Do we have to go to church?
Do we have to go to church?
The age old question… Does the Bible command us to go to church?
The arguments for and against are many. I’ve heard things like:
* I don’t need church to worship God
* I worship God everyday, not just Sunday
* I’m tired of hearing preachers preach and not worshiping God
The list goes on and on.
In a recent Bible Study associated with my church, we were talking about something that I feel goes hand in hand with this. And there is no simple answer. The answer I use for me is:
Heb 10:25 - Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The entire concept of church as a function or building is biblically incorrect. “Church” is not a function or a building but an entity as I discussed here.
Opinion…
Taking the “church” as the Body of Christ, the Body of Believers, we all bring something to the table. We bring our weaknesses and our strengths. We bring the things that cause us to stumble and the things we can remain steadfast in.
By surrounding ourselves with other members of the Body of Christ, we allow ourselves to be held accountable by other members. If my weakness is adult drinks, then my expectation is that the other believers I am associating with will be there for me to help me resist the temptation. And if their weakness is pornography, their expectation should be that I will assist them when I can to fight that temptation.
This holds true at our family level as well. Your spouse should compliment and support you in your spiritual life in the same manner.
The more people in the “group”, be it a bible study, family, church organization or what, the more support, accountability for all. But this requires faith and trust in the people surrounding you.
James 5:16 tells us: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Be careful here. We are dealing with human fallibility too. Make sure you can trust the people you confess your sins too. But do confess them. And pray about them. And be humble. And pray about them more. The power of prayer is limitless.
Lastly… Matthew 18:20 says it all for us. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
In closing, if we surround ourselves with believers from the Body of Christ, we have accountability and the presence of Christ with us. What a win win situation!!!
In my opinion, going to “church” on Sunday morning isn’t “required”. Surrounding yourself with other members of the Body of Christ, frequently and as much as possible… is. Period. So go to your Sunday morning meeting, praise God, learn from the leaders God has provided for us, fellowship and hold each other accountable.
