Front Page 30th April 2006

Why do you go to church? That’s probably a question most of us have been asked when someone knows you are a Christian. How do you answer? A recent survey had some interesting results to that very question. Some went because they found fellowship and acceptance, others because they believed the church to be perfect in relation to the outside world. Others because of the worship style, others for the preaching. The biggest flaw with all those answers is that the church is made up of imperfect people, and as Paul says in 1 Cor. 13:10 “when the perfect comes, the imperfect disappears” so if your looking for perfection, remember the church is full of sinners, imperfect people, the leaders are sinners, the pastors are sinners. The good thing is that while we were all sinners, Christ came to redeem and die for us, that’s the good news of the Gospel.
So why do you come to church? If we are to take any notice of the very first church as recorded in Acts, it is to encounter the living God. Do we experience God’s presence in our church? If not why not? There can be no other reason than to encounter God that would motivate any of us to continually, week after week, to come to church of a Sunday morning. Sure all those other things have value and some attraction, but all pale into insignificance when compared to an intimate encounter with the living God.
If I was to go to church to find the perfect fellowship, the perfect pastor, the perfect sermon, the worship I liked every week, then I know without doubt that I would be disappointed, no such institution exists that can fulfil all those need. But if I come with the desire to encounter God, I will be satisfied every time, God inhabits the praise of His people the Bible teaches us.
May you be blessed this morning as you encounter the perfect amongst the imperfect; and may you experience an encounter with God today that will reveal to you the real reason you come to church.
God Bless
Blair