not finding love in a church what to do
"Here are four powerful reasons you should attend church weekly, and why church omnipresence can alter your life."
Recently, an online post from a major ministry struck a nerve when it stated the necessity of church attendance for i's growth as a believer in Christ.
Information technology'southward surprising to me how many Christians struggle with the idea of church attendance. We are at a crossroads in our nation on the importance of going to church. Co-ordinate to research, church building attendance has remained virtually the same per centum of our national population for the past lxx years. Yet, this still means there are a huge number of American Christians who are non active in a local church—in the tens of millions.
Of course, this isn't a new trouble. Since the outset of Christianity, the early leaders had to challenge this mindset, saying "Exercise not requite up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, only encourage 1 another—and all the more as y'all see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:25).
A popular Christian motto is, "Yous don't go to church, yous are the church." While I become this sentiment in some ways, it can atomic number 82 to an unhealthy view, pitting "beingness the church" and "going to church" against each other. If we are truly the church, then nosotros volition surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot "be" the church if we don't "go" to church building.
Church never refers to an individual, lone-ranger Christian who goes about his or her Christian duties, never gathering together to worship with other believers. The church, by its very nature, means multiple believers, who live out Jesus' words in Matthew eighteen:20: "Where two or three are gathered in my proper name, there am I among them."
This is both the biblical and historical pattern set forth by the first followers of Jesus. They would become together weekly, and sometimes daily, to worship God. They would also share community together in each other's homes. Paul and the other apostles' letters were actually sent to these church communities that gathered in various cities to be read aloud together. Church building means getting together with other believers to worship Jesus and hear the Scriptures together, and encouraging 1 another in the faith.
Craig Groeschel shared recently, "Do not reduce church to listening to a podcast. It'south so much more than than that. Information technology's community. It's worshiping with others, praying for others, hurting with others, serving others, being involved in the lives of others."
And here's the reality of the Biblical telephone call to gather with other believers: At that place are many options for "going to church" for each of us. Yous can look for a church that is correct for you. I'one thousand not telling you lot to go to a sure style, type, or denomination of church building—I'm simply challenging you to gather with other believers regularly to worship and hear the Scriptures.
The biblical design for church is this:
- Every Christian should gather together to hear the Scriptures and worship Jesus with other believers weekly (see Acts 20:vii; 1 Cor. xvi:2; Acts 2:42; Col. iii:16; 1 Cor. sixteen:nineteen; Col. four:15; Rom. 16:v; Acts twenty:20; James 2:two; Ps. 84:4; Ps. 37:17; Ps. 92:13).
- Information technology is too good to meet for smaller groups of Christian community in each other's homes regularly (see Acts ii:46).
- It's good to accept leaders oversee the work and needs of each local church. Not all of us are chosen to church leadership, then we should submit to and serve whoever God has called to lead at the place we observe ourselves (see Acts 14:23; Titus ane:5; Heb. xiii:vii, 17; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-thirteen; Phil. 1:1b; Eph. four:eleven-12; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2; Acts xx:17).
- If in that location are believers who are unable, for physical reasons, to attend a church weekly, they should observe a church or believers who will get together together with them regularly for worship in their own home (run across James 5:14; James i:27).
Here are 4 powerful reasons you lot should attend church weekly, and why church attendance tin modify your life:
1. God says so.
God tells u.s.a. in his Word to "non give up meeting together" (Heb. 10:25). Paul even goes so far as to phone call the church the "bride of Christ." If you dearest Jesus, you will beloved the things that he loves—and he loves the church like a married man loves his bride. The church is of import to God, so information technology should be important to us.
God didn't telephone call usa to get together and worship to burden usa, but to bless the states. Church attendance can become one of the greatest blessings in you and your family'south life.
2. Worshipping Jesus together is powerful.
Jesus lives within of us by his Spirit when we believe in him. This is a profoundly incredible truth! But at that place is as well something biblically powerful nigh gathering together with other believers to worship. Jesus said, "Where two or three are gathered in my proper noun, there am I amid them" (Matt. 18:xx). So he not but lives in us by his Spirit, but he is in the "midst" of united states of america when nosotros gather to worship him.
3. We need Christian community.
All of us long for community and connection with others. God has given usa this gift in gathering together for church, and in smaller groups in each other's homes. Information technology fulfills something inside of us to do life with, encourage and be authentically involved in each other'southward lives.
Christian TV, podcasts, books and conferences are wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, but goose egg can take the place of consequent Christian customs through the local church.
iv. We grow more together than lone.
It can exist messy when nosotros step into each other'due south lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect. Then it requires effort and intentionality and grace from God to do life together, even as believers.
Gathering regularly with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help each other, pray for each other and encourage each other to want to follow Christ more wholeheartedly. Information technology is a truly-beautiful thing.
Don't allow whatever excuses stand up in the manner of what you know God is calling you to do. God will strengthen you and empower you to practice what he has called you to do. If you have encountered by wounds from leaders or from church members, I'one thousand praying for you—that God would bring healing and grace to you as you seek to follow him and dear his church building.
Matt Brown (@evangelistmatt) is an evangelist, author and founder of Think Eternity, an evangelistic ministry building that reaches thousands of people with the gospel each year through live events and online. This article was originally published on Matt's blog at ThinkE.org.
Source: https://outreachmagazine.com/features/21037-attending-church.html
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