Loaded Questions | Part 3: Do I Really Have To Go To Church To Be A Christian?

In the first century, there was a man by the name of Aristides, and he was sent by an emperor by the name of Hadrian to spy out the validity of a supposed resurrection of a man named Jesus, and this new uprising that was spreading rapidly across the Mediterranean world that was simply known as Christianity. After a year of investigation, Aristides returns and gives his report to Hadrian that has lived for centuries, and here's what he said. He said, Aristides said, that something has clearly changed the way that this group of people are connected to one another, engage one another, and interact with one another. Aristides says, Well, welcome to Canvas Church and to the third week of a series that we are calling Loaded Questions, and if you're with us for the first time today, let me kind of catch you up. The reason that we're calling it Loaded Questions is because we are tackling some of the most controversial and frequently asked questions that people have had about God, faith, and religion for centuries and are quite honestly still asking today, and if you weren't here for the first two, I want to encourage you to go and watch those. We started our series with, Is Jesus really the only way to heaven and the only way to God? Out of 4,200 religions in the world, how can we actually claim that Jesus is the only way, the truth, and the life? We unpacked that, and that is worth your time to watch. Last week, we tackled another big question. If God is really so good, then why is there so much pain and suffering and hurt and struggle in the world? People have asked it forever, and we really dove into that and found some navigational points that can help us,

even though we won't understand everything, help us to stand, thrive, and find peace that passes all understanding. And today, I want to unpack another big question that I have heard for years as a pastor, maybe you've heard it in your life, maybe you've even asked it yourself, and the question we're going to tackle is, do you really have to go to church in order to be a Christian? This is an extremely common question these days, and honestly, let me just say that our perspective of it has a lot to do with our individual and unique backgrounds and upbringings. For example, there's a lot of people in this world that have had very little to no experience with church or church attendance at all, and they're going to see this question from their unique perspective. Then there is another group of people that are at least familiar with the concept of church, and they knew that come Easter or Christmas, the annual trek was going to take place, and church for them was just sort of this yearly event that they kind of saw as a cavalier ritual that was certainly good to do, but that was about it. And then there is a third category of people like me. I have said for years that even when I was just a little boy, I had a drug problem. I was drugged to Sunday school. I was drugged to Monday night prayer meeting. I was drugged to revival. I was drugged to Bible study. I was drugged to Wednesday night church. Baby, if there was a quilting class going on at the church,

your boy was in the middle of it, learning how to crochet, dog. Just trying to figure it out, right? I'm telling you, back then, and some of y'all remember this, back then, we had Sunday morning and Sunday night church. That hasn't happened in a long time, but back then, we had both. And Sunday afternoons, when you're 12 years old, we would get home, I would eat as fast as I could, and then I would go out and find my wolf pack of boys in the neighborhood, and we would spend all Sunday afternoon playing basketball and playing football until my mom would come out and call me in to get ready for church again. I still remember the sad drive that we would make through the neighborhood past all of my friends, still having the time of their life. I had to look like a convict in the back of the bus, just looking out the window, man. They were like, where you going, bro? I'm like. Already still stinking. They were all playing. I'm like, man, this is horrible. But here's what I'm saying. Regardless of our unique backgrounds, what is the answer to this loaded question? Again, it's gonna vary for many people, but we're not gonna just take our perspectives of it. I really wanna go to the scriptures, and I'm gonna give you a really, really honest answer. And the first thing that I think we have to do

is really bring some clarity to what the term church really is, because so many people, I think, have a great misconception about it. but let's define it properly. For many people, the word church conjures up images of long, boring services where weird things that aren't really easy to understand can take place, where people just kind of sit quietly while somebody just talks and reads and lectures them on how they should live, how they should act, what they should do, and what they should not be doing. And I have to admit, there are certainly places like that. But when the Bible defines church, it really doesn't paint that kind of a picture at all. Now, of course, we have set times and we meet together and we plan out our services and so forth, but I want you to know that these are just platforms and places that have been created so that what the scriptures teach the church really should be can happen. In the book of Hebrews chapter 10, the writer is describing difficult days that we're coming to the world and we're living in a lot of those right now. It is dark, it is difficult. You know it is, I know it is. You don't have to look around much to know that it is. And what the writer of Hebrews is doing is he's giving us some deeply spiritual instruction on how to not just survive,

even though we are relegated to still live in a dark, dangerous, and difficult world, but he's giving us some great insight and wisdom on how to actually thrive, how that we can actually live the abundant life and we can find joy and peace that passes understanding. And I want you to hear what he says in Hebrews chapter 10. He says, so let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. God always keeps his word, thank God. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and in helping each other out, not avoiding worshiping and meeting together as some do, but inspiring each other on, especially the more as we see the day of the Lord approaching. I'm gonna point out some key words. He says encouragement, love, help each other, worship together, inspire one another. And it's not just in Hebrews, it's all over the Bible. In fact, 43 times in the New Testament alone, the Bible uses the phrase one another. He says things like love one another, care for one another, serve one another, share with one another, build up one another, pray for one another, be considerate of one another, be generous with one another. And the more that you read, the picture starts to get clearer and clearer. See, the times that we set to meet

and the place that we gather together like this and the events that make what we sometimes see church to be is simply a platform for something far more meaningful to actually take place. Church at its core is about staying deeply connected to God and staying deeply connected to one another. It is about being unified in godly and life-giving relationships. So you gotta get over this idea that the Bible is teaching us to gather together because it's some duty, because it's a demand, because it's some religious obligation that we must reluctantly do to be a good person, get a gold star, and somehow make God happy today. That is not what the Bible teaches at all. That is not the picture the Bible is painting at all. He is telling us that there is incredible power in godly connections in your life. There is incredible value in godly connections in your life. So with that as our definition, let me do it like this. I thought of several ways to do it, but let me just take this path. I feel like the Lord has led me to share with you. Let me give you five reasons that godly connections matter and how they make a difference in our lives, and then when I get to the end, I am going to give you a very definitive answer to the question, do you really have to go to church to be a Christian?

So here we go. Let me just walk you through some Bible. There are five main reasons. There are more than that, but there are five main things that godly connections do. Number one, godly connections, Bible says, authenticate us to a watching world. Now, what I mean is, how will the world know that we are truly followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it gonna be by how many good deeds we do? Is it gonna be by how many scriptures that we have the ability to quote? Is it gonna be by how many traditions that we can faithfully follow? According to Jesus, none of these things are what proves to the world or authenticates that we are his followers. There was one measurement that Jesus gave to us, and it's this one in John 13. He said, it's gonna be your love for each other that will ultimately prove to the world that you are my disciples. Jesus said, in a selfish, self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic world, when they see that there's a group of people that are changed on the inside by me, and they no longer. or think just of themselves, but they love each other, encourage each other, are generous with one another, and give to each other,

the world is gonna take note that you have been with Jesus and something has dramatically changed in your life. That's what Jesus said. It wasn't all these other things that sometimes we think it is. It's going to be love. When you read the book of Acts, the book of Acts is the birth of the New Testament church. Jesus died on the cross, and then he rose from the dead three days later, and then he appeared to over 500 people, and these disciples saw him alive, and they knew beyond the shadow of a doubt he was the Messiah, he was the Son of God, he was the Savior of the world, and this thing called the church was birthed and born. And in the book of Acts, they are meeting together, and they are together, and the world begins to see there is something different about these people, not just their claims that Jesus was alive, they saw something else. Let me show it to you, Acts chapter four. The whole congregation of believers were united as one, one heart, one mind. They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. Nobody said, that's mine, and you can't have it. They shared everything, and so it turned out that there was not a needy person among them. When the world began to see

how unselfish they were with one another, how generous they were with one another, that there was genuine love for each other. They cared for each other. It validated and revealed to the world that something supernatural was at work in their life, and his name was Jesus. Ladies and gentlemen, when we include each other in our lives, when we get involved in the needs and struggles of others, it proves to the world on Monday what we stand here and preach on this stage on Sunday, that Jesus is real, and he changed his lives. I'm telling you, the world is not waiting to hear a better definition of the gospel. They have heard all of our definitions. They have heard the best preachers preach the best messages, but what they're waiting to see is not a better definition, but they're waiting to see the demonstration of it, and that's why some people are so disillusioned by church for years. They have actually seen the disconnect between what we preach and what we actually do, that we preach sermons of people, amen, but when we leave here, nobody lives any different. Nobody loves any different. Nobody connects any different, and so when we love one another, generous with one another, and truly care for one another, it changes the way they see God, and it authenticates that we are his followers.

Great connections, godly connections tell the world he is real and that he has filled our hearts with love for one another. They know it's different. They know the world doesn't do that. They know they don't live like that, but when we do, they know that Jesus makes a difference. Number two, godly connections fulfill us like few things really can. We were created for togetherness, and when togetherness is missing, we are miserable. In fact, everything that God created, he created for community, so just look at nature. It's why fish school. It's why bees swarm. It's why cows herd. It's why sheep flock. We church. Okay, that's what we do. We find our community as believers in this. I'm gonna date myself, but I don't care anymore. When you're 50, you just own it, bro. You don't worry about it no more, but years ago, there was a man named Rod Sterling who made famous a television show. Does anybody remember the name of it? Twilight Zone, right, Twilight Zone. I used to love the Twilight Zone, but when I was preparing this message, it reminded me of this one particular episode.

Now, if you're not familiar with the Twilight Zone, if you're under like 30, you oughta look it up. It's a good ride, but the program featured bizarre tales and stories of situations that were designed to actually make you wonder, ponder, and think. One such episode was about a lifelong and habitual gambler who had squandered his whole life in living. He lost everything significant in his life due to his obsessive addiction, and in the story, the man dies and finds himself at a door. Upon entering the door, he enters into a room that is full of nothing but his favorite gambling tables, everything from blackjack to poker and everything in between, and he goes in, shocked, it's an empty room, and he sits down at the table, and to his amazement, every hand of blackjack is 21. Every hand of poker is a royal flush, and he can't believe it. He's winning, and he's winning, and he's winning, and he's winning, and at first thought, he said, I must be in heaven, until he realizes that with every win and surge of excitement, as he would turn to share. There was nobody in the room with him and because there was no one to share it. He realizes it's not as heaven It's actually his hell life was meant to be shared Blessings and true blessing are true blessings when we are able to share them with others and conversely Sorrows are not near as heavy when others are there to help shoulder the load. I know it's true in my life I'm sure it's true in yours that when anything great happens in my life I call my wife and about five people immediately when anything bad happens in my life I call my wife and about five people immediately. It's just instinctive

It's just built in for me that when good news comes I love to share it that when sorrows come and difficulty come I love for somebody to help me bear the burden as well Whenever life is insulated from others what it becomes like is like a big ball of cotton candy. It looks fulfilling It looks like it would fill you But no matter how big of a clump of cotton candy you take as soon as it hits your tongue It immediately dissolves and is gone just as fast as you put it in your mouth, and it never fulfills you It's sweet for a second, but it doesn't stick to your ribs and provides no lasting significance Life is richer life is fuller life is more substantial when we share this with others What I'm trying to say to you is this the only thing better than a personal relationship with God is a shared relationship with God to do it with people that are tracking with you to do it with people that are coming to the Lord and bringing all of our pain and issues and problems and we're doing our best to try to find hope and encouragement and Strength and substance when you share your relationship with God with others it fulfills you like nothing else can number three godly connections Encourage us When we need it the most We can all think of godly people in our lives who have helped pick us up when we were low at difficult moments Along our journey there have been moments where I just wasn't sure what the future held or if there was even going to be a future And I will never forget the the men and women that encouraged me especially in the early days of this church I've talked about it all the time. I know I preach about it all the time sometimes Sound like a broken record But I remember so vividly when we were just in that cafeteria And we were just a couple years old and still had very little people no money. No property. No nothing On this portable set up and tear down. It was relentless. It was exhausting There was no reason why people should come to our church, and I just remember thinking man. I'm really serious I don't know if this thing is going to survive I don't know if this church is ever going to get traction or if anything great can ever happen here And I remember there were so many moments when my friends or my colleagues or my peers would just come and say man You pushed all your chips in God called you to it And you went big with God and you took the risk and God is gonna honor what you've done Stay with it and stick with it, and they would give me just enough strength to get up another day and keep going

I will never forget those people that encouraged me along the way in fact I want you to think about the impact of some of the people in our lives that have made the biggest impact if you go Scripture everybody in this room pretty much recognizes or knows the name of the Apostle Paul He has made his impact in the world and history and God used him to change our lives He wrote 13 epistles he framed our understanding of grace and the inner workings of the church He evangelized all of us as Gentiles and shared the gospel with us Paul is a household name But did you know that they would probably never have been a Paul without a New Testament guy in his life named Barney Barney not Barney Fife Not not not Barney rubble. I Call him Barney. The reason I always call him Barney in the Bible is because there was nothing special about Barney Barney There's no miracles attributed to Barney. There are no great sermons that were preached by Barney There are no mighty things that were accomplished or deeds The Bible doesn't give us any indication that he was some Apostolic leader some great leader the Bible just tells us who he was and and what he was about In fact, his name was not Barney. His name is Barnabas and Barnabas wasn't even his real name His real name was Joses But in Acts chapter 4 in verse 36, you will find that the Apostles nicknamed him Barnabas Which means the son of encouragement? Encouragement what would your friends nickname you if they had to define your characteristics in one word? They nicknamed this guy encouragement because here's what they recognized about Barney They recognized that everywhere he went and every person he connected to and every person he met He made it his mission to build them up and leave them better than he found them God had given him this wonderful call of encouragement and all he did was give it away as Often as he could and it literally made all the difference in the world his gift of encouragement Is every bit as important as any miracle that you will ever read in all? of the Bible and here's why. Because the Apostle Paul, before he was the Apostle Paul, he was the murderer Saul. Many of you know that. So he didn't believe Jesus was true, he didn't believe Jesus was the Son of God, and he made it his mission to stomp out this uprising of Christianity because he considered it

to be blasphemous. So he murdered Christians, imprisoned Christians, and bounty hunted and tracked them down. And they know it, so they hide from him all the time. But on the Damascus Road he has this encounter with God and he is revealed that Jesus is who he said he was and that everything that had happened was of God and he does a 180. So he can't go back to his former people, so now he wants to join himself with the disciples. The problem was they believed that he was a double agent and that all he was trying to do was find out where they were hiding so that he could arrest them, kill them, or imprison them. And so when they show up and they hear, Paul wants to meet with us, Paul wants to pray with us, Paul wants to join our discipleship group, they said, no way bro. No way. We don't believe it for a minute. We know what this guy's done to Christians, we've seen him kill Christians, and the Bible says it was Barney. It was Barney that stood in the middle of those disciples and he said, I understand your fear, I understand your trepidation, and you probably have a good point, but I've spoke with him, I've talked with him, and I am putting all of my credibility on the line. He has had an encounter with the risen Jesus and God has done a work in his life and he is supposed to be with us. And based only on the recommendation of Barney, they accepted Paul and the rest is history. Everybody knows Paul, but everybody doesn't really know Barney. But I am thankful for Barney. I want you to think a moment about a Barney in your life, a godly connection that has encouraged you and helped you along the way. I've had so many in my life, but I'll never forget this one. When I was first called to preach and started preaching when I was 22 years old, you need to understand that when anybody starts preaching, you stink. You are no good. You're horrible. You don't, you barely understand the Bible, you certainly don't know how to convey or communicate, but there was a, in the church, my local church, there was a 95 year old retired minister by the name of Morris Wiggins. And Morris Wiggins used to always tell me stories about him visiting people on horseback and riding horses and preaching the gospel. And there was something about Morris that he recognized something in me. He was so old, they would sometimes, they started by

putting him on a pew, but he got so uncomfortable we eventually, in the church, bought him a recliner and we would just set him on the recliner in the front of the church. But every chance he got, he would say, Mark, I want you to come to my house and I want you to have a cup of coffee with me. And I'd go. And he would come walking out, barely could walk, but he would bring me all of these commentaries and books. I still got them in my library. And he would say, I want you to look at this Jameson, Fawcett and Brown commentaries, the best I've ever seen. And he would highlight things and he would show me and walk me through the Bible and he would constantly tell me, man, you are an amazing preacher. And it was a lie. He was lying in Jesus name. You understand? He was lying for Jesus. I was not good. I was, dude, I cannot even listen to those cassette tapes. My wife keeps those cassette tapes and I want to burn every one that I've ever heard. It's just horrible. But I respected Morris and I loved Morris. And Morris believed in me and told me things that were not true, but I believed Morris. And I, he would always tell me, don't ever be afraid to go all in with God. The rest of your life is going to be an adventure that you couldn't even possibly fathom. There's going to be some twists and some turns and some dark days and some dark moments, but you will never regret being obedient to the Lord. God will give you a life like you can't imagine. And my God was Morris right. My God was Morris right. And I'll never forget, I'll never forget that old man taking time with a young preacher and what he meant to me. He was such a Barney to me. I wonder what Paul would say about godly connections if he was here today. I wonder what Paul would say. I bet you Paul would say, if you got any breath in your body, you better pray for Barnabas. You better seek Barneys. Be thankful for Barneys. They'll make all the difference in the world because godly connections encourage us. Number four, godly connections empower us to accomplish even greater things. Think about it. Power flows through connections. A disconnected oven produces no warmth. A disconnected stereo plays no music. One little wire disconnected can stop a 1,500-pound automobile from moving. What you are connected to deeply, deeply matters. How many of you got kids? Let me see you. How many of you are parents? How

many of you are worried about who your kids are hanging out with let me see your hand you better raise your hand because you know right you know show me your friends and I'll show you your future you know there are some sketchy cats out there that you don't want your kids getting in trucks with and getting in cars with or riding around with you should be worried as a loving parent but did you know that our Heavenly Father is just as worried about who his kids are spending time with as well why because first Corinthians said bad company corrupts good character bro bad company corrupts good character show me your friends I'll show you your future now listen he's not saying that we can't be friends with unbelievers or that we shouldn't be friends with unbelievers that is absurd he isn't suggesting spiritual elitism where Christians think they're better than non-christians and desire nothing to do with non-christian that is unbiblical and extremism he is simply saying be careful who you connect with deeply be careful who you connect with deeply because deep connections matter and have impact godly connections give us fuel and life-giving power the writer of Proverbs says it like this you use steel to sharpen steel and this is how a friend really does sharpen another friend godly connections give you an edge godly connections give you an edge when you are around people now hold on when you are around people who love God even more than they love you they will not always tell you what you want to hear they will tell you what God's will is for your life and you should thank God for those people whoa boy that was quiet I thought somebody say amen thank you a little late but you're worth waiting on all right when a godly connection sees you missing too much church they're gonna they're gonna ask you why not because they're trying to get into your business but because they know how the enemy works when a godly connection in your life sees your marriage beginning to go in the wrong direction they're gonna ask you what's going on not because they're trying to meddle or get into your business because they know how the enemy works and they know that it's God's will for your marriage to thrive and survive and you ought to thank God for those people when

a godly connection sees something in your life that begins to take over that's becoming more of a God to you that God himself and lordship is beginning to suffer and things are beginning to emerge that really ain't what God's will is for you they will not they will not ignore that or walk around you they love you enough so that iron can sharpen iron they'll put an edge on your life and you need that I need accountability in my life and you need accountability in your life godly connections give you an edge and they draw us closer to God and this is one of the reasons why church is so important number five and finally godly connections complete us to become the true body of Christ you can read the Bible every year till you pass or Jesus comes you can pray three hours of every day of your life you can give all your money to the church or missions around the world but I am standing here flat-footed telling you that if you are not connected to other believers in a meaningful way something will always be missing from your life we are complete when we come together and we connect with each other let me give you another one's gonna date me in the 1960s a television show was produced called the Addams family anybody remember the Addams family yeah it was this comedy and I used to love the show it was super bizarre and it was about a macabre family living in this dusty spooky mansion at the end of 1313 Cemetery Lane no joke and they were a family that were made up of some real characters so the father's name was Gomez the mother's was Morticia they had uncle Fester cousin it Lurch remember that but here was the one that always got me do you remember thing thing was just a hand there was no arm no forearm and it was being a box and he would crawl out of this box creepy as all get out and sometimes he would write letters and sometimes he would find his way around the house and and and and it was just this weird thing because a hand cannot be disconnected but that's what it was and because that's what it was it was not a body it was not an arm they didn't name it that they called it a thing ladies and gentlemen whenever we are disconnected from a local fellowship of believers we are not being a part of the body of Christ and people who say I don't have

to go to church to be a part of the body of Christ become a thing they're just a thing there's just this inanimate thing why because you need the rest of your body you need the mobility of the arm you need the joints you need the sinew you need the muscles you have to have all of the moving parts of the body for a functioning body to be complete a part of a body not functioning because our body part is disconnected from the rest of the body is a thing let me give you some Bible Romans 12 just as there are many parts to our bodies. So it is with Christ's body, we are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us, it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do, so we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. The human body is a symphony of physiology and synergy, and so is the body of Christ. I need you, and you need me, and we need each other. When we all come together and we bring our talents, our gifts, our servanthood, our minds, our hearts, our encouragement together in a fellowship like this, something supernatural happens in the world. So here's the question. The question is, I told you I was gonna answer it honestly. Pastor, do you really have to go to church to be a Christian? Technically no, but you have to go to church if you want to be a strong one. Technically no, but you have to go to church if you want to be a thriving one.

Technically no, but you have to go to church if you want to be a growing one, if you want to be a great one, if you want to experience what Jesus called the abundant life, yes, you are gonna go to church. Technically you don't have to ever go home to be married, but watch what happens to your marriage if you don't. You know. I've been doing this for 30 years. I've been doing this for 30 years, and I'm gonna show you something that I have identified that is true 100% of the time. I have never seen an exception, never in 30 years. I am telling you now that the first step away from God is a step away from the people of God. Every time. I have never met in 30 years a thriving, growing, on-fire Christian, growing in the Lord that never went to church. They love church, and even though the church is full of flawed people like me and you, and it's not perfect, there's no perfect pastors, there's no perfect churches, yes, there's clashes of personalities, yes, it gets messy, yes, it gets ugly. But it's still the body of Christ, and it's the best thing going, and with all of our crap, we come together,

offer it to the grace of God, and his blood melds us together in spite of what's wrong with us. Oh, man. The first step away from God is a step away from, what I'm telling you is that we are bound to drift spiritually when we do not stay connected relationally to godly people. Church should be a priority in your family and in your life. I didn't say this church, because you know this, I mean, we're kingdom people, that's why, can you believe, I'm not some people's cup of tea. Is that hard for you to believe? I bet that's hard for you to believe. How could anybody not like me? But there's a bunch of people who don't. And it's not because of whatever, it's because I'm just loud and obnoxious. I don't know, man, I try to stand here and just talk. I can't do it, I'll die, you understand me? I'll die. And I know that for some people, they just love conversational talkers, and that's wonderful, and that's great. I can't do it, never has been me. And for some people, I'm just too loud, I'm too passionate, I'm too obnoxious, whatever. But there's some people I am. But that's why I'm saying there's a bunch, it's not just this church.

But if you've got to connect with some church somewhere, you cannot be a lone wolf Christian the devil is hoping that you will. Because if you've ever watched National Geographic or Discovery, you know what happens when you get in isolation. Watch what happens. Massive herd of wildebeest, 500 pound animals, big Cape buffalo, and those lions are strategic. They know better than to run in the middle of 300 Cape buffalo, they'll get killed. But what they do is two of them will distract the herd, and then two of them will find the ones that are on the outskirts and on the periphery, and they will cut them away like cutting horses. And once they get them separated from the herd, just keep watching, baby, because it's something to see. It's all over but the crying. You know what the Bible says in 1 Peter 5 and 8? For the devil walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is hoping that you will buy into, I don't have to go to church to be a Christian, and the moment you do, he's got you right where he wants you. And the first step away from God will be a step away from the people of God. The California Redwoods, listen. California redwoods are the largest living natural organic things on earth

Many of these trees stand 300 feet tall and they are 2,500 years old They have both enormity and longevity You would think that something that massive would have this deep large and intricate root system That went hundreds of feet down into the earth, but 50 years ago botanist discovered something that the Absolutely opposite was true They actually have a very very shallow root system, but these botanist discovered something fascinating about the redwoods the roots of a redwood Seek out the chemical signals of other redwoods and they have marked and measured that in some instances Those that shallow root system has went hundreds and hundreds of yards growing under the surface Until they find another redwood system intertwine interlock with it until they form a virtual cage and a web of roots Framing a grid of wood under the surface and the botanist concluded their secret was never their size Even though they are monsters their secret was their support system and they have withstood centuries of storms centuries of hurricanes Centuries of inclement weather centuries of things that should have and could have destroyed him if it wasn't for the way that they sought each other out and Interlocked each other and helped each other stand when they couldn't stand alone The secret to the church is not our size It's not our unique individual strength The secret to the power of the body of Christ the secret to your spiritual vitality and health is our support system You need this church or you need a church and we need you and when we come together like this When the Spirit of God and the Word of God and the people of God come together Something happens in that moment that doesn't happen in any other way. I thank God for online I thank God for the ability to watch great preaching around the world But it is no substitute for being a part of an active living loving fellowship. You need church in your life so the answer is technically no, but if you want to be a growing one a thriving one if you want to be What Jesus called an abundant life you want to live that you want to experience that?

church must be an absolute priority in your Life, it'll change everything. I thank God for my church family, I Thank God for my church family not because I'm the pastor But I'm telling you some of the people in this room have encouraged me and helped me and strengthened me And I know you pray for me and it means everything to me There are people in this church back no matter what happened. I know I'm not alone and you need to know you're not alone You need what God is doing in the body of Christ in your life. Can we pray together father? I thank