Yes, You have to go to Church
John 14:23-31
May 23, 2021 anno Domini
“Pastor, I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian. Do I? Isn’t Jesus with me wherever I go?” It may be hard to imagine, but there was a time when I would give a nice answer to that question. I would say something like “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. You want to go to church as a Christian.” Well, I’ve gotten over being nice. Nice gets in the way of the truth. Nice never saved anyone from sin or death. Jesus wasn’t nice, but He is the truth and the way that leads to life.
So let’s dispense with the niceties. Yes, you do need to go to church to be a Christian and if you aren’t going to church you’re not a Christian. Now, don’t think because you’re here this morning I’m going to be nice to you and preach about those people out there who aren’t here this morning in church.
Jesus said, “you need to go to church to be a Christian.” He said it in the text, (Read 23-24). A Christian loves Jesus. Therefore, a Christian will keep and cherish the Words of Jesus. Jesus in His Word says, “Be baptized. Confess your sins. If you have ears, hear my Word. Eat My Body. Drink My blood.” Jesus in His Word ordained men to be the preachers and teachers of the Church, to have oversight of the flock, to rebuke, correct, instruct, and preach. If you love Jesus, you’ll treasure His Word and you’ll want a pastor.
Would 3000 souls have been added to the church on the first Pentecost day if Peter had not preached, if the Apostles had not spoken the Word in the languages of the world, if the people did not repent and get baptized? In other words, would people have been added to the church if they had not been in church to hear the Word?
Why must you be in church to be and remain a Christian? Jesus said, (read 25-26). The Holy Spirit works faith and forgiveness in and only in the external Word. The Spirit works where He pleases and He is pleased to work in God’s Word, in the water and word of Baptism, in the word of forgiveness in Absolution, and in the Word with the bread and wine of His Supper.
Why must you be in church? Because you need a peace which the world does not give. Last Sunday evening I sought peace. I went fishing, by myself, in a kayak, and it was peaceful. It was peaceful because my kayak only holds one person. My family wasn’t there. You weren’t there. All of you have trouble and God has called me to care for you in your trouble. Is it any wonder I (and you) seek peace by getting away from people.
But I still did not have peace, because I was in the kayak. I am not the son, husband, father, brother, pastor I should be – not even by my low standard and certainly not by God’s high standard – love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12) You are not the mother or wife or worker or neighbor that God expects you to be. So we seek a worldly peace. We justify our actions. I find a worse pastor than me and point out his failures to camouflage my own. You blame it on your father’s alcoholism and abuse. We change the definition of love from commitment and faithfulness to happiness. We excuse our duties before God and neighbor and demand our rights from others. Self-justification is a fragile and fleeting peace because it depends on feeble you.
You seek peace by escaping your neighbor and justifying yourself. That is no peace. There is one place, or rather one Person that gives peace. His name is Jesus. (Read 27) Listen to this description of what the Holy Spirit does for you. It was written by Bishop Bo Giertz, a Swedish Lutheran Pastor who lived last century and remained faithful while liberalism swept through the Swedish church.
“The Holy Spirit does not show us Himself. He comes quietly behind us, where we don’t see Him and says, “You there, look: Christ, do you see Him on the cross? Look there. Do you have sins? You know you do, way too many, but they are there. He has carried them … up on the cross. And do you know why? Because God saw that there was no possible way for a wretched man (like you) to be rid of the old Adam. You will drag him along as long as you live. And be thankful and joyful that you have begun to fight him. But you see, forgiveness, redemption, guilt that needs to be discarded, this He has done. Do you see Jesus? There He hangs. He bears (your) guilt, (your) sin, up there on the cross, in His heart. They are there now. There they are atoned for. He took upon Himself your guilt. He has born it there. Now you are free from it.”
Being a Christian is being forgiven and being forgiven only happens with Jesus and Jesus is not everywhere like He is here – in the liturgy of His Word and Sacrament. Sure, you can read your Bible, but do you? Remember, Jesus didn’t command His church to read the Word. He commanded her to preach the Word and hear the Word. You need Jesus’ forgiveness and you don’t get that forgiveness often in your homes because usually we just excuse sin, or ignore sin, or say, “It’s OK.” Here, by His command and with His promise that this forgiveness stands in heaven, you are forgiven your sins. It’s an outside of yourself forgiveness – won by Jesus at the cross and delivered into your ears by mouth of your pastor.
I guess you could be baptized at the lake, but where is the congregation that will pray for you and rejoice in your new life? Where is your Pastor and your sponsors to teach you the faith and make sure grow up into Christ? Where are your brothers and sisters? Such an isolated baptism would soon make you an orphan – without mother church and your Father in heaven. How long would an abandoned infant in the faith live?
During COVID many congregations had virtual communion. You sat in your pajamas, took out your bottle of Merlot and some triscuits and your pastor spoke the Lord’s words over the internet and you self-served communion. Or did you? Did Jesus institute His supper as a self-service meal for your own private convenience? The Church has never taught self-communion or communion without the presence and hand of the Lord’s ordained pastor. While we believe in emergency baptism – anyone can perform a baptism in an emergency we do not believe in emergency communion – that anyone should give communion even in a life or death situation. Sitting at home in your pajamas sipping coffee is no emergency.
Jesus gives peace, peace that your heavenly Father loves you, peace that your sins were buried by Christ and not even the Devil can resurrect them. The Spirit gives you peace of mind, peace of conscience. Even though you are not who you should be God makes you new in Christ. He created a new heart within you at baptism. A new man is maturing in you day by day. Now you love God and your sins bother you and that’s good. It’s a sign of life and faith in Jesus. This does not come from within you, but from outside of you. It comes from the cross. It comes from Jesus. It comes by the Word poured on your forehead, preached in your ears, and placed in your mouth. That’s how the Holy Spirit works.
Today we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is really the gift of the Church, the gift of preaching and the Sacraments, the gift of faith and forgiveness. Our heavenly Father put all His gifts in one place for you, the Church, so that you can find and have the peace the world cannot give. In the name of Jesus. Amen.