Preface
"Creek bank, golf course,” worship seems to be gaining in popularity. Several factors have contributed to the notion that a Christian can sing a song or say a Prayer while fishing, hiking, or playing golf and this will satisfy the obligation of worship.
Improper regard for the scriptures contributes largely to this idea. With some, it is almost as if the Bible would have to say, “Go to church every Sunday or you will be condemned,” before they feel an obligation to attend worship regularly. One scripture, one Bible based principle, for church attendance should be enough to convince the sincere seeker of God that they should go to church. This publication offers 14 Bible reasons why Christians must attend the worship services of the church.
Some spend a portion of their time on Sunday listening to radio or television preachers. This becomes their church service. Many of these same people donate money to keep their favorite preacher on the air. This seems to strengthen their attachment to the program. Reaching the lost through television and radio in no way violates scripture. However, watching TV or listening to the radio is no substitute for assembling with a local body of Christians.
Others stay at home and engage in a period of personal Bible study and prayer. There’s no harm in personal Bible study and prayer whether it be in a fishing boat, on the golf course, at home or while one is surrounded by nature in a remote forest area. Such activity should be a part of the life of every Christian. However, again, this does not satisfy the teaching of the Bible regarding a Christian’s obligation to meet with other Christians on a regular basis in a worship assembly.
The one excuse most often given is, “I don’t have the time. I am just to busy to attend church on a regular basis.” I know of a family that farms 1,000 acres of land. They take care of 1500 hogs and several hundred head of cattle. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to get any more pressed for time than is this family. Yet, they never miss a church service and often as not they are the first to reach the meeting house so they can welcome visitors and prepare the building for the assembly. Everyone is allotted the same 24 hours each day. How we choose to use the time God has given us is a personal decision and obligation. If we set our priorities according to the scriptures we will find time for worship.
“Must I go to church in order to be saved?” Please read the following pages carefully. In view of the scriptures cited, decide for yourself.
1) I must go to church in order to obey the command to assemble with other Christians.
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25).
“Not forsaking” is the same thing as saying, “Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.” Thayer defines assembling (page 244) as, “a gathering together in one place.” Forsake means, “to abandon, desert, to leave in straits,” (ibid page 166).
The command is simple. The passage is easy to understand. Please notice the word “ourselves.’ Even though the Hebrew writer was writing from a distant place, he included himself in the command, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” Each Christian is taught to feel an individual responsibility to seek out a local assembly and join it on a regular basis for worship. This must have been the habit of the writer since he included himself in the command.
The frequency with which Christians are to assemble is not found in this verse. This is taught in other places in the scriptures. However, some how, some place, at some time each Christian is to assemble with other Christians. Christians must go to church in order to obey Hebrews 10:25.
2) I must go to church in order to follow the example of the early church.
“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow,” (Acts 20:7).
This passage standing alone is sufficient to bind a weekly assembly upon every Christian. No other passage is necessary to prove that Christians must meet each first day of the week to break bread. However, the passage need not stand alone for several other passages hack up the weekly assembly concept.
Hebrews 10:25 commands an assembling of Christians. Acts 2:42 explains how the early Christians “continued steadfastly” in doctrine, fellowship, prayers and communion. Continuing steadfastly indicates a regular and systematic worship habit. Fellowship with others and communion demands that Christians must have met together to accomplish the activities mentioned. One cannot fellowship “himself’ nor can one commune by himself. The breaking of bread is called the communion of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Communion means joint participation. Therefore, the early Christians came together for the apostles doctrine, fellowship, communion and prayers on a “steadfast” basis.
“Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people,” (Acts 11:25-26).
It is not here indicated that the church began an assembly at an appointed time and then stayed in session 24 hours a day for an entire year. It is rather implied that the church at Antioch met regularly, systematically, habitually both before and after Barnabas and Paul met with them. Paul and Barnabas apparently stayed at Antioch for a year and met with the church on a regular basis. According to the example of Acts 20:7, the church must have met at least once each week on the first day of the week to break bread.
3) I must go to church in order to commune with others according to the commands of Christ and the apostle Paul.
When Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper he took bread and broke it and commanded his disciples to “Do this” in remembrance of Me. In like manner He took the cup of blessing and commanded “This do in remembrance of Me,” (1 Corinthians. 11:24-25). Jesus implied that the Lord’s supper would be observed in the kingdom when he said, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom,’ Matthew 26:29.
Paul commands, “Keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you,” 1 Corinthians 11:2. He then explains in verse 17-20, how that the Corinthian church should have been coming together to eat the Lord’s supper, however, they had so polluted it by turning it into a carnal feast that what they were doing could not be called the Lord’s supper. The Christians at Corinth were, however, coming together. Paul must have instructed them to do so when he established the church at Corinth (Acts 18:11-18). Begining in verse 23 of 1 Corinthians 11, he rehearses again the pattern for the Lord’s supper and therefore necessarily implies that God’s people should be coming together to eat the Lord’s supper as delivered in this place.
Some, who profess to he Christians have never participated in the Lord’s supper at all. Therefore, they have not observed what Jesus commanded and what Paul delivered to the church. Others may participate in the Lord’s supper once a year or twice in a year, yet the Bible plainly shows that Christians are expected the eat the Lord’s supper each first day of the week as already noted.
4) I must go to church in order for the church to exist in the organizational sense.
Baptized believers residing in a certain town or village do not constitute the church in a local sense. It is necessary for them to come together in an assembly for worship before it can be said that the church actually exists in any given community.
As referenced already Paul and Barnabas “assembled themselves with the church” at Antioch. The assembly of local believers is also set forth in the following passages:
“If therefore the whole church be come together into one place”
(1 Corinthians 14:23)
“Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also” (1 Corinthians 14:19)
“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel...” (James 2:2).
All three of these passages prove that there is such a thing as a church assembly depicted in the new testament scriptures. The presence of each local member is essential for the very existence of such an assembly.
Without the attendance of its members the local church cannot exist. Some church members doubt that the church needs them. They feel as if they would not be missed if they fail to assemble for worship. How important is it? It is important for it is essential. Christians are failing to comply with the commands and examples of the scripture when they fail to assemble.
However, look at it this way. Your presence in the assembly is actually essential for the very existence of the church in a local sense. Suppose every member of the congregation were to decide his presence is unnecessary. If one person can miss worship for any trivial reason then it is okay for every one to miss. God does not bind on one person something that he does not bind on all. So, if every member of a local congregation decided their presence was not needed then no one would assemble and the church would cease to exist! The presence of every Christian in every service is vital to the very existence of the local church.
5) I must go to church in order to obey the command to exhort others in song.
“Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”(Hebrews 2:l2).
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)
“Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16).
“Speaking to yourselves, in the midst of the church and admonishing one another,” necessarily imply that the singing commanded is to be performed in an assembly of the church and that every Christian is obligated to participate. In order to obey the command to admonish others in song, Christians must assemble.
This also explains why the singing in the churches of Christ is congregational. Everyone is encouraged to sing. No one is taught or encouraged to come to church to listen to or be entertained by professionals. Rather, everyone is encouraged to participate in the singing in order to fulfill the commands written to the church to teach and admonish one another by singing. Those who refuse to go to church are. in violation of these commands by reason of simple neglect.
6) I must go to church in order to seek first the kingdom of God. When Christians miss church to play golf, visit, work, etc., it can hardly be said that the kingdom of God comes first in their lives.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
7) I must go to church in order to make the best possible use of the time that God has granted. Of all the activities that one might be engaged in how can it be said that time spent in scriptural worship is wasted?!
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16).
8) I must go to church in order to be ready unto every good work.
“Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1).
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
9) I must go to church for spiritual nourishment lest I should grow weak and fall into temptation.
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”
(1 Corinthians 10:12).
10) I must go to church in order to be strong in the Lord.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).
11) I must go to church in order to follow the instruction of Jesus to deny self. Thinking from a carnal stand point, every Christian would likely find some use of the time, talent and expenses for carnal benefit that is normally spent in faithful church attendance. However the true Christian realizes that it is worthy sacrifice to deny self of carnal things in order benefit Spiritually.
“And when he had called the people unto Him with his disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)
12) I must go to church in order to let my light shine for Christ.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16).
13) I must go to church as a means of drawing nigh unto God.
“... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:22-31).
14) I must go to church to show my love for God.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and His commandments am not grievous” (1 John 5:3).
Some go to church to take a walk.
Some go there to Laugh and talk.
Some go there to meet a friend.
Some go there their time to spend.
Some go there to meet each other.
Some go there a fault to cover.
Some go there for observation.
Some go there for speculation.
Some go there to doze and nod.
The wise go there to worship God.
Here is a Bible Study about the Assembly of the Church
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
If you have any comments or questions --- or would like the location and contact names of a congregation of the church belonging to Jesus Christ near you, please contact me at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com or 253-396-0290 (cell). Thanks Dennis Crawford, editor.
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