Is Attending Church Regularly Really That Important?

           People will often tell me how they used to go to church, but now they don’t go anymore.  “You would not believe what so-and-so said to me!”  “All they talk about is money.”  “The church was too political.” “I can worship God on my own.”

            I would like to suggest to you that regular church attendance is very important for your life and your spiritual life.  Not attending church regularly is like what happens to my motorcycle when I don’t ride it all winter and go to crank it up – It won’t start!  The battery has become weak because it has not been charged on a regular basis.  The same is true for our spiritual lives.  When the storms of life come (and they will come), we need to make sure we are plugged into the Source of Life and have the power to face the days ahead.  Consider these reasons on why you should attend church regularly.

            1. It is an obedience issue. “Honor the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.” The Sabbath was made for rest and worship. This holy day we have turned into a holiday, and this is not what God has intended.

            2. Jesus is our example. It was his custom to worship each week (Luke 4:16).   If he needed to worship each week and he was the Son of God, what makes us think we don’t need to?

            3. Worship. Yes, we can have worship by ourselves; I try to worship every morning.  But something happens when you are gathered with the Body of Christ.  Jesus told us that when two or three are gathered together in His Name, He would be in the midst of them.  God inhabits the praises of His people, and true worship allows this to happen.

            4. Discipleship. We attend regularly to be taught and modeled the Word of God and how it applies to one’s life.  A CD or Podcast may give us intellectual knowledge, but the Christian life is caught, not just taught. We need to see it in action.

            5. Fellowship. “Iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).  True fellowship shares life together and how God is involved in one’s life.

            6. Outreach. It is important that we be challenged to think outside of our “me, myself, and I” mentality and to reach out to people in our communities making a difference in people’s.  Following Jesus isn’t about “me.”

            7. Our Children.  Where are our children being taught the Ten Commandments and other Christian values?  School? TV? The Internet? Little League? The Church is about the last place where parents are assisted in teaching these important truths and how to have a relationship with the Lord.

            8. You may miss God or what He wants to say to your life. Remember Doubting Thomas?  He was absent from the church when Jesus appeared on the first Easter.  However, the next week he was in his place and Jesus appeared and spoke a word to Him.

            The list could go on and on. Find a church. Get over your past issues.  Find a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, Jesus-loving congregation, and deepen the roots of your Christian life.