Title: WHY I LOVE CHURCH?

TEXT: Psalm 26:8 KJV “LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelt.”

1 Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 3:21; Psalm 122:1; 1 Chronicles 29:3

INTRODUCTION:

Throughout Scripture, King David demonstrated an unmatched, heartfelt passion for the place where God’s presence was manifested among His people. He did not view worship as a burdensome obligation, but as the supreme delight of his life.

Psalm 122:1 KJV“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

David was not dragged to the house of God; he rejoiced at the mere invitation! His heart beat for worship, and his personal affection was directly linked to the place dedicated to God’s name.

1 Chronicles 29:3 KJV“Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.”

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matt 6:21). David proved his love for God’s house through sacrificial giving and personal devotion.

A. The Modern Cultural Shift Against the Church

There was a time in Western and global society when the local church was highly respected, revered, and central to community life. Today, that respect has largely eroded. We live in a culture that routinely bashes, belittling, and bypasses the church.

Politicians use it as a scapegoat, high-profile scandals tarnish its reputation, hypocrites give cynics an excuse, secular media ridicules its stance, and legalistic caricatures turn people away. Everybody seems to have a list of reasons to attack the church.

Even within church circles, some pastors and leaders try to ‘reinvent’ the church to suit modern tastes. They rebrand it as ‘The Church For Those Who Don’t Like Church’ or transform it into a ‘Faith Boutique’—a consumer-driven market offering shallow entertainment rather than biblical conviction.

B. The Reality of the Church & Our Personal Love

Let us be truthful: the local church is made up of imperfect, redeemed sinners. I am one of them, and so are you. As long as the church is composed of human beings, it will have flaws, failures, and blemishes.

Yet, with all her faults and imperfections, the local New Testament church is STILL the best thing happening on planet earth! It is the institution established by Jesus Christ, purchased with His blood, and empowered by His Holy Spirit.

I love my wife, my children, my family, my fishes, fishing, driving, and playing basketball on PlayStation with my son… But on a spiritual level, there is NOTHING on earth I love more than THIS local body of believers—Asia Grace Baptist Church – Singapore (and our sister churches around the globe).

I don’t love the church merely out of religious duty or habitual routine. I love the church because of what it IS (its divine identity and foundation) and what it DOES (its dynamic function and family).

I LOVE CHURCH BECAUSE OF ITS …

I. FIRM FOUNDATION IN CHRIST

1 Timothy 3:15, Matthew 16:18

The church is not a human invention, a social club, or a temporal business enterprise. It stands unwavering across centuries because it is anchored upon an unshakeable foundation: Jesus Christ and His eternal Truth.

Matthew 16:18 KJV “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.”

I. FOUNDED by the SAVIOUR

1. Owned & Purchased by Christ

The church does not belong to the pastor, the deacon board, or the congregation. It belongs exclusively to Jesus Christ. He purchased it at the highest possible cost.

Ephesians 5:25 KJV “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

Acts 20:28 KJV “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.”  

Jesus Christ is the divine Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). Simple logic and spiritual devotion dictate: If you love the Head (Jesus Christ), you will naturally love what He is Head of (His body, the Church). To claim to love Christ while rejecting His church is a biblical contradiction.

2. Indwelt by His Honour

In the Old Testament, God’s glory filled the Tabernacle and Solomonic Temple. Today, God’s honour and glory dwell corporately within the assembly of His saints.

Psalm 26:8 KJV “LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelt.”

Ephesians 3:21 KJV “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Notice that God receives glory ‘in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages.’ The King James Bible knows NOTHING of an ‘unchurched Christian’ who claims to serve God in isolated independence. God’s chosen vehicle for His glory in this dispensation is the local church.

B. FORTIFIED by the SCRIPTURES

1. Built on Truth

The Pillar and Ground, the local church is designated in Scripture with a supreme responsibility: to uphold, protect, and proclaim divine truth in a world overflowing with lies.

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV “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.”

Jesus declared, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6). His Word is not subject to human debate or modern compromise.

Psalm 119:89 KJV “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”

2. Stability for the Saint

When the surrounding culture is shifting like sinkhole sand, the church provides a rock-solid platform of spiritual stability for every believer.

Psalm 26:12 KJV “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.”

You will not slip when your feet are planted on level ground. When life gets shaky—when health fails, finances collapse, or personal tragedy strikes—the solid preaching of King James Bible truth in the local church keeps you sure-footed and steadfast.

I get answers in the house of God through the clear preaching of the Scripture that I can get nowhere else in the world—not in secular universities, self-help books, or corporate boardrooms.

You can’t have a strong church without Christ and a solid foundation in His Word! A church that compromises on Christ or soft-pedals His Word will inevitably crumble.

I LOVE CHURCH BECAUSE OF ITS…

II. FAITHFUL FAMILY IN CHRIST

1 John 3:14, Acts 2:42

The church is not merely a bricks-and-mortar building or a corporate institution; it is a living, breathing spiritual family redeemed by grace.

1 John 3:14 KJV “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”

A. FELLOWSHIP with the MEMBERS

1. You Make the Church

A building empty on Weekdays is just drywall, wood, and carpet. But pews filled on Sunday with redeemed saints praising God form a vibrant spiritual body.

True spiritual life is manifested when believers gather in genuine Christian fellowship, breaking bread, praying, and encouraging one another (Acts 2:42). Love for the brethren is the biblical proof of salvation.

2. Guarded Relationships

David recognized that company determines destiny. He intentionally chose his companions based on righteousness.

Psalm 26:4-5 KJV “I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.”

Scripture warns: ‘Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners’ (1 Corinthians 15:33) and ‘He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed’ (Proverbs 13:20). Look at Biblical history: Peter slipped when warming his hands at the wrong fire; Lot compromised in Sodom; Samson fell through ungodly intimacy. Your closest, best friends ought to be local church people who push you closer to Jesus Christ!

B. FOCUS through the MINISTRY

1. Men of God Developed and Raised

God uses the local church as the incubator for spiritual leadership and pastoral ministry. In my own life, I met spiritual giants and faithful mentors like the late Pastor Selva, Dr. W.L. Smith, Pastor Nable, and others right in the house of God.

God calls, equips, and grows faithful preachers, pastors, and teachers within the spiritual structure of the local church (Ephesians 4:11-12).

2. Missionaries Called and Sent

The world missions movement was not birthed in secular NGOs or government agencies; it was birthed in the local church at Antioch.

Acts 13:1-2 KJV “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers… As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.”

Missionaries are genuine heroes of faith. I am serving God today in Singapore because of a missionary who went to the Philippines and was introduced to me in church. Our children and youth desperately need to see, hear, and connect with these self-sacrificing heroes of the cross.

Church is where iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). It’s where you meet your best friends, your godly mentors, and your world-changing missionaries!

I LOVE CHURCH BECAUSE OF ITS …

III. FRUITFUL FUNCTION FOR CHRIST

John 15:16, Matthew 5:16

The church is not an isolated museum for saints; it is a dynamic, fruit-bearing powerhouse designed to transform lives and light up a dark world.

John 15:16 KJV “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”

A. FAITHFUL in its duties

1. PREACHING – Expository & Gospel-Centered (not self or entertainment)

The primary function of the New Testament church is the authoritative preaching of God’s Word. ‘Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine’ (2 Timothy 4:2).

Verse-by-verse, Gospel-centered exposition of Holy Scripture is why the church exists. No institution on planet earth carries a higher or more solemn commission! ‘For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe’ (1 Corinthians 1:21).

2. PRAYING & PRAISING

Jesus declared, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer’ (Matthew 21:13).

Within these walls, sound doctrine hymns comfort broken hearts, vibrant testimonies encourage struggling saints, and fervent prayers receive supernatural answers from Almighty God.

B. FERTILE in its results

1. Global Historical Impact

In the first 100 years of the early church, despite fierce Roman persecution, over 100,000 souls were saved and discipled! Historically, 106 of the first 108 universities in America were founded by Christian churches to train gospel ministers.

Modern hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, crisis pregnancy centers, and disaster relief programs (such as Hurricane Katrina relief) were pioneered and led by local Bible-believing churches.

2. Local Impact & Personal Fruit

Look at our local church history (LBC / Asia Grace Baptist Church): fruits such as the Sapidas, Sandocs, Leongs, Mercados, Felipes, Caoilis, and Espinos families, and YOU! Comparing a 2007 photo with our thriving congregation today reveals one glorious truth: God is STILL working to save souls through the local church!

C. FOREVER in its destiny

Matthew 16:18 KJV “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Human governments will collapse, secular empires will disintegrate, Fortune 500 companies will go bankrupt, and earthly educational institutions will disappear. However, the Church of Jesus Christ will endure forever!

Ephesians 5:27 KJV “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

One glorious day, Jesus Christ will return to claim His Bride. The local church has an eternal, triumphant destiny!

The local church works, and it wins! It has a glorious past, an active present, and an eternal future.

CONCLUSION:

Jesus Christ loved the church so deeply that He gave His very life blood for it (Ephesians 5:25). If Christ loved the church that much, how can we treat it with apathy or neglect? Does your life reflect true love for His church?

A. Does your ATTENDANCE show it? Do you prioritize assembling with the saints faithfully every Lord’s Day, or do minor excuses keep you away? ‘Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is…’ (Hebrews 10:25).

B. Does your INVOLVEMENT show it? Are you actively serving with your spiritual gifts, or sitting on the sidelines as a passive spectator? ‘As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another…’ (1 Peter 4:10).

C. Does your GIVING show it? Are you honoring God with your tithes and sacrificial offerings to support the local church ministry? ‘God loveth a cheerful giver’ (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Let us stop merely talking about loving the church. Let us resolve today to LIVE like we love the church!

“Lord Heavenly Father, thank You for the precious gift of the local New Testament church. Forgive us for the times we have taken her for granted, criticized her, or treated her as secondary. Fill our hearts afresh with divine love for the place where Your honor dwells. Help us to love, serve, protect, and support our church with our time, talents, and treasure. In Jesus’ Holy and Mighty Name, Amen.”