From the book, “What People Ask About The Church,” by Dale A. Robbins — 12 — For believers, there is no substitute for attending church. Besides
something that pleases God, it is necessary for a believer's spiritual well-being. For
shut-ins or invalids who aren't able to go to church, the ministries on radio or TV might
be the only kind of fellowship or spiritual nourishment that they get. God certainly
understands the circumstances of these people, and recognizes the sincerity of their
hearts. However, it is a different matter for those who could attend church but are too
lazy, or put other things such as entertainment and amusements before God, or who harbor
bitterness or indifference toward other believers. It is important to attend church for the following reasons: (1) It is an Expression of our Love for God.
"And [they] were continually in the temple praising and blessing God" (Luke
24:53). Going to church is a tangible expression of our love and worship toward God. It is
where we can gather with other believers to bring God offerings of praise, thanks, and
honor. (2) It builds up our Spiritual Strength. "So
then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Receiving
the preaching and teaching of the Word of God increases our faith and builds us up
spiritually. Every believer knows what it is to face spiritual conflicts to their faith,
and must realize the importance of being fed spiritually so that they can overcome the
challenges. Paul states that Christians face a wrestling match with the Devil and his evil
spiritual forces, and warns that the church must put on spiritual armor for protection, as
it will take everything at our disposal to stand (Eph. 6:10-18). How important that we
take every opportunity available to receive ministry and strength from God's Word. (3) It brings a special visitation of the Lord's Presence.
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of
them" (Matt. 18:20). There is the promise of a special visitation of the Lord's
presence whenever two or more gather specifically in the name of Jesus. By implication,
this means whenever "Jesus" is the object of gathered prayer, worship, praise,
preaching, etc. Even though Jesus resides within the heart of every believer, he honors a
gathering in his name by coming in the "midst," with his power, awareness, and
anointing. In such a gathering, Christ is able to do things in hearts that he may not at
any other time. The scripture says that God inhabits the praise of His people (Psa. 22:3),
and in such an atmosphere the Holy Spirit will often manifest spiritual gifts that
minister to the body of Christ. (4) It provides fellowship with other Christians.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John
1:7). Gathering together also has compounded importance to the relationship of the
Christian brethren. The Bible makes it clear that a right relationship with God requires a
"vertical" and "horizontal" alignment — that is, we must have a
vertical fellowship with God and a horizontal fellowship with other believers. It is not
possible to love God and refuse to love the brethren. If you have a problem loving other
Christians, you have a problem in your relationship with God. Scripture warns us that
unforgiveness toward others will void God's forgiveness of our own sins (Matt. 6:15). John
wrote, "He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until
now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in
him" (1 John 2:9-10). One of the most important reasons that we go to church is to
practice love toward the brethren in the form of fellowship. The Bible clearly shows that
if we have a right relationship with God, we have fellowship with others believers.
Keeping ourselves in love and harmony with other believers keeps us humble before God so
that Christ's blood can continue to cleanse us from our sins. (5) It is an act of obedience to God. "And let
us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and
so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,"
(Heb. 10:24-26). Not to be forgotten, going to church is also a matter of obedience
to God's Word. The writer of the Hebrew epistle tells us not to forsake assembling
together, implying that continued absence can lead to willful sin (verse 26). We're
supposed to be considerate of our brethren, coming together to help motivate and encourage
one another. "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is
sin" (James 4:17). (6) It allows accountability to spiritual leadership. "Obey
those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those
who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be
unprofitable for you" (Heb. 13:17). More strong evidence that proves that we're to be a part of a church
fellowship, is that we're told to submit to the authority of spiritual leaders (within the
boundaries of God's Word). God designed this system of accountability for the progress and
protection of His flock. Obviously, this really isn't possible unless we are a part of an
organized fellowship which has identified elders, pastors, or leaders. It is easy to see
that one cannot genuinely be under submission to a TV pastor who has never met you. Nor is
it possible to be under submission by visiting a different church each week. The Bible
tells us to know them that are over us in the Lord (1 Thes. 5:12). Submission necessitates
a commitment and relationship to a local body of believers and to their spiritual leaders.
(7) It combines our spiritual strength in prayer.
"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they
ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven" (Matt. 18:19). The Bible indicates that agreement in prayer with other believers
has special favor with God. This agrees with how God has historically blessed the union of
His people in battle against their enemies. "Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a
hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword
before you" (Lev. 26:8). (8) It honors the Lord's Day. "Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Ex. 20:8). The fourth commandment of the law that God gave Moses was to set
aside the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as a holy day to the Lord. This was, and will
always remain, the official Sabbath. However, after Jesus rose from the dead on the first
day of the week, Sunday, the early Christians began meeting together on this day as well
as with the Jewish community in the synagogues on the Sabbath. History indicates that due
to the enmity of the orthodox Jews toward the Christian Jews in their midst, the Jewish
Christians were eventually ostracized. And although they were no longer bound to a rigid
code of laws (Gal. 3:10-11, Col. 2:16), it is believed that they came to view Sunday as a
combined observance of the Sabbath and the resurrection day of Jesus (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor.
16:2). This day of Christian worship came to be called the Lord's Day (Rev. 1:10), a day
to fellowship in celebration of the resurrection, to worship, pray and study the Word
together. Today, the Christian Jew or gentile, is free from the bondage of the old law. The indwelling of God's spirit has brought a new way for Christians to fulfill the desires of God through His love (Gal. 5:18, Rom. 13:8-10). However, the new covenant does not invalidate the relevance of the ten commandments as they pertained to God's wishes for His people. As much as it remains God's desire for man not to kill, steal or commit adultery, God is still very much pleased for believers to honor Him on a day reserved for Him, out of their love for Him and His people. This article is copyrighted © by Dale A. Robbins, 1995, and is a publication of Victorious Publications, Grass Valley, CA 95949. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture references were taken from The New King James Bible, © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982.You may download for personal use as long as you retain credit to the author. Obtain permission before reproducing copies for any reason, by filling out our simple permission form. For media reproduction rights, or to obtain published quantities of this title, . |
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