Summer’s here! The sun is out, the beach is calling, and our
drinks are suddenly equipped with tiny umbrellas, which—let’s face it—aren’t
going to do the drink any good if it starts raining, because they’re made out
of tissue paper. Another summer trend that does no good is the downturn in
church attendance that every congregation sees when the weather smiles on us.
I’m going to make a crazy suggestion here: you should attend church every Lord’s Day this summer if at all
possible. Are you traveling? You can
probably find a church where you’re going. Got
overnight company? I bet your home church would love to have them as guests!
Why do I bang this drum so much/so hard? Not because
it’s a hobby horse I like to ride (well, not just because of that, anyway), but because the Bible emphasizes it.
Here are just a few (read: just a bunch) of the biblical
reasons that Christians should attend church weekly:
It's a gesture
of love toward God – Sure, we can love God wherever we are. And I can love
my wife while we’re sitting on the couch binge-watching Friends on Netflix. But I still like
to go to the trouble of getting a sitter and taking her out for a special night
as one way of showing I love her. And this shouldn’t be just on our anniversary
and Valentine’s Day. In the same way, if we truly love our Creator and Savior,
we will not grumble about how difficult it is to get up, get ready, and head to
His house to spend some special time with him in the midst of his people.
Lift up your hands in
the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. Psalm 134:2
It
honors the Lord's Day. When you read all those Old Testament rules about
how to keep the Sabbath, it’s easy to see it as a big chore. But that shouldn’t
even begin to color how we Christians view the Lord’s Day! You know why it’s called "The Lord’s Day" in the
New Testament? Because it’s the day Jesus rose from the dead! This is not a
chore, but a reminder that JESUS IS ALIVE!
We just celebrated
two birthdays in my house and, as Jerry Seinfeld pointed out, we were basically
congratulating each other for still being alive . . . which, I suppose, is
impressive in its own way. But it would be more impressive if the birthday boy
used to be dead and is now alive. And even more worthy of celebration if he died
for you and me! Jesus rose from the grave for us. Let’s rise from the bed for
Him.
Because it is
a sacrifice! The worship of God has involved sacrifice from the earliest
chapters of Genesis. Today, we need not bring God the choicest of our flocks to
kill on an altar, but we do honor him by bringing the choicest of our time and
energy. As the author of Hebrews writes in chapter 13, “Through him then let us
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips
that acknowledge his name.”
“But I need a day with nothing
scheduled, to decompress” is a common refrain among frazzled Christians. “ Or
the kids do. They're just so busy...” As we overfill our lives—cramming every minute with an activity,
or work, or racing from one thing to the next—if we let church go to the
wayside to compensate, we're assuming (and teaching, if we have children) that
the one thing that matters least is God! If your life is too full, perhaps it’s
time to re-anchor the most important things at the center and lose some of those add-ons. God is worthy of our time and attention.
Because we are forgetful. When
asked why he preached the Gospel every week, Martin Luther answered, “Because
you forget every week.” Hearing the message that you are forgiven—spoken out
loud to the elect with biblical authority—is a must for Christians, as is
living the life of forgiveness together with others.
It is a public
affirmation of your commitment to Christ. The New Testament puts much
emphasis on our affirming our devotion to Christ publicly (e.g., Luke 12:8).
When we blow off worship for worldly comforts and pursuits, we are testifying
that there’s nothing different about us.
I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you. Psalm 22:22
To keep us
from becoming spiritually isolated. God
told Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone.” That’s still true. Throughout
the Scriptures, the idea of spiritually lone-wolfing it is roundly condemned.
Why would we try and serve God, grow in grace and knowledge, and worship him in
spirit and in truth all alone like a hermit, when we have the congregation of
saints?
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks
out against all sound judgment. Proverbs
18:1
Because Jesus did. In Luke 14:6, we learn that it was Jesus’ custom
to gather together weekly with believers. And it’s a good custom for us as
well. (Hey, look! Here's a sermon I preached on the topic!)
Because Jesus assumed you would.
It’s as if Jesus is giving us the benefit of the doubt that we wouldn’t waste
the spiritual treasures we have in the local church when he seems to assume
we’ll be involved in congregational life and worship (Matt 18:17, Rev 1:10-11).
Because the early Church did. And not just an hour a week. They
seem to have been gathering together each Lord’s Day for a more formal service
and gathering for fellowship in homes pretty much every day! (See I Cor 16:2,
I Cor 1:2 Acts 2:42, I Tim 3:15)
Because we
need to be spiritually strengthened. For a while, people were following
Jesus because they heard it meant “free food!” (Remember how he fed thousands
with just five loaves and two fish?)
Instead, Jesus offered himself as true food and drink. People
were freaked out by this, but Jesus held fast in teaching that our flesh longs
for one kind of food, but we deeply need another kind.
So Jesus said to
the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" 68 Simon Peter answered him,
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have
come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:67-69
Because Christ
is present in a special way. Yes, God is omnipresent, and yet the Old
Testament presents Him as present in a special (and frightening) way within the
Holy of Holies in the temple. In the New Testament, God is present in a special
(and comforting) way in the gathering of the saints. Not only in the Lord's
Supper (I Cor 10:16), but in every aspect of our worship together.
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am
I among them." Matthew 18:20 (note that the context of Matthew 18 assumes an organized church with
leadership and even discipline)
It provides fellowship with other believers… all kinds of believers, not only those who are just like us. Our
society has become incredibly segmented. Church is one of the few places where
five generations still gather together. Titus 2:1-5 assumes that, in the
context of the church, older men and women will be teaching younger men and
women how to lead honorable and godly lives. This fellowship also teaches us to love those who
are different from us. Sure, I could get together with a few friends at a
coffee shop and discuss spiritual things (and that would be great!), but according to Jesus, “even
the pagans” greet and share life with their close circle of friends. We are
called to a higher fellowship.
It
supercharges our prayers. Okay,
maybe that’s a little sensational a wording, but our prayers do have multiplied strength
when we gather together. Again, God’s
plan is for us to work together in love.
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about
anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. - Matthew 18:19
So that the
church can bless you. Ephesians
4:11-12 tells us that God gave us the gifts and offices of the church to equip
us! Hebrews 10 tells us that a main reason for gathering together regularly is
to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Gather with the saints and receive the words of life. Share your needs and be encouraged and prayed
for! Know that you are not alone!
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word
of Christ. Romans 10:17
So that you
can bless others. Is everything
great in your life right now? Maybe you’re not feeling a pressing need to be
blessed? That's spectac! But it's not going great for someone else! When we aren’t involved in our
local church, we rob others of the gifts we bring to the table. Not to mention
that we fulfill the new commandment primarily as we gather together. (John
15:12, 13:35—the way the world will know we are His is by how we Christians
love one another.) We grow best when we grow together!
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every
supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
work. Ephesians 4:16
God has
commanded it. Yeah, I saved this one
for last. While Jesus assumed we’d gather together for worship, prayer, and
encouragement, by the time Hebrews was written, some were apparently slipping.
Hebrews 10:25 reads, “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.”
This was not something new, for God’s people have been setting aside one day a
week for rest and a holy gathering since Moses, and before. (Leviticus 23:3a).
We know God would have us gather together. I often hear people who don't
attend church more than a couple times a year say, “Yeah, I know I should,”
with a shrug. But knowing we should doesn't
make it better. In fact, whoever knows the right
thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. - James 4:17
As we enjoy God’s wonderful gifts this summer, may we remember that he has
given us the gift of the Lord’s Day and the gift of the Church, the Body of
Christ. Let us open that gift with gladness each week, and gather together to
bless and be blessed!
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