TEXT: Hebrews 10:25

SUBJECT: Children's Sermon #25: Church

Dear Kids,

I prepared today's sermon just for you. Listen carefully, please, because I'm going to ask you some questions.

For the last two months, we've looked at "The means of grace". What are they? They're ways we stay in touch with God. If your friend moves to Minnesota, you won't be able to see him very often. But you can still keep in touch with him. By calling him on the phone, writing him a letter, e-mailing him, or going to a chat room with him.

God is your very best friend. But you can't write Him a letter; you can't call him on the phone; He doesn't have a e-mail address; and He never goes into a chat room.

So, how do you stay in touch with God? Through "the means of grace". What are they? The three most important are: Prayer, Bible-reading, and going to church.

In praying you talk to God. In reading the Bible, you listen to God. And in going to church, you do both.

If Church is a means of grace, then going to church is a way of staying in touch with the Lord. Why?

BECAUSE OF WHAT THE CHURCH IS.

What is the Church? The Church is not the building we meet in. Sometimes we say that; but that's not quite right. The Church is the people who meet to worship and serve God.

But that's not all it is. According to I Timothy 3:15, the church is

What's a house for? It's for living in. You visit the store or the theater or the park, but you live in your house. And that's where God lives on earth--in His House, the Church.

Isn't God everywhere? Sure He is. But in some special way, He promises to live with us when we meet for His worship. I wish we were a big church, but God doesn't care one way or the other. He says,

What's the best place to meet your friend? I suppose you could go to Food 4 Less and wait for him to show up. But the most likely place to find him is at Home.

The Lord is not much of a traveller; He likes being home. And so, a good way of staying in touch with Him is stopping by His House which is the Church.

BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DO AT CHURCH

Another reason the Church is a means of grace is because of what we do here. What do we do at church? We do two things:

The Lord speaks to us by His Word, the Bible. But there's more to listening to God than reading the Bible at home all by yourself.

At every meeting, the Bible is read from the pulpit. And every time you hear Norm or Elisha or Lucas or somebody else read the Bible, you are listening to God Himself speak through a human voice. The Voice that spoke at Mount Sinai was more exciting than what we hear every Sunday--but it's no more the Word of God. When you listen to the Bible reading, you're listening to God.

Another way God speaks at Church is in the sermon. I preach most of the sermons here--and I make plenty of mistakes, I know. But when I (or someone else) properly explains the Bible, the sermon is the Word of God spoken to you. When you listen to the sermon, you're listening to God.

A third way God speaks at Church is in the hymns or songs. Colossians 3:16 says so,

When you sing, you sing to the Lord. But I hear you, of course, and am "taught and warned" by your singing. In this way, everyone in church teaches everyone else. Kids can teach their parents in the song service! When they do, it is the Lord speaking at Church.

Fourthly, God speaks at Church through fellowship (or private talk). When you encourage a sad friend or rebuke someone who's sinning, God is speaking through you at Church.

God also speaks in the Lord's Supper, in baptism, and in other ways too.

Church is a means of grace because God speaks to us here.

Church is not only a place to listen to God, but you also speak to Him here. How?

By singing His praise. Many of our hymns are full of praise.

O God who hearest prayer".

"Holy, Holy, Holy,

In singing these hymns, we're not singing them to ourselves or to each other. We're singing them to the Lord! In that way, we talk to Him. And there's nothing He likes to hear more than His own praise!

We talk to God in our prayers, too. Do I ever call on kids to pray in church? Sure I do! I don't ask you to lead us in prayer, but every time I call on someone, I'm inviting you to quietly "pray along with him".

Did you know that? When I call on Mr. Steiger to pray, I don't mean him only. I want him to lead our prayers, but everyone is to join him in prayer. That's what public prayer is--not private prayer with people standing around--but one person speaking for the whole church.

That's how we talk to the Lord at Church. Through praise and prayer.

And so, Church is a means of grace because:

HOW CHURCH CAN BE A MEANS OF GRACE TO YOU

The Church is a great blessing to many people. But not to everyone. If you want to receive the blessings of God from Church, you've got to do some things.

Firstly, you've got to repent and believe in Christ. Only Christians get a blessing out of Church. Unbelievers don't. If the worship is Spiritual, they find it dull and boring and pointless.

Do you feel that way? If you do, maybe the problem is not with the Church; maybe it's with you. You cannot love Church unless you love the Lord Jesus Christ. And you can't do that unless you're saved.

And you're saved, remember--not by being good or obeying your parents or reading the Bible or coming to Church every Sunday--but by repenting of your sins and trusting Jesus Christ alone.

Secondly, you've got to prepare yourself for Church. When I say, "Prepare yourself for Church" what do you think of? Most people say, "Brush your teeth, comb your hair, put on your good clothes, find your shoes" and so on.

But that's not what I mean at all. I mean prepare you soul for Church. How do you do that? Go to bed early enough on Saturday to not be too sleepy; don't fight in the morning; pray before coming to church; read the Bible; think about what a blessing it is to enter God's House. Do these things, and Church will be a lot more of a blessing to you.

Thirdly, listen to the Bible reading and sermon. Listening is a lot different than hearing. All you need to hear is ears; but listening takes more; it demands paying attention and asking questions. If I say something you don't understand, don't be shy--ask me about it. Or, go home and talk to your parents about it.

Lastly, if you want Church to be a great blessing, obey the Word of God you hear in Church. Fellowship with God doesn't come in hearing, reading, preaching or even agreeing with His Word, but in doing it.

CLOSE AND APPEAL

So, Kids: Do you want to stay in touch with God? If you do, pray, read the Bible, and go to church. If you do them in faith, the Lord will stay in touch with you. And there's no greater happiness than that. Psalm 16:11.