Editor's Note: This post was published in 2018 and revised for republication in 2023
Church attendance is not just a “good suggestion”; it is God’s will for believers.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
There are lots of Christians that say they don’t do church. They don’t "do church" for assorted reasons. They had an unpleasant experience with a church member, or pastor, they fell for a false teaching and got hurt, they don’t see any difference in church goers and people who don’t go or are not even believers. They think they can read the bible and gain as much knowledge by themselves as if they went to church every week. The church repulses them because they feel it’s full of hypocrites. Other people accept that people are hypocrites by nature; they just can’t stand churches talking about money.
Even if they can get past those issues, still others steer clear because church is irrelevant to their everyday lives. Some may even want to attend church, but when they do, they feel even guiltier than they did before. The pastor and all the other "perfect people" just make them feel worse about themselves. They tried church before, and it didn’t make a difference. So why bother?
Finally, there are the “super spiritual”. Their ideals are so high that no church can meet their standards. They have detailed lists of what’s wrong with each church in town. The worship music isn’t “Spirit-led” enough, or it’s too loud, too soft, or too whatever. The sermons are too shallow or too intellectual. The missions program isn’t aggressive enough or it’s all the church talks about. They spend too much money on the building or not enough.
Here’s the thinking of a lot of Christians today. We can get all the Christian content we need from websites, podcasts, and books—even television and radio. I don't have a big problem with Christian television, radio, and tape ministries, websites (I have one),but they are no substitute for regular attendance and involvement in worship services, ministry outreaches, and educational programs of a local church.
The Bible tells us we need to attend church so we can worship God with other believers and be taught His Word for our spiritual growth. The early church was devoted to hearing God’s word and in fellowship with one another everyday.
Acts 2:42 (NLT)42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
We should follow their example which includes meeting together. They didn’t have church building so, they met in the temple courts and then went to their homes to fellowship, and they did this everyday.
Acts 2:43-47 (NLT)43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity--47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
When asked what was the greatest commandment Jesus answered this way;
Matthew 22:36-40 (NLT)36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
The church allows you to both, to love God and love your neighbor. The church is God’s vehicle to meet, through other human beings, people's true needs. To do that the church needs every believer.
The Apostle Paul compares the church to a human body that needs and uses every part.
Romans 12:4-8 (NLT)4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Even in the early church, some were falling into the bad habit of not meeting with other believers. The writer of Hebrews talked about the importance of coming together on a regular basis so that they could motivate and encourage each other.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Church attendance is not just a “good suggestion”; it is God’s will for believers.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
There are lots of Christians that say they don’t do church. They don’t "do church" for assorted reasons. They had an unpleasant experience with a church member, or pastor, they fell for a false teaching and got hurt, they don’t see any difference in church goers and people who don’t go or are not even believers. They think they can read the bible and gain as much knowledge by themselves as if they went to church every week. The church repulses them because they feel it’s full of hypocrites. Other people accept that people are hypocrites by nature; they just can’t stand churches talking about money.
Even if they can get past those issues, still others steer clear because church is irrelevant to their everyday lives. Some may even want to attend church, but when they do, they feel even guiltier than they did before. The pastor and all the other "perfect people" just make them feel worse about themselves. They tried church before, and it didn’t make a difference. So why bother?
Finally, there are the “super spiritual”. Their ideals are so high that no church can meet their standards. They have detailed lists of what’s wrong with each church in town. The worship music isn’t “Spirit-led” enough, or it’s too loud, too soft, or too whatever. The sermons are too shallow or too intellectual. The missions program isn’t aggressive enough or it’s all the church talks about. They spend too much money on the building or not enough.
Here’s the thinking of a lot of Christians today. We can get all the Christian content we need from websites, podcasts, and books—even television and radio. I don't have a big problem with Christian television, radio, and tape ministries, websites (I have one),but they are no substitute for regular attendance and involvement in worship services, ministry outreaches, and educational programs of a local church.
The Bible tells us we need to attend church so we can worship God with other believers and be taught His Word for our spiritual growth. The early church was devoted to hearing God’s word and in fellowship with one another everyday.
Acts 2:42 (NLT)42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
We should follow their example which includes meeting together. They didn’t have church building so, they met in the temple courts and then went to their homes to fellowship, and they did this everyday.
Acts 2:43-47 (NLT)43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity--47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
When asked what was the greatest commandment Jesus answered this way;
Matthew 22:36-40 (NLT)36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
The church allows you to both, to love God and love your neighbor. The church is God’s vehicle to meet, through other human beings, people's true needs. To do that the church needs every believer.
The Apostle Paul compares the church to a human body that needs and uses every part.
Romans 12:4-8 (NLT)4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Even in the early church, some were falling into the bad habit of not meeting with other believers. The writer of Hebrews talked about the importance of coming together on a regular basis so that they could motivate and encourage each other.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
A Place to Belong
The church provides a place for us to belong. A recent poll revealed that 92 percent of Americans claim to be independent (in a general sense apart from political views). Though Independence is a goal for many, God never intended for his believers to be independent. He wants us dependent on one another and on him.
Galatians 5:13 (NLT)13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Romans 12:10 (NLT)10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
As believers in Christ, we are incomplete without the rest of his body—the church. And the church is incomplete without us. We need others, and others need us.
Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Belonging to a local church also provides accountability, where wiser and more mature Christians can regularly counsel us, mentor us, comfort us, and help us heal. We can confess to God for forgiveness, but that’s only half of the equation.
1 John 1:8-10 (NLT)8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
We also need to confess to other Christians to help us ultimately overcome our sinful habits.
James 5:16 (NLT)16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
We need the encouragement that we get from other believers that can only happen with regular church attendance. Believers are also responsible to hold each other accountable and to encourage each other.
Hebrews 3:13 (NLT)13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
1 John 4:12 (NLT)12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Everybody’s included. When Jesus called His first followers, he recruited tax collectors, uneducated fishermen, and dangerous revolutionaries. Notice who Jesus did not call: not one rabbi, scribe, or priest. Not one Pharisee or Sadducee, not any other person from the formal religious establishment of the day. When He chose friends, Jesus surrounded Himself with the lonely, the broken, and the overlooked.
The church provides a place for us to belong. A recent poll revealed that 92 percent of Americans claim to be independent (in a general sense apart from political views). Though Independence is a goal for many, God never intended for his believers to be independent. He wants us dependent on one another and on him.
Galatians 5:13 (NLT)13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Romans 12:10 (NLT)10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
As believers in Christ, we are incomplete without the rest of his body—the church. And the church is incomplete without us. We need others, and others need us.
Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Belonging to a local church also provides accountability, where wiser and more mature Christians can regularly counsel us, mentor us, comfort us, and help us heal. We can confess to God for forgiveness, but that’s only half of the equation.
1 John 1:8-10 (NLT)8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
We also need to confess to other Christians to help us ultimately overcome our sinful habits.
James 5:16 (NLT)16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
We need the encouragement that we get from other believers that can only happen with regular church attendance. Believers are also responsible to hold each other accountable and to encourage each other.
Hebrews 3:13 (NLT)13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
1 John 4:12 (NLT)12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Everybody’s included. When Jesus called His first followers, he recruited tax collectors, uneducated fishermen, and dangerous revolutionaries. Notice who Jesus did not call: not one rabbi, scribe, or priest. Not one Pharisee or Sadducee, not any other person from the formal religious establishment of the day. When He chose friends, Jesus surrounded Himself with the lonely, the broken, and the overlooked.
A Place to Believe
In addition to belonging, church also gives us a place to grow spiritually.
Romans 10:17 (NLT)17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Our faith grows as we hear God’s Word taught and proclaimed. We are then to live out what we have heard which is evidence of our faith.
James 1:22 (NLT)22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
James 2:26 (NLT)26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
God uses the church to minister to us, draw us closer to Him, and to equip us.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
But it’s not just for us. God has commissioned the church to deliver the message of salvation to the world.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The church continues to grow throughout the world because its people understand that the church exists not for them but for those who don’t yet know Christ. The church is changing lives, and the world, for good, for God.
"Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another.". . A true Christian will want to be around other Christians. After all, why should God go to your house if you won't go to His? A lot of us want all of the fringe benefits of Christianity without applying ourselves. - Greg Laurie (from "What Makes an 'Authentic' Christian?")
In addition to belonging, church also gives us a place to grow spiritually.
Romans 10:17 (NLT)17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
Our faith grows as we hear God’s Word taught and proclaimed. We are then to live out what we have heard which is evidence of our faith.
James 1:22 (NLT)22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
James 2:26 (NLT)26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
God uses the church to minister to us, draw us closer to Him, and to equip us.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
But it’s not just for us. God has commissioned the church to deliver the message of salvation to the world.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The church continues to grow throughout the world because its people understand that the church exists not for them but for those who don’t yet know Christ. The church is changing lives, and the world, for good, for God.
"Those who isolate themselves from other believers do so at their own peril, because the Bible tells us that it is important to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another.". . A true Christian will want to be around other Christians. After all, why should God go to your house if you won't go to His? A lot of us want all of the fringe benefits of Christianity without applying ourselves. - Greg Laurie (from "What Makes an 'Authentic' Christian?")
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