12 Biblical Reasons Why We Still Need Church
According to polls, per capita church attendance may be lower than any time in American history. Has the church-age run its course? Is church no longer needed except for the occasional wedding, funeral or concert?
If God has anything to say about it – and He does – church attendance is as important as ever.
Here are 12 reasons why church attendance is still important:
- King David wrote about the sweet fellowship he had with God in church. (Psalms 55:13-14)
- The newly formed church “continually devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship…” eating together and praying together. (Acts 1:14, 2:42)
- If we are in Christ, we fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7)
- We shouldn’t avoid “assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.” (Hebrews 10:25) I suppose there were “Holy Rollers” back then as well. You know, wake up, realize it’s the Holy day, roll over and go back to sleep. (I think I hear the collective moans, but yes, I went there.) The verse continues with “encourage each other in this way even more as Christ’s appearing comes closer.”
- The Bible doesn’t say “IF you assemble,” it says “WHEN you assemble.” (1 Corinthians 14:6) Christians are expected to get together to sing, teach, and reveal God’s Word, so that everyone can be built up. While fellowship can take place on the golf course, church is a better place for this kind of worship.
- We are to minister to one another with Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Heart Melodies to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19 & Colossians 3:16)
- What better place is there to confess your sins to one another and pray for one another? (James 5:16) It may get a little weird at Wendy’s.
- It’s easier to “love one another” (John 13:34) when you see each other on a regular basis. Absence seldom makes the heart grow fonder.
- We should encourage one another and build one another up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) While we can do this at an occasional dinner party, it is better and more consistent when we set aside (consecrate) regular time for the things important to God.
- Here is a shocker, church is not all about you. It is about God and His people. If it was all about you, perhaps it wouldn’t matter how often you show up. “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.” (1 Corinthians 10:24) Go first to serve, then to be served. You will get a lot more out of it that way.
- I know church people can be hard to get along with. Believe it or not, that’s another reason you need to be there regularly, “…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3) Consider it spiritual training.
- It’s hard to find Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers at Bingo. (Ephesians 4:12) We are all supposed to be trained by them.