How Does Church Help Me?

A  lot of people say, “I want to be a Christian but I don’t need a church.” That’s like saying, “I want to play football in the NFL but not be on any team…. I want to be a soldier but not have a platoon…. I want to play a French horn but not be in an orchestra…. I want to be a sailor without a ship–a bee without a hive.” A Christian without a church family is an orphan. God told the Christians at Ephesus that they belonged together with other Christians in His church (see Ephesians 2:19). A church is not simply a place that you go to every week, but a family you belong to. God designed a church for His glory and our benefit.

How Does Church Help Me:

Five Benefits of a Bible-believing Local Church

1. It Helps Me Focus on God – Worship

Some days it is so easy to be distracted by “life” that we can go through the whole day and not even think about God. Sometimes we can forget about God because we might be too busy, too happy, too stressed, or too whatever. God gave us the 4th commandment: “Every seventh day, refocus on God!” Every time you refocus on God and express your love to God, you are worshiping. Jesus called loving God the greatest commandment (see Matthew 22:37–38). God loves you and He made you to love Him back.

2. It Helps Me Face Life’s Problems – Fellowship

Life is tough! It can be one problem after another! As a result, we all sometimes get discouraged, tired, fatigued, and drained. God never meant for you to go through life all by yourself. He wants you to have a church family for support. The Christian life is not a solo act. We draw strength from one another. Someone once said “A shared joy is a double joy; a shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” We all need fellowship.

3. It Helps Me Fortify My Faith – Maturity

“Fortify” means “to strengthen, to develop, to reinforce.” We have breakfast cereals that are fortified with vitamins. Toaster pastries are fortified with Vitamin A (so we can say they’re health food). A church family fortifies you and helps you clarify your values. It helps you set your priorities. It helps you figure out, what you really believe. A church family helps you develop character, conviction, and integrity. God says a church family is designed to help you grow and mature your faith.

4. It Helps Me Find my Ministry – Service

You weren’t put on earth just to take up space. God expects you to give something back. He expects you to make a contribution with your life. He gave you certain abilities, talents, and gifts that He expects you to use to help other people. Any time you use your talents or what you know to help somebody else, that’s called ministry. A “non-ministering” Christian is a contradiction. You were made for ministry. One day every Christian is going to stand before God and He is going to say, “What was your ministry? What did you do on earth to make a contribution to someone else?” A church family helps you discover and develop your ministry (see Ephesians 2:10).

5. It Helps Me Fulfill My Life Mission – Purpose

God has a grand purpose for your life. You were put on the earth for a reason God chose even before you were born. He chose exactly the parents to whom you would be born and where. All of these things you had no control over because He was making you for a mission. God created you for a purpose, and He says “I want you to fulfill it.” The moment you trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, God activates your life mission. Part of your life mission is called the Great Commission – telling other people the good news about Jesus Christ.  Someone told you, and so you are to pass it on to others. God wants every Christian to be a messenger of God’s love to others.

I really do need a church… and my church needs me. Find a Bible-believing church family and say, “This is going to be my home.” No church is perfect, but nothing is more important than the church of Jesus Christ! If you do not have a church family that is fulfilling these five purposes, come be our guest.

Author: Editor

Community Connection is an outreach magazine and blog from Valley Forge Baptist to provide relevant and uplifting articles for the families and homes of Collegeville, PA and area residents. Articles are not just from staff but from other community members who’s lives have been touched by Jesus Christ. If we have been an encouragement to you please let us know at info@vfbt.org.