Sermon Tone Analysis

Why Do We “Go to Church”?

Well here we are again!

It’s nice to see each and everyone of you.

Most of us were here in this same place last week.

And, most of us will be here in this same place next week, Lord willing.

Some may cynically say we’re in a rut.

I mean we’ve gotten into this habit of doing the same thing Sunday after Sunday.

We come in greet a few people…find our seat which is usually the same spot we sat last week.

God forbid that some wandering visitor come in and sit in our spot.

We have a prayer and sing a few songs.

We observe the Lord’s Supper then we receive an offering.

The preacher takes his turn next and orates longer than we’d really like for him to.

We have a closing prayer and greet a few people before loading into our cars and heading off for Sunday Dinner.

That’s what we did last week.

That’s most likely what we’ll do next week.

Why do we do it?

Why do we come to church?

What does that mean anyway?

(Illus.

With apologies to Shakespeare)…I’m sure you are familiar with that famous statement from Shakespeare’s character Macbeth, “To be or not to be…that is the question” in , scene 1.

Well, someone with too much time on their hands has come up with a companion soliloquy with regard to church attendance...

To go or not to go to church, that is the question.

Is it easier to sleep late on Sunday morning and indulge oneself in laziness, or to take up arms against the sea of desires, and by opposing, calm it?

To rest, to sleep, nothing more: and by a sleep to say we end the thousand invitations the church is continually sounding.

‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.

But such a sleep—‘tis the spirit’s morphia, the soul’s anesthetic, Satan’s slumber.

To rest, to sleep, to dream!

Aye, there’s the rub; for in that sleep what dreams may come?

Who would bear the whips and scourges of conscience, drift on to hell, think of others climbing duty’s golden steps to glory?

‘Tis to dream of sorrows unsoothed, temptations unchecked, songs unsung, prayers unsaid, God not worshiped, His Word unheeded, the Son dishonored, the Sprit resisted, the church forsaken, the world fortified in sin.

Is not this to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune?

To wake, to rise, to move, to get to Bible School and church—aye, this is the task for brave, persistent, far-seeing souls.

To go or not to go to church—why should it be a question?

And, really it should not be a question!

As believers we know why we’re here.

Where else would we be on the “first day of the week.”

We are following a tradition that goes back almost 2,000 years as followers of Jesus have committed themselves to observe the Lord’s Day by assembling together to worship, to pray, to fellowship, to sing, to give, to feed on God’s Word.

What we would do on the first day of the week was settled when we became a Christian.

There is a bit of a problem with this term we use.

“Go to church” or “come to church.”

Surely we all know that this building is not the church.

It is a building where the church, the body of Christ, gathers for worship.

We can have church together outside.

It’s a lot more comfortable in here and there are far less gnats to worry about.

But we are the church.

We should also clarify that worship doesn’t have to take place in this building.

In fact we can worship anywhere and everywhere and we should.

Worship is not to end when the church leaves this building.

But here we are gathered as a body of believers, as the church, to worship the Living God.

And, I think it behooves us to consider our activity…to examine our tradition…to ponder this odd habit of ours to turn aside from normal activity of the week and engage in something very special…something precious…something “other worldly”, if you please.

The word worship literally means: “to ascribe value or worth to someone because we consider him to be worth of homage or reverence.”

Chuck Swindoll offers a word of warning, “We are often so caught up in our own activities that we tend to worship our work…work at our play and play at our worship.

In light of that it is good for us to step back and look at what we do when we say we worship or when we are “at church.”

I mentioned earlier that God’s people have been doing this for almost 2,000 years.

Actually, the practice of spending regular time in worship at a designated place has gone on for much longer than that.

God’s people even in the Old Testament had set times for worship and they gathered together for times of corporate worship in a designated place.

Let’s have a moment of OT Bible Study.

Open your Bibles to the Book of Psalms.

Psalms is the Hymnbook of the Old Testament Hebrews.

There’s a special section of the Psalms that I want you to learn about this morning.

It begins at and goes for 15 Psalms to 134.

Now if you will look at the heading of these 15 Psalms you will note the words, A Song of Ascents.

These 15 Psalms comprise what are called the Pilgrim Psalms .

These are the songs that the pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem to worship would sing as they drew near.

They were preparing their hearts and minds to engage in worship.

Preparation is an important part of worship.

People prepare for everything else…footballs teams practice and even have a pre-game meal; pregnant women have a bag packed.

Fishermen make sure they have bait and tackle ready.

We prepare for things that are important to us.

It is important that we prepare ourselves to “draw near to God” in worship.

This morning I want us to focus on a Psalm that is not part of these 15 but illustrates the attitude of those who would make that pilgrimage to worship.

It is a Psalm that, I think, captures both for them and for us the kind of attitude or frame of mind we need to truly make our weekly experience in this place a time of joy, blessing and genuine fellowship with God and our spiritual family.

Text:

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home

Even the sparrow has found a home

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young—

a place near your altar,

O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.

Introduction: Observations on the text:

Introduction: Observations on the text:

1. Yes, these words are found in the Old Testament so they express attitudes that were directed towards worship in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Yet, are these words not appropriate in expressing our experience in corporate worship on the Lord’s Day?

1. Yes, these words are found in the Old Testament so they express attitudes that were directed towards worship in the Temple at Jerusalem.

Yet, are these words not appropriate in expressing our experience in corporate worship on the Lord’s Day?

2. Note the “hunger and thirsting” for God expressed in this passage.

Is that our experience?

Is this what we feel when we prepare to make our journey to worship on the Lord’s Day?

3. Note also the expression of awe concerning God: He is Lord Almighty...Lord Sabaoth, “Lord of Hosts”...He is King...He is “my God.”

4. This blessing is available for those who share the experience of praise with God’s people.

In another Psalm (122) the Psalmist says, “I was glad when they said to me ‘let us go up to the house of the Lord.’”

Is that our attitude this morning?