn't followJesus alone.
He says, you cannot followJesus alone.
And Phil Knox of the EvangelicalAlliance has expanded on that to say,
(07:02):
you can't be a disciple of Jesuswithout some form
of Christian community.
If this Sunday every person who saidI am a practicing
Christian went to church, committedto weekly, being part of that
not just on a Sunday, butI mean every iteration of the word,
the UK would bea different place overnight.
(07:25):
Do you agree with that?
Think about those words for a moment.
But all of that,
all of that is based onwhat the Bible tells us.
And we're going to look at
Hebrews chapterten and verses 19 to 25 together.
If you've got your own Bibles,
you might want to open them nowHebrews chapter ten, verse 19 to 25.
(07:47):
As usual, we're using the New LivingTranslation.
And here's what the writer of Hebrewssays,
particularly about meeting togetheron a regular basis.
Hebrews chapter ten, verse 19 to 25,
a call to persevere.
(08:07):
And so, dear brothers and sisters,
we can boldly enter heaven'smost holy place
because of the blood of Jesusby his death,
Jesus opened a new and lifegiving way through the curtain
into the Most Holy Place.
And since we have a great high Priestwho rules over God's house,
(08:29):
let us goright into the presence of God
with sincere hearts,fully trusting him.
For our guilty conscience have beensprinkled with Christ's blood
to make us clean, and our bodies havebeen washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering,
to the hope we have, for Godcan be trusted to keep his promise.
(08:54):
Let us think of ways to motivate one
anotherto acts of love and good works,
and let us not neglectour meeting together,
as some people do,but encourage one another.
Especially that the day of his return
is drawing near.
Amen.
(09:14):
Around yousomewhere will be a set of meeting,
message notesif you want to follow through.
As we think about these versesfrom Hebrews chapter ten,
and the first thing that I want
to suggest to you from these versesis that we need each other.
We need to gather together in worshipand in discipleship
on a regular basis,
(09:35):
because the devil findsit much easier to pick off
an individual Christian.
The writer of Hebrews encourageshis readers
to continue meeting together,to help them keep the hope
they had in Christ,to motivate each other
to good Christian living,and to encourage each other.
(09:56):
And they needed that encouragementin the face of persecution,
of ostracism, and of false teaching
and arrogance, amongst other things.
Now, we may not facemany of these things today
in Maidenhead
or wherever we're scatteredduring the week,
or even inother parts of the Western world.
But we do face the devil every day.
(10:21):
We face the devil,and the Bible tells us that
the devil will lie to us.
He will blind our minds to the truth.
He will disguise himselfas something good.
He will strangle our effortsto be fruitful on our front lines.
He causes disease and sickness.
He'll thwart our ministryand service.
(10:44):
He will accuse us before God.
And somethingthat many of us struggle with daily.
If we're honest,
he will tempt us to sin.
The devil is a formidable enemy,and that's
why we need to stand togetherand to be strong.
As we sang earlier in our meeting.
(11:05):
And this is where meeting togethercan help.
We cannot wield the,
shield of faith alone.
We need our brothers and sistersto fight alongside us.
If we decide to withdraw
from the strengththat we have together,
then we're like a soldier who lagsbehind the rest of his platoon.
(11:29):
We become an easy target
that invites disaster on us.
It invites the devilto be able to get at us.
When we meet together,we have the opportunity
to remind each other what whole lifemissional discipleship looks like.
What we
practicetogether here is a core family,
(11:51):
those fruit of the spirit that we'retrying to grow in our lives
and that we can bring to each other.
That's what we live out
in our everyday lives.
When we gather together,
we can help each otherto do different things.
We can help each otherto hold onto hope together.
(12:14):
Verse 23 says, let us hold tightlywithout wavering to the hope
we affirm.
For Godcan be trusted to keep his promise.
We acknowledge together that our Godhas given us so much to hope for.
He's given us our salvation.
He's given us the factthat we're made right with God.
(12:35):
That we can enterinto a direct relationship with him.
The writer,the Hebrews, says that we can now
go directly into the Most Holy Placebecause of what Jesus
has done for us, and becauseour sins have been forgiven.
And God holds before us this
glorious hope that one day we will,yes be promoted to glory
(12:56):
and will finally enterinto his eternal presence.
But while we await that great dayand live our lives day to day,
we need to encourage each otherto hold tightly to this hope
because we each realize that we livein this time of now, but not yet.
(13:16):
Yes, Christ has already inauguratedthis new age
through his death and resurrection,but we still await that day
when God makes everything right, whenhe finally defeats all his enemies.
And we need each otherto encourage each other to live
faithfully in this in-between time.
(13:39):
Now, there are some of us
in this room who probably wouldn'tboard a ship altogether.
I'm looking at one particular,
but I'm pretty sure that most of us
would not board a shipwithout an anchor.
Anybody happy to board a shipwithout an anchor?
No, because there are situationswe know that can happen at sea,
(14:04):
where a ship can no longer depend onthe captain,
can no longer depend on the crew,can no longer depend on the engines,
the compass or the rudder,but can only depend on the anchor
when all else fails on a ship.
There is still hope in the anchor,
(14:24):
and as we've sung this morning,we have an anchor.
And that anchor is not in the sea,obviously, but in heaven.
Heaven.
I hope that we look forward tois anchored in God's presence.
And as the stormspick up in our lives and as we sail
through life's troubles,we need each other to help us
(14:46):
hang on to our confession of hopewithout wavering.
That's why we sing to Godand to each other this morning.
We have an anchor that keeps the soulsteadfast and shore.
While the billows roll fastinto the rock which cannot move.
Grounded,firm and deep in the Savior's love.
And because we've sungthat to God this morning.
(15:08):
And we've sung it to ourselves.
It may be that those wordswill come back to us this week
as we face the storms of life andas we sail through life's troubles,
we can encourage each otherto hang on to this anchor of hope
by reminding each other that the Godwho promises us is faithful to us.
(15:30):
There may be times,if we're honest with each other.
There may be timeswhen we feel like giving up
or quitting our faith,
and that's when we can be encouragedby someone here
in our core familyto remember God's faithfulness,
to remind us that God's been faithfulto us in the past
and will be faithful to usin the present and in the future.
(15:55):
So how can we do that?
How can we help each otherto hold fast to our hope?
Well, I think the first thingthat we can do as a core family,
as we quite oftendo, is to practice transparency
with God and with each other
that we actually express to Godand to each other when we feel happy.
(16:16):
He's happy. This morning.
Tell theperson next to you that you're happy.
If you're happy this morning and.
Sometimes,and I know I've said before,
I think this isbecause we're British.
Most of us.
We, you know,we focus on the negative
and the pessimist pessimismrather than the optimism.
(16:37):
So we should tell each otherwhen we're happy
and we're having a good time.
We should also share with each otherhonestly and transparently.
When we're struggling.
And I might be you this morning,and it might be that
you just need to pick outa friend in your core family
and just share with themthat you're struggling.
And it's interesting how very oftenwhen you have that conversation,
the other person says, I'm
(16:58):
actually I'm strugglingwith something as well.
We share each other's burdens.
We can help each other to hold fast
to our hope in God by choosingnot to wear a mask
when we come into the hall,or when we come in to worship.
But to drop the mask and be honest.
Be vulnerable with each other
(17:19):
and be honest with God.
We can help each other to hold fastto our hope
by meditating on the Word of God.
That means
not just listening to the sermon,although that would be a start,
but thinking and deeplyreflecting on it.
That's the reason
I produce the message now sothat you can have a think about it.
(17:39):
There may be somethingin those message notes.
There may be something.
And having the Bible open
in front of you, that God says to youthat I don't say out loud,
but it's a message just for youthis morning.
That can only happen if we think, and reflect deeply on God's Word.
We canhelp each other hold on to our hope
by reminding each other of verses
(18:01):
of Scripture that matchthe conversations we're having.
Are you areyou struggling with worry this week?
Remember Philippians chapter four,verse seven.
Don't worry about anything.
Instead, pray about everything.
Just reminding each otherof what God's Word says
can help us hold fast to our hope.
We can help each other by claimingthe many promises that God
(18:24):
makes to us, and singing his praisewhen he fulfills them.
How many times do we sharewith each other?
I've got this prayer requestand I've got this prayer request.
But then we forget
to share with each otherwhen God answers those prayers.
And that can help us hold on
to the hope that we have in God's.
(18:45):
We can help
us each to hold on, to hopeby practicing the habit
of giving God priority, giving Godfirst priority in our lives.
In terms of worship,that means making our Sunday
celebration our first priorityrather than something we do.
If we've got nothing else to do,
(19:07):
we can do it by sharing our resourcesgenerously.
As many of you do.
We can doso by encouraging each other
to ensurethat God comes first in our day.
Not not our phones,by our beds and social media
and all of that kind of stufffor the television or whatever.
But to put God first
and our day before we run off to workor anything else.
(19:29):
All of these things and morewill help us to hold
on to our hope together.
The writer to the Hebrews also says
that as we gather together in worshipand in fellowship,
we can spur one anotherto good works.
He says, let us think of waysto motivate one
anotherto acts of love and good works.
(19:52):
Let me ask you this morning, are you a good stirrer?
Yeah. Some of youget very good starts.
I can see that.
And I have to tell you,I've made some real stories
in my call families over the years.
That sometimes peoplewho love to stir things up
the wrong way.
(20:12):
People who stir things up by
constantly criticizing other people
or being cynical
about what's going on or gossiping
about other people.
I know that over the yearsI've been stirred up by people who
irritate me or anger me,
and I'm
pretty sure that I've done the sameto others on occasions.
(20:35):
Maybe I'm even doing it just now.
But I wonder how different
our core family life would be
if those who were goodat stirring things up
joined all of us
in stirring up people to love.
How different our core family be
(20:58):
if those who have lots of energyto stir things up
joined all of usin stirring up people to them.
So how can we do that?
How can we encourage each other?
How can we stir up each otherto love?
The first thing we can dois to pray for each other.
Now, I'm always encouraged by the wayin which so many of us
(21:22):
specifically pray for each otherby name, through the WhatsApp group,
or by followingthe names in our newsletter.
And I recognize
that as we interact in that way, it'snot just people posting
a prayer emoji or a short messageand then moving on with their day.
They are genuinely pausingin their day to pray
(21:45):
for the person on our list.
It's a signthat many of us are stopping
and spending a few minutes in our day
to pray for that person on our list.
And it's a way of stirring up hopeand motivating each other
to acts of love.
We can motivate each other.
(22:05):
We can stir each other up to loveby setting a good example.
And again,every week I see service and ministry
in our core family in our building,but also a way from our building
that acts as a good example to all on
to love and to good deeds.
I see people helping the vulnerableand those in need in our community.
(22:28):
I see people welcoming peoplethrough our door.
I see people listening to other people
not trying to interrupt themor coming up with the the results
or the way of sorting things out, butjust actively listening to people.
I see peopleserving others in the hub.
I see people with a commitmentto music and to worship,
(22:50):
to loving and to caring for people.
Those who are really goodat keeping in contact with people.
Those who keep the core organizedadministratively and financially.
And so many other great examples
which if we just take a momentto look and see what's going
on, encouragesus, stirs us up to acts of love.
(23:16):
We can
stir each other up to acts of loveby studying
and internalizingGod's Word to engage with the Bible,
whether it's in a sermon on a Sundayor in personal devotions
or in Bible study, knowing thatthat's where we find
the foundational materialto know what love
and goodly good deeds look like.
(23:38):
We can encourage each otherwith our words.
That's an amazing power.
And there is amazing powerin just a word of encouragement.
I can't tell you of the energythat some encouragement gives me,
and I'm sure that's truefor a lot of you as well.
And I'm thankful to those of youwho express it on a regular basis.
(24:03):
I firmly believe
that you can change someone's life
with a kind word.
You can
change someone'slife with a kind word, and that's
why it's our dutyas a Christian to be an encourager,
not a criticism.
So as we take all that together,as we take all that in, as we take in
(24:25):
what the writer to the Hebrews
is saying to you, like him,I encourage you.
Let's keep meeting together.
The final verse that we readsays, let us not neglect
our meeting togetheras some people do,
but encourage one another,especially now that
the day of his returnis drawing near.
(24:46):
Our Sunday celebration
and our other times of worshiptogether
are times to encourage each otherand to keep us accountable.
The Bible, church history, and trueChristian experience
all teach us that God is best known.
He's best worshipedand he's best followed.
(25:08):
When believers meet togetherregularly for fellowship
around HisWord and our worship of him.
And if we
believe that to be true, as I'm sureall of us do, and we must not,
we cannot forsake this importantaspect
of Christian life.
(25:28):
Every Christian,
however strongly, may fail.
Every Christian needsthe encouragement
of every other Christian.
So we gather together on a Sunday
and other times to share our faith.
Excuse me.
(25:52):
We gather together
to strengthen oneanother in the Lord.
We gather to encourage each other,to draw near, to God.
We gather to encourage each other,to hold on to our hope.
We gather together to encourageeach other, to love one another
and those around us.
We gather together to warn those
(26:13):
who are falling away from the faithor growing lazy.
We won't face spiritual struggles,there is no doubt about that.
In fact, some of us are going throughspiritual struggles now.
And if you are here, if you feelyou might be
at some point in our next series,How to Grow Through
What You're Going Throughthat starts next Sunday.
(26:34):
Well, I hope really help.
But difficulties should never be
an excuse or a reasonfor missing our Sunday worship.
Because when we allow that to happen,we miss out
on the encouragementof meeting together.
We should be so encouragingas a core family of one another
(26:56):
when those difficulties arisethat we each feel that the only place
that we can be on a Sunday morningto cope with those difficulties
is with other members of our family.
Now, if that's true,
it presents a challengeto each of us.
Of course,
because we come to a pointwhere we have to ask ourselves,
(27:20):
in what waysam I trying to encourage encourage
other members of my core familywhen I'm here,
when people interactwith me on a Sunday or other times
when we're in the building together,how do they feel
when they walk away from me?
They're my words to my actions,to my thoughts,
(27:43):
because my life as a wholemake it easier for others to love
and to serve God's.
Ask yourselfthat challenging question
right now.
And if the answer comes back when
I'm not sure that it does.
(28:03):
And ask God, well, what changesdo I need to make in my life
for that to be true?
Through these words in Hebrews
chapter ten today, Godis calling on each of us
to share our concernfor the people of God.
And aswe develop deep spiritual friendships
with each other,as we enhance our sense of family,
(28:27):
and we more deeply support each otherto live each day
as a witness to Christon our front lines.
That's the most important thing thatwe can do when we gather together.
Now some of us grow these
deep relationships informally,
but a grace group, as a more formalrelationship can help to a growth
(28:50):
group is a great way of developingmeaningful, meaningful fellowship.
Whether you do that as a Bible study,
whether you do itas an accountability group,
or whether it's just youmeeting together with friends over
tea or coffeewhere you talk about life and faith.
Now, we began
this series Frontline Sundays
(29:12):
a few months ago now
by reminding
ourselves that for all of us,
this building is not where we spendmost of our time during the week.
Even when we sometimes feel bad that
and so we each have a front line
where we can makeall the difference in the world.
(29:35):
Where you are this time tomorrow,
wherever you are, whatever you do, and whoever you are,
you will encounterpeople who do not know Jesus,
and you will have the opportunityto join with God in the work
that he's alreadydoing in their lives.
But in all of our emphasis
(29:56):
that we've made over the lastfew months, that's not to suggest
that our gathering together,our life together is not important,
because if we're to growas God's disciples, if we are to grow
God's disciples on these front lines,then we need each other.
So myencouragement, my challenge to you
(30:18):
this morning is don't try to goit alone.
Participate in our call family.
Encourage each other and keep eachother accountable to the faith.
Don't try to squeeze meeting togetherinto one week.
Make worshiping together.
Make meeting together a top priority.
(30:39):
Don't tell yourselfthat there's a good reason
to miss the Sunday celebration.
And as we concludeour series on Frontline Sundays,
as we preparefor the work that continues
and continuesto have for us on our front lines,
I invite you to committo growing together.
(31:00):
And so we're going to pray
a responsive prayer and commissioning this morning.
So if you're able to stand,I invite you to stand.
And the words for usall to read together are in bold.
And I think my words are in italicsfrom what I remember.
So let's readand pray these words together.
(31:23):
We thank you,
Heavenly Father,for the gift of this community.
We commend one another to you
on our different front lines.
Wherever we are, whatever
we do, whoever we are.
May the Holy Spiritguide us in all things,
(31:43):
so that we may doGod's will in the world,
in the service of Jesus Christ,and with great joy.
Amen.
As followers of Jesus
Christ,will you embrace your front lines
as places of possibilityand potential in the purposes of God?
(32:05):
Will you believe that God is alreadyat work in these places?
And will you give yourselfunreservedly to his purposes in you
and through you, wherever you are?
Comments.
When you trust Godwith the big things
(32:25):
and the small things that you do dayby day, and seek to make all that
you do on your front linesa part of your worship of him.
When you learn to rely on him,his power,
his love, andhis grace, whatever you do,
it's not God you have
as sons and daughtersof your heavenly father.
(32:48):
When you believe that your value,your worth, your significance,
and your life on the front line flowfirst from this identity,
will you embrace the joy and freedomof being a child of God?
Whoever you are,
with the help of God's will
as the body of Christ.
(33:10):
When you commit to encouragingand helping one another flourish
in Christand be fruitful on your front lines.
When you learn to be the peopleof God gathered and scattered,
helping one another to makeall the difference in the world,
how you grow.
I firmly open to follow Christ
(33:32):
in all of life,including life on your front line.
I commission you to this lifeand work
and pledge to you my prayers,encouragement and support.
May theHoly Spirit guide and strengthen you
that in this and in all thingsyou will know Christ and seek
to make him known to the glory of Godthe Father.
(33:56):
We rejoicein being followers of Jesus.
Thank you for such trials us.
And as you prepare to do thatlater on today.
May the blessing of God go with you.
Amen.
Please be seated. For.
(34:30):
Gary.
Welcome.
Celebrated.
Restored.
Gathered together.
Encourage.
Supported. Na.
Reminds you God is heart.
(34:50):
Sought by His Majesty. Eyes.
Christ,
the wonder of grace.
Thankfulfor his awesome, unwavering love.
Remind who I hear
and all I have received.
(35:13):
Challenges some of us as queers.
Renewed.
Commitment.
Ready for sense.
(35:52):
Some be.
For more
positive practicalBible teaching from Captain Robert
I wonder if you
ever wonder to yourself,
what's the point in going to church?
I'm not going to askfor a show of hands to anybody
who thought thatwhen they woke up this morning.
But what's the pointin going to church?
After all these days, there's 1001other things that we could be doing.
(00:28):
Days gone by.
There wasn't really anythingthat we could do.
But these days, there'slots of things
we could goand do our weekly shopping.
If we really wanted to do that,we could meet
with family and friends.
We could either participate in
or watch sports and other recreation.
We could just, you know, sleep inand catch up on our
(00:49):
energy after a busy week.
So that
we're ready for tomorrowwhen it comes round.
And if we're honest, sometimes
the reason that we don't go to churchis because we're just too lazy.
And, we can't be bothered.
What's the point in going to churchtoday?
We can see around us.
(01:10):
We know from what we can see.
We know from the statisticthat there has been a decline
in regular churchattendance over many years,
but it was certainly acceleratedby Covid 19.
But I'm sure that if you look backin your own lives, you can see it.
You can see familymembers and friends who've chosen
not to attend once they becameindependent and left home,
(01:34):
and can make their own choices,they decided that
regular church attendancewasn't for them.
I'm sure that you better than I can,
can look around the congregationtoday and see gaps
where people who used to comeand used to be regular Sunday
attendershaven't returned after our lockdowns.
(01:55):
So we need to think
aboutwhy people stay away from church.
And here's a few reasonsyou might have others.
You can come and tell me about them.
Other afterwards.
But lots of Christiansfeel that, solitude,
which is a big thing these days.
You think about meditationand headspace
and all that kind of stuff,that solitude and personal devotions.
(02:16):
Enough that it's just enough to spendtime with God during the week.
You don't necessarily have to go tochurch on a Sunday to be a Christian.
Have you ever heardanyone say, my relationship
with God is between me and himand no one else?
Anybody heard anybody say that
I don't need a community
(02:37):
in order to be a Christian?
Another reason
might well be why committo turning up to a building
every Sunday, when you canjust stay at home in your pajamas
and watch a much more gifted preacherand worship team
than your church has?
And it's true.There's lots out there.
There are much more gifted preachersonline than you'll get this morning.
(03:01):
So maybe there's something in that.
Why commit
to turning up to a buildingwhen you can just watch online?
We have to recognize thatsome people have given up
on regular Sunday attendancebecause of the detriment that being
in ministry and being in servicecan have on family life.
Like any community,church is a demanding place.
(03:25):
And so when we decide not to go quiteso often,
it might allowa much needed recalibration.
The other reason that sometimespeople stay away from church
and going regularly, is becausesometimes church is difficult.
There can be a clash between
traditionalismand the old way of doing things,
(03:47):
and the need to alwaysbe moving forward.
I don't know if you've noticed,but living together
can be difficult sometimes.
Don't lookat the person you live with.
Whilst I say that.
But in church,
in our core, familyrelationships can be superficial
if we don't committo deepening them in some way.
(04:07):
And that takes effortand sometimes it's difficult.
I don't know if you've noticed,
but people rub you up the wrong waysometimes.
And anybody noticed that?
Yeah.
Community exposes people's
weaknessesas well as their strengths,
and we can hurt each otheron occasions.
(04:29):
But despite all of those reasonsand all of the people
might give for not attendingchurch regularly.
I want to suggest to you this morningthat gathering for worship
is an essential witness to Christ,
and a valuable time that we havefor spiritual nourishment.
And I do thatnot just because I'd be out of a job
(04:49):
if we didn't meet together,
but because the Bible tells usthat we need each other.
The Bible doesn't envisagethe Christian life
ever being lived alone.
It envisageslife together in community.
The Bible encourages usto strengthen, to heal
and to support each other.
(05:11):
Do you know that there are almost 61?
Another commands in the Bible
that proves that we are supposedto do things together one another?
Come on.
As we thought about a few weeks ago,when Jesus
teaches us how to pray,he begins Our father.
It's a collective prayer together.
(05:34):
If you look at acts chapter twoin the early chapters of acts,
the early church gives us the example
of growing strongby holding all things in common
and meeting regularly for fellowship,encouragement, prayer, and study.
And Christians throughout the ageshave followed down on this truth
from the early church,
through people like some Cypriansaying Augustine, Luther, Calvin,
(05:56):
all of the confessions and creedsthat you might think of.
Those things where we say we believesuch and such
are all based on being in communitytogether.
Those of youwho have signed the Articles of War
or the Salvation Army'sSoldiers Covenant have signed to say,
I will be actively involvedas I am able in the life,
(06:17):
work, worshipand witness of the Corps.
The Salvation Army never envisagedstandalone Christians.
John Mark Comber,
who's an American pastor,has written a book,
written several great books,and I recommend them all to you.
But practicing the way in.
He says, you cannot followJesus alone.
(06:41):
You cannot follow Jesus alone.
Now just notice those words,John Mark came.
It doesn't say you shouldn't followJesus alone.
He says, you cannot followJesus alone.
And Phil Knox of the EvangelicalAlliance has expanded on that to say,
(07:02):
you can't be a disciple of Jesuswithout some form
of Christian community.
If this Sunday every person who saidI am a practicing
Christian went to church, committedto weekly, being part of that
not just on a Sunday, butI mean every iteration of the word,
the UK would bea different place overnight.
(07:25):
Do you agree with that?
Think about those words for a moment.
But all of that,
all of that is based onwhat the Bible tells us.
And we're going to look at
Hebrews chapterten and verses 19 to 25 together.
If you've got your own Bibles,
you might want to open them nowHebrews chapter ten, verse 19 to 25.
(07:47):
As usual, we're using the New LivingTranslation.
And here's what the writer of Hebrewssays,
particularly about meeting togetheron a regular basis.
Hebrews chapter ten, verse 19 to 25,
a call to persevere.
(08:07):
And so, dear brothers and sisters,
we can boldly enter heaven'smost holy place
because of the blood of Jesusby his death,
Jesus opened a new and lifegiving way through the curtain
into the Most Holy Place.
And since we have a great high Priestwho rules over God's house,
(08:29):
let us goright into the presence of God
with sincere hearts,fully trusting him.
For our guilty conscience have beensprinkled with Christ's blood
to make us clean, and our bodies havebeen washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering,
to the hope we have, for Godcan be trusted to keep his promise.
(08:54):
Let us think of ways to motivate one
anotherto acts of love and good works,
and let us not neglectour meeting together,
as some people do,but encourage one another.
Especially that the day of his return
is drawing near.
Amen.
(09:14):
Around yousomewhere will be a set of meeting,
message notesif you want to follow through.
As we think about these versesfrom Hebrews chapter ten,
and the first thing that I want
to suggest to you from these versesis that we need each other.
We need to gather together in worshipand in discipleship
on a regular basis,
(09:35):
because the devil findsit much easier to pick off
an individual Christian.
The writer of Hebrews encourageshis readers
to continue meeting together,to help them keep the hope
they had in Christ,to motivate each other
to good Christian living,and to encourage each other.
(09:56):
And they needed that encouragementin the face of persecution,
of ostracism, and of false teaching
and arrogance, amongst other things.
Now, we may not facemany of these things today
in Maidenhead
or wherever we're scatteredduring the week,
or even inother parts of the Western world.
But we do face the devil every day.
(10:21):
We face the devil,and the Bible tells us that
the devil will lie to us.
He will blind our minds to the truth.
He will disguise himselfas something good.
He will strangle our effortsto be fruitful on our front lines.
He causes disease and sickness.
He'll thwart our ministryand service.
(10:44):
He will accuse us before God.
And somethingthat many of us struggle with daily.
If we're honest,
he will tempt us to sin.
The devil is a formidable enemy,and that's
why we need to stand togetherand to be strong.
As we sang earlier in our meeting.
(11:05):
And this is where meeting togethercan help.
We cannot wield the,
shield of faith alone.
We need our brothers and sistersto fight alongside us.
If we decide to withdraw
from the strengththat we have together,
then we're like a soldier who lagsbehind the rest of his platoon.
(11:29):
We become an easy target
that invites disaster on us.
It invites the devilto be able to get at us.
When we meet together,we have the opportunity
to remind each other what whole lifemissional discipleship looks like.
What we
practicetogether here is a core family,
(11:51):
those fruit of the spirit that we'retrying to grow in our lives
and that we can bring to each other.
That's what we live out
in our everyday lives.
When we gather together,
we can help each otherto do different things.
We can help each otherto hold onto hope together.
(12:14):
Verse 23 says, let us hold tightlywithout wavering to the hope
we affirm.
For Godcan be trusted to keep his promise.
We acknowledge together that our Godhas given us so much to hope for.
He's given us our salvation.
He's given us the factthat we're made right with God.
(12:35):
That we can enterinto a direct relationship with him.
The writer,the Hebrews, says that we can now
go directly into the Most Holy Placebecause of what Jesus
has done for us, and becauseour sins have been forgiven.
And God holds before us this
glorious hope that one day we will,yes be promoted to glory
(12:56):
and will finally enterinto his eternal presence.
But while we await that great dayand live our lives day to day,
we need to encourage each otherto hold tightly to this hope
because we each realize that we livein this time of now, but not yet.
(13:16):
Yes, Christ has already inauguratedthis new age
through his death and resurrection,but we still await that day
when God makes everything right, whenhe finally defeats all his enemies.
And we need each otherto encourage each other to live
faithfully in this in-between time.
(13:39):
Now, there are some of us
in this room who probably wouldn'tboard a ship altogether.
I'm looking at one particular,
but I'm pretty sure that most of us
would not board a shipwithout an anchor.
Anybody happy to board a shipwithout an anchor?
No, because there are situationswe know that can happen at sea,
(14:04):
where a ship can no longer depend onthe captain,
can no longer depend on the crew,can no longer depend on the engines,
the compass or the rudder,but can only depend on the anchor
when all else fails on a ship.
There is still hope in the anchor,
(14:24):
and as we've sung this morning,we have an anchor.
And that anchor is not in the sea,obviously, but in heaven.
Heaven.
I hope that we look forward tois anchored in God's presence.
And as the stormspick up in our lives and as we sail
through life's troubles,we need each other to help us
(14:46):
hang on to our confession of hopewithout wavering.
That's why we sing to Godand to each other this morning.
We have an anchor that keeps the soulsteadfast and shore.
While the billows roll fastinto the rock which cannot move.
Grounded,firm and deep in the Savior's love.
And because we've sungthat to God this morning.
(15:08):
And we've sung it to ourselves.
It may be that those wordswill come back to us this week
as we face the storms of life andas we sail through life's troubles,
we can encourage each otherto hang on to this anchor of hope
by reminding each other that the Godwho promises us is faithful to us.
(15:30):
There may be times,if we're honest with each other.
There may be timeswhen we feel like giving up
or quitting our faith,
and that's when we can be encouragedby someone here
in our core familyto remember God's faithfulness,
to remind us that God's been faithfulto us in the past
and will be faithful to usin the present and in the future.
(15:55):
So how can we do that?
How can we help each otherto hold fast to our hope?
Well, I think the first thingthat we can do as a core family,
as we quite oftendo, is to practice transparency
with God and with each other
that we actually express to Godand to each other when we feel happy.
(16:16):
He's happy. This morning.
Tell theperson next to you that you're happy.
If you're happy this morning and.
Sometimes,and I know I've said before,
I think this isbecause we're British.
Most of us.
We, you know,we focus on the negative
and the pessimist pessimismrather than the optimism.
(16:37):
So we should tell each otherwhen we're happy
and we're having a good time.
We should also share with each otherhonestly and transparently.
When we're struggling.
And I might be you this morning,and it might be that
you just need to pick outa friend in your core family
and just share with themthat you're struggling.
And it's interesting how very oftenwhen you have that conversation,
the other person says, I'm
(16:58):
actually I'm strugglingwith something as well.
We share each other's burdens.
We can help each other to hold fast
to our hope in God by choosingnot to wear a mask
when we come into the hall,or when we come in to worship.
But to drop the mask and be honest.
Be vulnerable with each other
(17:19):
and be honest with God.
We can help each other to hold fastto our hope
by meditating on the Word of God.
That means
not just listening to the sermon,although that would be a start,
but thinking and deeplyreflecting on it.
That's the reason
I produce the message now sothat you can have a think about it.
(17:39):
There may be somethingin those message notes.
There may be something.
And having the Bible open
in front of you, that God says to youthat I don't say out loud,
but it's a message just for youthis morning.
That can only happen if we think, and reflect deeply on God's Word.
We canhelp each other hold on to our hope
by reminding each other of verses
(18:01):
of Scripture that matchthe conversations we're having.
Are you areyou struggling with worry this week?
Remember Philippians chapter four,verse seven.
Don't worry about anything.
Instead, pray about everything.
Just reminding each otherof what God's Word says
can help us hold fast to our hope.
We can help each other by claimingthe many promises that God
(18:24):
makes to us, and singing his praisewhen he fulfills them.
How many times do we sharewith each other?
I've got this prayer requestand I've got this prayer request.
But then we forget
to share with each otherwhen God answers those prayers.
And that can help us hold on
to the hope that we have in God's.
(18:45):
We can help
us each to hold on, to hopeby practicing the habit
of giving God priority, giving Godfirst priority in our lives.
In terms of worship,that means making our Sunday
celebration our first priorityrather than something we do.
If we've got nothing else to do,
(19:07):
we can do it by sharing our resourcesgenerously.
As many of you do.
We can doso by encouraging each other
to ensurethat God comes first in our day.
Not not our phones,by our beds and social media
and all of that kind of stufffor the television or whatever.
But to put God first
and our day before we run off to workor anything else.
(19:29):
All of these things and morewill help us to hold
on to our hope together.
The writer to the Hebrews also says
that as we gather together in worshipand in fellowship,
we can spur one anotherto good works.
He says, let us think of waysto motivate one
anotherto acts of love and good works.
(19:52):
Let me ask you this morning, are you a good stirrer?
Yeah. Some of youget very good starts.
I can see that.
And I have to tell you,I've made some real stories
in my call families over the years.
That sometimes peoplewho love to stir things up
the wrong way.
(20:12):
People who stir things up by
constantly criticizing other people
or being cynical
about what's going on or gossiping
about other people.
I know that over the yearsI've been stirred up by people who
irritate me or anger me,
and I'm
pretty sure that I've done the sameto others on occasions.
(20:35):
Maybe I'm even doing it just now.
But I wonder how different
our core family life would be
if those who were goodat stirring things up
joined all of us
in stirring up people to love.
How different our core family be
(20:58):
if those who have lots of energyto stir things up
joined all of usin stirring up people to them.
So how can we do that?
How can we encourage each other?
How can we stir up each otherto love?
The first thing we can dois to pray for each other.
Now, I'm always encouraged by the wayin which so many of us
(21:22):
specifically pray for each otherby name, through the WhatsApp group,
or by followingthe names in our newsletter.
And I recognize
that as we interact in that way, it'snot just people posting
a prayer emoji or a short messageand then moving on with their day.
They are genuinely pausingin their day to pray
(21:45):
for the person on our list.
It's a signthat many of us are stopping
and spending a few minutes in our day
to pray for that person on our list.
And it's a way of stirring up hopeand motivating each other
to acts of love.
We can motivate each other.
(22:05):
We can stir each other up to loveby setting a good example.
And again,every week I see service and ministry
in our core family in our building,but also a way from our building
that acts as a good example to all on
to love and to good deeds.
I see people helping the vulnerableand those in need in our community.
(22:28):
I see people welcoming peoplethrough our door.
I see people listening to other people
not trying to interrupt themor coming up with the the results
or the way of sorting things out, butjust actively listening to people.
I see peopleserving others in the hub.
I see people with a commitmentto music and to worship,
(22:50):
to loving and to caring for people.
Those who are really goodat keeping in contact with people.
Those who keep the core organizedadministratively and financially.
And so many other great examples
which if we just take a momentto look and see what's going
on, encouragesus, stirs us up to acts of love.
(23:16):
We can
stir each other up to acts of loveby studying
and internalizingGod's Word to engage with the Bible,
whether it's in a sermon on a Sundayor in personal devotions
or in Bible study, knowing thatthat's where we find
the foundational materialto know what love
and goodly good deeds look like.
(23:38):
We can encourage each otherwith our words.
That's an amazing power.
And there is amazing powerin just a word of encouragement.
I can't tell you of the energythat some encouragement gives me,
and I'm sure that's truefor a lot of you as well.
And I'm thankful to those of youwho express it on a regular basis.
(24:03):
I firmly believe
that you can change someone's life
with a kind word.
You can
change someone'slife with a kind word, and that's
why it's our dutyas a Christian to be an encourager,
not a criticism.
So as we take all that together,as we take all that in, as we take in
(24:25):
what the writer to the Hebrews
is saying to you, like him,I encourage you.
Let's keep meeting together.
The final verse that we readsays, let us not neglect
our meeting togetheras some people do,
but encourage one another,especially now that
the day of his returnis drawing near.
(24:46):
Our Sunday celebration
and our other times of worshiptogether
are times to encourage each otherand to keep us accountable.
The Bible, church history, and trueChristian experience
all teach us that God is best known.
He's best worshipedand he's best followed.
(25:08):
When believers meet togetherregularly for fellowship
around HisWord and our worship of him.
And if we
believe that to be true, as I'm sureall of us do, and we must not,
we cannot forsake this importantaspect
of Christian life.
(25:28):
Every Christian,
however strongly, may fail.
Every Christian needsthe encouragement
of every other Christian.
So we gather together on a Sunday
and other times to share our faith.
Excuse me.
(25:52):
We gather together
to strengthen oneanother in the Lord.
We gather to encourage each other,to draw near, to God.
We gather to encourage each other,to hold on to our hope.
We gather together to encourageeach other, to love one another
and those around us.
We gather together to warn those
(26:13):
who are falling away from the faithor growing lazy.
We won't face spiritual struggles,there is no doubt about that.
In fact, some of us are going throughspiritual struggles now.
And if you are here, if you feelyou might be
at some point in our next series,How to Grow Through
What You're Going Throughthat starts next Sunday.
(26:34):
Well, I hope really help.
But difficulties should never be
an excuse or a reasonfor missing our Sunday worship.
Because when we allow that to happen,we miss out
on the encouragementof meeting together.
We should be so encouragingas a core family of one another
(26:56):
when those difficulties arisethat we each feel that the only place
that we can be on a Sunday morningto cope with those difficulties
is with other members of our family.
Now, if that's true,
it presents a challengeto each of us.
Of course,
because we come to a pointwhere we have to ask ourselves,
(27:20):
in what waysam I trying to encourage encourage
other members of my core familywhen I'm here,
when people interactwith me on a Sunday or other times
when we're in the building together,how do they feel
when they walk away from me?
They're my words to my actions,to my thoughts,
(27:43):
because my life as a wholemake it easier for others to love
and to serve God's.
Ask yourselfthat challenging question
right now.
And if the answer comes back when
I'm not sure that it does.
(28:03):
And ask God, well, what changesdo I need to make in my life
for that to be true?
Through these words in Hebrews
chapter ten today, Godis calling on each of us
to share our concernfor the people of God.
And aswe develop deep spiritual friendships
with each other,as we enhance our sense of family,
(28:27):
and we more deeply support each otherto live each day
as a witness to Christon our front lines.
That's the most important thing thatwe can do when we gather together.
Now some of us grow these
deep relationships informally,
but a grace group, as a more formalrelationship can help to a growth
(28:50):
group is a great way of developingmeaningful, meaningful fellowship.
Whether you do that as a Bible study,
whether you do itas an accountability group,
or whether it's just youmeeting together with friends over
tea or coffeewhere you talk about life and faith.
Now, we began
this series Frontline Sundays
(29:12):
a few months ago now
by reminding
ourselves that for all of us,
this building is not where we spendmost of our time during the week.
Even when we sometimes feel bad that
and so we each have a front line
where we can makeall the difference in the world.
(29:35):
Where you are this time tomorrow,
wherever you are, whatever you do, and whoever you are,
you will encounterpeople who do not know Jesus,
and you will have the opportunityto join with God in the work
that he's alreadydoing in their lives.
But in all of our emphasis
(29:56):
that we've made over the lastfew months, that's not to suggest
that our gathering together,our life together is not important,
because if we're to growas God's disciples, if we are to grow
God's disciples on these front lines,then we need each other.
So myencouragement, my challenge to you
(30:18):
this morning is don't try to goit alone.
Participate in our call family.
Encourage each other and keep eachother accountable to the faith.
Don't try to squeeze meeting togetherinto one week.
Make worshiping together.
Make meeting together a top priority.
(30:39):
Don't tell yourselfthat there's a good reason
to miss the Sunday celebration.
And as we concludeour series on Frontline Sundays,
as we preparefor the work that continues
and continuesto have for us on our front lines,
I invite you to committo growing together.
(31:00):
And so we're going to pray
a responsive prayer and commissioning this morning.
So if you're able to stand,I invite you to stand.
And the words for usall to read together are in bold.
And I think my words are in italicsfrom what I remember.
So let's readand pray these words together.
(31:23):
We thank you,
Heavenly Father,for the gift of this community.
We commend one another to you
on our different front lines.
Wherever we are, whatever
we do, whoever we are.
May the Holy Spiritguide us in all things,
(31:43):
so that we may doGod's will in the world,
in the service of Jesus Christ,and with great joy.
Amen.
As followers of Jesus
Christ,will you embrace your front lines
as places of possibilityand potential in the purposes of God?
(32:05):
Will you believe that God is alreadyat work in these places?
And will you give yourselfunreservedly to his purposes in you
and through you, wherever you are?
Comments.
When you trust Godwith the big things
(32:25):
and the small things that you do dayby day, and seek to make all that
you do on your front linesa part of your worship of him.
When you learn to rely on him,his power,
his love, andhis grace, whatever you do,
it's not God you have
as sons and daughtersof your heavenly father.
(32:48):
When you believe that your value,your worth, your significance,
and your life on the front line flowfirst from this identity,
will you embrace the joy and freedomof being a child of God?
Whoever you are,
with the help of God's will
as the body of Christ.
(33:10):
When you commit to encouragingand helping one another flourish
in Christand be fruitful on your front lines.
When you learn to be the peopleof God gathered and scattered,
helping one another to makeall the difference in the world,
how you grow.
I firmly open to follow Christ
(33:32):
in all of life,including life on your front line.
I commission you to this lifeand work
and pledge to you my prayers,encouragement and support.
May theHoly Spirit guide and strengthen you
that in this and in all thingsyou will know Christ and seek
to make him known to the glory of Godthe Father.
(33:56):
We rejoicein being followers of Jesus.
Thank you for such trials us.
And as you prepare to do thatlater on today.
May the blessing of God go with you.
Amen.
Please be seated. For.
(34:30):
Gary.
Welcome.
Celebrated.
Restored.
Gathered together.
Encourage.
Supported. Na.
Reminds you God is heart.
(34:50):
Sought by His Majesty. Eyes.
Christ,
the wonder of grace.
Thankfulfor his awesome, unwavering love.
Remind who I hear
and all I have received.
(35:13):
Challenges some of us as queers.
Renewed.
Commitment.
Ready for sense.
(35:52):
Some be.
For more
positive practicalBible teaching from Captain Robert
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.