DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH?

Welcome to wake up castle rock and America

I’m your host, Willie Ayers member of Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Franktown, Colorado.

I got asked this question the other day. Nowhere does scripture mandate one's attendance at church as a condition of salvation. Paul writes, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Does a Christian have to attend every service his church provides? The simple answer is "no." There is no New Testament command for believers to maintain perfect attendance at church. Attending every church service does not make a person "holier" than the one who misses a service here and there.

Our relationship with God is not based on rule-following or punching a time clock at church; it's based on our position in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2).

The question that matters in eternity is not "How many times was I in church" but "Did I truly know Jesus Christ?" (Matthew 7:21 –23).

However, there is a problem with having a nonchalant attitude toward church attendance. We should not be ambivalent in the matter. God's plan in this age involves the church, which Jesus promised to build (Matthew 16:18 ), and we should be supporting God's plan enthusiastically.

However, why is church attendance going to church important?"

Simply put, the Bible tells us we need to attend church to worship God with other believers and be taught His Word for our spiritual growth. They had no designated church building back then, but "every day they continued to meet in the temple courts.

The early church "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer" (Acts 2:42 ). We should follow that example of devotion—and to the same things.

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:46 ). Wherever the meeting takes place, believers thrive on fellowship with other believers and the teaching of God's Word.

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24 –25).

Interestingly, even in the early church, some made a "habit" of not fellowshipping with other believers.

Their example is not to be followed. The church is where our spiritual gifts best edify the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11 –12). It is difficult to "spur" each other to love and good works if we are not attending church. How can we encourage one another if we're never around one another?

Church attendance is not just a "good suggestion" but God's will for believers. Hebrews 10:25 says we should "not be giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Even in the early church, some were falling into the bad habit of not meeting with other believers. The author of Hebrews says that's not the way to go.

We need the encouragement that church attendance affords. And the end times approach should prompt us to be even more devoted to the church.

The church is where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12 ) and encourage one another.

(Hebrews 3:13 ), "spur" one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24 ), serve one another (Galatians 5:13 ), instruct one another (Romans 15:14 ), honor one another (Romans 12:10 ), and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32 ).

When a person trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, they are made a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27 ). For a church body to function correctly, all its "body parts" need to be present and working (1 Corinthians 12:14 –20). It's not enough to attend a church; we should be involved in some ministry to others, using the spiritual gifts God has given us (Ephesians 4:11 –13).

A believer will never reach full spiritual maturity without having that outlet for their gifts, and we all need the assistance and encouragement of other believers (1 Corinthians 12:21 –26).

For these reasons and more, church attendance, participation, and fellowship should be regular aspects of a believer's life.

Weekly church attendance is in no sense "required" for believers, but someone who belongs to Christ should have a desire to worship God, receive His Word, and fellowship with other believers.

You and I, as Christians, should be committed to our local church, involved in our local church, and supportive of our local church.

Be it zoom or online, God is not limited in what He does (Luke 1:37 ). He can use live, in-person preaching and live streaming on the internet.

Many of Billy Graham's crusades were filmed live and are still being broadcast on television and streamed online.

This requires regular church attendance. And they are still having an impact. "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear" (Isaiah 59:1). It is the gospel that saves (Romans 1:16 ); as long as the gospel is preached, the fact that it's online doesn't matter.

An online church service cannot replace "the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25 , NKJV). Still, it is a good way of doing church, especially when faced with circumstances beyond our control that prevent us from being together.

A believer will naturally love his brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 4:21 ), and that love will manifest itself in a desire to fellowship, not avoidance.

When the church is praising the Lord, all believers should want to join in the praise; when the church is praying for others, all believers should want to participate in the prayer; when the church is studying the Word, all believers should want to join in the learning.

We live in a world of distractions. So many things call us away from our commitments, our involvement, and our support of the local church:

I know I have been guilty of these sports activities, work schedules, community projects, or just being lazy, etc.—the list is never-ending.

There are valid reasons for missing a church service, and we must avoid legalism in such matters. At the same time, we should ensure absences are the exception, not the rule.

Each believer should examine their own heart to determine their motives for missing church, and therefore, I'm during this podcast.

It could be that a rearrangement of priorities is in the order I know that I need to do so.

Jesus is the Cornerstone of the Church (1 Peter 2:6).

We are "like living stones . . . being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5).

As the building materials of God's "spiritual house," we naturally connect. That connection is evident every time the Church "goes to church."

If you are in Franktown or surrounding areas, come worship with us.

Be blessed and be safe. Thank you for listening to this podcast.