Random Thoughts….Church on Sunday
(Introductory remarks…what started out as a simple question to me has caused me several hours of study…as usual….wonderful nuggets of truth are now cemented in my brain…now I can pass them on to others…see what you think…)
Why go to church? What does Scripture say about attending church on a regular/weelky basis?
I was visiting with my sister in California and searching the yellow pages to find a church to attend on Sunday. She asked me, “Why bother, it is so much trouble, why don’t you just wait till you get home next month.” Her comment reminded me of some who say, “I don’t need to go to church, I worship at home.” This is an ongoing, often heard theme in faith circles.
The comment that my sister made about waiting a few weeks to go to church made the think, “So what if I miss church for a few weeks? I know what it says about ‘not forsaking the gathering together’…but….” I decided to return to the Book of Truth, and research the issue. I wanted to be able to write it all out and give an organized answer in any conversation that I might get into with someone who said those words.
Being a seminary graduate it is very easy to answer someone who says they do not go to church, that they worship at home, with the simple statement… “God says go to church..you know… ‘do not forsake the gathering together…’ ” No, I wanted a more definite answer.
Precept, Practice, Principle, Progressive Revelation. Those words, learned in seminary, give me an outline to follow in much of the research I do in Scripture, so I decided to use the ‘four p’s” as my staring point.”
Precept – a command. This one is easy. Yes Scripture does give a command, “Do not forsake the gathering together of…..” God specifically says meet together. Also there is much written in the New Testament about spiritual gifts. Commands are given in Scripture about gifts and the proper way to use them. Each Christian is given a spiritual gift to be used for the benefit of the church. If God has given us a gift it must mean we are to meet with other believers on a regular basis to use this gift. I can’t use the gift God has given me if I am not meeting with other believers. It may be something as simple as a word of encouragement to a stranger at church. God never speaks of using our gifts outside of church…so He must want us in group worship.
Many of the letters written by Paul give commands, yes commands, concerning attendance a gatherings of worshippers. Paul says…do this…don’t do this…dress this way…pray this way…etc.. All directed at gatherings of saints in worship as a group. Paul says that we are to worship together. Not alone.
Practice – We do not see any instances in Scripture where God commends or recommends individual, independent worship – unless God is speaking to a person about a specific response to His workings in a specific instance. What we do see from Exodus through Revelation is people coming together to worship. The Jews met together to worship, and the New Testament church met together to worship. God wants us to meet with other believers.
Principle – The principles of worship, praise and giving are a thread throughout Scripture. God gave specific commands that a worship center should be built so that the people could come, and that God would dwell among them. The tent turned into the tabernacle. Jesus attended worship services. The walking, talking God-man thought it was important to meet with other believers on a weekly basis…Jesus is my example. Peter, Paul and New Testament believers went from meeting in the Jewish Temple, to meeting in homes…these turned into churches.
More ‘principle’; we are called members of God’s family. A family meets together. I am to meet with my family each week. If I stay away from my family for lengthy periods of time with no communication I must not think that family is very important. God wants us to meet with our faith family.
More ‘principle.’ Scripture speaks over and over about teaching and preaching. These are group activities. Yes you can learn at home, reading Scripture…but…references to teaching and preaching are made in the context of groups. God must want us to get together with other believers.
Progressive revelation – ongoing unveiling …. From the building of the tabernacle, a portable tent for worship, through the actions of the New Testament church, believers met together to worship. For the people “Israel”, from Exodus to Revelation people met in groups to worship. In heaven all the saints will meet together to worship the God of the Universe.
Why go to church…because it is ‘biblical’ to go to church, and God expects me to go to church. It is a command, and I want to be obedient. I have often said that the easiest command for me to follow…is to give, to tithe. I know God expects me to give to His work, so each month I just figure my 10%, write a check, and am obedient. How easy can that be? (Hey, if you are not tithing you are being disobedient.)
Going to church is another “no brainer.”So easy. God says to go to worship and I go out and worship. I am being obedient. That’s why I make such a fuss about finding a church when I am here in California. It would be so much easier to just forget it for two months…but I can’t.
Finding the right church, where you feel that God wants you to make your home, can seem like a difficult task…but I have to believe that God is not going to call us to worship and then not give us a place to worship. Weeks of searching might be required…too bad…we are commanded to meet together and worship…so get to it Jeanne and find that church where you are comfortable…and can serve….and can give of yourself…and can praise God with others the way God intends it to be. Even if it is during your short stay in California. So its inconvenient. So its difficult…get to it Jeanne…be obedient!
P.S. No I do not go to worship just because ‘I have to.” I love meeting together with other Christians to sing, praise God, hear a message, and to share with others. God blesses us when we are obedient. God is faithful….this past Sunday I had a wonderful experience of worship at a church where I did not expect to find it. Thank You Jesus.
