Why I Go to Church: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 The church it stirs up the love between us they create something it bonds us together it makes us one it makes us a team to stand strong amen believe it or not even though we talk about one another don’t let anybody else talk about us amen I can talk about you but they can’t number two God’s commandment says not to forsake assembling together as we see the day approaching we see God’s return coming we know it’s coming we can look at the church how powerful and things are happening and moving quick. Edie’s mom is 96 years old. She goes to church four to five times a day a week.

▶ 0:56 She won’t miss it she has to call the 911 to take her she’s going. We don’t go because of people that’s your biggest mistake if you go because of others there you’ll quit you go because you obey God you’ll be his word his truth his promise I have a text on my phone that. Says why somebody’s not coming to church they blamed us. That’s the wrong reason we come here because he’ll be I have a brother that loves the Lord he’s almost 80. He loves the Lord he reads the Bible he studies daily I’m telling you but he’s missing his self-assembling together with the saints of God he’s missing out he has issues they would be solved if he was here so I tell him you know you’re disobeying God’s word he goes I know I am but I.

▶ 2:08 Said you still stay home yes. bad huh Psalms 84:10 says a day in your court is better than a thousand one day coming together with this worshipping and his people and the dancing and whether you believe may I tell you there’s nothing like it God inspires you to move on and [unclear] you to be different. David said 84:4 [unclear] blessing on those that dwell in the house of Lord. There’s blessings beyond measure. All of us that are set in here that’s been here a long time. You’ve never quit the Bible says better is the end of a thing than the beginning if you believe in the end you believe God will fulfill his promises.

▶ 3:07 God has been faithful to [unclear] we have been faithful to God’s house all of our life. Years ago we had a problem in the church they were having division and I walked out of the church what they did is they kicked my sister out of church now that I got older she deserved to be kicked out but when I was young I couldn’t see it I walked out in front of the church [unclear] Emily and Ed came out we were newly married she grabbed me she goes where are you going I go I’m done with that church she goes you get in that church and sit down and shut up I went in and sit down shut up. see [unclear] that’s where we bind together that’s where we help each other we encourage one another to make it be encouraged one another to serve God.

▶ 4:12 I’m supposed to do two or three minutes I’m trying to do it it’s a place of refuge in time of trouble and but tell you we’ve all been through troubles you don’t run from God’s house you run there because there’s a bunch of people that already went through what you’ve been through and they’ll help you get through it it’s a place of instruction we get plenty instruction don’t we it’s doing it and this is what I really like it’s a comfort in your old age. Psalms 92:12 I want to read this [unclear] the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree he’ll grow like the cedars in Lebanon. Them roots are deep the winds come the storms come the talk come the gossip comes and they stop they stand it says those that be planted in the house of the Lord.

▶ 5:14 Shall flourish in the courts of their God when you’re planted in the right soil and you’re planted where you should be not the rocks not all that but if you’re planted where God has put you stay there because I guarantee you will flourish and when you flourish you will produce people like you which is like the word of God. Hey man. And it said. They shall still bear fruit in their old age that’s me I’m old look at me somebody just told me [unclear]. They said they shall be fresh that’s in God you’ll have a freshness and God you can kick up your heels you can move in God because its freshness in God’s house forever more there’s freshness forevermore and it said you shall flourish.

▶ 6:22 And what you’re going to flourish is right up there the fruit of the spirit is going to be working in you you might not have them all you might only have two or three right now but stay there you’re going to get them all Galatians 5:22 you’re going to get them all that’s why it’s important to be in God’s house you never know when I wake up in the morning I’m afraid to miss I’m afraid to miss God’s house because that might be the day where he comes and [unclear] he might fall afresh that morning and I won’t be there so I get up and I seek God and I said Lord I’m waiting for you to come and move like you did and acts the Holy Ghost fell he blew upon the dry bones of [unclear] and things began to move those dry bones laid and nothing was happening but when God came.

▶ 7:26 Things happen and that’s why I go to church. I’m going to share a little bit about why I go to church. We were a church-going family very faithful that was just the the teaching at the time my parents decided we’re going to be faithful we’re going to go to we’re going to be involved we’re going to get involved so we you know tagged along of course we went along so that’s all I’ve ever known but of course the biggest difference is when you make him your personal savior your personal relationship with him and so. you know about my teens 15 16 17 I Started to realize what was happening what that God was real that I could touch him that I could know him and as I started getting older you know college all those things I realized that I needed the church I realized that I needed the guidance I needed the counsel there was something just.

▶ 8:45 Needed and I got that from the church it and I found out later after teaching and things that it was a powerful world word called koinonia which means a love a strong. Deep bond a brotherhood and I found that in the church everything he mentioned the scriptures and I can remember you know like you said we all been through the same stuff I remember going through hard times I remember going being here and having a very hard time with you know situation or whatever and I knew on saturdays they would come up and I knew Mr. Barnes is going to be there and [unclear]

▶ 9:35 [unclear] is going to be there and they were going to be working on the ranch back then we did a lot of working and I go [unclear] Saturday morning I still remember driving up that hill. Just my heart crushed. Torn. Load heavy load on my shoulders and I got up that hill I walked in that barn and guess who’s there Mr. Barnes [unclear] Christina come here [unclear] we need to get you some did you know that we have water from [unclear] we have [unclear] water oh taste this it’s so good mix it with Tang put the [unclear] in it mix it all up it’s delicious oh add some crystal light. Let’s make some hamburger come on Christian hey come over here you know but it would help us out with this and let me tell you that was what I needed at the time of my need was that fellowship they didn’t know what I was going through I didn’t sit down and you know talk to them for hours it was just that’s what I needed and I got that have always gotten that and those.

▶ 10:57 I mean I could tell stories and stories but it’s the love that I feel when I walk in these doors the excitement I feel working together I love working with the people of God. So much that’s one of the reasons I go to church and I remember [unclear] just talking this message when I was a 17 years old it was stay in the boat and that impacted me Christina just stay committed let’s see what God can do. He’ll get you through any storm just stay right in there hang in there and that’s what I did and I found out it works so my motto is if something’s working don’t change it.

▶ 11:56 Amen I don’t have the wisdom as my brother Tony here because he’s a preacher but I deal with facts after 911 if you remember because we got hit with the terrorists the federal government open up a training camp south of Albuquerque New Mexico. So I was fortunate I was one of the officers that from around the country to attend this camp and to see how they make the bombs and how they do this the ieds and everything the point is that I don’t care what field you’re in you need to be trained and schooled that’s why the churches. If we Christians don’t come to church how are you gonna grow in the Holy Spirit.

▶ 12:48 If you don’t come to church how you gonna show the love to fellow man and how you know how you gonna give a testimony to other people muslims or others and say that we have the love of Christ I gonna do that you don’t even attend church you’re hypocrite you’re [unclear] when you when you when you witness and you say I have the love of Christ I I read the Bible and this and that so Tony’s right it and you just anybody can read the Bible or and why did they send me to school I know how to read I just give me the book and I’ll just go home and then open the text and read everything why did they send me they spent the whole week hotels rental cars and and and you know all these things because they wanted to train us to be the best in our field and in Christian life is the same way if you want to be a real Christian and our goal is to to achieve.

▶ 13:42 You need to be here because why do we have a pastor pastor gets his wisdom from the Lord and he preaches and and everything he’s doing this for a hobby I mean I hope not if he’s just doing for his pay I hope not then he’s a hypocrite himself I mean if you li really loved the Lord and you and your true Christian and and and you’re here you want the Holy Spirit to be you want to be filled and you want to grow I deal with facts when they take me when they took me to this training camp but they said look this is the way it is fact number one fact number two fact number three and this is how evil destroys mankind so we come here to fight evil and if you were to fight evil this is your training camp you have to be trained when you go out there you better know what you’re talking about you better know what you’re saying so as a lieutenant when I was there and I start training police officers I got it I have to have the answers these rookies they’re coming out of academy they’re looking up to me I’m going to give you one lessons a story.

▶ 14:49 Twenty years after 20 years of my in my field I took this rookie I said Tommy come with me we got a DOA call it goes no no lieutenant I never seen a dead body as I come out don’t worry about come on come with me let’s go we’re gonna do a so I said just follow whatever I tell you just follow you gotta start investigating this [unclear] here’s the point the coroner’s office came he said lieutenant can I do you finish your investigation as yeah we did I said you can take the body it was a natural you had a bad heart and everything it wasn’t any foul play nobody killed him or I’d like that he says how you missed something the coroner’s guy you’re safe with me with me you tell lieutenant I miss something I should I’ve been doing this for over 20 years what I mean I miss something he goes come here because get on your knees he took a little flashlight little flashlight because he has turned a body over and there was bite marks all over his back and I checked this back now I’m checking for for checking for a knife some kind of incision like somebody’s day I’ve done whatever anything goes no he goes you missed it goes look he goes this body’s been here for hours over a day because this is all cockroach bites and I said wow I said to myself after 20 years I never knew this here’s the lieutenant after 20 years and I picked up a lot of bodies I never know and this guy taught me something and he’s not even a cop it’s just he just picks up the body is a you know is a delivery boy and in front of the rookie I

▶ 16:19 like you know get a little insulted you know [unclear] rookie I’m trying to teach everything this guy’s tell me so I go Tommy come here Tommy you got to put this in your investigation put this in report see how many hours that this body’s been here and everything you see the point is it’s a learning experience because we face challenges throughout life you need to learn you need to learn the Bible you need to learn how to grow and you know you need to show love for each other I’ve been here [unclear] five years now you know how much work and effort I put into it I mean it’s not a work here what do you think the pastor today says I’m the number one Christian here. No no I’m not number one you mean pastor David just saying that to make me feel good.