The church was one of the first institutions that God created in the Old Testament. When He brought His people out of Egypt in the Book of Exodus, creating a place to worship, taking part in sacrifices and developing a faith-based community was one of the first things He did. Once God’s people finally settled into the Promised Land, the church was at the core of much of what they did. When David took the throne, one of his first acts was to build a temple where people could gather to worship, pray and commune with God.
The New Testament saw an evolution of the church into something that more closely resembles what we do today. Instead of simply being a place where repentance is sought and worship is offered, the church became a life-giving source of hope for the community around it. The Book of Acts provides a beautiful history of the early New Testament church and the way that God wants His people to impact their world.
Over the years, the Church has been dragged through the mud, mocked, ridiculed and criticized. However, God still has a plan and a purpose for His Church. What’s even more amazing is that He wants you and me to be a part of that plan!
What is the Church?
When you think of the word “church,” you may envision a large building with seats, screens, a podium and any other number of typical staples of a church building. While that building that comes to your mind may be your primary place of worship, that is not actually the church. The Church is every believer who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Church is made up of each and every person who has acknowledged their sinful nature and accepted the fact that the only remedy for that sin is the price that Christ paid on Calvary. The Church is an unstoppable force that Christ ordained in the book of Matthew.
Matthew 16:16-18 (TPT)
Simon Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!” Jesus replied, “You are favored and privileged Simoen, son of Jonah! For you didn’t discover this on your own, but my Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you. I give you the name Peter, a stone. And this truth of who I am will be the bedrock foundation on which I will build my church-my legislative assembly, and the power of death will not be able to overpower it!
Instead of “the power of death,” some translations say, “the gates of hell will not be able to overpower it.” In this powerful conversation with Peter who had declared that Jesus was the Promised Messiah, Christ told him that this declaration would be the cornerstone of the Church.
So the Church itself is not a building with a podium, seats, hymn books or lyrics on a screen. Instead, the Church is Christ’s “legislative assembly” that is responsible for bringing His kingdom to planet Earth.
“So, Do I Have to Go to Church?”
This is one of the most frequently asked questions that comes up among believers. “Do I really have to go to church to be a Christian?” After all, you’ve worked all week. You’re tired and you’d like to spend the day with your family enjoying the last day before the kids go back to school and you head back to work. So, is church attendance really necessary?
To better answer this question, we should take a look at what the Bible says about the matter. No, there is not a Bible verse that explicitly says, “Thou shalt go to church on Sunday morning.” Honestly, if there was, there would be very little confusion about whether or not church attendance is necessary. However, since we’re not given that clear command, does that mean that it’s OK to withdrawal ourselves from the local church and worship God at home instead?
Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
In ancient times, bladesmiths would use a large iron wheel that spun around in order to sharpen knives and swords. Both the blade they were sharpening, and the wheel were made of the same material which allowed it to sharpen the edge of the blade while leading to minimal wear on the wheel. In this Proverb, King Solomon paints a picture of the similarity between iron sharpening iron and people making one another better.
Being actively engaged with a local church enables you to play your role in the iron-to-iron relationship. Not only does it allow you to be sharpened by the presence of your brothers and sisters in Christ, but it also puts you in a position to help others.
The writer of Hebrews also spoke to the importance of church attendance in the New Testament.
Hebrews 10:25 (TPT)
This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate the day dawning.
The unnamed author of Hebrews noticed the trend of people pulling away from the local church. Prompted by that pulling away, the author encouraged people to gather together even more frequently than they ever had before!
This writer recognized the importance of gathering together to encourage one another and urging each other onward. Being engaged with and actively connected to a local body of believers allows us to give and receive encouragement while we urge one another onward.
So to answer the question about whether or not God requires church attendance, the answer would be that church attendance is highly encouraged. There is no way for man to determine whether or not God will forbid entry into Heaven because someone neglected church attendance, but His Word is clear. He wants His people to gather together to encourage and improve one another.
The Importance of Connection
Through most of 2020, it was impossible to physically attend church services every week. As states issued stay-at-home orders and churches made the decision to lock their doors as a way to protect congregants from the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us struggled to stay connected to our church family. Now that things seem to be trending the other way and churches are open again, it’s important that you allow yourself to be connected to a local body of believers.
Christ’s plan for His people never included trying to make it on our own. In fact, when the disciples were sent out to preach, teach, heal and deliver, Jesus never sent them out on their own. In Luke 10:1, we find that he sent a group of 72 disciples out in 36 groups of two. Again, in Mark’s Gospel, we find the group of 12 being sent out in similar fashion.
Mark 6:7 (TPT)
Jesus gathered his twelve disciples and imparted to them his authority to cast out demons. Then he sent them out in pairs with these instructions:
Jesus didn’t even send Peter, John, James and the men who walked with him every day out on their own. Why? Because the importance of connection was evident even at the onset of the early church.
God’s design for your Christian journey does not include you trying to make it on your own. Instead, we all play an important role in the family of God. However, to fully live up to our position, it’s crucial that we allow ourselves to connect to other believers.
The disciples were sent out in pairs because Jesus knew that they would need one another. Having a source of encouragement during times of adversity is paramount. That’s why God views the Church as such a crucial component of His plan for humanity. Not only are we called to share His love with those around us, but we are also called to encourage one another through the process.
A Closing Prayer:
God, thank You for creating the Church. Most of all, thank You for giving me a position in Your Church. Help me to be more actively engaged with other believers, encouraging them, sharpening them and carrying Your Gospel to those around us. In the name of Jesus I ask these things, Amen.