Why I Love the Church

Ephesians 5:25-32


We can all point out the faults and problems within the church.


           We can talk about how there are decisions that we do not agree with,

                      people that frustrate us,

                                 things going on that we have a problem with.


           Despite all of it’s warts and faults, the church is something we should love.


Throughout my life the church has meant a lot to me, and I am sure that many of you can identify with me.

           The church has been very good to me and very special to me.


           I think that many of the problems people have with the church,

                      is because they fail to see the good that the church has to offer.


           This morning, I want to look beyond the warts, beyond the problems, and beyond the frustrations

                      and see the church in the way that God sees the Church.


           I believe when we start to truly and sincerely love the church,

                      it changes the way that we interact within the church,

                      it changes the way that we participate;

                      it changes our motives,

                      and changes our priorities.



We can talk all day long about what God expects of us.

           About what God expects us to be doing within the church.


           But until we the people, who make up the church,

                      begin to really love the church,

                                 to stand behind the mission of the church,

                                            the church will accomplish very little for God.


There are many Christians, and non-Christians, who do not love the church.

           They show it by rarely attending, rarely giving,

                      and rarely doing any real work to advance the church.


           We can say we love the church, but if we love the church, the Bride of Christ,

                      then we must show it, through what we choose to do, and how we choose to live our lives.


I am here today, to tell you that I love the Church that Jesus bought with his blood, and I hope you do too.

Ephesians 5:25-32 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.

I. I Love The Church - Because Christ Loves the Church!

When we love someone, we tend to love the things that they love.


           That is why family heirlooms are so treasured and valued.

Most likely you have some family heirloom that has been passed down to you from someone you love.


                      Others may view that item as nothing special or out of the ordinary,

                                 but you treasure it, because of where it came from, whose it was.


One of the reasons why I love the church, is because Christ demonstrated that He loved the church.


           Now, before we go any further, it’s important to make clear that when we speak of the church,

                      we are not speaking of a physical building with the name church on it,

                                 we are speaking of people who are saved.



I can give you numerous reasons why we should love the church,

           but I believe that one of the greatest is,

                      because we have been commanded to love the church.
John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

           This commandment was not necessarily a new commandment,

the idea of loving your neighbor was a principle that God has taught from the very beginning,

Jesus gave new depth to that love.


                      It was new, because we have been commanded to love others, as Christ loves.


           His love is far reaching, in that it reaches to people that we may not be comfortable loving

                      and his love is deep, in that it is unconditional and sacrificial.


 

Jesus demonstrated this love that he had for the church.

A. He Gave Himself Up for the Church.

 

The Scriptures teach us that it is by His stripes that we were healed.
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.


           Paul uses the analogy of Christ’s sacrificial love for the church,

                      to talk about how husbands are to love their wives.

Ephesians 5:24-25 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her


                      The point is, Jesus loved us so much, that He was willing to die for our salvation.


B. He Takes Care of the Church.

Ephesians 5:29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--

It seems like all too often, you hear on the news,

           of a parent not taking proper care of their children.


           You hear of parents neglecting their kids,

                      not providing the food and nourishment they need,

                      not providing the guidance and discipline they need.


           Those parents are always cast in bad light and rightly so.

                      The first thing that I think of, when I hear of that,

                                 is what is going on in that parents mind,

                                            that would cause them not to love their child.


           They may verbally say they love that child,

                      but if you love someone, that you have been entrusted with care of,

                                 you take care of them.



Many of us have pets that are dependent on us for their nourishment.

           The Church is dependent on Christ for it’s spiritual nourishment

                      and he takes care of the church.
 C. He Hurts When the Church Hurts.

God has always taken it personally, when His people are mistreated or when they are hurt.


           Do you remember what happened to the Apostle Paul when he encountered Jesus?

                      He had been persecuting the church,

and one day he was stopped dead in his tracks and heard the voice of Jesus saying, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”


                      Why did Jesus say “me”?

                                 The reason is because, as his people were being hurt, He hurt as well.


 

When you are heart broken, stressed, struggling in life, offended, or mistreated, Christ hurts with you.

           I love the church because I know that as I deal with my emotions,

                      there is someone who understands and sympathizes with us.


           He doesn’t just leave us alone and not care for us, but he hurts as we hurt.


           Christ loves the church, which means he loves you individually.


D. He is the Head of the Church.
 

Some people may say, “I love Jesus, but I do not love the church.”

 

           This is not possible, because the church is the body of Christ and He is the head.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

           Christ, the head of the church, is perfect, however, we are imperfect and sinful,

                      but regardless, Jesus loves the church so much that he gave himself up for her.

 

           There is no doubt, Jesus loves the church!

                      And so should we!

II. I Love The Church Because - The Church is God’s Family!

I would be willing to bet, that every family has some secrets.

           Some things that you would never tell anyone about.


           Perhaps, something that a family member has done, that would embarrass the entire family.

                      But you keep it a secret, to protect your family who you love.


           You don’t stop loving that person, that may have done something terrible,

                      because your love is unconditional.


I think that the church should guard each other in the same way, because we are a family.


           When one in the church sins,

                      it probably isn’t the best response,

                                 to go and tell people of the sin that your brother committed.


           We don’t want to broadcast it to the community,

                      but rather, we should want to help the one who sinned, to overcome.


           Some things simply need to stay in the family,

and our love for one another, as a spiritual family needs to be unconditional.
Ephesians 3:14-15 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.



You are related to your family through a blood relation.

           As God’s children, we have been washed in the blood of Jesus, and made a part of God’s family.


           The Bible uses all sorts of analogies, comparing the church to a family, and God as the father.


                      For example we are all children of God.

                                 We are brothers and sisters with Christ.

                                            We are co-heirs with Christ.



Being a part of a good family, is something that everyone can value and treasure.


           For me there is nothing that means more to me than knowing, I have a loving Heavenly Father,

                      who wants more than anything, to be with me forever.


           That is hard for many people to grasp, especially if they didn’t grow up in the best home.

                      Many have grown up in families where there was always arguing and fighting.

                                 Where the kids didn’t spend much time with their Father.


                      Many children growing up never felt that there parents loved them,

                                 because they didn’t spend time with them.



The Church makes that all different, doesn’t it?


           The thought of having an eternal family,

                      who really cares about us, makes us glad to be a part of the family of God.

                                 I love the Church!

I love to sing:
I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God;
I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by his blood,
Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,
For I’m a part of the family, the family of God

III. I Love The Church - Because of the Strong Relationships!


The Church is unlike anything else in the whole world, because of the special relationships we form in the church.

           You can have dozens of friends in the world,

                      but no friendships or relationships can compare,

                                 with those that you can develop within the church.


           You cannot find friends in the world,

                      that care about your soul,

                      that will pray for you,

                      that will desire you to be a better person,

                      that will encourage you when you are down,

                      will love you unconditionally,

                      will forgive you when you mess up,

                      and will care about where you spend eternity.


           The fellowship that we can have within a church, is special and unique to the church.

 

 
I have heard that the giant redwood trees in California actually have really shallow roots.

           How then can they stay strong and not topple over with out deep roots?

 

           The reason is, the Redwood trees are connected together by their roots.

                      Since they are connected together at the roots,

                                 they are able to stand strong and withstand the storms and the wind.

 

As Christians, when we are rooted together in Christ,

we are able to withstand a lot of difficulties, because we are connected together.
I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

           Christian fellowship is distinct from worldly friendships,

                      and is different from just spending time with friends.

 

                      Christian fellowship results in spiritual growth.

 

 

I have heard many people share,

           that the church, and their relationships within the church, have meant the world to them.

 

           The cards written by brothers and sisters in Christ,

                      the visits from those who care,

                      the waits at the hospital when someone is sick,

                      the prayers that are offered on someone’s behalf.

 

           Those things mean the world to people.

 

 

It’s beyond me, how and why, someone would be able to go through the storms of this life,

           without Christian friends to be there for them.

           I believe, it’s very important for us, to be wise in who we choose to have as our friends,

                      because our friends, have a great influence over us.

 

           What could be better, than to have deep and strong relationships with people,

that share the same faith and have the same values that we do.
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

           It is important for us to make wise decisions concerning our friends.

 

 

There has ever been an institution that has relationships like the church!

 

           The church is full of amazing people,

                      who can at times, really come through for each other.

 

           I could not imagine going through this life,

                      without the love, care and support of friends within the church.

 

           I have no idea, how non-Christians, deal with death and sickness with no one to fall back on.

 

 

I have seen the church do amazing things for people.

           I have seen when a loved one dies,

                      the church take up a grieving person in their arms,

                                 and come together for them,

                                 make them food,

                                 shower them with cards and love,

                                 visit them, and check in on them.

 

           I have seen people diagnosed with disease,

                      prayed over, cared for, loved, and physical needs being met.

 

 

Not everyone in the church can teach, or preach, but everyone can love each other.

           That is what is unique about the church.

 

           The relationships that are formed because of a common bond,

                      and a common hope that we have in Christ.

IV. I Love The Church Because - Of Her Impact on The Community!

There are a lot of clubs and social groups that do amazing things.

           I am thankful for those groups,

                      which raise money for finding a cure for a disease,

                      to build hospitals,

                      to feed the hungry,

                      to provide gifts for children that cannot afford it,

                      to lobby for moral issues that are important to us,

                                 but those groups will never make the impact, that the church has.

 

           Much to the regret, of many people in society,

                      the church has greatly impacted the world in which we live in.

 


A. The Church Has Been A Conscience in Society.

If it wasn’t for the church, and the influence Christians have in the world, morality would be a whole lot worse than it is now.

 

           Watch what happens when there is a moral issue within a company,

                      who speaks out against it?

                                 The Christians do.

 

           Some people may see that as offensive, intolerant and fundamentalist,

                      but I see it as being a voice of truth.

 

                      I see it as being the salt of the Earth,

                                 I see it as speaking out against what is contrary to what is good and right,

                                 I see it as being a conscience, and a voice in a society.

 

                      Without the voice of Christians,

                                 our world would be a much more immoral and chaotic place to live.

 

 

I believe that the Church has kept America from being far worse than it is today,

           because there are still people with morals and convictions,

                      willing to stand up for what is right,

                                 and they are found within the Lord’s Church.

 

B. The Church Has Shown Love and Compassion to the Unlovable.

The church has shown people, whom the world has cast out, love and compassion,

           the same way Jesus did.

 

           Jesus showed that every person had value, that every person matters.

                      By loving those no one else would.

 

           Many of the people that make up the church,

                      may have been rejected by the world,

                                 and never could find love and acceptance.

 

                      But the church, has shown love to those people.

 

 

I love the church, because sinners find acceptance in the church.

           I am thankful, that people in the church,

                      do not hold the things that I have done against me,

                                 and force my past to dictate my future.

 

           I am thankful, that people who have done awful things,

                      can find love and acceptance.

 

                      After all, aren’t we all sinners in need of grace from God and from others?

 

 

Aren’t you thankful that in the church we can be accepted for who we are.

           You don’t have to have a great career or a large bank account.

           You don’t have to fit the perfect image.

           You don’t have to look a certain way or dress a certain way.

You don’t have to be limited, because of what you have done.

 

           The church should accept people where they are, the way Christ accepts us.

 

What an impact on society!

           What an example of Christ’s love!

 

           I love the church, because the church shows love and compassion,

                      to those that may be and seem unlovable.

 

C. The Church Has Influenced Lives.

How many lives have been impacted, because of the church and what she stands for?

           There is no telling.

 

           Paul is one of those people, who was an incredibly immoral man, that sough to kill Christians,

and he was changed, because of Christ, and he became a great influencer for good.

 

           He may have been someone that was ruled out, as a evil man, that could never change,

                      but Christ saw beyond that.

 

           One life changed, makes an eternal difference.

 

Paul on one occasion was influencing so many people that he caused a riot in the city of Ephesus.
Acts 19:23-27 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

 

           What an impact, on an incredibly immoral society.

 

You probably remember Jeffery Dahlmer.

           He was an incredibly wicked man, one of the most notorious murders ever.

                      He did things that disgust most people.

 

           I have heard, that before his death, he gave his life over to Christ.

                      How can someone so wicked change in that way?

                                 What an impact on society?

 

           No club can bring about those changes.

                      Only Christ, can change a wicked person like that, into a child of God.

 

There are countless stories of lives being impacted and the world becoming a better place.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

           There is no one that is too far from the grace of God.

 

           One person at a time, the church has been an influence on society.

 

                      Individuals changing their lives, and making Christ their Lord,

                                 has shaped our world to be a better place.

 

           If it wasn’t for the church,

                      people would have less medical care,

                      would be less educated,

                      and would have less freedoms and laws protecting them.

 

There are countless more reasons to love the church.

           The church has conviction and commitment to truth, in a world rejecting absolutes.

 

           The church shows there is hope beyond this life.

 

           The church is a great place to raise kids and educate youth.

 

           The church is a great place to celebrate life and salvation.

 

           The church is a place to find meaning, mission and purpose in life.

                      I love the church, don’t you?