7 Myths Men Believe & the Biblical Truths Behind ThemНамуна

The Myth: “The purpose of church is to meet my needs.”

I’ll admit it. I’m a little bit disgruntled. I’ve been going to my church for four years, and I’ve actually been regular in my attendance. I’ve participated in some of the activities—men’s fellowship group and the sports leagues. It’s okay, I guess, but honestly—I don’t get much out of it.

Now I hear that there’s a new church being built about two miles from our house. It’s huge. The auditorium looks like it will seat about 4,000 with state-of-the-art audio/video. And they’re building a family life center that’s going to rival the best health clubs in town.

I was over there with my son the other day, just walking through the construction site, checking it out, and one of the staff members came by. We struck up a conversation, and he told me about the different programs they already have going on at their other location. It was pretty impressive. The new building will have a bookstore, coffee shop, and fitness classes (with childcare). Anyway, I thought it was providential that he happened to come by right then. Maybe God is trying to tell me something.

I’m wondering if that church would be a better fit for me and my family.

The Truth

We live in a consumer-oriented society. Merchants are clamoring to get our attention, impress us, and earn our patronage by offering us the “best deal” for our money. So it’s hard not to approach our church experience in the same way. Like a kind of religious shopping mall, individual churches advertise their “goods and services,” subtly (or not so subtly) spelling out all the ways they are superior to the competition. Is this healthy? Is the church’s purpose to impress us and meet our needs?

• The great emphasis of the New Testament is that we have been saved to serve. Look at Jesus: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Think about how that mindset could change your approach to life.

• Jesus taught, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). When it comes to being involved in your church, do you live as if you really believe that?

• We all have a part to play in the body of Christ. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

• As we care for others, they care for us. When everybody serves, everybody gets served.

• God has made each of us for a unique purpose. Ephesians 2:10 tells us God has a tailor-made life plan for us. Serving is the path to personal fulfillment.

• Make it your goal to understand God’s purpose for the church. Use a Bible concordance (you can purchase one or there are free ones online) and look up passages in the Bible that refer to the church.

• Church isn’t about you and your needs; it’s about God and his glory. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you’ll start serving and giving and the sooner you’ll find the deep fulfillment you crave.