(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

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Good morning and welcome. Let's find our seats, take our songbooks, turn to song 180. Song number 180 in your hindals. We're going to sing, Isn't the Love of Jesus Something Wonderful, 180. Let's sing it out together, all in the first. There will never be a sweeter story, Story of the Savior's love divine, Love that brought Him from the realms of glory, Just to save a sinful soul like mine. Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful, Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, Wonderful it is to me, 180 on the second, Bound the sassy universe around me, Reaching to the farthest soul away, Say the keeping of it was about me, That is why my heart can truly say, Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful, Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, Wonderful it is to me, Alright, you're a little bit warmed up, so let's sing it out on the last. Love beyond our human comprehending, Love of God and Christ so can it be, This will be my demon never ending, Great and redeeming love of Calvary, Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful, Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, Wonderful it is to me, Amen. Welcome to the morning service and your special Valentine's service. Let's go ahead and open up with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we just thank you for the service this morning. We ask that you would bless this time, bless the singing and the preaching and the fellowship afterwards. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Turn to song 175, song number 175. It's just like his great love, 175 on the first. A friend I have called Jesus, whose love is strong and true, And never fails, now we're destroyed, no matter what I do. I've sinned against his love of his, but when I yell to pray, One face for all, my dear to him, the same clouds roll away. It's just like Jesus, to roll the clouds away. It's just like Jesus, to keep me day by day. It's just like Jesus, all along the way. It's just like his great love. Let's sing it out like you're saved. Sing it out on the second. Sometimes the clouds of trouble, meet in the sky above. I cannot see my Savior's face, I doubt He on His love. But He from heaven's earth to see, behold Him I whisper. In papers the clouds meet me, and shows me He is there. It's just like Jesus, to roll the clouds away. It's just like Jesus, to keep me day by day. It's just like Jesus, all along the way. It's just like his great love, on the third. When sorrows bow, don't take me, and break upon my hand. When life seems worse and useless, am I a better man? I take my grief to Jesus then, or do I go in pain? For every hope He gives, I choose, like sunshine after rain. It's just like Jesus, to roll the clouds away. It's just like Jesus, to keep me day by day. It's just like Jesus, all along the way. It's just like His great love. Good, let's sing it out on the last. Oh, I could sing forever, of Jesus, the Divine. Of all His care and tenderness, who abys for life of mine. His love is in and over all, and with their praise obey. Oh, Jesus, please, please, please be still. Let those clouds away. It's just like Jesus, to roll the clouds away. It's just like Jesus, to keep me day by day. It's just like Jesus, all along the way. It's just like His great love. Amen. We want to welcome you to this special service. Of course, I love my church Sunday, and we are glad that you are with us. If you need a bulletin, raise your hand, and one of our ushers can get one for you. If you need a bulletin, just put your hand up, and we will get one for you. The verse this week, Psalm 23, 6, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And that's a good verse there. We like that. If you open up your bulletin, you'll see our service times, Sunday morning service, 1030 a.m. And we're glad you're with us, of course, on Sunday morning on the Lord's Day for church. And, of course, today's a special service, and we'll talk about that here in a minute. Sunday evening service at 6 p.m. And we have a special service lined up tonight as well for the evening service. And then, of course, our Wednesday evening Bible study at 7 p.m. We'd love for you to join us on Wednesday night for the midweek service. If you look at our soul winning times, our main soul winning times on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. And then we have additional soul winning times on Thursdays and Fridays and Sundays at 2 p.m. So if you'd like to go soul winning this afternoon, there will be an opportunity for you to be able to do that. If you're a first-time guest, if it's your first time here at Verity Baptist Church, we're glad you're with us. We have a special gift for you. Of course, today is I Love My Church Sunday. And we have this special Sunday on the Sunday before Valentine's Day. But we always have a special gift for all of our guests. So if it's your first time here, we want you to grab a gift bag on your way out as you leave the service this morning. If you go out our main foyer or if you go out our secondary foyer, you'll see a little table set up. And on that table, you'll see these gift bags. Please grab one on your way out as a gift from us to you. There are several resources in this bag that we'd like you to have. But the one I'd like to highlight is this documentary that our church made. It's called Being Baptist. It's very well made, very interesting. And we think you'll enjoy it. We want to give this to you as a gift. So please make sure you do not leave here on your way out without grabbing one of these gift bags. And if you are a guest, we ask that you please take a moment and fill out the communication card, which is inserted in your bulletin. If you need a pen, just raise your hand and one of our ushers can bring you by a Verity Baptist Church pen. And you're welcome to keep the pen as a gift from us as well. And we're not going to do anything odd with your info. We would just like to have a record of your attendance. We actually would like to send you a little gift, but we need your information to do that. So please take a moment to fill the card out. When we're done with the announcements, we're going to sing a song. When we're done singing, we're going to receive the offering. And as the offering plate goes by, you can drop this card in the offering plate. Or you can hand it to me after the service. I'll be standing at the main door greeting people on the way out. So please take a moment to fill the card out. If you look at our bulletin there, we of course are a family integrated church. What that means is that children and infants are always welcomed in the church service. We do not separate children from their parents for any reason. We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience. All of the rooms have comfortable seating. They have monitors set up so you can watch the service and listen to it. So if you have a child that's being distracting during the service, or if you need some privacy, we would encourage you to use the mother-baby rooms or the daddy room if you're not sure where those are at. You can look at the back of the bulletin, and you'll see a layout of our church building. It'll show you where the mother-baby rooms are, where the daddy room is. It'll show you where the restrooms are. If you need to be baptized, please let us know. We'd love to baptize you. The baptistry is filled. The water's warm. We've got everything you need to be baptized. And you can go about it a couple of ways. If you'd like to speak to somebody on your communication card on the back, you can check off that you'd like information about baptism, and we'll follow up with you and talk to you about that. If you've already spoken to somebody, you know you need to be baptized, then all you need to do is at the end of the service while we're singing the last song after the preaching, if you step out that door, one of our staff guys will meet you there, and we'll get you situated for baptism. If you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course, today is I Love My Church Sunday. We want to thank you for being with us for this special service. We've got several things going on. First of all, in the morning service, the 10.30 a.m. service, we have special music from the VBC Choir and Orchestra today, so they'll be singing for us this morning. Also, after the service, we have a special gift. We have a special gift. We have the gift bags for all of the guests, but additionally, we have a gift for every family in attendance. So we've got in the main foyer out there these pink vanilla and caramel Valentine's Day popcorn bags. We've got a large bag, so it's one large bag per family, and then for the singles or just a couple, then we've got a smaller bag as well. You'll see them out there in the foyer. We want to give this to you as a gift, so make sure you go by the foyer and grab one of these caramel popcorn, pink vanilla caramel popcorn bags, and it's got a little sticker from the church there, and of course, I Love My Church Sunday. So we are glad that you're here and want to make sure you get that as a gift from us to you today. And then also in the evening service tonight, after the evening service, we're going to have a potluck after the service in the fellowship hall. So we want to encourage you to come back tonight at 6 p.m. for the evening service, and we'll have a potluck. It'll be a good time. Now let me just speak to real quickly, if you're a first-time guest or if you're a guest here this morning, I'm not speaking to you at this point, but let me just quickly speak to the Verity Baptist Church family and let me remind you about something I like to call potluck math, all right? Potluck math works like this. If my family of eight brings enough food for one person and your family of five brings enough food for one person, that means there's about 11 people that aren't going to eat, all right? So unless if you're planning on multiplying loaves and fishes, you've got to bring enough food at least for your family and preferably to share, all right? Now my wife has a goal to make sure that nobody goes hungry, so she's going to spend the afternoon making about 100 sandwiches or something, but I want to ask our church family, all right? Don't show up empty-handed, and we want to make sure we take care of our guests as well. So bring enough for your family and for any guests that we may have tonight, and it's called Christian hospitality, and so if you could help us with that, we would appreciate it. And then if you look at the announcements there, we've got the Young Men's Workshop coming up. All the young men ages 8 to 17 years old and their dads are invited to a workshop to learn the basics of how to work with their hands. That's Thursday, February 23rd at 10 a.m. If you'd like to attend, you can sign up on your communication card. If you have any questions, you can see Brother Joel Usher. He's setting it up for us, and lunch will be provided, so we need you to sign up. All the ladies are invited to a baby shower for Ms. Ajana Goncharov on Saturday, February 25th at 3 p.m., and Ms. Ajana is having a boy and is registered on Amazon. It is a potluck, so if you can, please bring a dish to share, and if you'd like to attend, you can sign up on your communication card. Nine Chapters a Day Challenge. If you participated in the Nine Chapters a Day Challenge, we need you to stop by in the foyer. There is a clipboard with everybody's names who completed the Nine Chapters a Day Challenge. This was a Bible reading challenge. We did it in the month of January. We need you to go by there and check for your name, and we need you to put a checkmark next to your name if your name is spelled right. If it's not spelled right, if it's incorrect, there's a line next to your name. You can write your name legibly so that we can fix it. If your name is not on the list, and it should be on the list, there's lines at the end that you can add your name, and we need you to go by there and look at that. It's going to be there for several weeks, but we're going to get a nice plaque made, and once the plaque is made, it is what it is, all right? It's done. We are not correcting it, so we need you to look at the list before the plaque gets made, check your name, make sure your spelling is good, put a checkmark letting us know that you saw it, or write your name in if there is a problem. That is in the foyer. Choir practice, the choir is singing for us this morning, but we want to let the choir know that Easter, they're going to begin practicing for Easter on Sunday, February 26th at 5 p.m. So that's not this coming Sunday, but two weeks from now, choir practice begins on Sunday, February 26th, and if you're going to be part of the choir, we need you to be at that first practice. Homeschool group, they've got a Valentine's Day party this Tuesday, February 14th at 11 a.m. If you'd like to attend, you can sign up on your communication card if you're part of our homeschool group, and you can see my wife for more details. She has a handout as well if you need it. They also have P.E. class this Thursday, February 16th at 10 a.m. There's other things there for you to look at. Please don't forget to turn your cell phones off or place them on silent during the service so that they're not a distraction to anybody. If you look at the back of the bulletin, birthdays and anniversaries for the month of February, this week we have Delia Vincent's birthday on February 14th, and Brother Victor and Miss Julissa Zuniga have an anniversary on February 14th, and Celise McQueen and Jamie McQueen both have a birthday on February 15th. That's quite a coincidence that they both have a birthday on the same day there. I don't know how that worked out. Praise report, money matters, all those things are there for you to look at. I think that's it for all of the announcements, so we're going to go ahead and sing the chorus of the week. As we prepare to receive the offering this morning, we'll sing How Great Thou Art as we prepare to receive the offering, and then we'll have the choir sing for us after the offering. Oh Lord my God, sing it out on the first. Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds thy hands have made I see the stars, hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout the universe displayed Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Good, I need you to help me out, all right? I've got my bad allergies are not allowing me to sing as I'd like to sing, so sing it out on the second. If you can sing, sing it out. When through the woods and forest plains I wander And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees When I look down from lovely mountain grandeur And hear the broods and feel the gentle breeze Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Good, that was better. Let's sing it out even better on the third. You can't sing about singing and not sing, all right? Sing it out on the third. And when I think that God is son not sparing Sent him to die, I scarce yet make him live That on the cross my burden gladly bearing He bled and died to take away my soul All right, here we go. Sing it out. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Good, sing it out on the last. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home, my joy shall fill my heart Then I shall bow in humble adoration And then proclaim, my God, how great thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee How great thou art, how great thou art Amen. Good singing. We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time. I'm just trying to help the choir get warmed up so they can sing well for us. And we'll have the guys come up at this time. Let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, we do thank you for allowing us to gather together today. Lord, we pray that you would bless the time that we have set aside for preaching. Lord, we pray that you would bless the offering, the gift, and the giver. Lord, we ask that you would meet with us this morning. Help us to be challenged by your word. We pray that you would bless the fellowship afterwards and the fellowship tonight. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In Jesus' name we pray. In Jesus' name we pray. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. At this time we're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. We're going to have the choir sing for us. Amen. We're going to have the choir sing for us. Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10. If you do not have a Bible, raise your hand and an usher will bring you one. Hebrews chapter 10, we will read the entire chapter as is our custom. Hebrews chapter 10, just keep your hands up and an usher will bring you a Bible. Hebrews chapter 10, the Bible reads, For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, could never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers there unto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. For when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book that is written of me, to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldst not, neither had pleasure therein, which are offered by the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sacrificed through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath performed, excuse me, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us try near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised, and let not consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the matter of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much more as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we had received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, the call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst ye were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ye become companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward, for ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For ye had a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Let us pray. Father God Almighty, thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to come together. Please bless, Pastor. Bless the message. Let it bring glory and honor to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. Amen. Alright, well let me begin by saying that the choir and the orchestra did a beautiful job. They did a great job. I'm pretty sure they were lip-singing, but they did a good job. No, they do wonderful work. We're there in Hebrews chapter number 10, and I'd like you to look down at verse number 24, Hebrews chapter number 10. In verse number 24, the Bible says, And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Of course, today is a special service here at Verity Baptist Church. It's our I Love My Church Sunday service, and it's a day that we set aside to show love and appreciation for the house of God, and we are thankful for all of you who have taken the time to be here this morning. I want to speak to you this morning on the subject of church attendance, the priority of church attendance, and I want to challenge you to be consistent in your church attendance. You'll notice there in verse 24, the writer of Hebrews says, Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. He said that one of the jobs of a Christian is to provoke one another. Usually when we use the word provoke, we think of that in a negative way. Someone provokes you to do something negative, but here he says that we should provoke each other or challenge each other unto love and to good works. I want you to notice the context in which he says that. He says not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. That is referring to a church service. A church is an assembly or a congregation of believers, and he says not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. Notice it again, but exhorting. The word exhort means to encourage, exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. And just by way of introduction, I want you to notice that God does not want Christians to have a habit of being inconsistent to church. Notice that there again, verse 25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Now sometimes when we look at this passage, we apply it, and I don't think this is wrong, but we apply it to people who simply quit church and don't go to church altogether, and that's definitely an application. God does not want you to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. The Bible tells us, and I don't have the time this morning to go through all the verses, but the Bible tells us that Jesus loves the church, that Jesus died for the church, that Jesus is the head of the church, that Jesus builds the church, that Jesus is ministering unto the churches, and God gave us through his son a local New Testament church. Jesus started the church, and therefore God does not want us to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. God doesn't want you to quit church, and this verse is definitely referring to people quitting church, but it's also referring to people who have a habit of skipping or being inconsistent to church, because I want you to notice there in verse 25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Notice the words, as the manner of some is. The word manner means custom or habit, and here the writer is telling us that some people have a habit. They have a custom, a bad habit, a bad manner, a bad custom of forsaking the assembly, and I just want to say this. God does not want Christians to have a habit of being inconsistent to church. In fact, God wants you to develop a habit of being consistent to church, prioritizing the house of God. You're there in Hebrews chapter 10. Do me a favor, put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there, because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it later on in the sermon. We'll actually come back to it also at the very end of the sermon, and we'll finish where we started here in Hebrews chapter 10. But if you would, go with me to the book of Acts, Acts chapter number 20. That is going to be closer towards the beginning of the New Testament. If you start at the New Testament at the book of Matthew, you have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then the book of Acts. Acts chapter 20, and I want you to look down at verse number 18. Acts chapter 20 and verse number 18, the Bible says this, And when they were come to him, he said unto them, this is the apostle Paul, the Bible says, Acts 20, 18, and when they were come to him, he said unto them, ye know from the first day that I came to Asia. This is the apostle Paul speaking to the churches in Asia, to the congregations there. He says, ye know from the first day that I came into Asia after, notice what he says, what manner. Now remember, the word manner means custom or habit. We saw in Hebrews 10.25, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. Here we see the apostle Paul and he says, you know after what manner I have been with you at all seasons. Here we see the exact opposite, Paul says in Hebrews, and we don't know who the writer of Hebrews is, the Bible does not tell us, I believe it's the apostle Paul, you may disagree with that, that's okay, but I think that in Hebrews 10.25, Paul says, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. And then in Acts 20, in verse 18, he says, ye know from the first day that I came into Asia what manner, what custom, what habit I have been with you at all seasons. Paul says, look, I have had a habit, I have had a custom, I have had a manner of life that I have been with you at all seasons. You might ask, even football season? Paul would have said, yeah, even football season. I have been with you at all seasons. I have been consistent in my attendance at church. And God wants Christians to have a habit of being consistent to church. Go to Acts chapter number 11. I would like to give you three things to consider this morning, three reasons why you ought to be consistent with your church attendance. I would like to give you three thoughts and maybe you can write these down. On the back of your course of the week, there is a place for you to write down some notes. I would love for you to jot these thoughts down. Three reasons to be consistent with your church attendance. Number one, you ought to be consistent with church attendance to learn scriptural living from the preaching. You ought to be consistent to church attendance. Why? Because God wants you to learn scriptural living. Now you already know how to live. You already have a manner and a custom about your life. But what most people don't know is scriptural living. They don't know. There are many people today that are married, but they don't know how to have a marriage centered on the Bible. They are raising children, but they don't know how to raise their children based off the Word of God. They are running their finances, but they don't know how to run their finances based off what the Bible says. They might have a business. They might be employed somewhere. But they don't know how to be a worker based on how God tells you to be a worker. And here's what I'm telling you is that Jesus said, I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Jesus came to give you life, but the Bible will also make you better at life. The problem is that most people don't know what the Bible says. You say, why should I come to church? Why should I be consistent in my church attendance? You ought to be consistent to learn scriptural living from the preaching. Why? Because church is where the Word of God is both expounded and explained. Notice there in Acts chapter 11 and verse 26, notice what the Bible says. And when he, this is Barnabas, just to give you a little context, had found him, this is the Apostle Paul, he brought him unto Antioch and it came to pass, notice what the Bible says, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church. You'll notice that there's a theme in the Bible when it comes to the Word of God and it's this idea of congregating, assembling, being together. A whole year they assembled themselves with the church. Notice what the Bible says, what they do when they assembled. And taught much people and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. This is a very interesting passage to me because the term Christian is something that we use a lot. You often think about, when you think about our type of faith or religion, that we are Christians. People call us Christian. I like the term Christian. But I want you to notice that the term Christian was not a term that Christians gave themselves. In the Bible you find the word that Christians use in the New Testament when speaking about themselves. They use the word brethren or brother. They use the word believer. But the Bible tells us that the word Christian was actually given to Christians by the world. But what Christians was it? Well here we're told that they were called Christians first in Antioch. It was the disciples or the believers or the brethren in Antioch that were called by the outside world. They referred to them as Christians. What does the word Christian mean? It means a follower of Christ. It means a little Christ. Really it was kind of a bad term. It was a mocking term. They were saying, you're just like a wannabe Christ. You're a little Christ. You're a Christian. But why were they called that? Notice Acts 11 26. And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch and it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church. So these disciples, these brethren, they were consistent in their assembly in church for an entire year. And for an entire year the Bible says and taught much people. They preached the word of God to them. Why? Because church is where the word of God is expounded and explained. And as these disciples assembled for a year and as the word of God was taught to them and it was applied to them. And they lived out and they learned scriptural living from the preaching of God's word. Their lives began to change. Their marriages began to be transformed. Their demeanor began to change. The way they treated people, the way they did business, the way they acted towards people began to change. And people took notice and said, you're just like Christ. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Why should you go to church? Why should you be consistent? To learn scriptural living from preaching. Church is where the word of God is expounded and explained to you so that you can apply it to your life and it can transform your life. Flip over to Acts chapter 20. You're there in Acts 11. Flip over to Acts chapter 20. Look at verse 28. Church is where the word of God is expounded and explained. Here we have the Apostle Paul speaking to pastors. Notice what he says. Acts 20, 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock. The flock there is a reference to the church, the congregation. Over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. This is the pastors being spoken to by Paul. And he's telling them, God has made you an overseer over the flock, over the church of God. Notice he says, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. What is the primary objective? Now I want you to listen to what I'm saying because it is not the only objective. But what is the primary objective of having a church, of having a congregation, an assembly? It is not the only objective but the primary objective is to teach you the word of God. Now I'm thankful for the music. I didn't know the choir and the orchestra did a beautiful job. I'm thankful for the popcorn. I hope you'll enjoy the popcorn as you have some for a snack this afternoon. I'm thankful for the potluck and I'm thankful for the event. And I'm thankful for all the things that we do around here. But honestly we're enticing you with eating popcorn because we really want to feed you the word of God. We want to feed the church of God which he hath purchased, notice, with his own blood. The church is where the word of God is expounded and explained. That's where you learn the word of God. Go to 1 Corinthians if you would, 1 Corinthians chapter 4. You're there in Acts, just go past the book of Romans into the book of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 4. While you turn there let me read to you a phrase from the book of Revelation. It is found over and over and over in the book of Revelation and it is this. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. See it is not only that the word of God is expounded upon at church but when the word of God is expounded, the Holy Spirit of God himself speaks through the preaching of God's word. Which is why in the book of Revelation, if you're familiar with the book of Revelation, the first few chapters deal with seven churches in Asia. And the book of Revelation was actually a letter written to the seven churches in Asia. And at the beginning there's a message for each one of the churches and over and over it is said to them, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Why? Because God is speaking to the churches through his Spirit and through his word. The Holy Spirit uses the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. 1 Corinthians 4.17. Are you there? Notice what the Bible says. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ. Notice, it's not about my ways, Paul says. And I'm telling you as a pastor of this church, it's not about my ways. But it is, Paul says, about my ways which be in Christ. That's what we're trying to teach you. We're trying to teach you our ways which be in Christ. How to do it as a Christian. How to live life as a Christian. How to be married as a Christian. How to be a single young person as a Christian. How to be a grandparent or a parent as a Christian. That's what it's about. He says, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ. Notice what he says, as I teach everywhere in every church. See, church is where the word of God is expounded. Church is where you learn about the ways of Christ. And when you learn about Christ and when you learn the ways of Christ, it will transform your life. If you kept your place in Hebrews, keep your place right there in 1 Corinthians and then go back to Hebrews chapter 10. I want you to look down at verse number 7. Keep your place in both those passages, 1 Corinthians 4 and in Hebrews. Look at Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 7. Notice what the Bible says. Hebrews 10, 7. Then said I, lo, I come, this is about the Lord Jesus Christ, I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will, O God. The Bible says that in the volume of the book, what book? The Bible. The 66 books of the Bible that make up the book, the greatest book of all time, the word of God, he says in the volume of the book it is written of me. You say we come to church, why? To learn the Bible, why? Because we learn about Jesus, because we learn about his ways, because we are to pattern ourselves after his life, because we are supposed to be disciples and Christians of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the reason why you have to be consistent to church. Go to John, if you would. Keep your place in Hebrews and keep your place in 1 Corinthians. Those are the only places I'm going to ask you to keep your place. But go to John chapter 20. If you have your place in 1 Corinthians, if you go backwards from 1 Corinthians, you have Romans, then Acts, then the book of John. John chapter 20. From 1 Corinthians going backwards, you have Romans, Acts, then the book of John. John chapter 20. Be consistent to church. Be consistent with your church attendance to learn scripture living from the preaching. Church is where the word of God is expounded and explained. But the reason you want to be consistent is this. I want to say it this way. You don't know what you're missing when you're missing. See, when you are inconsistent with your church attendance, you're kind of hit and miss. You show up and you don't show up and you're there and then you're there and then you're not there and maybe a few weeks go by and then you're there again. The problem with that is that you don't know what you're missing when you're missing. You don't know when you are missing that you are missing maybe what you need. In John chapter 20, there's a story that kind of illustrates this. This is after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has been crucified and buried and he is now resurrected from the grave. But the disciples have not yet seen him. And in John chapter 20 and verse 19, the Bible says this, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, the first day of the week is Sunday and this is at evening, this is their Sunday night service. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled, notice they're assembled, that's a church service, for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. So here they are assembled for a congregation, for a gathering, on the first day, on the evening of the first day, what we would call a Sunday night church service. And all of a sudden, a guest speaker that they weren't expecting shows up. Jesus stood in the midst. Look at verse 24. But Thomas, but Thomas. Now what we're going to look at is a story in which the disciple Thomas gets a bad rap. In fact, for the rest of Christian history, Thomas is known as doubting Thomas. He's known as doubting Thomas because of this story. Now I think it's kind of, it's not fair for Thomas because if you study the life of Thomas in other passages of scripture, in fact, when Jesus was wanting to go see Lazarus and they were afraid that he was going to be put to death, the other disciples were kind of hesitant and Thomas said, let us go that we may die with him. So I believe that Thomas was a good man. He was a man of courage and he was even willing to die with the Lord Jesus Christ. But here we see that he had a moment elapse in his faith and he was shaken a little bit. Notice what the Bible says in John 20-24. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, notice, was not with them when Jesus came. He skipped out on Sunday night church. Maybe it was the Super Bowl, I don't know. But he wasn't there. And the Bible says that he was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord, but he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again, his disciples were within. And Thomas was with them. So this time, now they're having a service again. After eight days, the disciples were within. Same thing. And Thomas with them, this time Thomas shows up. Then the Bible says, Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach out of thy finger, and behold my hand, and reach out of thy hand, and thrust it into my side. Be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. I want you to notice here that Thomas goes down in history as doubting Thomas because he skipped the Sunday night church service. Because he wasn't there when Jesus showed up. And here's all I'm telling you is that you don't know what you're missing when you're missing. And obviously in a church service we believe that Jesus is always in the midst of us, that God is always here. But let me tell you something. From time to time Jesus shows up in a special way. From time to time Jesus shows up in a special way in a church service, and from time to time he shows up in a special way, maybe just for you. And the truth of the matter is this, that I promise you that I put the same amount of work and effort into every single one of my sermons, but I really don't know when Jesus is going to decide to just show up in a special way and give you what you need and have it ready for you. And here's all I'm telling you is you don't know what you're missing when you're missing. This last Wednesday night I preached a sermon out of the book of Amos. We're going through the book of Amos. It was in Amos chapter 4 and I preached a sermon called Prepare to Meet Thy God. I didn't put any extra work into it than I do into any other Wednesday night Bible study. I thought it was interesting, though, after the service I had about four different people, and these people were not near each other or anything like that. I had about four different people say to me, I think that was the most powerful sermon you've preached in a long time, Pastor, and they were saying that as an encouragement. And I thought to myself, man, I wish I could time that. I wish I could figure out, you know, can I get that to happen on Easter? Can I get that at I Love My Church Sunday? And here's the truth, even I don't know when God, when the Holy Spirit of God, is going to decide to show up in a mighty way, in a powerful way, and speak to you in a way that can transform your life. You say, well, Pastor, if you don't even know when the sermon is going to be what I need, then what do I do? Why don't you show up to all of them? Because you don't know what you're missing when you're missing. This last Friday night we had our Married Couples Sweetheart Banquet. I think we had over a hundred people here when you count the kids. Thirty-six different couples. And I'll be very honest with you, in my opinion, the sermon that I preached at the Married Couples Sweetheart Banquet, I meant to preach for ten minutes, I preached for twenty-five minutes. The sermon that I preached at the Married Couples Sweetheart Banquet, in my opinion, was probably the most important sermon I've ever preached to married couples. I'll be honest with you. Nobody complimented it, except for the deacon that I pay. It's actually on his to-do list to compliment my sermons. Nobody complimented it, so I figured it must have been good. And I'll be honest with you, I'm not saying it was the most energetic or bombastic or dynamic sermon, but it's something that had been on my heart for a long time. My wife and I had recently, she'd read a book and I'd read another book, and for the last several months we'd kind of been talking about this idea, and it's something that we've known and believed for a long time, but really trying to express it into words. I even had my wife, just to be honest with you, help me with the sermon. After I wrote it, I kind of went over it with her and had her help me word it properly because I wanted to make sure, I knew that I could connect it to the men and I could use certain wording to connect the men, but I needed her help to make sure that I could connect it to the ladies. And for a sermon that was just supposed to be a ten-minute challenge, I think it was probably the most important sermon that I could ever preach to married couples. And here's what I'm telling you, is you don't know what you're missing when you're missing. And Jesus might just show up in a mighty way, in a powerful way, right in the way that you need. Go to Isaiah 28 if you would. Isaiah 28, in the Old Testament, if you open your Bible, towards the end of the Old Testament you got those major prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel. Isaiah 28, I remember years ago, maybe 2013, there was a couple that was coming to our church. The husband wanted to come, but the wife didn't. She was kind of a liberal. And they were struggling, they were struggling with their marriage, and they were struggling with a lot of stuff. And my wife and I were trying to help them. And I remember they were just kind of, they were on the brink of just quitting church and quitting on God and all of that. And I remember Pastor Anderson was coming to preach for us. He was a guest speaker. And we made an appointment. I said, you know, come to the special service, come hear Pastor Anderson preach. And after service we'll sit down in my office and we'll talk. And we made this appointment. We were going to talk after this special service with Pastor Anderson. I didn't know what Pastor Anderson was preaching. I didn't tell him to preach anything. I just let our guest speakers preach whatever they want. About ten minutes before the service, the guy texted me and says, Pastor, I'm sorry, I love you and I love the church, but my wife won't let me come. I mean, there's already a problem there. You needed my sermon from the married couple, so we were up my way. But, you know, my wife, you know, we're just, we're not going to make it. That was the last time I ever saw him. What's funny is that that night Pastor Anderson stood up and said, I'm going to preach a sermon that's kind of unique. I'm not even really sure why I'm preaching this. I just feel like this is a sermon I should preach. And that night he preached a sermon called Having a Biblical Marriage. And he literally, like, point by point, I mean, it's like, I was, to be honest with you, I was kind of glad the guy didn't show up because he would have thought that I would have just, like, gave him a, like, say this and say this and say this and say this. I mean, it was point by point exactly what this guy needed. He said, what do you think happened there? You know what I think happened? The Holy Spirit of God moved the man of God to preach a sermon that that guy needed, but he didn't show up. As far as I know, they're not serving God anywhere. They might be divorced. And here's all I'm telling you is that you don't know what you're missing when you're missing. So why don't you stop missing? You say, well, should I show up because there might be that one sermon that I need? Well, you should show up because there might be that one sermon that you need. But let me tell you the truth is this, you need every sermon. You need every time. Any time the Bible is open, any time the Word of God is open, any time a man stands up to preach the Word of God, you have to make an effort to be there. Why? Because the truth is this, we grow little by little. There's power in consistency. Isn't that truth about everything? You don't lose weight by having one good workout. I had one good three-hour workout. I ate McDonald's and Krispy Kreme the rest of the year, but I had one good three-hour. That's not how you lose weight. You lose weight by being consistent day after day. How do you save money consistent day after day? How do you get out of debt consistent week after week? How do you do anything great? You're just consistent at it. Isaiah 28 and verse 10, notice what the Bible says. Isaiah 28, 10, for precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line. Notice it, here a little and there a little. Look at verse 13. But the word of the Lord was unto them. This is church, the preaching of the Word of God. But the word of the Lord was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line. You say, Pastor, why do you preach verse by verse, chapter by chapter, on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights and these evening services and even Sunday morning? Why do you do these studies that we just go one step at a time? Why have you been preaching about judgment the last several weeks, just one concept at a time? Why? Because it's precept upon precept. It's line upon line. It's here a little and there a little. That's how you grow. That's how you develop in your Christian life. You ought to be consistent with church to learn Scripture living from preaching. And here's what people say. They'll say, well, you know, yeah, but can't I just catch it on the live stream? And I'm not against live streaming, and we live stream here, and I think you should get as much Bible as you can. I'm not against you listening to preaching outside of church or all of that. I had somebody say to me this week, I don't need to listen to any of the preaching. I'm getting fully fed here at Verity Baptist Church. You know, that encouraged me. And praise the Lord for that. But honestly, you know, I'm not against that. But let me just say this. You know it's better in person. Yeah, I don't know about that. Oh, really? Well, you know, there's 100 million people that are going to watch the Super Bowl today, and 73,000 of them are going to physically fly to be there. Those 73,000 are going to pay, at a minimum, $4,886 per ticket. At the highest, $23,748 per ticket. Why do you have that much money to spend on a football game? I do not know. The average ticket, $7,320. 73,000 people are going to spend, on average, 7,320 people, not including the cost of the train or the Uber or the plane that got them there in the hotel that they'll need to spend the night in. $7,320 per person. 73,000 people. Why would they do that when they can watch it on TV for free? And here's why. Because it's always better in person. All of it is better in person. And church is better in person, too. 100 million people are going to watch the Super Bowl. I wonder what would happen to our country if 100 million people showed up for church today. I wonder how many marriages could be saved. I wonder how many children could be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Go to Proverbs 27. Proverbs 27. If you open your Bible just right in the center, you'll more than likely fall in the book of Psalms. Right after Psalms, you have the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 27. I've been entitled to sermon the church attendance challenge because I'm challenging you to be consistent with your church attendance. I want to exhort you. I want to provoke you in love and good works to be consistent to church. When our church started, my wife and I started Verity Baptist Church 12 years ago in our living room. And when our church first started, obviously, we were a tiny church, a small church trying to grow. And we were trying to help people be consistent with their church attendance. Obviously, when we first started the church, we had some mature Christians that began with us. Obviously, my family started with us. They were mature Christians. Brother Ray and Miss Denise were with us, and they were mature Christians. But other than some mature Christians that have been around for a while that started with us, everyone was pretty much just a brand new Christian. And they were all, if you go soul winning, you know this, who are the easiest people to reach? Poor people, which in our area means ghetto people. And we just had a house full of ghetto, I'll tell you. And I remember, you know, back in those early days, we did this several times, we actually had a church attendance challenge month, where I would preach a sermon about church attendance, and then I'd put this challenge out there. And I'm not doing this today, okay? But back in those early days, I would say, if you come to church every service, and don't miss one service, three services, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, three to three, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, you come to church for all three services for an entire month, anyone who meets the challenge, we're going to take you, I think back in those days, Cattlemen's in Roseville, maybe it was a little newer, it was like the nice fancy area, so we're going to take you out for a nice steak dinner at Cattlemen's. We did that a few times. And I'll tell you, it was a mess. Taking ghetto people into Cattlemen's is not a good idea. They were putting food in their purses, they were, I mean, I remember one time we, I think the Golden Corral had just opened, or some buffet had just opened, we took them there, they're asking for a to-go box at the buffet, and I'm like, I don't think that's how it actually worked, you know, and I mean, it was a mess, but we were trying to encourage people to make church a priority. You've got to be consistent with church. Why? Because you'll learn scriptural living from the preaching of the word of God, it'll change your life. Let me give you a second reason this morning why you've got to be consistent with church attendance, not just to learn scriptural living from preaching, but you've got to be consistent with your church attendance to socialize with the right people. To socialize with the right people. Are you there in Proverbs? Look at chapter 27 and verse 17. Proverbs 27 and 17, Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. You know that being around the right people will make you better? Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Listen to me, your friends, you young people, listen to me very carefully, your friends will determine the quality and the direction of your life. See me? You tell me who you hang out with and I will tell you your future. Because iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Go to Proverbs 13, look at verse 20, flip back to Proverbs 13 and verse 20. Being around the right people will make you better. Notice what the Bible says, Proverbs 13, 20, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. You want to be a wise man? Walk with wise men. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. Why? Because when you're around right people, they make you better. But, notice what it says, a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Why? Because in the same way that being around right people will make you better, being around the wrong people will make you worse. A man that hath friends, the Bible says, must show himself. Look at it, go to Proverbs 18. You know what kind of friends you need? The kind that go to church. You know what kind of friends you need? The kind that read their Bibles. You know what kind of friends you need? The kind that pray. The kind that go soloing. You know what kind of friends you don't need? The ones that are trying to get you to get drunk. The ones that are trying to get you to get high. The ones that are trying to get you to get into trouble. You need the right types of friends. And look, no church has perfect people in it. There's no church, nowhere in this world do perfect people exist. You're not going to find perfect people anywhere. You come to church and you'll get around some good people that love the Lord and love their wives and love their children and love their husbands and are doing the best they can. But let me just say this, to develop friendships you need to show up. Proverbs 18 24, look at it. A man that have friends must show himself friendly. And there is a friend that's thinking close to a brother. If you're here this morning you say, yeah I've been coming to church, I want to go to church, I want to develop some friends. And sometimes people say to me, I'm struggling with developing friends. And I don't say this because I'm mature and I love them. But I think to myself, well it might help if you showed up more than once every three months. Look, I'm not against you, I'm just telling you. If I was trying to develop friends, you know what I'd do? I would have showed up to the married couple. So you are a banquet. If I was married, you know what I'd do? I'd show up to the public tonight. I'd bring something, I'd eat, I'd fellowship. And you develop friends by being around people. You know the people that are the most connected in this church are the ones that show up Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. They go to a wedding, they show up to this activity and that activity. They're here and then magically somehow they end up making friends. Because the Bible says a man that have friends must show himself friendly. What do I need friends for? Because there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. And sometimes you, look, life was not meant to be lived alone and you need people in your life. There are people in this church that can and will be closer to you than your own blood family, if you'd let them. If you'd show up and talk with them. If you would get around them. You've got to be consistent with the church, why? So you can socialize with the right people. Being around the right people will change you. Let me give you an example. Go to 1 Samuel, if you would, 1 Samuel in the Old Testament. You've got the 1 and 2 books in the Old Testament, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles. 1 Samuel 19. Environment is the invisible hand that changes you. Please listen to me. Yesterday I was at CVS. I needed to go there and pick something up. We needed. And in front of me are these three young guys. Honestly, my heart broke for them. I wanted to get them saved, if I could, and get them to church. But I was looking at these three guys. Ghetto, I thought, you would have been perfect. You would have been perfect for our church. By the way, that's why I'm not taking any of you to Cattleman's. Because I've learned my lesson. But these guys, I'm looking at these guys, and all three, I mean, look, God bless them, but you could just tell, all three were dumb. I mean, just the way they were talking, they were like, high five me, you're just laughing. But I think myself, you know, if you took one of those guys out and you put them with one, around some of our kids, we've got some sharp kids around here, some sharp young men. All of a sudden, they probably start straightening out. Start speaking in complete sentences. You know, start, maybe get a haircut, get a job. Environment is the invisible hand that changes behavior. Being around the right people will change who you are. I love this story, I use it a lot as an example, because I just think it's so interesting. First Samuel 19, verse 19. If you remember the story, Saul, King Saul, is envious of David, who killed Goliath, and wants to kill David. Samuel 19, David is now running from Saul for his life, and he goes to Samuel the prophet, and he ends up at a church service. Go figure. And it's like a men's preaching night. We have men's preaching night around here every once in a while, where we get the guys from the church, they get up and preach sermons, they'll preach for 10 minutes, and we'll have 8 or 10 of them preach or something like that, we'll have pizza afterwards. That's kind of what they were doing. Look at 1 Samuel 19, verse 19. And it was told, Saul, saying, Behold, David is in Naoth and Ramah. And Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, it's like a men's preaching night, and Samuel standing as appointed over them. Notice what the Bible says, the messengers that Saul sent to take David, the Bible says that when they saw the prophets prophesying, notice the last part of verse 20, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. Think about that. Imagine us having a men's preaching night here on a Friday night, and a bunch of the guys at the church, they're up here and they're preaching for 10 minutes, and then some soldiers show up, and they're supposed to arrest Pastor Jimenez, but when they get here, they start listening to the preaching, and they say, hey, let me have a turn. I mean, that's literally what happened. I mean, that's literally what happened. The Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesied. The Bible says they also prophesied. Look at verse 21. And when it was told Saul, I'd like to see that messenger go to Saul. What happened? You're not going to believe it. What happened to those guys that sent to get David? Well, they're preaching and having pizza now. And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, notice, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. I mean, look at this. And just to make it even more ridiculous, I think God adds to the Bible, First Samuel, 1922, then when he, Saul, then when he also to Rhema, he talks to Saul, if you're going to get something done right, you've got to do it yourself. Then when he also to Rhema, and came to a great well that is in Siku, and he asked and said, where are Samuel and David? And one said, behold, they be in Naoth and Rhema. And he went hither to Naoth and Rhema, and notice, now we're talking about Saul, the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naoth and Rhema. Saul himself ended up prophesying, being filled with the Spirit of God. Why? Because being around the right people will change you. Over the years, people have came to this church, they say, I love this church, I'm going to come to this church, but I'm never going to go soul winning. I say, we'll see about that. Why do we have 120 some odd soul winners out this week? Because you hang out with soul winners, you'll become a soul winner. Why do we have over 100, 100 and some odd people read the New Testament in the month of January? Because you hang out around people that love the word of God, and read the word of God, you'll start loving the word of God. You'll start reading the word of God. Being around the right people will change who you are. And look, you say, well, but can't I livestream it? Can't I just watch it on the internet? Can't I just catch it on TV or on the radio? Yes, you can. But you know what you can't livestream? It's personal connections. You know what you can't livestream? It's the power of the Holy Spirit. It's just something about showing up. So I'm just encouraging you this morning. You ought to be consistent in your church with doing this. Why? To learn scriptural living from the preaching. Why? To socialize with the right people. Let me say this, and we'll be done here soon. Go to Romans, if you would. Actually, go back to 1 Corinthians. Remember you had your place in 1 Corinthians? Look at this verse real quickly. 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 18. 1 Corinthians 12, 18. But now have God, I want you to notice this. But now have God set the members. He's talking about the church members. The word members is in reference to body parts. He's using a body as an illustration of the church. You can read 1 Corinthians 12, and that's very clear in the context. But now have God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. Let me say something to the Verity Baptist Church family. We love you. I hope you know that. My wife and I love you. I think we've proven that over the years. We've married your children. We've buried your dad. We've been there when you needed us. And this is not the only good church. This is not the only right church. But let me tell you something. When it comes to church membership, this is what I believe. I believe that if you call Verity Baptist Church your church home, then God set you here. God put you here. That doesn't mean that you can't be sent out or go to another good church. I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is this. If God has you here, I believe he has you here for a reason. God has set the members, every one of them in the body. And I can just tell you this. Your pastor and your pastor's wife, we take that very seriously. I'm not just ordained in the ministry. I believe we've been ordained to love and care for you. You could leave this church and you could find a pastor who's maybe more educated or more talented or taller, not better looking, but taller. You could find a bigger church, but you're never going to find a pastor and a pastor's wife that love you more than we love you. Because I believe that God has set you here for a reason. We don't take that lightly, and I hope you wouldn't take it either. God has brought you here as part of this body. God has brought you here as part of this body to socialize, to be around the people of God. Go to Romans chapter 16. You're there in 1 Corinthians. Just flip back to Romans. I said, number one, you ought to be consistent with church attendance. Why? To learn scripture, living from the preaching. You ought to be consistent with church attendance. Why? To socialize with the right people. Number three, you ought to be consistent with church attendance. Why? I'll go through this quickly. To serve in something that has purpose. Romans 16 and verse one, the Bible says, I commend unto you, Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church, which is at Synchria. A servant of the church. Go to Ephesians real quickly. Ephesians chapter four. You're there in Romans. Past 1 Corinthians. Past Galatians. Into Ephesians. Romans 1 Corinthians. Galatians. Ephesians chapter four. You know that it is not fulfilling to have a life solely focused on yourself. If all you live is for yourself, at the end all you will have is yourself. And that is a wasted life. That is a vain life. That is an empty life. Even the world knows it. Even the world tells you. You can't be happy living solely for yourself. So the world, they're trying to get you to volunteer and do all sorts of things. Why? Because they know that you can't, it's not healthy to live a life solely focused on yourself. Now I'm not against people who paint the park, who go to the park and paint over the graffiti. We have a park right on the other side of our house and I'm thankful for anybody who shows up and paints over the graffiti. But the problem with painting over the graffiti, I've lived there for ten years now or something, is that there's just going to be more graffiti next week. Because the kids doing the graffiti, they don't need somebody to paint the graffiti, they need Jesus. I'm not against people painting over the graffiti. I'm not against people picking up the trash. I'm not against people planting the trees. But let me tell you something, those things are temporal. Church gives you the ability to serve in something that's eternal. But all I'm doing is I'm cleaning the, I'm just vacuuming and cleaning the auditorium. You're cleaning the auditorium so that a marriage that is struggling, a marriage with some children, that maybe is not going to last, so that a couple can come to those doors and come here and hear the preaching of the word of God and have a pastor and a pastor's wife that loves them and prays for them and counsels them and cares for them. And a whole life could be changed and a family could be changed and a legacy could be changed. I just think that's better than planting a tree somewhere. Investing in the souls of men. Helping individuals have their lives transformed. It's not fulfilling to have a life solely focused on yourself. You say, why should I go to church? So you can serve. So you can make friends and get involved. So you can get involved in the work of God. So you can get involved in the things of God. So you can show up to men's preaching night and some of you men and you say, I would have never got up and preached the word of God but now you're doing it. I would have never talked to somebody about Jesus and preached the gospel but now you're doing it. You're serving and you're involved. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 12. Notice what the Bible says. In Ephesians 4, 12, earlier here in the passage, Paul said, in fact let me just turn there myself. I've got the notes in my Bible but let me just read. I want to read to you a little more than that. Ephesians chapter 4. Look at verse 11. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. Why did he give you a pastor? Why did he give you a teacher? Why did he give you a church? Here's why. For the perfecting of the saints. The word perfect does not mean to be without error. That's how you and I use it. The word perfect or perfecting, the way it's used here in the Bible, it means to complete or to mature. Why did God give you a pastor? Why did God give you a pastor's wife? Why did God give you a church? For the perfecting of the saints. For the maturing of the saints. For the completing of the saints. But then notice there's a progression here. It's not enough for you to just grow and learn because the Christian life should not be a self-centered life. It's a perfecting of the saints and then for the work of the ministry. So we bring you in here. We bandage you up. We help you get healthy. We help you grow. Why? So we can put you to work. Why? So we can help somebody else. For the perfecting of the saints. For the work of the ministry. And let me tell you something. When Christians are being matured and growing and healthy and perfecting and when they're being used in the work of God and they're being used in the ministry of God for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, the Bible says for the edifying of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the church. The word edify means to build or grow. How did we get here? Twelve years ago, my wife and I started in a living room with a handful of people. Today, we're not the largest church ever, but we've had 200 some odd people that call this place their church. Why is this church growing? Because we are helping people get perfected and putting them to work. And when people grow and then serve, the church grows. The body is edified. I'm not just talking about physics. I'm talking about spiritually. Why should you be consistent in your church attendance to serve in something that has purpose? Go to Psalms, Psalm 73. We're going to look at a couple passages of Psalms and then go back to Hebrews. We'll be done, okay? I'll try to be done before the Super Bowl. Psalm 73. I'm trying to encourage you to be consistent in your church attendance. You say, why? Because I believe, I believe from the bottom of my heart that what Christians need is church. We need to be in God's house. You know, we need to be in God's house to stay right with God. All week long, you go off and you're in the world, you're working, you're around worldly people. You know, we have the tendency, remember we talked about environment is the invisible hand that shapes. People. We have the tendency when we're around worldly people to start becoming like them. Psalm 73 in verse 1, we have this man Asaph who wrote this psalm. He's a godly man. He gives us a little bit of his testimony. I want you to notice what he says here in Psalm 73 in verse 1. He said, truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. He says, but as for me, you always know that's a bad word. You always know that's a bad place when people say, oh, well, God's good to other people, but as for me. He says, but as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had well nigh slipped. He said, I almost got backslidden. He says, why? For I was envious at the foolish. When I saw the prosperity of the wicked, for there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, as they plague like other men. Asaph says, you know, I started looking around. I started looking at these worldly people, and I started getting envious at the foolish. I started to see their prosperity, the prosperity of the wicked. I saw that they are not in trouble. They are not plagued. Look at verse 11. He says, and then I looked at myself. Oh, oh, look at verse 11. First he says, and they say, how does God know? And is there knowledge in the most high? Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches. Verily, notice what Asaph says, I have cleansed my heart in vain. I washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning. He says, maybe there's something to that life out there. Maybe there's something to that world out there. He said, he started looking at the world. He started being like them. And let me tell you something. You take a Christian and take him out of church and put him out in the world, you will not recognize him. They'll become just like the world. He said, verse 15, if I say, I will speak thus. Because what is he saying, verse 13? I have cleansed my heart in vain. He said, I'm trying to live a good life. I'm trying to go to church. I'm trying to read the Bible. I'm trying to be a good husband. I'm trying to be a good father. I'm trying to walk the Christian life. He said, and it's all vain because I look over there and I look at all those guys and they're cheating and they're stealing and they're not living with integrity. They don't go to church. They're doing all these. And they seem to prosper. They're not plagued. Everything's going great in their lives. Then Asaph says this in verse 15. If I say I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. He said, the only reason that I didn't do it, the only reason I didn't go off the deep end is because I did not want to offend against the generation of the children. You know a good reason, dad, not to quit on God is because your kids are watching. I get tired of people telling me, well, you know, we're only staying married for the children. Well, that's a good reason to stay married. People say that in the negative. Well, pastor, you know, our marriage is struggling. We're just staying together for the children. Well, praise the Lord. I've got until they get married to help you be happily ever after. People say that like it's a negative thing. We're just staying together for the children. Well, that's a good, God gave you those children to stay together for the children. Praise God for that. I don't want to quit on God because of the kids. Well, good. At least there's one ounce of not being selfish in you. Psalm 73, look at verse 16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. Then notice what he says in verse 17. I just love it. I get it, I'm a pastor, this is what I do, but he says, until I went into the sanctuary of God, he said, I was discouraged, I was depressed, I was about to quit, I was getting back, my heart was getting hurt until I got to church. Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then I understood either end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery slopes, thou casteth them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment they are utterly consumed with errors? Here's the truth. You and I have a tendency, we have a disposition to want to get backslidden, prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. That's why we call the Wednesday night service, the midweek service, we call it the most encouraging service of the week. You say, why? Because after you've been out in the world Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday, there's just something encouraging of getting back into God's house with God's people. Singing praises to God, hearing the word of God, praying with God's people are Wednesday night prayer time. I'm just telling you, you need church. I need church. We need church to spiritually prosper. Go to Psalm 92. Psalm 92. Look at verse 13. Psalm 92 and verse 13. We need church or we'll get backslidden. We need church to spiritually prosper. I love this verse, Psalm 92, 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish. I just love that. You know what we want for you? We want for you to flourish spiritually. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. You cannot live the Christian life while forsaking the assembling of God's house. But those that get planted, those that get grounded, those that get established and strengthened in the house of God, those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. Go to Hebrews chapter 10, we'll finish up. I told you we'd end where we started. Hebrews chapter 10. The church attendance challenge. I'm not taking you to Cattleman's. But I am challenging you to be consistent in your Christian life. And look, start where you're at. Maybe you struggle with just being consistent on Sunday mornings. Why don't you decide, I'm gonna be consistent on Sunday mornings. Why don't you decide, you know, from now to Easter, I'm just gonna be in church every Sunday morning. Maybe you say, Pastor, I've got Sunday mornings down. Then why don't you add a midweek service, Wednesday night, the most encouraging service of the week. You say, I'm already going to both services. Then why don't you become a three to thrive? Sunday mornings, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and say, I'm just gonna be in the house of God. I mean, what else is there to do? What is better to do? Watch a bunch of grown men chase a ball around and start to hear the word of God preach. Look, I'm just saying, start somewhere. Some of you, you might just want to have a challenge to just stop showing up late to church. Say, Pastor, you're over here. Look, I'm just saying that the world sees it as disrespectful. You don't have an appointment with the president and show up five minutes late. You show up five minutes late for the president, you know what they do? They cancel your appointment. They say you will not disrespect the office of the president. And I'm just here to tell you something that God in his house is greater than any president. I get it. Sometimes happens, things happen, and we're late. I'm not mad at you. Things happen. But when you're 15 minutes late every service, let me help you out. Just get up 15 minutes earlier. I'm just saying, why don't you make sure you make a priority of the house of God? Hebrews 10, 24, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love unto good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. This is what I'm doing this morning. This is what my sermon's about. But exhorting one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching. Here's the truth. The closer we get to the end of this world, the closer we get to the end times, we don't need less church. We need more church. We don't need less preaching of the word of God. We need more preaching of the word of God. We don't need spending time with Christians less. We need to spend more time. So much the more as you see the day approaching. Let's bow our heads in that word of prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you. Thank you for our church, Lord. And we thank you for a great church that you've given us. A great church that you've given us. A great assembly of believers. People that love you. No one's perfect. Nobody here's perfect. But there's many people here who love you. Love your word. They're trying to do the best they can in their marriages with their children and their lives. They're bringing their talent and their time and their treasure, and I thank you for that. Lord, I do pray that on this I love my church Sunday that this church family would know. That they have a pastor and a pastor's wife that loves them very much. Because we need to say things that they don't want to hear. But we say it because we love them. It'd be easy to let them continue to make mistakes and destroy their marriages, destroy their children. Lord, I pray that you'd help us to be consistent to the house of God. That we may flourish in the courts of our God. In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen. All right, well, we're gonna have Brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song. Just wanna give you a couple reminders. First of all, don't forget that we've got the bags of popcorn for you. The pink vanilla and caramel bags of popcorn. They're right out here in the main foyer. We've got the large bags for the families. One bag per family. And then the smaller bags for the couples or singles. And make sure you go by there and grab one of those bags. And then tonight, we're having, of course, our Sunday evening service, 6 p.m. We'd love for you to join us. You never know, Jesus might show up and you don't want to miss it. But we'll have a potluck after the service as well. We wanna encourage you to be here for that. If you can't bring anything to the potluck, you don't worry about that. You just come because we've got enough mature Christians in our church that they're gonna bring enough food for their families and for again, right? Right, all right, good. Praise the Lord. I don't know if that was very encouraging but we're just gonna go with it. And we'll have a good time tonight. We hope you make the time to be back tonight. We call Wednesday night the most encouraging service of the week. We call Sunday night the most exciting service of the week. We'd love for you to join us. If there's anything we can do for you, please let us know. We'll have Brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song. Turn to song 188. 188. 188. Let's sing it out on the first. The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen Can never tell It curves beyond The highest star And leads us to The lowest hell The guilty pair Melt down with care I gave this son To win His every child He reconciled And fought him for all We see The love of God Is greater far Than tongue or pen Can never tell It curves beyond The highest star And leads us to The lowest hell The guilty pair Melt down with care I gave this son To win His every child We see The love of God Is greater far Than tongue or pen Can never tell It curves beyond The highest star And leads us to The lowest hell The guilty pair Melt down with care I gave this son To win His every child He reconciled And fought him for all We see The love of God Is greater far Than tongue or pen Can never tell It curves beyond The highest star And leads us to The lowest hell The highest star And leads us to The highest hell The highest hell We see The love of God Is greater far Than tongue or pen Can never tell It curves beyond I'll scribe my name to write the love I've got about it We'll drain the ocean bright We'll drain the storm, contain the whole We'll strike the sky to the sky I'll be there on hundreds of ruins I'll never last I'll be there on hundreds of ruins I'll be there on hundreds of ruins I'll never last Amen, good singing. Before we leave here, if anybody has questions about salvation, church membership, or baptism, the pastor will be at the door. He'd love to talk to you or direct you to someone who's trained to talk about that. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the service this morning and the preaching Lord. We pray that we would put these things to our hearts and our minds as we go about our day. Be with the soul winners that go out today and bring us back to church safely this evening. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen. Amen.