These days, we have lots of tools that can help us connect with other believers and study God’s Word. Some Galesburg churches can help, but also you on any given Sunday morning, you could turn on the TV and watch a live sermon. On a weekday, you can always hear a recorded sermon on YouTube or Sermonaudio.com. There are also thousands of social media groups and online forums where believers can connect to share prayer requests and encouragement. So, for believers today, is going to church still really necessary?
God makes it clear that gathering with other believers is not an optional part of the Christian life. The Bible warns believers that church attendance is essential, and neglecting it can have serious consequences.
We can look to Scripture for several key reasons to explain its importance.
The Church Is the Body of Christ
In 1 Corinthians 12:12-22, the church is compared to a human body. If part of a person’s body, like a foot, were to try to exist on its own, it would be impossible. If a foot could think, it might be tempted think that it’s not as important as a hand. After all, feet are usually hidden away out of sight, and they aren’t a very attractive part of most bodies. But 1 Corinthians 12 makes it clear that the less glamorous body parts are often the most necessary. After all, everyone needs feet to get from point A to point B!
This passage can be especially helpful for believers who feel out of place at church. Some Christians feel they don’t have much to contribute when they attend services or church activities. It may seem that they’re being overshadowed by other church members who are more musical, better at public speaking, or more outgoing. However, God makes it clear that every believer has something important to contribute to the church body. If that person stops attending church, their absence will be felt.
Some talents tend to get more public attention at church. If you can sing in the choir, play an instrument, preach or teach, you might end up on the platform more often than others. But in order to function well, a church needs all kinds of people: those who can change a tire, care for children, drive a van, mow a lawn, cook a meal, or proofread a letter. When a church is made up of many different types of people, it can glorify God more effectively.
God Is Present At Church Gatherings
Matthew 18 records many of Jesus’ earthly teachings. Near the middle of this chapter, Jesus is speaking on the subject of prayer. He tells His followers that if any two of them agree on a request in prayer, God will answer. He then tells them that anytime two or three of them get together in His name, God will be present with them.
When believers attend church, they’re getting together in a very special way. Church isn’t just a social gathering, like a party, a book club, or a cookout. When you go to church, you’re getting together with other Christians in Jesus’ name, for the purpose of worshipping Him. Jesus made a key commitment in Matthew 18: that He Himself will be present at these gatherings. They don’t have to be large or showy–even when a few church members gather for a simple prayer meeting, God is there. When a Christian neglects church attendance, they are passing up the awesome opportunity to sit in the presence of God Himself.
Church Is More Important Now Than Ever
In Hebrews 10:24-25, believers are directly commanded to keep gathering together. For one thing, they can encourage one another to live the Christian life well. For another thing, this passage points out that the need for fellowship with other believers grows more and more important as time goes on. As we move towards the end of earthly time, the Bible makes it clear that evil will increase. Widespread sins will grow increasingly twisted and unnatural, and they’ll also become more socially acceptable. As world history moves towards the last days and Christ’s second coming, Christians will need each others’ support more and more.
There’s nothing wrong with virtual tools that help us connect as believers throughout the week. From group chats to Zoom Bible studies, we have more options than ever before. However, we’re explicitly commanded to keep gathering together physically, because God considers this unreplaceable.
Church Is Not About Being Seen By Others
We’ve looked at several Biblical reasons to attend church. But the Bible also has something to say about one of the most popular–and unbiblical–reasons that people go to church.
In Matthew 6, Jesus warns His followers not to be like the “hypocrites”: people who love to pray loudly in public so that others will see how spiritual they are. Instead, we should conduct our private business with God in private. Church should be a place to learn about, worship and praise God. It’s a place for Christians to support each other and work together to do good for one another and our whole community. However, church should never become a place to “show off” how godly we are. When someone goes to church to seek the spotlight, they’re missing the point.
How do you know whether you’re attending church for the right reasons? It’s helpful to reflect on what you consider a “successful” Sunday to look like. Does it involve learning something new about God, quietly exchanging prayer requests with someone, or being convicted about a sin you need to work on? Or does it involve lots of people looking at you and saying “Amen”? At times, someone does need to be in the spotlight during a church service. This keeps things running smoothly and prevents chaos. However, Christians should continuously examine ourselves to make sure our motivations for church attendance are Biblical.
At Harmony Baptist Church in Galesburg, IL, we take what God says about church attendance very seriously. We gather each week to learn about God, worship Him, and share Christian fellowship together. We’d love to have you join us. Visit our “Contact” page to plan your visit!
