Why is the church important? Why should I attend church? - GotQuestions.org Podcast Episode 20

The Church as a Key Part of Christian Life

Welcome to our Got Questions podcast. I'm Kevin Stone, the Managing Editor of Got Questions Ministries, and we are recording today here in the headquarters of Got Questions Ministries itself. So kind of a special thing, and I've got a special guest with me today.

This is Pastor Nelson, and he's not only a pastor, as his title would imply, but he's also an integral part of our Got Questions Ministry through the videos that he produces. You probably recognize this guy from several of the YouTube videos and other things that he does for Got Questions.

So Pastor Nelson, great to have you here.

Thank you.

It's great to be here.

And why don't we start by talking a little bit about your ministry with Got Questions. How did you first get involved, and when did that happen with Got Questions?

Sure.

Well, Got Questions has been just a huge part of my life and ministry. I've grown up in the church and got involved in a lot of different areas in the church from just starting out with helping and helping with Sunday schools and things like that.

And we're talking now like 20 years ago. And I would find Got Questions website, and it would help me understand the Bible better. And I consistently use it all the time for my teaching and for learning and things like.

That.

And so I knew about the site for a long time. I didn't know everything that they did, which is really impressive if you don't know everything that Got Questions really does. And it's a tremendous, far-reaching ministry.

And so later on, as I got older and went to ministry after Bible college and things like that, I started recording my own videos, just a side ministry that I have. And so I got used to video production.

And I saw that Got Questions had a few videos already online, and I thought, maybe I could help out with them too. And so I wrote an email just out of the blue and saying, hey, do you need any help with some video production?

Because if you look at some of my stuff, maybe I can help you out. And secretly, I'm hoping the whole time that, you know, you can help me out because I really want to be a part of what you're doing. And they got back to me, and it was just a huge surprise.

Because it filled a real need at Got Questions. I mean, we had hardly any video stuff online. And so you came along and said, this was like a match made in heaven.

Yeah, it really is. I mean, it's a blessing to me just to be part of the ministry, to have the opportunity to do what I'm doing, to help get some of the articles. I mean, the articles are already written, and they're well done.

The staff takes care of all of that. And so I'm just helping to bring those articles that are written to video. And so I feel like I'm just, you know, just one little extra piece to help, you know, further the kingdom of God and through the gospel and through these different ministry.

Areas.

Well, you're a very important piece in the puzzle of Got Questions Ministries, and it's great to have you on board. So tell us a little bit about your ministry as a pastor.

Sure.

I am an associate pastor at a small church in Southern Maryland. What I mainly do is small groups, so I kind of manage our small group program there and.

Our youth group.

I manage them as well. It's beyond that. I'm an elder at the church, and so there's a lot of administrative tasks that we are involved in as far as, you know, just the typical things of running a church and dealing with memberships and counseling and different things like that.

And so just a part of almost every little part of what a church does. And so that's really what I do, nine to five, and on the side, I get to help out with questions.

With the videos.

Well, I'm going to slip into the pastoral role a little bit here myself, because I'm also a pastor. For the past 20 years, I've been a pastor of a small rural church in the Midwest, and I love it. I love the people that God has given me to work with, and it's just a wonderful opportunity every week to be bringing the Word of God and helping teach people that way, as well as, you know, through Got Questions Ministries.

Why the Church Matters in the Believer’s Life

So the topic that we'd like to cover today in our podcast has to do with an aspect of the church, namely the importance of the church. We could approach that from several ways, I suppose. We could talk about the importance of the church in society at large, the importance of the church through history, but what we'd like to focus on, I think, is the importance of the church in our individual lives.

And you can't look at Scripture without seeing the importance of the church. I mean, it's all through the New Testament, but, you know, Hebrews chapter 10 talks about how we should be not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but we should be continuing together, and so much the more, as we see the day approaching.

So as we see that day of Christ getting nearer and nearer, we should be gathering together as believers, not less, but more frequently. And so Scripture right there says, you know, in so many words, getting together as a church is important.

And so Scripture places a premium on the church and the church gathering. Pastor Nelson, from your perspective, what would you say are some of the important aspects of the church? What makes the church important in the lives of an individual believer?

The Church as the Community of Believers

I mean, where do you begin? I mean, Jesus instituted the church, right? And so we see that as an integral part of being a Christian, is to be involved in the.

Church.

And what is the church, right? And so the church is the community of believers that gather together to learn, to encourage one another, to take communion and baptism and prayer, encouragement. All these different things are all involved, and it requires us gathering together in the local assembly.

I mean, the church at large is all believers, right? Once we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become part of the greater.

Church.

But the local church is what we're talking about today, is really how we operate as Christians, working together, being the hands and feet of Christ and the community that we're in. And so we can't call ourselves proper, active, biblical Christians if we completely disregard what the church is and what it does and our involvement in it.

Yeah, right. Acts chapter 2 and verse 42, we have what I have always used as kind of a basic outline for the purpose of the church. And this is what we read about the early church. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.

So four things there that the early church considered important. That was, they were continuing in the apostles' doctrine, not just any doctrine, not just their own, whatever they wanted to believe, but it was the apostles' teaching that they were focused on.

And then the breaking of bread, so the ordinances were being observed in the local church and in fellowship, because we really do need each other. And then prayers, prayer is part of that church life as well.

And this is how we grow as believers, it's how we mature in Christ, is through this interaction with others and through the teaching of the word, the teaching of the apostles' doctrine and the other things mentioned in this verse, which I think is so important.

The Beauty of the Bride of Christ

Yeah, it's tremendous. And being a part of it is a blessing to me. I grew up in the church. I grew up as a young kid and thankfully my parents were believers. And so I grew up understanding what the church was.

I grew up understanding the importance of what it is. And granted, at first, if you don't, well, first of all, if you're not a believer, as I was when I was a young child, I went to church, I knew church things, right?

And when I say church things, I mean about the Bible and about God and things like that. But I really didn't have a personal relationship with Christ. And so I saw it as a place to go and things that we do together.

But even then, I saw its value in simply the relationships and getting to know other people of like-mindedness and making real connections in that way. And it was through that, that God worked in me the ability to really see what this was.

Really all about.

It's not just a fellowship club. It's not just a place to learn exclusively. It's not just a place that we give money to and it's not a place to just pray. It's more than all that. And it's all that together.

And being a part of it and seeing the value in it and how it transformed my life over time, I truly began to see the beauty of the bride of Christ, right? To truly see, wow, this thing, it's amazing, right?

Because we gather together and I'm so encouraged by other believers as they share their gifts. Maybe someone else is teaching or someone else is serving. And I see that and I look at them and I'm just like, that is awesome because that's how God made you to be.

And it's such an encouragement to me. And then how I exercise my own gifts in whatever way that God gives me the opportunity at that moment, as I give and other people are encouraged by my giftings given by God, I can see them encouraged and them less.

And again, it's just this reciprocal nature of the church. And so it's just community of believers just doing what God calls us to do. And especially as we reach the lost, I mean, what's more beautiful than seeing someone enter a church through an invitation or something like that and then begin to get to know the people, the Bible, Jesus Christ himself, and then actually have faith in Christ and become.

A believer of God.

I mean, and as you witness that transformation that happens in the church, right through the church and in other places, as far as through conversations, but where it all comes together, I feel is the beauty right there in God's creation of the church.

I'm so glad that you mentioned the exercise of the spiritual gifts, because God has gifted each one of his children with a spiritual gift. Sometimes people may have more than one, but the exercise of those gifts was given to build up the body of Christ.

And this happens through the local church. We get together and we're ministering to each other. So when we go to church, we meet in a church building.

Whatever it looks like.

Yeah.

Whatever it looks like. And I've been to churches down in Latin America that were nothing but four poles with a thatched roof and a concrete slab.

And God is there.

And God was there. And so we're goats and roosters and everything else walking through the middle of the service. But I tell you what, that was one of the most beautiful church services I've ever attended.

People just loved the Lord and we were so accepted as brothers and sisters in Christ. And it was a beautiful thing.

Isn't that amazing? Sometimes we put so much value on the walls and on the color of the carpet and things like that. And I'm sure maybe some of our viewers, listeners have had church arguments, you know, over we're changing this part about our building.

Really, it's not that important. This building helps facilitate the church. This is just where we happen to gather together and no matter what it looks like or wherever it is, and those things are just peripheral.

It's the believers. It's the people that are the church and that's the beauty of it.

Christ is the head and we are the body. Or as Peter used the metaphor of, we are living stones that are being built up by this master builder, you know, and every stone has its place and it's all fitted.

Everything's fitted and joined together just right in God's wisdom. And it takes all of us to make that church that Christ is building. And when we go to that place, though, when we are gathered together in that place that we call a church building, then it's not just to sit there and soak in the blessings.

Hear people talk sometimes about how, you know, I got tired of that church or whatever because it just didn't have anything for me, you know, or whatever. And, you know, there may be instances where you're not being fed as you should be, but I think so often we just have a wrong perspective and it's not, you know, what the church can be giving us.

It's what we should be pouring into the lives of others as we minister those spiritual gifts.

Mutual Ministry, Accountability, and Bearing One Another’s Burdens

Yeah.

I mean, I think anyone who's been involved in any church ministering, especially as he was a pastor, and I've seen it too in my experience, we have some people that really just go to church just to soak, just to be there, just to get.

I have the early pastor says they just soak and then they sour, you know, because that's.

All you're doing.

You're just going there to get. And while there is much to receive there, that's not the plan. That's not what it's all about. And I always tell people like when they miss church and say, well, you know, what's the.

Big deal?

Well, you know, if I love Jesus, if I'm following his scripture, if I'm evangelizing, maybe I'm even sending money to missionaries or maybe even a church, you know, what's the point of me being there?

I don't really enjoy the people or I don't really enjoy singing. And I always tell people, it's not just about what you get or what you enjoy. God has created you in a special way, in a unique way. And it's a shame because the church that you're supposed to be a part of, that local assembly that you're not attending, they are missing out from your blessing.

They need you.

Yeah.

Whatever you are supposed to be bringing to the table, whatever the hand or foot or feet, you know, whatever it is that you are doing or God has intended for you to do, they're missing that blessing. And God, of course, will work through other ways and avenues to get and accomplish his.

Will.

But isn't it awesome when we get to be a part of his plan and we get to move in whatever he's doing? So I always tell them, you know, just you're missing out. It's not about getting. It's truly about also you giving.

And so that's what we're looking for in the church. It's not just going and getting and receiving. It's about being a blessing as well. And you miss out. Other people miss out if you're not there.

I've heard the metaphor used of when we are always receiving, receiving, receiving, we're never giving. Then it's like the Dead Sea. It's all input.

No output.

You've got the Dead Sea. And it's stagnant. It's sour.

As you mentioned.

Yeah.

It's not a healthy place to be as a believer.

It's not.

Yeah.

It's through that interaction that we grow. I mean, because sometimes we can we can read scripture and we could have our ideas about theology and doctrine and all those things. But sometimes it's helpful to have conversation.

I mean, it's always helpful to have that conversation, to throw ideas back and forth or to hear a different perspective. We're all blind to different things in our own lives. And so to have other people in our lives who were giving and taking and being able to be a part of each other's lives, if we're not a part of that, you miss so much and you miss so much of what God intends for us to see in the scriptures and to do as well.

Iron sharpens iron.

Yeah.

Scripture says. And that's all part of that interaction in the church. The church is a place where we're hearing the word of God, hopefully, and being taught that we're we're able to exercise our spiritual gifts.

We have that interaction where we're challenging others toward growth and we're bearing each other's burdens as we come alongside those that are suffering and are dealing with an especially hard time.

And we're able to be that support, put our arm around them, pray with them and just be helping that burden bearers as Christ would want us to be.

What's amazing about that, too, I mean, so you probably as a pastor, a lot of people come to you and ask for help and for different things. But are you equipped to help everyone with every single need that they ever have?

Absolutely not.

Absolutely not. Neither am I.

Right.

So no one is to do that. But in a church setting, someone is.

Yes.

Right.

And as a pastor or as someone, a parishioner, whatever it may be, when we have that community, we can say, hey, I can't help. But, you know, why don't you talk to so and so? Because they've gone through that same thing and maybe they can help you out with this specific issue.

Again, the church helping each other in areas that that we're all not entirely gifted in to help where someone else can really be a part of that story for them as well.

I'm always amazed at who the Lord brings into a local church and just to fit a certain need, you know, into somebody struggling with something. Well, hey, there's there's this couple over here that's been through this.

And you can connect the dots there and bring this these people together. And it's just an amazing thing. I'm always amazed by the wisdom of God and arranging those types of things.

Yeah, it really is a beautiful thing to see that all working out. But it has its issues, too, doesn't it?

Yeah.

All right.

It can be difficult with sometimes people avoid going to church because there are other difficult people there. So your church is probably perfect, right? No, no difficult things. No problems going on.

No, not even one that I've ever seen. No, it's. We all struggle with things.

Well, the church can be messy at sometimes, too, as our lives are messy as well. And a lot of times people think, well, I can't even walk into a church because my life is too messy. Right. Or maybe that's why you're not attending a church.

If you're not attending a church, you think, well, you know what? Maybe the church will burn down if I walk through those doors, you know, I have no business being there. And, you know, it's just not the case.

Right.

As long as we're gathered together, we are gathering and we all have different struggles in our own lives. And the beauty, again, of what the church is, is that we're helping each other along. And so it's not a place for perfect people.

It's just not. It's a place for people who recognize that they have imperfections and they look to a God who has the cure, has the direction to lead us in.

Amen. I actually had a guy that told me that once. He said, if I come to church, the place will burn down. That was his actual words to me. Well, he came to church and it still stood and talked to him afterwards and said, see, see, all we're looking for is for you to be looking to the Lord Jesus and wherever you are in your spiritual walk, then take the next step.

You take the next step towards Christ, towards faith, and God will deal with these other things that you're all worried about.

We're all a work in progress.

That's right.

I mean, from the brand new baby Christian to the pious theologian to the pastor or whatever may be, we all have issues and no one deserves to be on that pedestal, right? Not the pastor and not the pastor's wife and not anyone else.

We're all working together. Now there's different degrees of where we ought to be in our sanctification or in our walk with Jesus Christ and our obedience, but we're all still walking. We're all still working and through the spirit of God, we're able to be the person he's created us to be.

But I can't be the person that God created me to be without the church, without people speaking into my life and without that accountability. I mean, I don't know about you, but I need to have people that can point out in my life and say, hey, I saw the way you handed that conversation the other day.

I saw the way that you did that thing. Maybe it wasn't kind. Maybe it wasn't generous. Maybe I completely missed an opportunity to share Christ or whatever may be, and they call me out on it. And it's hard.

That never feels good.

Right.

Right.

But if I'm always running away from not feeling good, then I also don't get what I need sometimes.

As well.

And I really am dependent on other people speaking into my life and saying, hey, I saw.

This.

Maybe you ought to think about it a little bit more, pray about that and work on it. And then I recognize it. I'm offended at first and I hate it.

Right.

No one wants to hear any of those things.

Right.

But then you realize, you know what?

They're right.

Yeah.

I didn't have a good attitude. I need to handle myself better. And that's again, one of the beautiful things about the church, because you can't do that just sitting at home watching or listening to a program without having authority, people speaking into your life and helping you out.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend. And sometimes those words are hard to hear, but they're necessary for us. And it's the only way we grow sometimes.

Absolutely.

The Church as God’s Plan for This Age

I think the church is also an important thing because it's God's plan for this age. God has chosen the church to further his mission in the world during this age, which we call the church age often. But Jesus in Matthew 16 is actually the very first place that the church is mentioned in the New Testament.

Jesus says, I will build my church. And I love that promise because he's the one who's building.

Exactly.

Pastor, you don't have to do it.

All on your own, right? Exactly.

Right.

But he's building his church.

Yeah.

He didn't say, I'm going to build my university or I'm going to build my radio station or my internet ministry. Even he says, I'm going to build my church. These other things are maybe facilitating the building of the church and they're peripheral to it and very valuable, but it's the church that's the focus.

And so we should be excited about that, about being involved in that program, in that plan and being involved in the church that Christ is building.

Yeah.

It's amazing to see what the church does. I mean, through the ages, the contributions it's made to society and to history, to see the benefits that so many have gained for themselves through the careful care of a loving community church.

I mean, it's tremendous to see how God has planted it, how he's established it and how he blesses it and how he uses it in the communities that they're located in. So it's awesome. It's really mind boggling and humbling to see like I as a pastor, you as a pastor, we're just a small little part.

Our whole local church is just a small little part of what God is doing. But it's important just because it's small and just because it's local doesn't mean it's.

Not needed.

And that's why we're there to fill that community need for believers to come together at a specific location to worship the Lord and have accountability and love and care. And God does amazing things through that, for sure.

Yeah. What a great perspective.

Yeah.

Thank you. Well, that's about all the time that we have for today's podcast, unfortunately. This has been the Got Questions podcast. I'm Kevin Stone. With me today has been Pastor Nelson, who is not only a pastor, but he's also an integral part of the Got Questions ministry through the video production work that he does.

And we are very much appreciative of that. Pastor Nelson, thank you for being here today.

Thank you for having me. It's been a blessing to be here and a blessing to be part of the Got Questions team and helping them out for sure and being a blessing to me. It's awesome.

God bless your ministry in the church and also your video ministry with YouTube and all the rest.

Thank you.

This has been the Got Questions podcast. Got questions? The Bible has answers. We'll help you find them.