Transcript: Why Church?
WHY CHURCH?
A Study Guide
“People across the world today are really looking for basically three things in life. They are looking for help, they looking for hope and they are looking for healing” - Pastor Jonathan Falwell
I. HELP
It’s hard to find a clear portrait of why the church is so important in helping to fulfill our intended purpose than looking in Luke’s depiction of the church in Acts 2. In Acts chapter 2 this infant church, brand new church found itself simply focusing on the essential of their existence, namely to help those who were in need. You see one element of why the church is so important in our lives is that it is an organization that helps us to keep our focus on the help that only Christ can give.
II. HOPE
The second thing that is so important is that people are looking for today is people are looking for hope and the church should be an essential part of a person’s life because it is a source of organization. A constant reminder if you will, of how our need to know there is something out there that is important this life. Something beyond who we are, beyond ourselves beyond anything we could do or ever imagine that can bring true hope to our lives and that found in Christ.
WHY CHRISTIANS NEED HOPE
You see Paul purposely wrote about heaven in the Bible to give hope to:
- Christ followers who may be discouraged
- Who maybe battered
- Worn by the day to day struggles
- Challenges of living life in this world.
To the believer, well we can take hope, we have hope and the church helps us to constantly reflect on and remember the hope that is found in Christ and the future that he has created just for us. Yes the founder of the church intended for his church to be a congregation of help and hope, a place where we stand forever helping each other.
CHURCH IS A FAMILY
The reality is this, the church is not an organization it is a family. Asking why church, is like asking the question why family? Think about it how many people would say I don’t see the need to have a family. I like people I can connect to friends from time to time why would I want to be in a family? Now you see human’s desire family connection. A parent spouse child, in the New Testament, one of the main pictures of the church is the word family.
Search the words brother, sister, family, children and you’ll see how much God talks about his family the church. Christ never intended us to do life alone. He never encouraged us or wanted us to grow in our faith all by ourselves he wanted us to connect to others so that we could grow in our faith and strengthen each other but he also intended for his church to be a place of healing.
III. HEALING
The church is an essential promise of healing not because of what we the members in the church can do but rather because of what our founder, what Christ has promised that he will do.
TRUE AND COMPLETE HEALING
To an unbelieving world this isn’t possible because they can only serve to remedy the symptoms and not the root of sin. To a believer this brings so much joy that the founder of the church, Christ himself not only saves our souls but he supports us along life’s journey.
YOU NEED A SAVIOR
- Realize that you need a Savior (John 14:6)
- Admit there is sin in your heart (Romans 3:23)
- Repent and turn away from your sin (Acts 3:19)
- Request for Jesus to cleanse you (1 John 1:9)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1. In what way is the church different form a secular organization that seeks to help people? (Hint: Matthew 25:31-46)
2. How does Christ example serve as a motivator in our lives for hope in difficult times? (Hint: Romans 8:18-31)
3. What was the ultimate reason why Jesus healed people physically? (Hint: John 9:1-41)
KEY SCRIPTURES
Acts 2:42-47, Philippians 3:20, 1 John 1:9
ADDITIONAL READING
The Master Plan for the church, by John MacArthur
The Church in God’s Program, by Robert Saucy
Stop Dating the Church! Falling in Love with the Family of God, by Joshua Harris
