WHY GO TO CHURCH?
Do you know Church is mobile and not fixed?
Do you go to church?
Why do you or don’t you go to church?
Where is God’s church?
Is it all the people who go to church that will go to heaven?
Do I have to go to church every Sunday?
By the time you finish reading this writing you would be able to confidently answer the above questions.
NOTE: this writing is not restricted to Christians; it is for everyone in search of knowledge from the biblical perspective… I pray the Holy Spirit ministers to you as you read.
The church basically refers to the gathering of God’s people, not as most people mistake it to be the church building. For what is the building or structure without the people in it? Jesus Christ is coming for the church (Christians) and not the church structure or building.
A church is formed wherever two or more people who believe are gathered in the name of our lord Jesus Christ. (See Mathew 18:20). Therefore the coming together of God’s people matters more than the place of gathering, the gathering might be in a hotel room or hall, under a tree, at home or a garage, in space, among others is of no relevance. What is of relevance is the gathering of the people that makes up the church themselves, their mindset, heart desire, character, will, among others.
Do you go to church?
If no, why don’t you go to church?
If you’re not a Christian its natural that you might not be going to church, you need to accept Christ in your life by accepting him as your Lord and personal savior, you have to believe he lived, died and resurrected on the third day, now he is seated at the right hand side of God and He will be coming back for His own.
If you are a Christian and you don’t go to church or you go once in a blue moon, there is a question mark about your Christianity. People don’t go to church for several reasons, reasons like; I feel lazy going to church each time there are church meetings, am in sin am not ready to stop, I feel have committed a very big sin that can’t be forgiven by God, when am going to church my friends laugh at me so I don’t go often, some people say I don’t go to church again because someone in church hurt me or laughed at me at church so I stopped, some people have been brainwashed and don’t understand and believe in going to church, among others. Whatever your reasons are as a Christian for not going to church, repent and change for the kingdom of heaven is at near you. Christ wants you to go to church and be an active part of church service. God has given you gifts that you can develop and utilize for His service.
Your first reason for going to church should be to fellowship with God, to establish a relationship with Him, every other issues comes after this.
And if yes why do you go to church?
Your perception for attending church meetings is very important to God. Most people attend church meetings for the wrong reasons. Your ultimate reason for attending church should be to have fellowship with God and other believers. How can you have fellowship with God? Any other reason apart from this is wrong. For instance going to church because someone will question you for not coming, going to church to look for new friends or hangouts, or because you have a task or job to perform at church for instance an instrumentalist, usher or pastor who goes to church just to perform their task, there is a big difference between working for God’s church and fellowshipping with God. It is possible to work for God and not have fellowship with God. It is not wrong to work for God but it is wrong to do it with the wrong motive or perception. In fact, every Christian must have one work or the other they do for God, to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. But whatever you do for God, He wants you to do it with a cheerful or happy heart (good works) anything done for God with complain or unbelief is termed as dead works by God, God doesn’t accept dead works.
Where is the church?
The church as said earlier is not the (place) building or structure, but the people: the church is inside you and me.
· We are the church of God, (see Acts 2:44–47; Acts 5:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16)
· We are God’s temple, (1 Corinthians 3:16)
· God’s building. (See 1corinthians 3:9)
We meet together as believers to commune with God and one another. And to help each other grow in the Lord Jesus Christ with our different physical and spiritual gifts. And since we believers are the church, it means the church is mobile and not fixed at one position like a building or structure is. Meaning we can take God’s church anywhere with us.
Is it all people who attend church services that will go to heaven?
The answer is no! You may ask why? The reason is that even though it is very good to go to church, your perception or reason for going to church is as equally good as going to church. In fact, going to church does not make you a Christian (follower of Christ); it only makes you a church goer. Anybody can go to church, but what differentiates people who go to church is the reason(s) why they go to church. Our mindset is very important to God, to get God’s mindset concerning any situation always ask God for wisdom and He will not deny you guidance ( see James 1:5). What will make us make it to heaven is our acceptance of Jesus Christ and how we obey His word in our daily life. Christ came to the world to show his followers how to live their lives in other to make it to heaven. Meaning there is a way Christians live irrespective of the area or field we find ourselves. Your lifestyle can tell which type of Christian you are (You can read our article on the types of Christians). Have you ever wondered why in some church gathering certain items (like purse/wallet or mobile phone, etc.) can get missing and it will not be found again? Apostle Paul said there will be wolfs gathered among the sheep (Acts 20:29–30). It’s not everybody who goes to church that is a born again Christian; some people are in church in search for a miracle not for repentance.
Do I have to go to church every Sunday?
Have not seen it in the bible that not going to church is a sin but we are advised to go to church regularly and not forsake church meetings (Hebrews 10:24–25). You should go to church every time there is a church meeting and not just on Sundays. Christians who go to church only on Sundays are mostly less matured spiritually to those who go everyday or every time there is a church meeting. Every meeting of the church is addressed to solving a particular situation in your life, or answering a particular question. It’s a very serious issue if you are a Christian and you don’t like going to church, you will just be like a student that doesn’t like going to school or a farmer that doesn’t like the farm. The church is a place for learning, and there are several benefits (spiritual and physical) in going to church than not going.
Who should go to church?
The church is for everybody, irrespective of your background, religious beliefs, morality, among others. But what is the essence of you going to church if God’s word doesn’t change you?
The church is a spiritual hospital like the physical hospital. When people are sick of sicknesses like malaria, diabetics, cancer etc. you take them to the hospital for treatment, the church is a hospital for people who are sexually immoral, thieves, liars, demonically possessed people etc.
No human being is perfect, including people who go to church but we are to press onto perfection in Christ Jesus through the help of the Holy Spirit because it’s not by might/by power but by the spirit of God.
Why you should I not miss any church service?
There are several benefits in going to Church, the last time I checked I came across about 200 reasons why we should always go o church but due to space I will put a few of them down:
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Going to church helps us learn more about God and how to we can overcome our sins so that we can be closer to God through the grace found in Jesus Christ.
No one is without sin, we have all sinned, but we are not to remain in sin. God expects us to gradually change from our different sins and put our trust in Him by His grace that is available in Jesus Christ. But it is impossible for an individual to forsake his/her sins without the help of God. God expects you to come to Him just as you are.
Sin results in eternal death, separation from God’s presence, spiritual death, eternal separation from Jesus Christ and eternal suffering in hell.
You need to put away anything that prevents you from going to church, pray for God’s forgiveness and repent with a change of behavior.
The bible advices us not to forsake the gathering of God’s people (Hebrews 11:25), God wants you to get closer to Him today.
God bless you
by: Andrew F. Dosunmu