If You Love Jesus, You Will Love His Church

The View From Above: Thoughts to Help With Everyday Life

June 5, 2026

Pastor Paul Stephens

If You Love Jesus, You Will Love His Church

Being a Christian and being part of the Church of Jesus Christ are the two most important features of our lives. Your relationship with Jesus Christ and your faithfulness to Him are synonymous with your love for and faithfulness to your local church.

Jesus said:

Scripture Focus

Matthew 16:18

”…and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

The rock that Jesus is referring to is the revelation that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Once that is in place in your life, then the next step is being part of His Church—a local assembly of believers where Jesus Christ is exalted and the Gospel is preached.

It is through the church that Jesus is made known to the world.

All of us are desperately in need of spiritual growth. We need our faith to be enlarged, and we need the fellowship of other believers to make us strong.

It is very disheartening to see so many people today, who call themselves Christians, taking a casual approach to faithfulness to the church.

Faithful church attendance is one of the things my wife and I learned early on in our walk with God, and what benefit it has produced. The sermons heard, the altar calls answered, the place of ministry we discovered and served in, and the fellowship with other believers are all designed to benefit us and help us grow.

So the challenge is to be faithful. The more faithful you are to being in every service, the more you will grow.

This is what Jesus is emphasizing when He said:

Mark 4:24-25

”…Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Where do we do all this hearing? In the church, under the anointed preaching of a pastor.

Ephesians 4:11-12

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”

Consider your approach and attitude toward your local church. Is it what it should be?

If you are in love with Jesus, you will love His church.

Today’s Challenge

Faithfulness is a choice. Consider your commitment to Christ and His church today. Choose faithfulness, and continue choosing it, knowing that God uses His church to help us grow, serve, and become all He has called us to be.