SERMON AT THE LORD OF HOSTS MIRACLE CHAPEL

 

SUNDAY SERVICE AT THE LORD OF HOSTS MIRACLE CHAPEL. Sunday 5^th September, 2021.

Calvary greetings brethren.

Below is the sermon today at The Lord of Hosts Miracle Chapel, 52 Road, A close, House 32, Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos.

Theme of sermon: Church attendance

Texts: Matt 18:19-20, Eph 1:22-23, Eph 4:11-12

I give God all the glory and accolades for giving me the rare privilege of preaching the sermon to the church congregation on the first Sunday of September 2021. I am most grateful to the almighty God.

Two key words in the caption readily come to mind namely church and attendance. A church is a place where people gather to worship God. In other words, it is a fellowship centre, not necessarily the building you are seeing physically.

Attendance is the act of being physically present at an event or go regularly to the place. In the new testament the church is referred to as the body of Christ. Check the passages. Church attendance is the foundation for Christian life.

Again the church is a meeting place. That means it can be in your living room, your neighbourhood or a designated place.

HOW DO YOU ATTEND CHURCH?

1.   You come to church early. If you come late to church the angel assigned to take attendance will mark you absent. There is no reason for you to come late to church. Not even rain, hold up or distance. I adjusted my schedule to meet up with the resumption time in my former company. If I can adjust my time schedule to please my former boss, why can’t I do more than that to please God.

2.   You must participate in all the activities of the day, especially if you are a worker. Make some notes of Sunday school teachings, bible study and of course main sermon.

3.   Do not resort to gossip. Comport yourself. Keep a dignified silence when somebody wants to engage you in gossip.

4.   Obey ushers while in church. If you disobey them, you are disobeying constituted authority. You are invariably disobeying God.

5.   Pay attention on what is being said or taught in church. Make some notes for your review at a later date.

BENEFITS OF CHURCH ATTENDANCE

1.   Church attendance connects us to God. It gives us a physical space to connect and draw closer to God. It opens us up to God in order to understand His message to us.

2.   Church attendance gives us a chance to reflect on gratitude. Some members of the church that left exhibited the height of ingratitude for what they gained from the church. They are definitely not sincere in their church attendance.

3.   Church attendance connects us socially. You make new friends in a new environment including church. Some people meet their spouses in the church. Some people meet their mentors and benefactors in the church.

4.   Church attendance makes us to feel reverence. It gives peace of mind. It affords us a place to pray and express humility and gratitude.

5.   Church attendance provides us with opportunity to give back. Our church is a cheerful giver. The church pays school fees for some people, give some members transport fare, pay rent for some members, buy clothes and furniture for some members. It is only expedient for such members to reciprocate the nice gesture of the church.

6.   Church attendance helps us to find the lesson in our trial. At The Lord of Hosts Miracle Chapel, the spirit of God uses the woman of God to give messages to members with a view to proffering solutions through fasting and prayers.

7.   Church attendance teaches us forgiveness. Forgiveness is the hallmark of Christendom. You must learn how to forgive. Jesus told Peter that your brother will offend you seventy times seven times and you must forgive. Matt 18:21-22.

DISADVANTAGES OF SKIPPING CHURCH.

1.   We miss out on worship. God requires us to attend church so that we can worship Him. Rom 12:1

2.   We miss out on spiritual growth and capacity. The church is the body of Christ. When we are in union with fellow believers we are in union with Christ

3.   We miss out on an opportunity to minister to others. The bible enjoins us to serve and minister to one another. James 5:16. Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

4.   When we skip church we disobey God’s command. Church attendance is the formal gathering of God’s people for worship. We are commanded not to neglect meeting together. Heb 10:25.

WHAT TO DO AFTER ATTENDING CHURCH.

1.   Reach out to people that are absent from Church and by so doing you are evangelising and winning souls for Jesus.

2.   Go to church with an open mind. Do not be dogmatic with your beliefs. Open yourself up and grab the vibrations coming out from the alter.

3.   Dress up a little. It is customary to wear nice clothes to church. Churches have dress codes. Here in LHMC women do not wear trousers to church. They must have their hair and shoulders fully covered. On the other hand men do not wear shorts or cap. If you are not sure especially if you are new member ask questions.

4.   Pay attention and follow the lead of others. Nobody knows it all. Ask questions if confused of anything.

5.   Talk to someone about joining the church. By so doing you are increasing the number of worshippers and it will be marked for you in spirit.   

6.   Volunteer your time, your talent or your finance in the service of God. Do not be docile while in church

To conclude, the following points are things church members must understand.

1. When you miss church nobody is losing but you.

2. When you withdraw as a worker, God replaces you on time to the point you become irrelevant.

3. When you deliberately refuse to support church projects, God raises other better and serious givers.

4. When you start fighting the church, God sees you as an enemy.

5. When you leave church more serious people come in.

6. When you eat your tithe and offering and sacrifice, the grace on the church stops working for you.

7. When you gossip your church to other members or outsiders, you become a rebel and a disloyal worshipper.

8. When you speak evil of the church, the angels working with the church withdraws from you. Very serious. Bad case!

9. When you do not want control, discipline and correction from the church, you are prone and closer to danger.

10. Your church is the symbol of the ministry’s mantle and mandate and not you, so with or without you, the work of God will succeed. See yourself privileged to be part of God’s programme.

Those who fight the church do not end well. May we not fall in that category in Jesus Christ name. Amen

Sermon by Elder Jerome C. Njoku.