Before & After Sunday: A Pastor's Perspective on Church

Before you walk into church this Sunday, there are a few things your pastor hopes you already understand.

Church was never meant to be something we simply attend or observe. It’s meant to be a gathering of believers who come ready to worship, hear God’s Word, encourage one another, and grow in their faith.

In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to come to church prepared. Not perfect, but ready. Ready to worship, ready to listen, ready to encourage others, and ready to apply what we hear throughout the week.

If church sometimes feels routine or if you’ve ever wondered how to get more out of Sunday mornings, this conversation may help shift the way you think about walking through those church doors.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

You ever notice that everyone asks this question after church when they get to lunch and everything? How was church? Did you learn anything? Did you get anything out of it? Well, I don't think that's the best question. And that's kind of what I want to talk about today. Is church isn't meant just for something for you to get something out of it. It's for something for you to bring in too. And so that's what I want to discuss today. So today we're going to run through a list. We're going to talk about some things. And here it is, what your pastor wants you to know before you show up Sunday. But before we do, I want to give a big shout out. I'm wearing it right here. I love this hat to our show supporter 479 hats. We are so appreciative of them. We love their support. As you can see, I got this. I have another one that I posted on social media, but but I love this hat so much. I'm wearing it like every day. It's very easy to wear. It's very comfortable. The design is very clear looking. 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I love to Google the places, I love to look them over some of them. I catch myself doing that, saying I've never heard of that place. That's an interesting name. And I'll Google it and see places in America, places in Europe, and and other places that are downloading these episodes. And so I just want to give a shout-out. If you we have a consistent listener, I don't know your name, but it's and I hope I get this right. And I'm sorry if I messed up. Walla, Walla, Washington. I hope I got that right. And I apologize if I don't. But I Googled where that is and what it's what's there and the countryside and everything else. And that is some pretty country. So if you're the consistent listener that's downloading every one of these episodes so far from there, and your home area, the town, the surrounding part of that country looks like what shows up on Google search when I go to images. I want you to message me and let me know that hey, it does look as pretty as the pictures. That place looks phenomenal. So here's one more thing before we jump in. You're gonna find in the show notes, and there's either easier places to find this too, a link tree for you to click on to get to all the social medias. I have started posting more content on my personal pages. There's gonna be more content going on the podcast pages. And if this podcast has helped you in any way and you're looking for more content, more things, well, you just go subscribe on the YouTube channels, and I don't have to tell you all the stuff. If you'll go to that Link Tree account, you'll find everything. But there is one thing in there I want to point out. There is a button for prayer request. If you are needing prayer in a season right now, you're in, in a situation you're in, you send that. It goes directly to me, and I assure you 100% of the time I will join you in prayer and anything that you send in and walk through with. So that's the one I want you to know is on there. But hey, that's it. I love our supporter. I'm so excited for you listeners that consistently tune in. But now let's get into the show. So I'm gonna give you a list of things that a pastor hopes people understand before they walk into church. Now I'm gonna read this list and then we're gonna talk about it. Number one, pastor wants you to either hope you know or do. And number one is walk with Jesus during the week. Now, before I get into the why and the what and what that looks like, let me give you what the word of God says. John 15, 4 through 5 says this, abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Now, before we get to this list, one of my favorite things in the Bible is when Jesus uses the phrase I am, because it's it's powering, it's commanding, it's also the place where we can find peace and knowing that he is already what he says he is. So I love in this. So what is that saying? What is Jesus telling his people? Hey, get rooted in me, get connected to me, have a walk with me. Now, every good Bible-believing pastor is not gonna want you to come out and just say, Hey, I'm gonna come to church, I'm coming to listen to the sermon, that's good enough for the week and go. We want you to engage in the word of God. We want you to really dive into what Jesus has for you. And we're gonna get into that more with the sermon stuff in a minute, but every day I open my eyes, I start my day in some kind of prayer. I get to a place, I get to a spot, and I'll have some kind of prayer. Every night when I tuck in our middle child and I'm putting him into bed, I always pray over his door for safety, for comfort, for a great night's rest, and that he grows up to love the Lord Jesus Christ. And so those are things that are personal walks. And I can tell you, a Bible-believing pastor is going to want you to have a personal walk with Jesus during the week. So as it goes and pertains to what Jesus is teaching in there, connect to him. Like you won't bear fruit, your life won't bear things that we can have as spiritual promises, things in life. Doesn't mean prosperity and things are going to be great, but it does mean that we can connect to Jesus Christ in a personal walk so that when things get hard, when things go tough, when that question comes up, why me, why this, we can stay close and connected to Jesus Christ and it just gets real. It gets authentic. And a pastor wants you to have a real authentic walk with Jesus Christ, not just Sunday attendance. Now, what if? Now that's an easy thing to do if your week was easy. So one that was one A, one B of this list is okay, Pastor Drew, what if my week was terrible? What if I absolutely had the worst week? I got the worst news, I had the breakup, this situation happened, I lost my job, I couldn't pay bills, anything on there. Well, I want to go again in the word of God to this, okay, and I'm gonna read this verse first. I want you to hear the word of God answer to this. But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Christianity invites you to come as you are, because Christ and his grace is sufficient when life isn't. When you couldn't pay the bill, when you didn't get the good news, when the situation didn't go your way, that'll make your emotions do this. Roller coaster, up and down, up and down. Now I'm not about to tell you that with Jesus Christ, your emotions are always up here. That is not true, and I'd be straight up lying to you. What I am saying is, and what I love about this, is that I don't have to be dependent on life to dictate my peace and joy. I can find peace and joy in Jesus Christ, and the world can change me, the world can can try and mess me up, can try and mess my week up, but absolutely at the end of the day, Jesus Christ is still Lord and Savior. And it stays that way and will always stay that way. So I don't the terrible week still means that Christ's grace is sufficient for me, even when life stunk for the week. What else would a pastor want you to know or want you to do? Number two, come with a heart ready for worship. Now, prayer and confession during the week prepares your heart for every day for the moment you go through, but especially prepares you for Sunday morning worship to be focused on God, not distractions. You can come in and say, Hey, my week was great, my week was terrible. My week was something I just couldn't bear, or I got the best news ever. No matter what, I am coming in because I've prayed, I've confessed my sins, I'm coming here as clean-slated as I can to worship an almighty God and a gracious God who gave us his son that died on a cross for the sins of everyone who would believe. So come into church ready to worship. Don't come in for attendance, don't come in for the social club. Come in that this is your time together with other believers and say, Hey, this is about Jesus, and I'm coming to worship Jesus. What a great service that's gonna be when your mindset shifts, when your heart's prepared, when when your whole body comes in, like, hey, I'm here to worship. I'm so excited for what God's gonna do today. And I hope that I'm ready and listening, and I'm nothing's distracting me, and we'll get to that more in a minute. But here's a reality What a pastor would want you to know, there is no pastor that expects perfect people to walk through the door. Romans 3 23 talks about this for all of sin and fall short of the glory of God, which means every person that walks into church is a sinner and needs of the grace of God. Every person that walks into church is a sinner who blew it probably sometime either on the drive over, during the week, whenever. There is no perfect person, there is no perfect church on earth right now. And someone who thinks they're perfect, all they're gonna do is go to a church and run it by being boastful. I that's a saying, I don't have it exactly just like that, but they say, you know, perfect people all they do is run a perfect church because there are no perfect people. And so no pastor expects you to be perfect. What he does expect is for his people to come together, to be ready to worship, to just say, Hey, I had a great week, I had a bad week, I had a blah week, but I'm here to worship a Jesus who's not one of emotions, who's not one ebbs and flows, he is forever and ever, amen. Come in ready to worship, don't come in trying to be perfect and get your life right. That's why so many people mess up when they listen to certain pastors and different things. Don't get right and then come to church, because then you did it on your own, which is apart from Jesus Christ and the cross. Because we we faithfully believe because the Bible teaches by the grace of God alone. So it is it is absolutely his grace. Okay, so here's what you get. You got that. Come in, go join, and don't listen to that. Come in and find a Bible-believing church that gives you an opportunity to join a community, be a part of people that really dive in, that really go for it, that go all in on Jesus because he's worth every second, every ounce of energy, everything we have. Well, what else? Well, if you're coming ready to worship, digging into that because this is a form of worship, come ready to receive the word. Now, as a pastor, I'm a pastor, and several Bible-believing pastors that bring sermons each week to draw you closer to Jesus Christ spend hours, countless hours, going through commentaries, going through their Bible, going through resources, going through everything, saying, Man, what God, what do you want for your people? What do you have for your people this week? What what is out there that I can add to this that that keeps the true root of the word of God and people grow from it? Pastors want you to come ready to receive the word. I guarantee you, I'm the one that that frequently gets this. I get so much out of the word I'm gonna preach within the week that I'm studying and preparing for it. That it's not a I already have this, I'm good, I'm above this and things. It's like, man, that really talked to me. And maybe I need to take a day to work through it and and things, and then I need to get my heart right to preach it to the congregation, to everyone that listens to us in person or or joins us online for church. So, what your pastor would want you to do, come ready to receive the word. What about number five? Hey, your pastor would love, love, love if you would come to church to encourage others. Okay, church isn't about what you receive, it's also God uses it for believers to strengthen and encourage one another. Come embody what Jesus Christ called us to be. Come embody what the Christian walk is supposed to look like. Don't come faking it. Don't do not walk into a church just to fake it. It's been a tough week, and you go into your congregation and it's been a tough week and you need prayer, then ask someone and join in prayer. And I'll tell you, if you're not in a church that will genuinely pray for and be like, and walk with you and help you and encourage you, and maybe if it's been the kind of week where you really blew it, rebuke the sin, love you, rebuke the sin and and and give you the word so that you can grow closer in your walk with Christ. If you don't have access to that and you're currently a churchgoer, you're in the wrong church. You need to go to a different church. You need to find a resource, a church, a sermon, a place, a church community to dive in full speed with. Find people that are all in on Jesus and go join them. So that when it's the best week, y'all can praise together. When it's the worst week, you can pray together. That's what the church is designed to be. It's a family, it's a community, it is imperfect people gathering to worship a perfect God. And so we're called together like that. So find and encourage others when you come. Number six, this is a big one. Okay, come there to be present, not distraction. And what are distractions? Well, it turns it into background noise. Distractions turn worship into a formality. And what can be your distraction? The game that kicks off right after. What are you doing for lunch? Are we gonna get to the restaurant before the other churches do and there's any food left? Hey, I've got this to do this afternoon, I've got this this week. This week's gonna be a terrible week of work, and already thinking about it. I'm already getting my mind wrapped around I need to get up at an hour early tomorrow and an hour early all week, and I need to stay up later, and I need to do this. And you've walked into church, and all you're thinking about is everything else outside of church and outside of that worship service. Come focused, present. I've you come in with a word, come in with the Bible, come in with the word of God, come in with yourself going through all these other things in this list, present and ready to receive the word. Come ready and present to hear from God. Come ready and present to not let the distractions get you and also not be a distraction. Don't get over there and say, okay, and I know a lot of people do this, and this may be you. And if this is, lovingly, I'm gonna call you out. Don't just be lazy and just say, I'm just gonna use the Bible on my phone. They're a good resource. I'm so grateful. Our own church app, Ola FBC, has a Bible on it. But I know how easy it is to swipe up and then check your Facebook, check your Instagram, text someone that's not in church, text, look at the menus, look at the the specials for the restaurant, see what if if church goes longer depending on which time service it is, what's the score of the game, what's going on, uh, and different things. It's easy to get distracted on a phone. So get you a physical copy of the word of God and bring it in with you so that you're present and focused on the service, so that you can allow God's word to shape you. Don't don't go in and be a distraction or fall for distractions. That's also why I would encourage you if you're one easily distracted like me, scoot up, sit closer to the front, don't worry about the eyes behind you because they can't distract you if you can't see them. Just you, your Bible, maybe a notebook, a pen, a highlighter. I encourage you. I love all those things. And just go all in on Jesus, go all in on his word. And then after that, well worship number seven on this list. Worship is participation. Wow. So what would your pastor want you to know or want you to do? Oh, it's not a performance to watch. Don't come in to give a performance. No matter if you're the most talented singer or you sound like me. And I'm not about to give you an example, but I make a joyful noise to the Lord, not to the people around me. And it's it is believers getting together to worship and participating is actively responding to God together. Like, hey, this this song is speaking on sin and repentance. Oh my goodness, let's worship in this together and then let's actually do what the word says and let's repent of these sins. Let's let's go all in on Jesus, on his word, on the worship. Because just like the pastor preparing his sermon, the worship leader, whoever's doing the singing, had to prepare. They don't just magically never never learn and just show up and play the piano magically. It doesn't happen. They don't just magically learn how to to sing in a way that that guides everyone and leads everyone into worship. They practice it, they learn it, they put work in too, just as a pastor getting ready for a sermon. Now here's the the big one. Okay, this applied to all the things. Okay. So I'm gonna read these because they fill in number eight. Number one was walk with Jesus during the week, and that's if your week was great. Well, what if your week was terrible? Well, still come worship and walk with him because his gracious his grace is sufficient. Number two, come with a heart rate of worship. Number three, no pastor expects perfect people. Number four, come ready to receive the word. Number five, come to encourage others. Number six, be present, not distracted. Number seven, worship is participation. And number eight, our big finale, the cherry on the top. And I'm gonna give you the verse first, James 1 22. But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Number eight, apply the sermon during the week. The word of God literally tells us that the that the word of God is alive and living. It's a living thing. It is used to grow us, to rebuke sin, to walk closer to him, to understand more about God, to understand more about Jesus, to understand how to handle situations in life, what a being a Christian means, and what how you can look at the world through a lens of Christianity, through the word of God, through the Bible, to understand how events are going, how situations are going, how you should react. So you always, always, always can find a way to apply a sermon that was in the Bible, okay, a Bible-teaching sermon, apply it during the week. Your pastor would love, love a text message, a call on a Wednesday, a Thursday, a Monday morning saying, hey, I really needed that sermon. I need to walk better in this. That text got me. I need to visit this week. I'm I'm struggling in this and I've never talked about it, but I know that God's calling me to repent of this sin and get it out of my life. Oh, what a pastor will do. Let me tell you, okay, I'm right here in my office in these solid walls, and if I get that message, I'm ready to run through walls and go go fight. I'm ready, I'm ready to go, go fight everything spiritual that is coming against whoever that is and pray as hard as I can. Oh, it gets a pastor fired up. So, what a pastor would want you to know is apply the sermon. That means you have to come in ready to worship. You have to come in prepared. All of those things one through seven get you ready, get you prepared so that at number eight, you can take in the word and apply it in your life. You cannot just read it to go through a moment and a ceremony. And a service you can actually apply the word of God to say, hey, this fits me, or this is going to fit me, or in my life, or whatever. And I'm adding this part of the word of God into my life, into my walk, into my tongue, into my speech, into my actions, and what I'm doing, and what I stop doing, and whatever it is. Oh my, what your walk with Jesus Christ would be if you would just apply the sermon during the week, not just listen to it. Oh, what it would do for your walk. Oh, what it would do for it. Oh, please, please, God, just break these people to grow closer to you. So, what about this? Well, this is this is it. This is the the direction. Wrapping the list, putting the bow on the top. Church works best when believers come prepared. Well, not perfect. They come prepared. I have the word of God. I'm ready to dive into the word of God. I'm already walking in the word of God. I'm already walking in my prayer life. I'm already studying through struggles I'm having and studying through triumphs that are happening and then seeing them through the lens of what the word of God says. I'm ready to worship. I'm ready to encourage others. I'm ready to join my church family and worship with imperfect people, a perfect God. Well, here's the last thing. Come in ready to worship, ready to learn, ready to grow, ready to encourage others. And here's one last side nugget your pastor would really appreciate before you walk into church this week. Pray for him. Pray for your pastor. Because the goal of every faithful pastor is not filling seats, but it's to help people grow in Jesus Christ. And that is a tough, heavy burden to bear. And so be there and pray for your pastor before you walk in, before he walks up for his message. Just join him in prayer as he's already praying over what God's put on his heart and join him in prayer through the week as he is doing everything that God's calling to do in his ministry. If you take these things in this list and apply them and do them and really go all in on Jesus, then your life will transform. You can't meet my Jesus Christ, the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of people's opinions and thoughts and bending him to fit their agenda. Jesus of the Bible. You can't meet that savior of the world and stay the same. And here's some here here was a list of things you can do in that. So, hey, shorter podcast, shorter episode, but I hope that this was fulfilling for you. I hope that you grew in it. And just want you to know that I love you and I'm praying for you as we're about to close in prayer. And if you need anything, don't forget to follow the link tree to get all the socials, get on there to see all the new content and everything coming out. All announcements of things coming up will be on there. We're excited for what's happening and we love you. Let me close us in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, God, I just pray over everyone listening to this or watching this online. God, I pray for their safety. I pray for their week. I pray that they have a week, that they are growing closer to you, that they're listening to you, they're following you, they're praying to you. And God, that they just know without a doubt that you are Savior of the world. And if they don't know that, maybe today's the first time they hear that. May they just dive in and start at John 3.16 to see the depth of your love. That they they go through the gospels to see the life that Jesus lived that wasn't easy, but he lived it in a way to be the perfect sacrifice for all of us imperfect people. And God, thank you for your grace that gives us another moment, another day to live out the gospel message, to live out the word of God. And may for someone in here today, if they're already a bloodbought believer, they grow closer to you and they go all in. Because if there's one thing we got to get right in this world, it's Jesus. So may they do that today in Jesus' name. Amen.