} stickyFooter(); $(window).resize(function(){ stickyFooter(); }); });

Why bother with church?

May 20, 2020

This Sunday, we’re finishing our series in ‘Tough Questions’ by thinking about the question, ‘Why bother with church?’. If I’m honest, this is more a question for believers than unbelievers, because almost every Christian at some stage will find church to be hard work. Church can be inconvenient, frustrating, and boring. It can be costly to your time. Church can be messy, and sometimes hurtful. So, is it worthwhile?

Whilst recognising the difficulties of church, we should also see it’s beauty. The Bible uses different metaphors to describe the value and importance of church. It’s described as the bride of Jesus, for whom he has given his life (Eph. 5:25-26, Rev. 21:1-2). It’s the household of God, his family (1 Timothy 3:4-5, 15). It’s a body made up of different members who are intimately connected and dependent upon one another (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Cor 12:12-31). It’s a spiritual house being built by God in order to offer sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:5). It’s an embassy for the truth to the world (1 Timothy 3:15). Church may be messy, but it’s God’s mess, his beloved people.   

Church is God’s appointed means through which we learn and grow, proclaim and serve.

Church is also something that we desperately need so that we grow in faith and holiness. Don Carson says, “People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation.”

Left on our own, we’ll settle for a tepid and mediocre faith. We’ll create a god who is domesticated and easily pleased – a god that only asks for a portion of our lives and fragments of our time. We’ll have a god who is content for us to cling to our idols or security, status, and wealth.

We need one another to both rebuke and affirm, to challenge and encourage; to spur one another on in the faith, to speak the truth in love. Church is God’s appointed means through which we learn and grow, proclaim and serve. We cannot do this alone. We are left spiritually impoverished if we are not deeply committed to one another.

Perhaps it’s timely that we remind ourselves these truths about church. On the 7th of June, we’ll resume our Sunday services. We give thanks for the opportunities over the past few months to continue to meet online for our services and groups, but these aren’t replacements for our normal community. I know amongst many of us there is a deep hunger to return to church. As we return, let’s prayerfully resolve to deeply invest ourselves in our community for the glory of God. 

Alex McCoy
Vicar

Latest stories

Zechariah: purpose and comfort

Zechariah: purpose and comfort

How do you deal with setbacks and disappointment? For Christians, there are three options: you can do everything you can to improve your situation; you can be overwhelmed by your situation and let it rob you of joy and peace; or instead of focusing on your situation,...

read more
Conviction vs. Condemnation

Conviction vs. Condemnation

As Christians, we often encounter a paradox: we are promised complete forgiveness for our sin, yet we are called to be acutely aware of our sin and strive for holiness. Jesus himself told his disciples that the presence of the Holy Spirit would bring conviction of sin...

read more
Serve the City

Serve the City

Over the last month, we have been reflecting on the values of our church. We love Jesus, teach the Bible, build community and share the gospel. Today we come to our fifth and final value: we serve our city. Our desire to bless the city of Hong Kong is borne out of the...

read more

Weekly Email
If you would like to learn more about what’s happening in our community, receive stories, scripture reading, prayer points and catch up on previous sermons, click to subscribe.