You Get To Go To Church - February 5

Read Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Reflect

Why is it important to go to church? What are the spiritual health benefits of gathering with other believers?

My alarm goes off. Ugh. Workout time. Immediately, I think “do I have to?” The answer is, no. No one is making me. I am a grown adult. I can make my own choices. I don’t have to workout.

Recently, someone challenged me to change my thinking from I have to workout to I get to work out. The reality is, the ability to be active is a privilege that can easily be lost. There are people with physical limitations who would give anything to be able to roll out of bed, lace up their shoes, and start power walking. Walking gives me access to so many health benefits…weight loss, strengthening my muscles and joints, stress relief, lowering my blood pressure, reducing my risk for chronic diseases, sharpening my mental acuity, plus, boosting my immune system, metabolism, and my mood! Our bodies benefit from movement. It’s part of God’s perfect design. But I don’t have to walk, I get to walk! And with that many benefits, why wouldn’t I?

Sadly, just as I struggle to make walking a priority, many Christians struggle to make attending church a priority. They think “do I have to?” Well, technically, no. You don’t have to attend church in order to be saved. We are saved by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8). You don’t need to keep track of your church attendance in order to gain access to heaven. Otherwise, salvation would be based on a “work” that we do.

But should you go to church? Absolutely. Why? Because God designed us to benefit from it. It is part of His will for us.

In today’s verses, the author of Hebrews urged his readers to make gathering together a priority that they do not neglect. Apparently, some early Christians were in the habit of skipping out on fellowship with the local body of believers. The author of Hebrews warned that this is a bad habit to get into because individual believers benefit from the encouragement of the body of Christ. As we get closer and closer to the day of Jesus' return, we are going to need each other to motivate us to persevere, keep the faith, and maintain our commitment to Christ as the going gets more and more difficult.

The online commentary GotQuestions.org, listed out several of the benefits of attending church: “Church is the place where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12), 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).” And of course, church is where we should worship together and be taught from God’s Word. Clearly, God intended for a great deal of our spiritual growth to occur when we are in fellowship with other believers, corporately worshiping the same God.

Gathering together with other believers at your local church is a privilege that many of us take for granted. There are millions of persecuted Christians around the globe who would love to be able to roll out of bed on a Sunday morning and head to church without fear and hiding. You see, we don’t have to go to church. We get to go to church. And with so many spiritual health benefits, why wouldn’t we?

Respond

Lord, thank You for the gift of my local church. What a joy and a privilege it is to be able to worship You together, to be taught from Your Holy Word, to fellowship with other believers, and to serve one another. It is an encouragement to my soul. Amen.

Reveal

Do you know a believer who doesn’t attend church? Pray for that person right now. Then, extend an invitation to them to worship with you this Sunday.