More or Less

Is your church attendance connected in any way with your spirituality and relationship with Jesus Christ? In an effort to keep church attendance from being a work for salvation, many believers have grown accustom to dismissing the need and obligation of gathering together as believers. They might say, “I worship God on my own.” “I just catch the podcast.” “I am in God’s Word everyday. It won’t matter if I skip the Midweek service.” To be clear, our salvation does not rest on our church attendance. However, your spiritual wellbeing does. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “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.”

Let’s consider some reasons why assembling with our church family should not be viewed casually.

1. The Pattern of the Early Church
   From the earliest days in the book of Acts, the followers of Christ gathered together. This was their pattern. They did not gather three times a week, but daily. They gathered for teaching, fellowship, prayer, for the remember their Lord. This was a time to be strengthened in their Christian journey. It was a time to encourage and to be encouraged.
2. The Relationships We Need
   Our society is quickly becoming a closed society. Neighborhood block parties are seldom. When we get home from work, we park in the garage, close the door and remain cut off from our neighbors. We order on Amazon. We pay at the pump. We bank online. Soon, we will pay for our items at grocery and retail stores through apps taking away one more human interaction. With headphones, people walk through stores barricaded behind their music.What does this have to do with church? The closing of relationship in society is slowly happening in our churches. Christians want quick, downloadable church. Church that does not demand their attention for long. It is popular to rush to the service of choice and then rush back into private living. We need the relationship with one another. Catching the podcast or live stream will give you truth to ponder, but it is completely detached from relationship that is needed. One reason we are not to neglect the gathering of believers is so that we can consider and relate with one another.
3. The Stability It Provides
   Paul tells the Ephesian believers that the gathering of believers and the ministry of the pastor, along with other God called spiritual leaders, was essential to their stability. In that day and today there are many winds of doctrine blowing. Sometimes it seems like a hurricane of false doctrine. Yet, instead of gathering with their church family, many believers will settle to scroll through YouTube, download a podcast or watch Christian television. Wind tossed and discouraged by unbiblical teaching, they ask their pastor if what they heard was really true. God designed the church body and gave a pastor so “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” The great instability among believers today can be often traced back to a casual approach to their gathering with believers under sound preaching and teaching.

While many will argue that you can be spiritual without assembling with other believers in your local church, the Bible teaches us that we are not to neglect it for our own spiritual good. In fact, we are to assemble more as the end nears. So I ask you, this year, do you need to be assemble with your church more or less?