I was recently asked by someone in our church:
What’s the importance of church?
I have been frequently told, “Why do I need to attend church? I can worship God anywhere.”
And, part of that is true. In fact, the entire purpose of creation is to glorify God…to worship. The idea, however that we don’t need church is in error.
Here are 3 reasons you need the church:
We are designed for fellowship – God designed us in His relational image. We are to love one another. Church was designed for that purpose. The Bible says we are to bear with one another and even encourages us to meet together (Hebrews 10:24). Part of our maturing as followers of Christ is to gather frequently with other believers. The best term I know for when that happens is church.
We need each other – In addition to caring for one another, we are commanded to look out for one another’s spiritual we’ll-being. (Galatians 6) We draw strength from each other. The church is a body of believers designed to work together to make each member and the whole body stronger. When we meet together , and fellowship with each other, we learn each other, observe each other and challenge and encourage each other. Iron really does sharpen iron. God intended it to be that way. If you don’t need help now you may feel you don’t need the church, but God may want you there to help others. One day the person needing accountability and strengthening will be you.
We are God’s children – Until my boys left home, and one of them got married, I never realized how much I would miss them when they were gone. I’ve also learned how much I enjoy when we are all together again. Each Christmas night we have a family tradition. We go to Waffle House. This year the 5 of us laughed and talked and celebrated the best part of my Christmas. When all the children were together again. God loves when His children get together. We get to do that on Sundays, all around the world. We call it church.
That’s part of my reasoning.
Be honest, do you look forward to church or does it feel like an obligation? What’s your reasoning?
Twitter: KariScare
says:
For me, the answer to your question is both. I sometimes feel like church is an obligation, abut I often look forward to it. Really, I look forward to it more than I feel obligated to it. I have learned that I need church for the very reasons you wrote about in your post. John emphasizes the need for "church" (fellowship) in 1 John 2 when he says it's one of the main ways a believer is differentiated from an antichrist. Wow! Church is important. Yet, I sometimes go out of obligation. This is especially true for Wednesday church or when I'm not feeling well or if there's a special speaker that doesn't peak my interest. I have stayed home on a Wednesday and had quiet time for myself simply because I couldn't force myself to go out of obligation. I don't make a habit of that though. When I am filled up before I go to church and when I focus on ministering, I definitely look forward to church. When I focus too much on me and my various needs, wants & desires, that's when church tends to feel like an obligation.
Yet, when we go to church, we spend most of the time facing the front to follow a worship leader in singing, then listen to a man speak. Then, we head off to Sunday School, as some use to call it, and listen to a teacher teach. Not a lot of fellowship is happening, in my experience. Your reasons are good ones, but for getting together at someone's home, instead of going to a building most people call church. Church is more of a shallow connecting point where people are encouraged by a message, meet people they want to get to know better, and worship our heavenly father corporately, which are still good reasons for going.
Twitter: KariScare
says:
If my church was like what you describe here, I would definitely not look forward to going. I love my church because we love fellowship. We truly design what we do around fellowship, and we are known for this. I grew up in a church that was more of what you described, and I definitely went out of obligation. I have experienced both sides of this coin. There area churches out there that focus on fellowship, but there are just as many that don't.
Twitter: bryankr
says:
It has also been a place of correction. I cannot count the times I have earneestly believed something to be true, right and good, only to come to Sunday School or Training Union (when it was still called that)and discover I was wrong! If not for the fellowship of growing Christians, I would have gone on with these things and never known a correction was needed!
Twitter: KariScare
says:
As 1 John 2 says, we need to know the truth so we can tell falsehood when we see it. Fellowship is a big part of that. We simply cannot do this on our own!
I agree with all three reasons of why we need the church. Before comitting my life to Christ, church was an obligation to me. It was about going to church, listen to the sermon and leave. I was taught about God, but not on having a relationship with Him. I remember walking out of church to buy sweets and talk to people. I'd hear a lot of gossip and other kinds of talk, but never on how God was working in our lives. It was like an off switch mode; once out of the church we were other people. But when I gave my life to Him, and was invited to a church, I felt such a connection with God. I'd only miss, like, 3 times in a year going to church because I enjoyed it so much. I love to worship Him in song (and in other ways of course), apply the sermons in my life and see how God is working in my life, and engage with other believers and encourage them. You are right, we need to the church so we can look out for others spiritual well-being. God bless! 🙂
Great post. So encouraging. Thanks.
One thing I'm realizing is that God's wisdom is so vast it doesn't lie in just one church member, even the pastor. One mind and one lifetime can't possibly scratch the surface of God's truth. Community isn't just about patting each other on the back and caring for each other in the tough times. It's not just about accountability. It's about the very act of interpreting truth itself.
Twitter: KariScare
says:
"The very act of interpreting truth itself…" That's really good Loren. We are studying 1, 2 & 3 John in our adult class on Sundays, and this past Sunday we talked about knowing the truth as a way to see false teachings when they come our way. We also talked about the role of fellowship in that. I wish I had this quote from you before I taught on Sunday. I might use it in a couple of weeks though!