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Right, Psalm 27. And what a great Psalm when we're needing some courage in life. What a great Psalm when we're going through some hard times, when suffering with fear, when we just need a bit of boosting, eh? What a great Psalm. And I've turned to this Psalm many times in hard times in my life, and it is a great Psalm. And, you know, let's be honest, life can be scary, can't it? There are times in life which can be scary. Yeah, I know we should not fear. We should only fear God, but I think every single person in this room has failed at that at times in their life. Life can be scary. There can be some scary times in life. And the truth is that church life can be scary as well sometimes. There are many things, many aspects of church life which can be scary for some at different times. And I don't think anyone is necessarily completely immune from that. And that's the truth. And, you know, we talked about obviously last week was pretty full on, last week in the evening, and I'm hoping that people haven't come away from that thinking, wow, I don't know if I want a part of this. But the truth is that it would be natural for some to think that, for at least to have doubts, to have worries, to have fears about the future and what we're going to have to deal with. Well, Psalm 27, I think, is a great Psalm for this, but for a few reasons. I'm going to show you why in a second. But let's just go over the first few verses again. So Psalm 27 from verse 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. So one thing that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Now the house of the Lord or the house of God is what we now call church. Okay, 1 Timothy 3.15, you don't have to turn this, it says, But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And the title of my sermon today is Church is Not a Chore. Church is not a chore. Church is not a chore. David said one thing, one thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after. He's requesting it, isn't he? He's desiring, he's requesting it, that's what he wants. Now that one thing I think is a hinge of this whole psalm. I think that the psalm hinges on these middle verses that we're going to look at. He didn't say one thing have I desired of the Lord, that I may spend the minimal time possible in the house of the Lord. Did he? He didn't say one thing that I may tick that going to church box. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will turn up the minimal time to tick the church, the going to church box. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I may watch the services from the rooftop. One thing have I desired that I could get up on the roof and watch those services. One thing have I desired that I may get a break from church now and then. Because it's pretty hard going. He didn't say that, did he? That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That was his desire, that's maximum time on maximum days, isn't it? Maximum time on maximum days. And I submit unto you today that if you don't feel the same, I would say that you're not 100% right with God. Okay, I would say if you don't feel the same, that you don't want to be in church, maximum time, maximum days, that you're not 100% right with God. Okay, now you might be thinking, wait a second, wait a second, what if I don't like the church? What if I don't like the preacher? David didn't say, did he? He didn't say only when it's Gad preaching and maybe not Nathan because Nathan really pulls me apart for my sins, did he? He didn't say, well it depends who, which prophet's preaching. He didn't, you know, some people might say, what if I don't like the people though? What if I don't get on with a lot of people at church? He didn't say unless Shimei isn't there being rude to me, did he? Remember the guy casting stones and insults at David? He didn't say that, did he? Some might say, well, what if I've got something better to do, something more important? You know, I'm a busy guy. Do you think that King David didn't have some pretty fun things to do? I bet he did. King David could have done a lot with his life, couldn't he? I mean, he was a king. I mean, the world theoretically was his oyster to some degree, at least Israel at the time. Do you think that he wasn't busy? There was a lot to do, there's a lot of planning. I mean, it was war pretty much all the days of his life, wasn't there? Okay, but he desired to be in the house, be in the house of God all the days of his life. Now, God wants everyone here, everyone here to seek after dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of our life, okay? That's what he wants, that's his desire for us, because church is not a chore, church is not a chore. And there are some here that might feel like it sometimes, okay? I think everyone probably at times could feel sometimes like it's a bit of a chore. There are women here that come with children, some with multiple children, when they might feel like they're not really getting that much out of it. They're just constantly either shushing, looking after, running around after kids. It could probably feel like part of a chore. There are kids here that could maybe feel like this is a bit of a chore, a bit of a chore being in church, maybe they're, you know, some days they've got that game that they prefer to play, maybe when they get here they prefer to be at the back there playing some sort of board game, rather than actually participating in church. Maybe some who, with time, might have better things in their mind to do. Maybe older kids might get to that point where they're feeling like, I don't know, you know, do I really want, do I really need to be in church? Do I really want to be here? There are better things I could be doing. There are men here that are busy working all week. There are men here that work six days a week. There are men that work five days a week and have a lot of stuff on, and it could be hard. There are times when they probably think, I could do with a day to myself. I could do without being at church. There are other things that need doing, aren't there? I mean, it's not just working. There are stuff around the house for men and women. There are chores. There are jobs mounting up sometimes. There's lunch invites. What about those invites from those family, unsaved or saved, maybe that aren't in church, constantly inviting us out, aren't they? Constantly trying to get us out on a Sunday. Oh, can't you just come on a Sunday, birthdays, you name it. Sometimes you just feel like you need a sleep, don't you? Comes to Sunday morning, and instead of having that worldly Sunday lie-in, you're thinking, you know, I've got to get up at 6am or whatever it is and get along and haul myself to church. That can be tough. And even getting here for some can be really tough, can't it? Not everyone is living close to church. For some people, they're traveling for hours. Sometimes they're putting in whole weekends and days, and that can be tough. I'm sure there are times they're thinking, I don't know if I need that this week. That's a tough road to go on. You don't have to turn there, but Psalm 122 verse 1 says, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. That's David again. He was glad. So being at church, obviously God wants us to desire that, doesn't he? But what are some benefits of being at church? What are some benefits of being at church? Because church shouldn't be a chore. There are benefits we get for being at church. Now, let's just quickly add in here. When we talk about being at church, we're talking about a real church in God's eyes. Turning up to the vast, vast, vast majority of churches in this country is not going to church. You ain't benefiting from going to those. You might benefit carnally from going to those churches, but you're not going to benefit spiritually. And we're talking about the spiritual benefits really here. Now, going to those churches, it doesn't count because to be a church, there are at least three major things as probably most people in this room know. Number one, it has to have the gospel. If that preacher is blurry, murky, is not clear on the simplicity of salvation, OK, that we are saved forever thanks to the pain that Jesus Christ made for us, that he died, that he rose again three days later and that's paid for all our sins. If a church is not clear on that, then that is not a church. OK, that is not a church at all. If a church is using anything other than this King James Bible, they are not a church. They don't have the word of God. You're not learning from the word of God. It's not a church. And if they are not going out and preaching the gospel, if they're not, at least someone, some people are being sent out from that church to preach the gospel, it's not a church. OK, it's not a church. That's the whole point of church, isn't it? It's for us all to come together, build ourselves up and go out and preach the gospel and get people saved. OK, so firstly, when I'm talking about church, I'm talking about a real church. OK, we're talking about a real church, but David said, one thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. And what are the some benefits of being at a real church? Number one is being close to God. OK, number one is being close to God. I don't care how spiritual you think you are, how much preaching you listen to, how much you read your Bible at home, you will eventually drift if you're not in church. You will drift, OK? And we've seen that, I've seen that over the last, however many years, when people have started to come out of church, even really bad churches, they've started drifting. OK, they've started drifting, they've stopped, the soul winning starts getting less, the spiritual walk starts getting worse. If you're at a church, you will drift 100%. It would be odd, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it be odd to say that you love your father so much if you guys have, you know, physical fathers still alive in this life, but you never ever went to visit them, wouldn't it? Now, you might be thinking, well, no, but I can speak, I speak to my father, you know, I can pray to him, I read his word. Yeah, you might speak to your father on the phone. Yeah, you might, you know, you might send him letters now and again, send him WhatsApps or anything else, but wouldn't it be weird if you just never ever went to visit him, eh? If you really loved him, if you really wanted to be close to him, you go and visit him. And again, you don't have to turn it, but Matthew 18, 20, another famous verse says, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. There is something special about being gathered together here, isn't there? There's something special and you can really feel God in the room, can't you? Where we're gathered together, there's something completely different to when you're at home reading your Bible. And there are some great times, private times with God, don't get me wrong, and we should have private times with God, but something about being together isn't there, okay? And one of the big things about church is that you're there in the presence of God, you're seeking his face, you're beholding the beauty of the Lord and inquiring in his temple. Turn to Psalm 84. Psalm 84, and verse one, says, how amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts. Okay, amiable is lovely, worth of love, deserving of affection. Okay, how amiable, and basically, how lovely, worth of love, deserving of affection are your churches, O Lord of hosts, is what he's saying here. Okay, they're lovely, they're deserving of affection. Verse two says, my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Who here can say that? Who can say that their soul longeth, that they fainteth to be in church? Because we should do, shouldn't we? We should do. Jump forward to verse 10. He says, for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in a tents of wickedness. One day in church is better than a thousand out, and it should be better than a thousand out regardless. He didn't say, well, unless you're doing something really fun. One day, one day in thy courts is better than a thousand, if your heart's right. If your heart's right with God, one day here should be better than a thousand days out of it. Now, when he says here about being a doorkeeper, the doorkeeper was pretty far away. He was just looking in. So it's not like, you know, the usher here comes up at 10.30. There it was, that was a far way. He's basically just observing from far the service. But even then, it's better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in a tents of wickedness, okay? Verse 11, for the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. So there's a link now, I believe, between walking uprightly and the desire to be in church, okay? There's a link there. He won't withhold no good thing from them that walk uprightly. And part of that is that desire, that want, that craving to be in church. Verse 12 says, oh, Lord of hosts, blessed is a man that trusteth in thee. We should trust God in that, shouldn't we? Trust God. Just desire it. Make yourself desire it, want it. Psalm 27, four, back to Psalm 27 and verse four. He said to behold the beauty of the Lord. And where's the beauty of the Lord? It's in this book, isn't it? The beauty of the Lord is in this book. The inquiring or seeking of him is done through this book, isn't it? Now you might, again, you might be thinking, but I don't have to go to church to read the Bible. No, but you do to have it preached at you. You do have to go to church to have the Bible preached at you, not preach to other people that you can listen into, not like David standing from the rooftops watching from afar, which is what happens when we watch sermons online. Great, we can learn some doctrine. But there's a big difference, isn't there? And I'll say it time and time again, because I think everyone is probably getting used to that, having the Bible preached at you. Turn to 2 Timothy 4, while I read Acts 20, verse 28, where he said, and we read this last week, Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. We're getting fed with the word of God at church, and there is a difference between having it preached at you and reading it. 2 Timothy 4, verse 2 says, Famous verse again, Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. There is a massive difference when you're having a word preached at you, isn't there, than when you're reading it in your quiet time at home. There is a massive difference. Isaiah 58 one said, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet. You can't say that quietly, can you? Lift up the voice like a trumpet, okay guys? And show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. That's the point, isn't it? For you to be shown your transgression, for you to be shown your sins. And when we read it on our own, it's not the same. It's great, we should read it. We should have private quiet time, but it's not the same. And the thing is, when you miss a church service, this is the truth. You could have missed that service which would have changed your life. You could have missed that service which would have changed your life, okay? And that's the truth, isn't it? And like we said, it's different when you watch it online. And you sitting in here could have changed your life. And God's not sitting there going, well, you have better things to do, don't worry. I'll change your life on another day. Don't worry, that could have been, that message could have been put on that preacher's heart. It could have been you in that room that it was going to make the biggest difference to that day. And you had something better to do. You couldn't be bothered that day. You didn't want to go along, okay? And that's the truth. And that's what preaching is about, it's changing your life for the better. That's what we want, don't we? We want our lives changed, don't we? Doesn't everyone here want to be a better person, a better Christian? Yeah? Church is not a chore, it's not a chore, okay? We benefit from church. Number two, so what are some benefits of being at church? Number one was being close to God. Number two, getting protected by God, okay? The whole vein of this Psalm, it's getting protected by God. Verse five said, four, four. In the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion. In the secret of His tabernacle, shall He hide me? He shall set me upon a rock. So Psalm 27, the Psalm that gives so many Christians strength and courage, how many times does a Christian pick up this Psalm and read the first three verses, skim reads the middle, gets to the end, and reads the last verse? I reckon a lot. I know I used to. I'd read, I'd be like, yeah, He's my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Lord is my strength and my life. And then it comes to, yeah, one thing I've designed of the Lord, yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, you know? Well, what's the whole point of the Psalm? What's the Psalm telling us? Where will we get that? Four, in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion. In the secret of His tabernacle, shall He hide me? He shall set me upon a rock. It all hinges on verses four and five. It all hinges on that. Verse three said, Though an host should encamp against, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Why? Verse four, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. Verse five, four, four, in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion. In the secret of His tabernacle, shall He hide me? He shall set me upon a rock. Verse five are all protective places that picture the church. They're all protective places that picture the church. Pavilion is a tent, a temporary moveable habitation. Tabernacle a tent, which of course was used as a temple. A rock was a place of refuge. He's hiding us. He's protecting us in the church. Verse six says, And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. But what about the infiltrators? What about the reprobates coming into the church? And last week, like I said, there could have been a bit of fear, couldn't there? There could have been people thinking, wow, this is just going to be ongoing, isn't it? The Bible warns us. The Bible tells us ongoing. You're going to have problems ongoing. You're going to have people causing trouble, coming in, trying to split apart the church, the rest of it. Yeah, but what do wolves want to do? What do they want to do? They want to scatter you and pick you off, don't they? I actually, so you might think I'm a bit odd, but think about this. I started looking at some videos on wolves attacking sheep and other things and just, you know, I want to see how they do this. So what they do is they try and scatter. So I was watching them actually attacking more than sheep, a group of bison, and there's some big animals, okay? Now what they're doing is they're constantly just trying to get them and get them so they break them up. They want to break up the herd and then they can take the one weak one. Then they can take the young one a lot of the time as well. And that's what they want to do. They want to break up. They want to scatter. And they do that with the sheep as well. I watched a video with them attacks of sheep in a pen and it was a bit of a setup, really. But it was pretty interesting because what they were trying to do is get them running around so then they could take the weak one, they could take the young one. And that's what they want to do. They want to scatter you. They work in teams though as well, okay? Don't forget that. Wolves work in teams. Now I'm not saying, oh, there must be 20 people, but what I'm saying is they scatter you or they put doubt in your head, they put fear in you, and then the next wolf comes in. And once the doubt and the fear's there, then the next wolf starts trying to get you out in another way, trying to pull you apart. They work in teams and that could be when you're out. So you get scattered from a church. So that could be in a church. One comes in, another one tries, but also you could get pulled out of a church. And then what happens? Then the wolves outside the church get you. Because once you're out, then you're fair game, aren't you? You're fair game and it's much easier to have you. And like I said, they especially target the young, okay? You here with kids, it's so important to have your kids in church. They want your kids out of church. They want them out of church. Because when you're out of church, that's when the wolves attack. And they'll attack through many ways. They'll attack through social media. They'll attack through the media, through the TV, through the music industry. They'll attack through weird people. And once you're out of church, you're out of that protection, aren't you? Okay, 1 Corinthians 5.5. Have a quick look at that. We studied this several weeks ago. Now Paul is instructing them to kick someone out of the church, to kick them out of the church, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Being out of church is delivering that person unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, is it not? So if you willfully pull yourself out, what are you doing? You're delivering yourself unto Satan. If you pull your children out, you're delivering them unto Satan. If you allow the wolves to scatter you and you come out of church, they start convincing you that actually you're better off out. That, oh, is that mean? You know, like we had last week. Oh, that pastor, that leader, and anything else. It's to try and get you to doubt to eventually maybe another wolf comes in, takes you out. Okay, but then what is being out of church? What about if you only came to church once a year? You're out of church, aren't you? Do you think you're going to get the protection of being in the church? Nah, you're only coming once a year. That ain't being part of the church, is it? What about once every six months? Once every six months, you're part of the church? No? Any takers on once every six months? Go once, go twice. No one on the six months, right. What about once every two months? Once every two months. You're part of the church once a month? We're getting a few once a month, maybe, maybe not. What about once every fortnight? Once a week. What about once a week? Are you still getting the protection? Do you think you're getting maximum protection? How about that? Maybe you're getting a little bit now. Are you getting maximum? What about twice a week? What about when we had a third service? Yeah, three to thrive. Do you think then you're going to be getting the maximum protection of the pack? Yeah? Then you're not on your own, are you? Psalm 134 verse 1 says, Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. So in church, you're checking in, you're sharpening up your defences, aren't you, as well? Because it ain't just, oh, well now I've got the protection of everyone else. You're helping protect them as well. Amen. You're sharpening yourself up to deal with the wolves, to deal with the attacks, to deal with the devil. That's why we do need a midweek service, don't we? And when we move buildings, we will be adding a midweek service. We need that. We need that. Because a lot of people say that time in between is hard. It could be a long week without, and then coming back on a Sunday. Because we need that, don't we? And you might think, well, I'm just fine once a week. I'm fine once a week. That's me done. I'm good. I'm coming to church. That's who said that I had to be more than that. But who said that once a week was enough? Why not once a month then? Why not once every six months? No, we should desire to be in church. We should want to be there. If we're not, train yourself to be like that. Get your heart right with God. You might be thinking, but I don't want to be part of this battle. I don't want to be part of it. I don't want to be battling with infiltrators. I don't want to be in a spiritual battle. I don't want to be out there. I just, you know, I'll go to church and do that bit. That's fine. I'm there. I've done it. It's too late. It's too late. You got saved. You're part of the battle. It's too late. You're saved. You're on God's side. You've got the uniform on. You can't take it off. You can't. You've got the uniform on. You're a target. You are a target now. Okay. The enemy's forces, you are a target. That's the truth. You can't just, you can't join the army because you joined the army the second you got saved and then think, oh no, I'll just be left alone. You can't take that uniform off. It ain't happening. Okay. The devil knows and other people know. And if they, other people don't know you're a Christian and you are massively failing as a Christian. Okay. You are a target. And regardless of whether other people know or not, the devil knows. Okay. And every single devil in this world knows as well. Okay. So you can either stay in formation with your fellow soldiers. You could put the battle into a rake, aren't you? You could be in that battle in a ray. You could be in formation protected safe. Yeah. Where you're not exposed. Or you could take your chances on your own. You can wander across no man's land on your own with your uniform on. Good luck with that. You ever see no man's land? You know what that was like in the First World War? Man, you don't want to be walking across there. What with the British uniform on? You know, in the war? Yeah, I'm just going to have a little wander across. No way. You want to walk across, you want to walk behind enemy lines with your uniform on? No way. But the only place you're safe is in formation with that army in a ray. And that's doing what God wants. That's fitting in with how God wants us to live. And that's being in church. Yeah. And what sort of soldier is it who only turns up to some of it? What, you think God's going to protect that soldier? I don't think so. Matthew 16 18 says, And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The gates of hell. But that's against the church, not the lone rangers doing their own things. And by the way, that's for everyone as well. And again, I'm not beating up on anyone who's watching online. There are some people that have genuine reasons for that. But there are people that I think probably could make it to church. They could if they really wanted to. And you're not getting that protection. You ain't, you're not. We want you listening rather than not, you know. But there are people all over the world that are out of church watching online. I would say a lot of those could make it to church, couldn't they? Okay. And I don't think they're going to get that protection. When you desire and seek after dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of your life, then you can say, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. You think the Lone Ranger can say that? You think the guy out on his own in his army uniform trying to fend for himself can say that? No way. Church is not a chore. Some benefits of being at church. Number one, being close to God. Number two, being protected by God. And number three, praising God. Praising God. That's one of the main reasons we're here, isn't it? To praise God. Verse six says, And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore, will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy, I will sing, yay, I will sing praises unto the Lord. Church is where we go to sing praises unto God, isn't it? Church is where we go to do that. We should be full of joy in church, shouldn't we? We should be full of joy. God wants us here singing to him. That's what he wants. He wants us here singing to him. Now you might be thinking, but I sing at home, I sing at home. Great. But he also commands you to sing at church. He commands you. Make no mistake about that. Turn to Psalm 100 while I read Psalm 149 verse one. Psalm 149 one says, Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. That's the church, the congregation of saints. Everyone here is a saint. This is a congregation of saints. Praise ye the Lord, sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. That's a command, isn't it? Psalm 100, a Psalm of praise from verse one. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord hears God. It is he that have made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations. That sounds like a command to me as well, doesn't it? Verse one, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Verse two, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Verse four, enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless his name. Turn to Psalm 135 while you're in Psalms there. And just quickly, I'm not, people are ill, I'm not having a go at, people that are recovering from things, I'm not having a go at you. But I would hope that those people still are desiring, they're missing, they're wanting to be here for these reasons that we're seeing. Psalm 135, verse two. Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord, for the Lord is good. Sing praises unto his name, for it is pleasant. That's ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, that's church. It is a command for church, it's a command, okay? And that's why, that's why it absolutely makes me sick that there are still churches in this country that are not singing, that are not singing because the government has advised them apparently not to sing. Now some of them think they've been commanded not to sing and it's clear, what's the command? Who should we obey? God. Shouldn't we obey God rather than man? Okay, but they're not even commanding it, it's a guideline. But it's command for church and what does Acts 5 29 say? Then Peter and the other apostles answers said, we ought to obey God rather than men. If they even told us no, you cannot sing, we'll sing, won't we? We'll sing even louder, we'll sing amongst the nations, like Psalms constantly tells us to do, to sing, to sing to God. But they haven't even told us not to, they haven't even told us we can't yet, these lily-livered, weak pastors, leaders, whatever they are, are just bowing down. It's disgusting, isn't it? And they have no right to call themselves churches. But they haven't even told us not to. Psalm 100 verse 3 said, He is God, it is He that has made us, not us. Sorry, it is He that has made us, it's not us. It's not our so-called government, is it? They didn't make us. It's God that has made us, isn't it? Should we not be coming before Him and praising Him and doing what He says? And if He wants us to come before His presence singing, and that's with gladness, isn't it? Like, is that with gladness if it's the bare minimum? Is it? So if we're turning up just the minimum we can get to church to tick the box, to be able to say we're doing it, is that coming before His presence with singing with gladness? No, it's not. No, it's not. And that, again, you've got to get right with God there. Why don't I want to praise Him? He made me, He saved me, He died on a cross, He spent three days in hell for me, so I wouldn't have to go to hell for eternity, for everything I've ever done, everything I've ever thought to be punished forever, and yet we don't even want to come. Many people, many people all over this world, saved Christians, want to find excuses not to come to church. That's not what the Bible says, is it? We should be wanting to come there, come before His presence with singing. Verse 5 said of Psalm 27, for the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all, sorry, not in Psalm 27, sorry, back to Psalm 100, for the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations. That was Psalm 100, wasn't it, guys? So I didn't turn there. Yeah, Psalm 100, verse 5. Okay, is He not good? Is He not good? He is good, isn't He? Has He not shown you everlasting mercy? He has, isn't He? He's shown all of us everlasting mercy. That's why we should want to come before His presence with singing, with praise. Now turn to Colossians 3.16. Okay, and they should be good enough reasons, shouldn't they? But if you turn to Colossians chapter 3 and verse 16, the Bible says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. So not only are we pleasing our God when we come before Him singing, not only are we obeying His commands, but we're teaching and admonishing each other. It's a wise thing to do. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns spiritual songs. Admonishing is reproving, warning, counselling, directing. We benefit from the singing in church in more ways than one. Okay? We benefit. We're teaching each other. We're learning from those. We're also just learning from each other, from the people that are really wanting to praise God. Those people that are singing at the top of their voices, we're learning from that as well, aren't we? We're learning what it means to really want to worship and praise our God. And if you're in church and you're just singing, mumbling under your breath, you're not really teaching anyone, are you? And we should be thinking of each other with that as well. We're here to teach, to admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. But even if we weren't told to, even if we did a benefit, turn to Psalm 95. Even if we got nothing from it, even if it was just, well, you know, I'm not really learning. I'm not benefiting. He hasn't told us that we're going to teach and admonish each other. From verse one, Psalm 95, verse one, O come, let us sing unto the Lord. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. That's good enough reason, isn't it? Is that not good enough reason? That's good enough reason. Thanksgiving. Don't you want Him to hear a joyful noise? Don't you want your heavenly Father to hear a joyful noise? And we've heard these analogies before. I've given that before. When you hear parents, when you hear your children sing, it doesn't matter how out of tune they are, does it? It doesn't matter how much of it they get wrong. It's just sweet. It's lovely. You want to hear it. But one child singing is lovely. If you had your whole, all of your kids giving a chorus to you, that's a bit different, isn't it? That's a bit different. And don't we want God to feel like that? Do you want to be the one that's not involved? Would you want to be the one child, the one child out of the family that doesn't join in with the singing? No, I don't want to sing to daddy how great he is, you know? Tell you what, that child will be getting a whipping. But maybe that child will be getting a whipping, eh? That's the truth, isn't it? We should want to be part of that chorus to God. Okay. But what a difference, isn't it? What a difference when a church is belting out hymns. What a difference when we have a packed church and we're belting out hymns. And I think it's been great actually in a way that Sister Vanessa has been learning hymns as we go along because we're all like, we know these hymns so well, don't we? But we're adding and adding, so it's not like we're still doing like four hymns every week. So we're adding hymns, but the whole church knows them. And it sounds good because have you been in churches when they play a hymn when no one knows it? Apart from the screechy pastor whose song leading at the front or something and no one else knows it and it's pretty painful, isn't it? It's painful, but what a difference when we're all just singing in their clear doctrinally sound hymns and we're just singing at the top of our lungs. That is a sound and you know what, God loves that, doesn't it? It's a joyful noise. Okay, church is not a chore. What are some benefits of being at church? Number one, being close to God. Number two, getting protected by God. Number three, praising God. Number four, praying to God. Number four is praying to God. Verse seven in Psalm 27. Verse seven, hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, have mercy also upon me and answer me. When thou said, seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me, put not thy servant away in anger. Thou has been my help, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. Church is somewhere we go to pray to God. Turn to Luke 19. Turn to Luke chapter 19. Luke 19 and from verse 45. And he went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold therein and them that bought, saying unto them, it is written, my house is a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. Okay, it's a house of prayer. Jesus called it a house of prayer and that was Jesus casting out those that were selling in the temple, one of the many times he did that. And verse nine, verse nine of Psalm 27 said, hide not thy face far from me. Why would God hide his face far from you? Why would God hide his face far from David? Well, Isaiah 59 two says, you don't have to turn there says, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. Now, obviously I'm not talking about salvation here, but I am talking about the life of a Christian after salvation and sins that will hide his face from you like avoiding church, maybe, or maybe even the attitude we might have when we come to church. How about that? If you're coming to church begrudgingly, you're not desiring it, you're not wanting to be there, you're coming because you have to, because you feel it's a chore. Is that not sinful? I would say that's sinful. Psalm 66 18 says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. We wanna get rid of that iniquity out of our hearts, don't we? Everyone here. You want that prayer life? You wanna be able to pray to God and for him to hear your prayers and answer your prayers, don't regard iniquity in your heart. And one of those is not wanting to come to church, isn't it? Not wanting to be here. We need to get our hearts right with God to access a full prayer life, don't we? We need to. Are we seeking the Lord's face at church? We are, aren't we? But is everyone here doing that? Is everyone here in church really seeking the Lord's face? Because church is a great place to pray. It is a great place to pray. Turn to Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two. And from verse 41, Acts 2 41. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized. This is the day of Pentecost, by the way. And the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. Verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. Okay? Teaching fellowship, eating. There's an old Baptist saying that if we ain't eating, we ain't meeting. Okay? Eating and prayer. Okay? Prayer. Prayer is important there, isn't it? And we should be coming to church to pray. We should be praying in church. And I'm not talking about those long prayers at churches where no one's really paying attention, but we should have that time, that quiet time, maybe when the offering is going around. Times like that are good times to pray, aren't they? Before church starts, if we're all here on time, you know, it'd be nice. We could be here praying after church when it ends. Nothing wrong with taking a minute to pray, is there? Yeah? And obviously we lead prayers. And when we add a midweek service, there will be some more structured prayer and that for things of the church as well. But we should be coming to church to pray. But we should also not just be praying for ourselves. We should be praying for each other, shouldn't we? We should be praying for each other. Turn over to Acts 12 while you're in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 12 and verse 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Without ceasing. Okay, and you know the story probably that after then it's prison breakout time, isn't it, with the angel leading the way. But they're praying without ceasing for Peter. But if they weren't in church, would they have even known what was going on? Would they have been praying for him? No. Okay, we should want to pray for each other. And sometimes it takes being at church and talking to each other to know what people need praying for. Because they're not all going to come to me and say, could you put this down? Some people don't want to do that. Some people might not feel it's maybe important enough or don't want that. Or maybe don't even think about it or don't have that on their mind at the time. But we should. We should be talking to each other. Finding out what's going on in people's lives. Because we all have problems in our lives, don't we? Every single person here goes through problems in their life and should be able to talk to brothers and sisters at church and say, yeah, I'm having those problems for that person. Not for it to be this kind of, hey, I'm so great, I'm going to pray for you. But you should want to pray for each other, shouldn't you? And there's nothing wrong with seeking prayer from each other for that. Peter had that, didn't he? He had that and he ended up breaking out of prison. James 5 16 says, confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We should want to, we should seek, we should want to pray for each other and we should want each other to pray for us, shouldn't we? You know, there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing weak about that, okay? It's something that we should be doing. And coming to church is somewhere where we get that and somewhere where we do pray as well, yeah? Where we pray for each other. That's why it's called a house of prayer. And that's part of one of the should be, some of that should be a self, there could be a selfish reason and a selfless reason for coming to church, shouldn't there? Everyone here. I don't care if you're a six-year-old child. You're able to pray for people, aren't you? You're able to do that for others. You're able to come here and pray for other people at the church at the bare minimum, can't you? Okay. Church is not a chore. What are some benefits of being at church? Number one, being close to God. Number two, getting protected by God. Number three, praising God. And number four, praying to God. And number five, getting taught by God. Getting taught by God. Look at verse 10 there in Psalm 27, verse 10. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies. Okay, so even when your mother and father forsake you, the Lord will still take you up, won't he? Teach me thy way, O Lord. That should be our desire to be taught. We come to church to be taught by God, don't we? It's not to be taught by me. It's to be taught by God. That's why we come to church. It's not just to be more pleasing in God's eyes, is it? It's not just to be more pleasing in God's eyes. It's to be taught by God. Okay, verse 11, he said, Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies. So why is that? Because when we're not being taught by God, we're open to attack, aren't we? Yeah? We want to be taught by God. We want to be taught his way, and we want to be led in a plain path because of our enemies. And every single person here has enemies. Whether you know it or not, you have enemies because you're a Christian. Okay? And that's the truth. And if you want to be able to deal with those enemies, you need to be in church being taught by God. Okay, so turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3. And from verse 16, 2 Timothy 3.16, All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Our aim is to be complete, to be perfect, isn't it? To be complete, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. That comes from the Word, and that comes from the preaching of the Word because there's something different when it's preached to us, isn't it? It is different. You learn differently when it's preached to you. Yes, you can learn. You can learn from reading your Bible. Yes, we do learn from reading our Bible, but there is something different when it's preached to you with the Holy Spirit, filling a preacher and preaching the Word of God to you. Okay? Turn to Nehemiah chapter 8 for a great example of this. So, Nehemiah chapter 8, and from verse 1, I'm going to see an example of this being laid out in the Bible. And all the people gathered themselves together, so Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 1, and all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the Watergate. And they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both the men and women, and all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the Watergate, from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattathiah, and Shema, and Anniah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maasiah, on his right hand, on his left hand, Padiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashim, and Hashbedana, and Zechariah, and Meshalem. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also, Jeshua, and Banai, and Shabithiah, and Jamin, and Acub, and Shabbathiah, and Hodejiah, Maasiah, and Calita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Paliah, and the Levites caused the people to understand the law and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading. Okay, a lot of names there, but these are basically people preaching to the people. They're preaching to them. They're reading in the book of the law of God distinctly, aren't they? Okay, they're focusing on bits. They're giving the sense as well when they read it. Now, yeah, the Holy Spirit can teach you the word of God and you can read through it, but there is a difference when someone is preaching a particular message to you. Look, if you're reading through the Bible, and yeah, sure, you'll get something out of so much of the Bible and you should read it through cover to cover. Okay, year in, year out, you should be reading it through, but that could take a year, can't it? You might have read something in Genesis and it's going to take you a year. It might take you half a year if you're reading maybe six chapters plus a day. It might only take you three months if you're reading 12 chapters a day. Still three months for that message, whereas that could be something that's put on the preacher's heart to preach to you in that room, okay? And there, again, he's giving the sense there, isn't he? They're reading the word of God. They're listening, they're attentive, and that's part, we have a responsibility in church to be attentive to not only the reading beforehand, but also when the word's being preached to us. Be attentive, because that could be something that you really need to hear with the sense of it, and there, that's what he's doing. It says in verse eight there, it says, they read in the book of the Lord distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading, and that's what happens with preaching, doesn't it? That's one of the purposes. Different bits are focused on, made clear, that helps us to focus on certain verses that you might sometimes skim over when you're reading, yeah? But there are other ways we're taught, okay? There are other ways we're taught and led in a plain path in church, aren't there? It's not just the preaching. The examples of others can do that, can't it? The examples of others in the church. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10, and from verse 24, and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of summies, but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching. Right, we can provoke each other to love and to good works at church, even just by turning up, turning up week in, week out. You know, as this church goes on, when it goes, you know, we're up to six months, this could go on to a year, two years, three years, five years, 10 years, 20 years, those people that have been here week in, week out, very few times that they miss a service for a genuine reason. That alone can encourage others, can't it? That alone, without anything else, will encourage others. Even in this six months, there are people that have been here week in, week out, and again, I'm not talking about illness, injury, you know, other problems that you can't help it, but there are people that are here week in, week out, and that is an encouragement. That's something that we can all be provoked by that to do the same, can't we? Okay, but we can be provoked to other things as well. It's not just just to turn you up to love and to good works, being a role model to others, okay? And I'm not talking about trying to be hyper-spiritual, I don't want to be the holier than thou on the other side, but being a role model, just being real, being honest, being sincere at church, and just being a role model to kids. You know, there are kids here, they all, you know, it's great, yeah, they should have their father and mother to be a role model. Some don't have that opportunity, and some who even do, they should be looking to the other adults in the church as role models. We have a big responsibility there. We have kids here looking, watching, observing, learning, kids learn quick how we all behave, how we all hold ourselves, how we talk to each other, whether we're constantly bragging, whether we just look shifty all the time, or whether, you know, all of it. You know, there's many ways that we can be role models to children, and kids to each other. You could be role models to each other as well, you do know that, kids, yeah? You all, you can, and of course, a lot of the time that would be older kids to younger kids, but it's not always like that either. Kids can be role models to each other. There's a big difference when certain kids are behaving, showing how a godly child should behave, that should influence other children. And that, just being, you're not a church, you're not able to do that, are you? Okay, that's something we should all do. Exhorting, encouraging each other. We should also be able to encourage each other, shouldn't we? And that's not just by being here. We should be able to talk to each other at times of fellowship and encourage each other in life, okay? And another reason we should be here, we should be thinking of our fellow man. If I'm not at church, maybe someone really needed me to say something to him that day, you know? Maybe someone needed that. Maybe just that person. It's just something I might have said, I didn't even think about it, that just really encouraged them. Okay, yeah, sure, I'm preaching up here, but for all of you, you should all be thinking that as well. Thinking what, you know, when I'm missing it, maybe there's something there that someone's missing. And obviously, soul winning as well. Soul winning encourages others, doesn't it? When we're out soul winning, it does encourage others. And you don't have to put pressure and be asking people why they're not out, because just the fact that you're doing it is an encouragement to others, isn't it? It's an encouragement. We should be encouraging each other to want to go out and give the Gospel. Okay, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. And so much the more. He didn't say, and just put in the bare minimum at the end there, because you're going to have a lot more distractions as you see the day approaching. He said, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. And we see the day approaching. You know, we're 2,000 years after this was written, guys. It should be so much the more. 1 Thessalonians 5.11, you don't have to turn there, it says, wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. That's talking to a church to edify one another. We all play a part in teaching each other at church, whether it's by the way we behave, whether it's in conversation, being a role model, the way just that we're singing with our hearts to the Lord. Just that we're turning up to church is teaching others. Romans 12.5 says, so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another. We've gone through that in the book of Corinthians, haven't we? Okay, we are all members of a church. We're all one body and we all work together. Okay, we all have different strengths and weaknesses, don't we? Everyone here does. And so your strengths are someone else's weakness and your strength should be able to help someone else. And I'm talking everyone here, every child here, everyone has strengths and weaknesses that can help others. And that's why we need to be here. If not for any of those other reasons to help your brothers and sisters in Christ. Church is not a chore. And when we're here, we should wanna be here, yeah? Shouldn't we? We should wanna be here. Doesn't matter what chores you got here, what jobs you got here, how much you gotta do here, how hard it might be here, how difficult it might be. Sometimes your kids just wanna play up on a Sunday at church, don't they? Sometimes that's the day that there's reasons, whatever it is. And sometimes it can be hard. You feel like, well, what am I really benefiting? But we should still wanna be here. We should still wanna be here. Sometimes, like I said, it could be that tough day, that day where you really don't feel like, it could be that day when every family member wants to see you. It could be like that, can't it? It could be that day when there's just something so much better when you got something on tomorrow, when you know you got a week. But God wants you in church. We should desire to be in church. Does it just wanna see once it's desiring it? What are some benefits being close to God, getting protected by God, praising God, praying to God, getting taught by God? Then, then we're able to deal with the tough times, with the scum and villainy, because there are scum and villainy everywhere, aren't there? And the only way we're gonna deal with that is when we're in church, really. When you're out of church, you just get caught up in it. You get swallowed by it. Verse 12 of Psalm 27 says, deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies, for false witnesses have risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. Sadly, that happens in church as well. Sadly, that happens in church. False witnesses, they breathe out cruelty, but you're still better here than not here. If you're not here, it's gonna be worse. Verse 13, I had fainted, unless I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Look, church strengthens our faith, doesn't it? Church strengthens our faith. And look, life is tough. Whether you're in church or not, life is gonna be tough. That's life. Life is tough. But if you wanna be able to handle it, you need to be in church as much as possible, don't you? You wanna be able to handle it, you need to be right with God. You need to be getting all these benefits from church, and you need God on your side, and you need God to wanna bless you. Thou good and faithful servant. Don't we want God to say that to us? We need to be in church. Turn to Ephesians 4, nearly finished. Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians 4, talking to the Ephesian church. Verse 11, Ephesians 4, 11. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in a unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, perfecting or completing of the saints, edifying of us all the unity of the faith. And that all comes from the people he's putting in the church to help that happen, okay? He's put us together for that eventual result, hasn't he? In Psalm 27, verse 13, he said, the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, okay? He's talking about that, the goodness of the Lord. And that's experienced at church, isn't it? That's experienced at church, the goodness of the Lord, not just from the Word of God, because when you're talking to each other, you're learning different ways the Lord has been good to people, the way the Lord has blessed people, the way the Lord is working in people's lives. And we see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living more than anywhere else we see that in church, don't we? You go away till you're weak and you just go back to the world, you ain't seeing that. You might see it now and again, you'll see little things. But in church, you're just hearing all these different experiences, seeing all these different changes, watching people grow, watching the goodness of the Lord, and watching something like nearly 500 salvations from this church. OK, and we're seeing the goodness of the Lord through that, aren't we? And that's from everyone turning up, building each other up, going out and getting people saved. OK, but we also at church, don't we, get the patience to wait on the Lord in times of tribulation. And that comes from living for God. And that can only happen when you're going to church, can't it? That can only happen when you're not only going to church, but wanting to be in church. And last bit, just turn to Psalm chapter 92. I know it's a bit of a lot of page turning today, but there's just so much about this. I'm in the Bible, and these are just some verses I wanted to preach on. Psalm chapter 92 and from verse 13. The Bible says, Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourishing. If you want to be fat, if you want to be fat and flourishing, and that's in a good sense here, if you want to be fat and flourishing, you want to flourish, you need to plant yourself in the house of the Lord. That's unmovable, isn't it? That's here week in, week out, every service. Plant yourself in the house of the Lord. Then you shall flourish. You shall flourish in the courts of our God. You shall bring forth fruit in old age. And we all want that, don't we? Doesn't everyone here want to be fat and flourishing, bringing forth fruit in old age, and that comes from planting yourself in the house of the Lord. With that, let's pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word, and I thank you for your church. Thank you for giving us this church. Thank you for just giving us this amazing place to meet, giving us this building, giving us these people, giving us your word, and showing us how it should be done, and showing us that we should desire it, we should crave it, we should want it. We should just want to be here as much as possible. And if there are people here that don't feel like that, or people that are listening online that don't feel like that, Lord, please help. Just help us to get a right heart with you. Help people here not to feel like I'm preaching at them. I'm just preaching your word here, Lord. I'm preaching because I want everyone here to benefit from church. I want them to benefit from this. I want this church to go forward, to be a real force to be reckoned with in this country, and that means every single person here getting their heart right with that. I pray that you just help us now to be a big part of this church, help everyone here to want to be a part of this church, help us to go forward this afternoon and do what a church should do best, and that is to go out, preach the word, pull people out of the fire, and get those people saved. And Lord, with that, just please bless our afternoon, bless our week, and in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.