We live in a world where

to anything or anyone is a low priority. Instead our world lays stress on freedom and instant gratification.

Another reason why commitment to the church can lose out is because of the pressures of modern life and these pressures are real.

There also is the pressure of needing to enroll our children in extra-curricular activities.

There is another point to remember concerning the busyness of our modern lives and that is despite the busyness, we do what we want to do.

Why is Commitment to the Church Such a Big Deal?

Why should I regularly come to church after knowing the Lord for many years?

“Christianity if false is of no importance and if true, it is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.”
— C.S. Lewis

What did Jesus think about the church?
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “I will build my church.” So Jesus is both the builder and the

of the church. The pronoun, “my,” is very important.

Ephesians 5:25 tells us that Jesus loves His church. This verse says, “Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” An important question in my Christian faith is “how important is it for me to love what Jesus loves?”

Can a person be a Christ follower and not love what Jesus loves?

Since love can be simply mushy sentiment without any action, Ephesians 5:25 goes on to say “and gave himself up for her.”

Images in the Bible are very important for teaching truth because it helps turn abstract ideas into something concrete.

The first image of the church is a bride.

The second image is the

showing that in the church, we are connected in a powerfully present and living way to Christ the head. Since we in this church are part of the body of the Christ, we can legitimately say that Heartland Church is MY church.

Why does Jesus have such an amazingly high view of the church?
What role models of pastors, youth workers and Sunday School teachers influenced you?

If the church is weak and lacking in committed, involved members, where are the children and youth of today going to receive the kind of modeling you and I received?

You might say that your contribution to the ministry of the church will never be missed because it is so small.

When you think that your contribution is small and insignificant, be encouraged by remembering the words of Walt Disney, “Don’t be afraid of small beginnings; remember this whole thing started with a mouse.”

In making a contribution to the ministry of the church, we need to recognize that our roles will change as our

change.

What are the roles of the church that make it so significant?
3 Roles:

1) Teaching/Preaching Role
Weekly we need to hear teaching from a man or woman of God to help us in our

.

The Word of God remains constant from the day it was written to the present but our cultural circumstances change so we need to hear current preaching which applies the Word to current realities.

“To dwell above with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below with saints we know, well that’s a different story.”
— Ray Steadman

2) Worship
There is an encouragement for me to worship more deeply and in a more focused way when I am worshipping with the Body of Christ on Sunday morning at Heartland Church.

3) Fellowship/Koinonia/Community
All of us regularly need to both give and receive fellowship/koinonia/community.

“The church lies at the heart of God’s eternal purpose. God’s purpose is not merely to save isolated individuals and so perpetuate our loneliness. God’s purpose is to build a church.”
— John Stott

Through koinonia/fellowship, one of the key gifts we give is the gift of

.

“Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.”
— George Adams

I wonder how many parents in this church ever say to their children, “Have you considered the possibility of full-time ministry?”

“Jim because of the retiring baby boomers, within 10 years 70% of the churches in EOD will be without pastors.”
— Rev. Craig Burton

Let’s conclude with looking at the prospect of success for this church that we are committing to.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said in reference to the church, “the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

The correct meaning of this portion is that this is an offensive reference to the church not a defensive one. Hades or hell is behind the gates of this fortress/prison which locks in sinners and locks out the rescuers. But in this verse, Hades is being successfully attacked and is on the defensive.

Why is this challenge to commitment to the church important? For all of us, our love and vision for the church is like a leaky boat. Through the passage of time and the encroachment of life’s challenges, our vision of commitment leaks and needs to be renewed. I encourage both you and me to do this morning. Will you join me?