Living the Christian Life Magazine

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Why Go to Church – Is it necessary?

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”.(Heb.10:23-25)

Bible reading for meditation Hebrews Ch.10

Sometimes you hear the phase “I am a Christian but I do not need to go to Church”. But can we truly be a Christian and not be part of a Christian community. Can we remain isolated from Christian fellowship and grow spiritually; is there value in Church worship?

To unite in public worship exposed the early Church to much persecution and possible death; even today in many counties of the world, to be a worshipping Christian brings with it much hardship, persecution, imprisonment or even death. And yet the early Church grew at a rapid rate. In many counties today where Christianity is not welcome; the Christian community is thriving and growing.

In our Bible reading, there is much evidence for active Church worship, throughout Scripture the Jewish people where exhorted to gather for worship, the writers of the New Testament exhorted the early Church in such worship.

What are the virtues of public worship and fellowship?

1. There a command to come or draw near. (Heb.10:22)

We are not to forsake our assembling together for worship of God, for encouragement to ourselves and also to one another, yet our priorities often come before our worship, we start missing more and more meetings, our desire to meet becomes lukewarm and backsliding is imminent. It’s like taking an ember of coal out of the fire it soon cools down and is ineffective. Making time for worship brings blessing to the soul

2. Gathering to together brings blessing (Psalm 92:12-13)

”The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God”.

By gathering together we flourish together, He feeds us spiritually, our faith grows and is strengthened. We learn from one another. God’s speaks to us through His word spoken. We gather in worship to remember where we have come from, to encourage ourselves in the hope we have in our salvation. In Communion we remind ourselves and give thanks for His grace in redeeming us and giving us our inheritance

3. Examples of the early Church (Acts 2:42)

They were continuing in fellowship in breaking of bread, in the word and in prayer. Our gathering together stimulates growth. There is a common goal and a shared sense of community.

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47).

Together there is strength, we are part of a body made up of differing parts united together with one purpose with one head the “Lord Jesus Christ” The Holy Spirit helps us to maintain that fellowship. The Holy Spirit is given in seed form and as it is watered by the living word it grows and strengthens the believer.

4. Our attitude in gathering for fellowship (Luke 24:50)

“While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (v51-53)

The chief aim of the Christian is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever; the supreme object of worship must towards the omnipotent God. There is a necessity of worship in everyman.

“Every man must a have god. There is no such thing as an atheist, for such a man worships himself and the material world. There is no human being without a shrine in his heart where there is a god whom he worships. The very composition of human life demands a centre of worship as a necessary existence”. (Alan Redpath. Law and liberty)

Who are you listening to, your heart or

To God who commands you to come into

His Courts with praises and thanksgiving