Why Is It Important To Go To Church?

One Question you might be asking yourself as a New Christian is Why Is It Important To Go To Church?

What is a church? What is not a church? What is church for? What is church not for? Why have church? How do you justify having church? What is its reason for existence? What is its settled determination, the ultimate justification for being?

 These are some questions that I am sure you might be asking yourself.

I have already been saved. I am going to heaven.

Why bother with going to church now?

I already have a lot going on in my life.

Why should I add another thing to have me even busier than before?

Is going to church that important?

For a lot of people they go to church because someone made them go to church.

I saw this on Facebook

Christian Without a Church:

A student without going to school. 

A soldier who does not join an army. 

A citizen who does not vote. 

A salesman who has no costumers. 

An explorer with no base camp. 

A seaman on a ship without crew. 

A businessman on a deserted island. 

An author without readers. 

A parent without a family. 

A football player without a team. 

A scientist who does not share his findings. 

A bee without a hive.

My Story

Let me share my story with you about how I ended up starting to go to Church.

Now I grew up in a Christian home but I would never really go to church on a Sunday.

In fact the only time you would see me in Church was on Christmas Day.

That was the most important day in my opinion so I would go on that particular day.

It just so happened that I got a hold of a Bible and it was a NIV Bible.

This was a much simpler translation than the KJV that everyone seemed to have.

I picked up that Bible and I read it cover to cover over a year.

After Reading that Bible I felt like God was prompting me to do the next step which is to start to make it a habit of going to Church on a Sunday.

And that year beginning in January I started to go to Church and now over 20 years later I must admit that decision to come to church was one of the most important decisions I ever made.

I believe if you make that decision today, you would also say that it was one of the most important and one of the best decisions you can ever make to grow spiritually.

Here’s the thing!

You can’t be your best self by yourself!

There is a need for others around you who can bring out the best in you.

We are better in Community.

We grow when we are around others.

What Is Individualism?

We live in a Society that promotes Individualism which goes against what the Church stands for.

Individualism, according to the dictionary is the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant.

God isn’t looking for Independent people but inter-dependent people.

We can do more as part of a team than as Individuals.

As John Maxwell would say “1 is too small of a number to achieve greatness.”

You see we have a lot of people who are affluent and feel no need to come to church.

In countries where the people are very poor; they come to church as though their lives depends on it to breathe.

The American Church is losing their love for the Church.

What is the Meaning of Church?

When people hear the word Church they think of a building. We have to go to a Building.

The Church isn’t really a building. See this Scripture.

1 Corinthians 1:2

² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

NIV

As we can see It’s not a building but it speaks of those who have been made Holy by the Lord Jesus Christ!

It speaks of all of us who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

In other words, the Church is the people of God and not the Building.

The Church can be global and local.

A local church is a church that is located in your area that you are a member of.

I believe that every believer should be part of a Local Church.

The church is made up of people who believe Jesus is their Savior and have made him first in their lives.

The church isn’t made up of perfect people. It is made of people who are learning about following Christ and learning how to love God and each other.

The church, which includes all Christ-followers, meets regularly all across the globe in smaller organizations known as local churches.

A local church can meet in a small building, a home, or a stadium, but a church isn’t the building itself. The church is made up of people who are following Jesus.

No matter how young you are when you became a Christian, there is a place for you to be part of a local church!

It’s important to find a place in your community where you can learn and serve.

What Is The Body Of Christ?

Many Times The Church is also referred to as The Body Of Christ.

Every single person in the church makes up the Body of Christ.

In the same way how a Body has different organs that does different functions; so in the Body of Christ we have different members who does different functions.

E.g some are Pastors, some are Evangelists, Some are Musicians etc.

Common Excuses People Give About Why They Can’t Come To Church

There are lots of reasons people give as to why they don’t go to church.

Here are two I found in comments on Facebook.

I am stronger in the lord since ive been out of church, i know more now than ever that I have to stay in the word and prayer instead of leaning on church, i stopped going because there is no longer a church that preaches 100% truth and in these last days we have to be real careful of false teachings

What do you do when you don’t know of any church that preaches the word, end times, prophecy, the imminent return of our Lord, preaching on sin and repentance, and doesn’t preach the gospel but only preaches on what itching ears want to hear!? What do you do then? Give me an answer to that!

Here are some others

Only Day To Sleep In

I must admit that this used to be my excuse.

I like to get up late and sleep in and when you have to wake up early during the week you want the weekends to sleep in.

This is the most common excuse of a lot of people.

Sports 

Now if you are into sports; then Sunday is a day that has a lot of Sports.

This is every man’s favourite time of the Week.

To lay back and watch their favourite Sport’s Team play.

No one invited them 

Some people choose not to come because nobody has ever invited them to Church.

You will be shocked at what a simple invitation can do.

Hypocrites

It’s true that there are lots of hypocrites in the church but there are hypocrites in your work as well yet you continue to go there.

There are hypocrites in the Gym but we go there as well.

The church is a hospital for the sick 

The Church is not for perfect people. All are welcome.

All church want is your money

God wants more than your money.

He wants all of you.

Everything that belongs to you is what he wants.

Important Reasons To Come To Church

For Prayer

There are times in life where you are going through tough times and you need people to pray for you.

Some of us would have been dead already if the church wasn’t praying for us.

Sometimes just by entering church you experience healing.

I’ve heard testimonies of people who felt better just by coming to Church.

For Answers

There are many questions that we have that we don’t know the Answers to.

In Church; we have Pastors and Leaders who can help you to understand things that have been confusing to you.

You can get answers to questions from Real people and not Google.

Get solid answers from people who have theological knowledge.

To Discover Our Gifts

A Church is where we discover how we are uniquely gifted and we get the opportunity to use our gifts to serve others.

Your gift was not given for you but for me.

You rob me of your gift when you fail to use it.

A Church is where we grow in our gifting and we are a blessing to the people of God.

For Help

Many times in life you will need help. Sometimes you will need more than just prayers.

You have a financial need.

Where else can we bear one another’s burden?

I remember hearing a Pastor saying that if someone is a single mother; they cannot be a single mother without the help of the church being the church.

You are about to be kicked out of your apartment for being unable to pay your rent.

Someone in the church may be able to help you out financially or with a place to stay.

For Fellowship

Birds of a feather flock together.

We can’t be our best selves by ourselves.

That’s why we need to fellowship with fellow Christians.

When times are tough and things are rough we need to lean into other believers.

The Early Church used to meet and share a meal together.

It’s a great spiritual discipline for us to fellowship with fellow Christians as Iron sharpens Iron.

Buffalo Syndrome

There is something called the Buffalo Syndrome.

When 1 Buffalo is by itself and its predator comes; it is easy to be eaten alive.

However when the Buffalo is part of the pack he is protected by his fellow Buffalos.

Being part of a tribe allows you to be protected when the time for trials comes.

When the devil tries to take your life he has to pass through all the prayers of the Saints which can thwart his plans for your life.

Jesus Considered Church as Important

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:18

Here Jesus declared that He would build His church.

 

Conclusion

In Acts, we read that the church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

This common life involved more than meeting in a building once a week and then going their separate ways. They ate together and prayed together.

They gave what they had to help the needy and the hurting.

They shared—through their words and actions—the good news that Jesus promises forgiveness and life to those who believe in him.

Through the church, God works in the world.

I would like to leave you with this quotation that I saw on Facebook that shows Why we should come to church?

CHURCH IS HARD. 

Church is hard for the person walking through the doors, afraid of judgement.

Church is hard for the pastor’s family, under the microscope of an entire body.

Church is hard for the prodigal soul returning home, broken and battered by the world.

Church is hard for the girl who looks like she has it all together, but doesn’t.

Church is hard for the couple who fought the entire ride to service.

Church is hard for the single mom, surrounded by couples holding hands, and seemingly perfect families.

Church is hard for the widow and widower with no invitation to lunch after service.

Church is hard for the deacon with an estranged child.

Church is hard for the person singing worship songs, overwhelmed by the weight of the lyrics.

Church is hard for the man insecure in his role as a leader.

Church is hard for the wife who longs to be led by a righteous man.

Church is hard for the nursery volunteer who desperately longs for a baby to love.

Church is hard for the single woman and single man, praying God brings them a mate.

Church is hard for the teenage girl, wearing a scarlet letter, ashamed of her mistakes.

Church is hard for the sinners.

Church is hard for me.

It’s hard because on the outside it all looks shiny and perfect. Sunday best in behavior and dress.

However, underneath those layers, you find a body of imperfect people, carnal souls, selfish motives.

But, here is the beauty of church—

Church isn’t a building, mentality, or expectation.

Church is a body.

Church is a group of sinners, saved by grace, living in fellowship as saints.

Church is a body of believers bound as brothers and sisters by an eternal love.

Church is a holy ground where sinners stand as equals before the Throne of Grace.

Church is a refuge for broken hearts and a training ground for mighty warriors.

Church is a converging of confrontation and invitation. Where sin is confronted and hearts are invited to seek restoration.

Church is a lesson in faith and trust.

Church is a bearer of burdens and a giver of hope.

Church is a family. A family coming together, setting aside differences, forgetting past mistakes, rejoicing in the smallest of victories.

Church, the body, and the circle of sinners-turned-saints, is where He resides, and if we ask, He is faithful to come.

So even on the hard days at church—

The days when I am at odds with a friend, when I’ve fought with my husband because we’re late once again. When I’ve walked in bearing burdens heavier than my heart can handle, yet masking the pain with a smile on my face. When I’ve worn a scarlet letter, under the microscope. When I’ve longed for a baby to hold, or fought tears as the lyrics were sung. When I’ve walked back in, afraid and broken, after walking away.

I’ll remember, He has never failed to meet me there.