S2E38 What the Church Still Matters

Hello my friends, and welcome back to the Spray UMC Podcast.

I'm Hoyt.

Today I want to talk about a question that many people are asking.

Why does the church still matter?

We live in a time when many people say they believe in God, but they do not believe they need the church.

Some believe they can worship God just as well at home, sitting in a favorite chair, walking through the woods, or watching a worship service online.

And there is some truth in that.

God is not confined to a church building.

We can pray anywhere.

We can read scripture anywhere.

We can experience the presence of God in our homes, in nature, in a hospital room, or even sitting in a dialysis chair.

But Christianity was never meant to be lived entirely alone.

Others have walked away from the church because they were disappointed or wounded.

They may have encountered judgment, hypocrisy, division, manipulation, or even abuse.

We should never dismiss those experiences.

When people have been hurt by a church, telling them to just get over it only adds another wound.

The church has been made mistakes because the church is made up of human beings, and human beings are imperfect.

But the failures of Christians do not erase the faithfulness of Christ.

The church still matters, not because Christians always get everything right, but because Jesus has not abandoned his church.

In Matthew 16, 18, Jesus said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Notice that Jesus called it my church.

The church was not invented by a group of people who simply wanted to establish another organization.

The church belongs to Christ, and Christ is the one who builds it.

Paul tells us in Colossians 1 18, and he is the head of the body, the church.

A church may have a pastor, committees, teachers, musicians, and other leaders, but ultimately Christ is the head.

When the church forgets that, it loses its direction.

The church does not exist to glorify a pastor, protect an institution, preserve a building, or promote a political party.

It exists to worship God, proclaim, proclaim the gospel, make disciples, care for people, and carry the love of Christ into the world.

That brings us to another important truth.

The church is not merely a building.

We often say, I'm going to church.

We know what we mean, but the church is not the brick, wood, carpet pews, or stained glass.

The church is the people of God.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12 27, Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Every believer is part of that body.

Each person has value, and each person has something to contribute.

Paul explains that the body has many different parts.

The hand cannot say it has no need of the eye, and the eye cannot say it has no need of the hand.

Every part is different, but every part is necessary.

The same is true of the church.

Some people preach, some teach, some sing, some cook meals, some visit the sick, some maintain the building, some quietly pray for people without anyone else knowing about it.

Some people have the gift of speaking, while others have the gift of listening.

Some people stand in front of the congregation, while others faithfully where few people ever notice.

Every faithful act of service matters.

A church also gives us a place to belong.

We live in a world filled with communication, but many people still feel terribly alone.

We can have hundreds of social media contacts and still have nobody we can call when our world falls apart.

The church is meant to be a family, not a perfect family, but a family held together by the grace of God.

People in a church will not always agree.

We may come from different backgrounds, generations, political viewpoints, and life experiences.

But our unity is not built upon anyone being alike.

Our unity is built upon Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3.28 teaches that we are all one in Christ Jesus.

That does not mean our differences disappear.

It means those differences no longer have the power to separate us from one another.

At its best, the church is a place where the lonely are welcomed, the grieving are comforted, the struggling are supported, and the forgotten are remembered.

It is a place where someone notices when your usual seat is empty.

It is a place where someone calls because they have not seen you lately.

It is a place where people pray for you when you do not have the strength to pray for yourself.

The church also helps form and strengthen our faith.

Acts 2 42 describes the life of the early church.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers.

The early Christians gathered for teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer.

They needed those things, and so do we.

Worship reminds us that God is greater than our problems.

Scripture corrects us when we adrift and encourages us when we become discouraged.

Fellowship reminds us that we are not walking alone.

There are times when our faith feels strong.

There are other times when our faith barely seems to be holding together.

During those difficult seasons, the faith of other believers can help carry us.

Someone else may remember the promises of God when we have temporarily temporarily forgotten them.

Faith is personal, but it was never meant to be isolated.

Hebrews ten, twenty four and twenty-five says, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but exhorting one another.

We do not simply gather to occupy a few for an hour.

We gather to encourage one another toward love and good works.

The church matters because life can become heavy.

Galatians 6 2 tells us, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Sometimes bearing another person's burden involved involves doing something practical.

It may mean preparing a meal, providing transportation, helping with a bill, or sitting with someone at the hospital.

At other times it simply means being present.

We do not always need the perfect words.

Sometimes there are no perfect words.

Sometimes the most Christ-like thing we can do is sit beside someone and assure them that they are not alone.

The church should be a place where we can admit that we are hurting without being told that our pain means we lack faith.

It should be a place where we can ask difficult questions without being treated like a problem.

It should be a place where people do not have to pretend that everything is fine.

The church also matters because it has a mission beyond its own wall.

Jesus said in Matthew 5 16, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The church does not exist only to care for people who are already inside it.

It is called to serve the surrounding community.

The church should feed the hungry, visit the lonely, care for children, support families, welcome strangers, comfort the grieving, and stand beside those whom society has forgotten.

We are the hands and feet of Christ.

If our worship on Sunday never changes how we treat people on Monday, then we have missed something important.

A healthy church turns worship into service, it turns faith into love, it carries the hope of the gospel beyond the sanctuary and into ordinary life.

But we must also speak honestly about the time when churches fail.

Churches have sometimes protected their reputation instead of protecting wounded people.

Some have used fear or shame to control people.

Some have confused political power with the gospel.

Others have excluded people who desperately need grace.

These failures should never be excused.

We do not defend the church by pretending it has never done anything wrong.

We honor Christ by telling the truth, seeking accountability, repenting when necessary, and working to make things right.

If you have been hurt by a church, your pain is real.

Taking time to heal does not mean you have abandoned God.

Leaving an unhealthy congregation does not mean that you have left Jesus.

But one unhealthy church does not represent every church, and the failures of human beings do not change the character of Christ.

If you have been away from church and feel God drawing you back, you do not have to take every step at once.

Begin with prayer.

Ask God to lead you to a healthy congregation.

Visit without feeling pressured to make an immediate commitment.

Look for a church where Christ is central.

Scripture is respected, grace is practiced, questions are welcomed, and people generally care for one another in their community.

No church will be perfect.

If you find a perfect church, the moment you or I join it, it will no longer be perfect.

But there is a difference between an imperfect church and an unhealthy one.

A healthy church can admit it admit its mistakes.

It values accountability.

Its leaders understand that authority is a responsibility to serve, not a privilege to control.

And if you already belong to a church, do not ask only what am I receiving?

Ask also how can God use me here?

Perhaps someone needs your encouragement.

Someone may need you to listen.

Someone may need a ride, a meal, a telephone call, or a simple reminder that they have not been forgotten.

You do not need a title to minister to someone.

So why does the church still matter?

The church matters because Christ still matters.

It is where isolated people can become family.

It is where burdens can be shared, faith can be strengthened, and grace can be experienced.

The church is unfinished.

It is sometimes messy.

It is made up of people who are still learning, growing, stumbling, repenting, and beginning again.

But Christ has not abandoned his church.

He can continues to meet us there, he continues to shape us there, and he continues to send us from there into a world that desperately needs his love.

Let us pray.

Gracious God, thank you for calling us not only to yourself but to one another.

Forgive the ways your church has failed to reflect the love of Christ.

Heal those who have been wounded, humble those who lead, and teach all of us to bear one another's burdens.

Help our churches become places of truth, grace, welcome, worship, and service.

Show each of us how we can encourage someone, serve someone, and make your love visible in our communities.

Use us as the hands and feet of Jesus in the world that desperately needs hope.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Before we close, I want to remind you that my books, The Apostles' Creed and the Lord's Prayer, are available on Amazon.

Each book was written to help ordinary believers understand these foundational parts of our Christian faith and apply them to everyday life.

You can find both books by searching Amazon for my name, Hoyt Barrett.

If you have already purchased one of the books, thank you for your support.

I want to thank you for joining me today.

If you do not have a church home, we would love to have you worship with us at Spray United Methodist Church, located at 803 Morgan Road in Eton, North Carolina.

We are a loving church where we love God and love people.

All people.

Until next time, may the grace of God rise before you and keep you safe.

Goodbye.