Why Did You Come to Church Today?

Learning from an Unsung Hero

Years ago, a story was told of an eleven-year-old who made a birthday card for her eight-year-old brother. The note said: “Happy birthday to my eight-year-old brother. I’m so glad to have a brother to love. God gave me you. P.S. Don’t read this out loud or I will twist your head off.”

That little child’s card is funny because there’s an element of truth to it. How often does love and selfishness sit so close side by side in our relationships, even with those we know we ought to love very much?

The Question That Matters

This brings us to a penetrating question we all need to ask: Why did you come to church today? Not what brought you here, but why. What was your purpose?

Did you come because it’s what you always do on Sunday mornings? Because someone expected you to? Because you needed your spiritual pick-me-up for the week? Or maybe you came to hear your favorite songs or check in with friends.

Those aren’t altogether bad reasons. But if they are your only reasons, they reveal a deeper problem: a consumer mindset when it comes to church.

We live in a culture that trains us to consume everything. Without realizing it, we import that consumer mentality into church. We shop for churches like we shop for phones. We evaluate services based on what we get out of them. We stay home if we’re tired, as if the church exists only for us.

But that’s not cultural thinking. It’s sinful thinking.

Church as Body, Not Store

Church doesn’t exist for you. The Bible doesn’t describe church as a store. The Bible describes church as a body, where each part works with a purpose so the whole body can grow together.

Yet far too often we treat church like subscription services. We ask questions like: Did I like the sermon? Was the music good for me? Did I feel connected? But we rarely ask: Do I love others when I come to church? Did I encourage someone else’s faith? Did I serve people intentionally?

Jesus didn’t call you to be a customer. Jesus called you to be a cross-carrying servant. The church isn’t a product you receive. The church is a people to love, a mission to serve, a body to build.

Learning from Tychicus

Paul gives us a living example of what that should look like: a man named Tychicus. He was a missionary partner of Paul’s, a trusted courier who carried letters across the empire. He was likely part of the Ephesus church; someone they already knew. This faithful servant gives us an example of what it means to approach church with the right mindset.

Come to Church to Love Deeply

Paul didn’t just call Tychicus a brother in Christ. Paul referred to him as a beloved brother. That adjective indicates not just someone who was known, but someone who was deeply loved and deeply loved others in the body of Christ.

He was warm, approachable, and relational. He wasn’t grumpy, guarded, or cold. There are two types of people who come to church: those who lean in with open arms ready to love, and those who lean away with arms crossed and hearts guarded.

You don’t become beloved by being distant. You become beloved by loving others first. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Do people know you as someone who loves deeply? Maybe you’ve convinced yourself that staying on the fringe protects you from being hurt. But it also prevents you from being used by God.

Come to Church to Live Faithfully

Paul called Tychicus faithful, meaning trustworthy, dependable, reliable. Paul had watched this man carry out assignments over time. Tychicus was the kind of man who could be given a task, large or small, and he would complete it without cutting corners, without needing to be reminded, and without grumbling.

Faithfulness is doing the right thing consistently, especially when no one else is watching. We live in an age of commitment phobia. People bounce from church to church with little accountability. Volunteer signups are high, but follow-through is low.

God doesn’t require you to be flashy, popular, or talented. God requires you to be faithful. Tychicus didn’t plant churches like Paul or preach at Pentecost like Peter. But Tychicus hand-delivered what would be part of your New Testament. He did something of eternal significance because he was faithful.

Come to Church to Serve Willingly

Paul called Tychicus a faithful minister. The word minister means servant. It carries no implication of rank, only function. Tychicus realized that he did not belong to himself. Jesus Christ had purchased him with his blood, so Tychicus lived to serve Christ.

He came to church ready to engage and serve. This is where many modern churchgoers go wrong. We’ve been shaped by a consumer culture, so we treat church like fast food. But Jesus called you to be a cross-carrying servant.

If the Son of God bent low to wash feet, how can we come to church with arms crossed, waiting to be impressed? There’s no version of Christianity where it’s normal to come to church, sit, absorb, and leave uninvolved. That’s not church. That’s spiritual entertainment.

Servants don’t need titles. They just need towels. Don’t wait for a position. Look for a need.

Come to Church to Encourage Intentionally

Tychicus stands out because he encouraged. Paul sent him not just to deliver information, but to deliver perspective. The Ephesian church was troubled because Paul was imprisoned. Tychicus came to say, “You’re discouraged by Paul’s imprisonment, but Paul is not discouraged. God is using his chains in ways none of us could have predicted.”

Encouragement is not optional for the Christian life. We all know people who can drain the life out of a room. Tychicus was the opposite. When he walked into the room, hearts lifted because he was anchored in God’s promises.

You don’t have to have all the answers to be an encourager. You just have to have the word of God in your heart.

The Legacy of Faithfulness

Tychicus never planted a church or wrote a New Testament letter. We have no record of sermons he preached or miracles he performed. But the Holy Spirit carved out his name in the eternal word of God because there was something rare about Tychicus.

When the church needed love, Tychicus came with genuine affection. When it needed structure, he came with dependable service. When it needed hope, he came as a steady encourager, lifting hearts to trust the Lord again.

Who around you needs a beloved brother or sister right now? What work is waiting for your faithful ministry? What attitude shift do you need so you would identify as a slave of Christ, not a master of your own schedule?

This kind of ministry may never be applauded or public. But it will be recognized by our Lord, who said, “If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.”

Will you show up when others drift? Will you stay steady when others lose heart? Will you serve joyfully when no one notices? Will you encourage others when they feel like quitting?

Our goal is not to hear our Lord say, “Well said. You were well-liked.” Our goal is to hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

So why did you come to church today? The answer reveals more about your spiritual maturity than you might think. The church needs more people like Tychicus: beloved, faithful servants who come not to be ministered unto, but to minister.

Will you be a Tychicus?

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Caleb Phelps is the pastor of Faith Baptist Church. This article reproduces a sermon preached on June 1, 2025, which you can listen to here. We used Claude.AI to turn the transcript into the article. Pastor Phelps has reviewed and approved the final form of this article.

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