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In these strange days of apostasy the local church is downgraded. It is considered relatively unimportant by many evangelicals. I disagree. I am an old-fashioned Baptist. I believe in the absolute necessity of the local New Testament church! Jesus said,

“Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

He was speaking of the local church in Jerusalem. He said, “I will build my church.” Christ came to build churches and nothing else. Why? Because nothing else can take the place of the local church!

Young people in our post-Christian era need to be in a New Testament Baptist church every Sunday! I have been criticized for saying that – but I’m going to keep right on saying it – because it is the truth! You need to be in this church every time the door is open. It will change your life for the better, and it will change your life forever!

“But,” you say, “I’m not a Christian. Shouldn’t I wait until I become a Christian before I come to church?” No! That is a twisted idea from the Devil. He is a liar, and the father of lies. Even if you are not a Christian yet, you need to be in this church every Sunday – Sunday morning and Sunday evening!

Jesus said, “Compel them to come in” (Luke 14:23). He did not say, “Go and give them a Gospel tract.” I’m not against Gospel tracts. But they didn’t have any printing presses in Christ’s time. They didn’t even have paper as we know it! That’s the reason Jesus didn’t say, “Go and give them a piece of paper.” They didn’t have any! No! He said, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23).

Many of you were brought here this morning. It is the first time many of you have ever been in a Gospel-preaching church. Why did we go out in our cars and pick you up, and bring you here? We did it because Jesus Christ told us to do it! He said, “Go out…and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” I don’t care who criticizes us for doing it – we are never going to stop! Christ told us to bring you in to His house, “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15).

That’s why we brought you here this morning! Tell somebody I said it – and put it on the Internet! I am an old-fashioned Baptist. I believe in the prime importance of the local New Testament church. Some modern evangelicals say that the church isn’t that important. What foolishness! Christ said, “Upon this rock I will build my church”! We “go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [young people] to come in, that [God’s] house may be filled”!

Should you be brought to church? Yes! Even if you are not yet a Christian, you need to be in this Gospel-preaching church. I am going to give you four reasons you need to be in this church every Sunday. You’re not going to hear that on TBN! You’re not going to hear that on an evangelical radio program! You are not going to hear that at a campus Bible study. You’re not going to hear that just any place today – in this time of apostasy. Young person, listen carefully. Here are four reasons you need to be in this church every time the door is open – especially on Sunday morning and Sunday evening.

I. Number one – church is the best place to be on Sunday.

Sunday is the day Christ rose from the dead. It was the first day of the week on the Roman calendar. The early Christians met together “upon the first day” of each week, according to I Corinthians 16:2. They met together on other days, as we do in our church. But they set Sunday aside to remember the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Church is the best place to be on Sunday. I know that may seem strange to you. You come out of this secular, godless city of Los Angeles. Nearly everything is against being in church on Sunday. They even run various marathons on Sunday morning, during the traditional time of Sunday worship. They block off the streets. That makes it very hard for us to get to church here in the center of the city. Tens of thousands of people run half naked through the streets when they ought to be in church.

When an old-time Baptist preacher tells you you ought to be in a Gospel-preaching church every Sunday morning, I know it sounds hard. But it’s still true. Church is the best place to be on Sunday – every Sunday! Why? Because

“The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”
        (I John 2:17).

This world is passing away.

Oh, I beg you, don’t continue to live a godless life. Be in church every Sunday morning and evening. Listen to the Gospel. Come to Jesus. Be saved by Him. Then live for Him in the church of the living God!

“The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever”
        (I John 2:17).

Church is the best place to be on Sunday if you want to be converted and become a real Christian. Church is the best place to be if you want to become a strong Christian. Church is the best place to be to worship God.

Let neo-pagans and new-evangelicals say that they worship God out on the beach or at a park – but you say,

“In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:12).

Church is the best place to spend Sunday – every Sunday! Sunday morning and Sunday evening! Jesus said,

“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”
        (Luke 14:23).

II. Number two – church is the best place to learn the Bible
and to learn about true Christianity.

Many Oriental people who come to our church (and others) say that they want “to learn more.” I hope you are not lying when you say that – but I am afraid many are. They say, “I want to learn more” as an excuse for not getting serious about the things of God.

If you are serious about “learning more,” then there is no better place to learn more than in church on Sunday. Paul said to the leaders of the church at Ephesus,

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).

The church is where you are “fed” the teachings of the Bible. The church is where you “learn more” about Christ.

You don’t “learn more” about Him at a secular party, or at a friend’s house, or in San Francisco, or at Las Vegas! No! You learn more about Jesus at church! Be in church every Sunday – if you are serious about learning the Bible! Church is the best place to learn about true Christianity – every Sunday! Jesus said,

“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”
        (Luke 14:23).

III. Number three – church is the best place to hear the Gospel.

Vance Havner, an old-time Southern Baptist author, once said, “It is hard to win to the church those not won through the church” (Vance Havner, Repent or Else!).

I know that some people get saved outside of church – and then come into the fellowship. But by far the largest number of people in our church got saved by coming here to church to hear the Gospel. How many people here this morning got saved in a church service? Will you stand? You may be seated. Now, how many of you got saved somewhere else – outside of a church service? Will you stand? You may be seated. You can see that almost everyone in our church got saved in a church service. That’s why I say that church is the best place to hear the Gospel of Christ and get saved.

In every church service I tell people how to be saved,

“For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2).

I preach Christ crucified in nearly every service, Sunday morning and Sunday night, decade after decade, year in and year out. You cannot come to our church services without hearing the Gospel of Christ.

Christ died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sins. He shed His Blood on the Cross so your sins could be washed away. Christ rose physically from the dead, and ascended into the third Heaven, where He is now seated at the right hand of God.

What must you do? Repent and believe the Gospel. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Jesus said,

“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”
        (Luke 14:23).

IV. Number four – church is the best place to make good friends.

Los Angeles is a lonely place for young people today. There are very few people you can count on. This city is full of “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings” (Galatians 5:19-21). This old city is a Hell-hole, and you know it! Where are you going to find good people to be your friends? In a bar? At a rave? At a drug party? Just where are you going to find friends you can trust? Come on home – to church! This is the place where you will find people with “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23). Come on home – to church! You will find some real friends you can count on here!

Come to our church because it is the best place on earth to make good friends – so you won’t be lonely. That’s the fourth reason you ought to be in our church on Sunday morning and Sunday night. Jesus said,

“Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled”
        (Luke 14:23).

Please stand and sing hymn number seven on your song sheet,

Come home to Jesus, the table is spread;
Come home to dinner and let us break bread.
Jesus is with us, so let it be said,
Come home to dinner and let us break bread!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!

The fellowship’s sweet and your friends will be here;
We’ll sit at the table, our hearts filled with cheer.
Jesus is with us, so let it be said,
Come home to dinner and let us break bread!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!

The big city people just don’t seem to care;
They’ve little to offer and no love to spare.
But come home to Jesus and you’ll be aware,
There’s food on the table and friendship to share!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!

Come home to Jesus, the table is spread;
Come home to dinner and you will be fed.
Your friends will be waiting, so let it be said,
Come home to dinner and let us break bread!
Come home to the church and eat, Gather for fellowship sweet;
It’ll be quite a treat, When we sit down to eat!
   (“Come Home to Dinner” by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr.,
      to the tune of “On the Wings of a Dove”).

Come back tonight at 6:15! Come back tonight and have dinner with us! We’re going to have a great time! Amen. Dr. Chan, please lead us in prayer.

(END OF SERMON)
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Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Mr. Abel Prudhomme: Luke 14:16-24.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Come Home to Dinner” (by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr.,
to the tune of “On the Wings of a Dove”).