Why should I go to church?
In a small booklet I wrote a few years ago, I stressed the importance of belonging to a local church and having a church family. If you would like a copy of it, I will be happy to email it to you for free. In this Blog I will take some excerpts of it.
Does a born again Christian have to find a local church and attend it regularly? Yes!
You see we must be discipled after we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The Greek word for disciple means learner, or student. The bible commands that we must attend a church. Therefore,
we must obey it.
You see if we have truly invited Jesus into our life to be our Lord and Savior that means He is now our owner and master. Truly we have received Him as God the Son! What He and the bible say’s goes. We must obey. We have made a total life commitment to Him. Jesus said,
Luke 6
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
The quickest way to backslide away from Jesus is to stop attending your church regularly! Let’s be totally honest, we NEED EACH OTHER in the church. We need our pastor, and our brothers and sisters in Christ in our local church to keep growing in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to hear the timely message that the Holy Spirit puts on our pastors heart to deliver to us.
Did you know that Jesus Himself attended church regularly when He was here on earth?
Luke 4
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.
- The bible says that we must inquire of the Lord in church. Psalm 27:4
- We are instructed to praise God TOGETHER in church. Psalm 42:4
- We must stay in our local church, and be continually PLANTED in our church. Not be a church “hopper” (go from one church to another) Psalm 92:13 & 19
- Did you know that we are instructed to look forward and be GLAD to go to church? Psalm 122:1
- We are instructed to WORSHIP GOD in church. Psalm 5:7 Jeremiah 26:2
- Jesus Himself went to church regularly. Luke 4:16
Are we more spiritual than Jesus? Of course not!
- When the church first started in the book of Acts, they were all continually in church together. Luke 24:53
- We must “gather together” in Jesus’ name in church. Matthew 18:20
We come to church THANKING GOD for His goodness, and PRAISING Him. Psalm 100:4
- We come to church to enter God’s presence with singing, and to serve Him with gladness. Psalm 100:1-2
- We come to church to clap our hands, and shout unto God the voice of triumph. Psalm 47:1
- We come to church to lift up our hands to bless the Lord. Psalm 134:2
- Question? How can you rejoice, or suffer with members in the body of Christ, if you are not in church, and do not know what is going on? 1 Corinthians 12:26
- We are commanded to attend church REGULARLY and CONSISTANTLY to hear INSTRUCTION from God. 2 Timothy 3:16
- We are commanded to bring up our children and train them in the way they should go in church. Proverbs 22:6
- How can you “BRING” your tithes and offerings to church if you don’t go? Malachi 3:7-12
- How can you “know” your pastor, if you don’t go to church? 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
- How can you “submit” and “obey” your pastor if you don’t have one?
- How can you be edified and be equipped for the work of the ministry, if you don’t attend church regularly? Ephesians 4:11-13
- The bible says not to be a “stumbling block’, or a bad example to others. If you do not attend church it’s not being a good example to others. 1 Corinthians 8:9 & Romans 14:21
- How can you bring unsaved people to church if YOU don’t go? Romans 10:14 & 17
- The Lord wants you in His church! Matthew 16:18
- How can you partake in communion if you don’t attend church regularly? Luke 22:19
- How can you be water baptized by your pastor, if you don’t have one? Matthew 22:19-20
- We are members in God’s church, and we are NEEDED. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
As you can plainly see, the bible is very clear about this issue. We, as Christians are to obey what it says. Do you really think that you can be in a true relationship with God, and not attend church regularly?
We all need our pastors, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be encouraged, exhorted, partake of communion, worship and praise God, be accountable to each other, and hear the message God has given our pastor for that particular time in our local church. Remember scripture says, Romans 10
17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Find a good bible believing church, where the pastor preaches and teaches the Word of God straightforward, just like it is. Attend church regularly and become an official member there. Back up the vision of your pastor, and ask to be used in ministry to use your talents for the Lord.
We invite you to Changing Lives Christian Church. Our Sunday worship services are at 11am and bible study Wednesday’s at 7pm.
God bless you!
And hope to see you in church!