Why does it matter if Christians go to church?

[Piper]

Last one for today.

Can’t you just be a good Christian at home? Why do I need to attend church? Or is that just a cultural thing?

 

[Scarlett O.]

Yes, in some parts of the world, some Christians treat the church as a "cultural thing" and that's so wrong, No wonder they get nothing out of it.

The church is the "bride of Christ" or the "wife" as Revelation 19:7 says and the gates of hell will NOT prevail against her. So says Matthew 16.

Why should we, the WIFE, congregate together?

• We are commanded to. Hebrews 10
• We NEED each other.
• We NEED to worship God corporately as well as individually
• We, the bride, have parts. Paul says the "hands", "lets", "ears" and "eye" all have part equally in the church.. He says the hand can't say to the foot, "I'm more important".
• There is WORK to do: worship - REAL worship, teaching, preaching, sending out missionaries, taking care of the sick, leading the children into a life led for Christ, giving and raising funds to complete some of the work, Visiting those in prison. Singing - both in the congregation and in the choir.

Not all churches are Godly. And some have a hard time finding a Biblical church in some parts of the world. And some are disabled and cannot go.

But for those who can, you must remember.

It ain't about us. It ain't about whether or not we are "getting something out of it or not".

Yes, some churches are bad, some preaching/teaching is bad,and in some churches - the whole bunch is sound asleep.

Find a good church - a church where the Word is taught and practiced.

Join in. Do the work. Do the worship.

God has commanded it.

 

[Salty]

Together we can do more

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

It's a very sad reality that some believers make their choices about what they do on the Lord's Day based on what they think that they themselves will or will not receive or experience in what they choose to do.

The Lord's Day is not foremost about what we will receive or experience. The Lord's Day is foremost about giving God the praise that is due Him in corporate worship in the great congregation.

Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Psalm 22:25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

Neither individual devotions nor family worship nor small groups can ever take the place of our praise being of God in the great congregation--your whole church gathered together in one place at the same time to worship God.

 

[Alan Gross]

It's a very sad reality that some believers make their choices about what they do on the Lord's Day based on what they think that they themselves will or will not receive or experience in what they choose to.

The Most Holy Lord's Day.

Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Speaking of examples, that is Jesus Christ saying He would praise God in the midst of the congregation and He did.

Hebrews 2:
9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."

 

[Scripture More Accurately]

The Most Holy Lord's Day.



Speaking of examples, that is Jesus Christ saying He would praise God in the midst of the congregation and He did.

Hebrews 2:
9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 "For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee."

Yes, it is Christ; that is why it is especially applicable to us because the NT quotes the OT. It's also important to note that the Spirit uses the verb "sing" in Heb. 2:12 to render the Heb. verb halal, which is a verb of premier importance in our understanding of biblical praise in worship. Christlikeness in corporate worship is to sing praise to God in the great congregation, the local church in which God has put us!

 

[Jesus Saves!]

Hebrews 10:24-25 KJVS
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another : and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.