Why the Church?
/Dear Friends in Christ,
Summer vacations are coming to an end, and school is just around the corner. This Sunday is “Blessing of the Backpacks Sunday.” We will be handing out backpack tags with a prayer to every student in our worship. We will also be praying over teachers, administrators, and all those who work in our schools.
It’s a special day as many of our members will be offering prayers over 32 local schools on Sunday afternoon. I am praying that our students will be blessed by the presence of God’s Spirit as they return to school. Join me in praying for every location where students will be learning and growing – home and school.
This Sunday, I am concluding the sermon series on The Starting Place. The past four Sundays we have focused on the foundation of our faith. This Sunday we will be asking the question, “Why the Church?”
More than any other time in the history of our nation, people are questioning the relevance of the Church. Over the past three years, it is estimated that 5 to 10 million people a year have been leaving the Church. It is estimated that this exodus will cause as many as 30,000 churches to close across America.
In the 16th chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus asked his disciples this question, “Who do you say that I am?” The disciple Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds to this affirmation with these words, “Upon this rock, I will build my church.”
From that moment, the gathering of those who follow Jesus have been proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. Why the Church? The Church is the place where the Good News is proclaimed. The Church is the place where the joy and hope of Christ is expressed through God’s faithful. The Church is the place where the Spirit of God is multiplied into a life changing force. There is no other place like the Church. We may not be perfect. We may make mistakes. But the Church is the place of God’s ultimate victory. Jesus put it this way, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church.”
No matter what the pundits says about the Church, they are wrong. We shall not be defeated. The joy of God’s people shall not be silenced. The work we do to make a difference in lives and communities shall not be stopped.
Why the Church? Because revival is coming and the Church will be the center of this great movement of the Spirit.
I am excited to explore these Biblical truths about Jesus with you on Sunday as we take on the mantle of leading like Jesus in every aspect of our lives.
See you Sunday!
Pastor John Allen