Why Go to Church?
Posted By admin on January 29, 2010
“America is full of good guys who think their admittance to heaven is going to be based on their acts of charity, abstinence from cheating people, and the like. With the utmost grief I profess that anyone who thinks they can earn God’s favor has grossly overstated their worth and grossly understated their sin (see Ephesians 2:8-10). But that’s besides the point. The point is that it’s usually this category of people who snub going to church. Let’s just set the record straight from the beginning: church is not a building. It’s not a place you go. It’s a community of people that is universal/global (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28; Eph. 3:10) but expressed locally in groups of believers who gather together for worship (1 Cor. 14:26, Col. 3:16, Heb. 10:25).
I’m very skeptical of anyone who claims right-standing with God but doesn’t attend church. So although this apologetic for ‘going to church’ was stirred by a cultural need to defend and promote this discipline for the nonbelievers in our world, I also recognize that some people in the church genuinely struggle understanding the worth of gathering regularly for worship, instruction, fellowship etc. Let’s admit it–sometimes sermons stink, people are curiously peculiar, and services are more boring than watching C-Span. I’m not immune to feeling that sometimes I could have gained more from a personal Bible study at home or watching a Podcast from one of my favorite teachers.
With these realities in mind, I hope to shed light on why Christians should go to church. This may serve as an apologetic both for believers and nonbelievers.
Let’s just ignore the fact that the Bible straightforwardly commands Christians to attend church (Heb. 10:25)! Furthermore, it’s helpful to understand that the Bible hardly expounds on this practice because it was an assumed discipline and the early communities were keenly aware of why they were assembling together (something churches in free societies, where they do not suffer persecution, are less prone to).
The nature of my argument is a very pragmatic one. I have traditionally taught that Christians should go to church for two simple reasons. Though they are uncomplicated in theology, I don’t consider them lacking profundity. Those who actively attend church and live out these two reasons will understand the strength of my argument.
God wants Christians in a church so that they can grow.
There are so many dimensions that we need to grow in as God’s people. There’s worship (Col. 3:16), knowledge (Acts 2:42), character (Heb. 13:17) to name a few. Local churches serve as the environment through which God wants you to experience this. They provide relationships that will serve as an avenue for your spiritual growth. Pastors, teachers, mentors, accountability partners cannot be found in solitude. The cap to your personal growth will be your own experience if you attempt to grow spiritually on your own! By joining a church, you humbly recognize that the Spirit has been working in his church (universal) long before you came upon the scene, and are given access to knowledge, understanding, and experiences that you can only gain from others…”
Andy Dragos
Read the full article here http://themourningdovecaws.com/2009/11/30/why-go-to-church/
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