Someone approached me not long ago and asked me, “what does the bible say about going to church?” I shared with him deep insights about going to church.
In all honesty, Christianity is losing a lot of believers to worldly beliefs that have destroyed most Christians. The belief – they must not go to church as Christians – OMG!!!.
What Is the Church According to The Bible?
Most people take the “church building” as the church – it’s not. The people are the church, and when Jesus Christ comes back, he is taking his church with him – not the church building. The church literally means an assembly of believers that physically meets with the sole aim of worshipping God and teaching/learning his ways. And the church building is the meeting place.
Does The Bible Say You Have to Go to Church Every Sunday?
God wants his children to make out time weekly to come to worship him and follow his ways. Even He rested on the seventh day. So, for most Christians, Sundays have become synonymous with church services.
The bible doesn’t explicitly say we must go to church on Sundays. But it does say we must not forsake the gathering of the brethren in Heb. 10:25. Considering that most Christians gather together on Sundays, it suffices to say that we must go to church on Sundays.
Is It a Sin to Not Go to Church Every Sunday?
In Exo. 20:8, God gave us a commandment – Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, most Christians have come to take Sundays as the sabbath day. This reverence for Sundays dates back to the early church. In Acts 20:7, the bible recorded that the disciples came together to break bread and were also preached to by Paul.
Therefore, if we are not actively engaged in duty or are hospitalized/sick, and we consciously skip church services on Sunday, we’re disobeying this commandment.
And thus, sinning.
Going to church on Sunday helps you to keep the commandment of “keeping the sabbath day holy”. Not just the sabbath day alone, but every other day.
It’s quite unfortunate that most Christians engage in all manner of activities on their sabbath day. Some play football, some do the laundry, some cook for the week, and some finish the weekly workload from the office on Sundays.
Some Christians have been deceived into believing that it is not a must that you go to church on Sundays. Well, we should make know that God frowns at such a perception.
Why Do People Go to Church on Sunday?
People go to church on Sunday for different reasons and some are funny.
- Some go to church to really seek the face of God.
- To see the pastor.
- Some others go to church because they’re forced to go.
- They accompany someone to church for a thanksgiving service.
- To show off their new clothes or accessories.
Important Reasons to Go to Church Every Sunday
The church shouldn’t just be the only place a Christian should run to in times of trial. It should be a place God uses as a channel to mold us to be who He wants us to be through His word and His servants that are in charge of the church.
There are several reasons why we should go to church on Sundays. They include:
- It’s a place where we can learn the word of God and the things that we need in our lives to help us keep our salvation.
- We get to partake in the holy communion.
- It offers us a rare opportunity to hear the testimonies of what God is doing in the lives of others. This can give us a glimmer of hope, knowing that God who did something for Mr. A will surely do it for you.
- The church is a place to fight the devil and his gang. Most people don’t even pray actively at home, but they do so when they come into the church. If you feel lazy to pray, head to the church, and the prayer atmosphere of the church can charge your spirit to pray.
- Going to church every Sunday offers you an opportunity to thank God for the activities and protection throughout the past week. Then, you can also seek guidance and blessings for the new week.
- You get an opportunity to build your faith when you attend church services. You can do so through hearing the word of God and finding spirit-filled mentors to guide you. This can boost your faith greatly, thus helping you to find comfort in tough times.
- When you attend church services, you get an opportunity to reflect on yourself. As the undiluted word of God comes forth, you take note of the habits you need to drop and the ones you need to continue. In a short while, you’ll become a better version of yourself if you put the right things into practice.
- A lot of people feel lonely. The church is a great place to go if you want to feel loved. Agreed, there’s a lot of discrimination and segregation in the body of Christ nowadays, but it doesn’t remove the fact that going to church can help you have a sense of belonging.
When You Give Up Attending Church, What’s At Stake?
A lot.
- Lack of spiritual weapons to fight the devil. You’ll not even know his tricks because nobody has taught you the tricks of the devil.
- You open doors in your life to the devil unknowingly.
- Skipping church service may cause you to lose your spiritual direction and guide.
- You’ll end up joining the wrong bandwagon.
- When you give up attending church, your life and that of your family is at stake. As a pastor, sometimes, God can wake you up in the middle of the night to pray for a member of the church who the devil is about to attack or has already attacked. If the person has given up attending church service, the chances of such urgent revelations from God is reduced considerably.
What Happens If I Go to Church Occasionally?
You miss out on the fellowship of the brethren. Aside from that, you’ll become inconsistent in the presence of God and may miss out on blessings and life-changing words and encounters with Him.
How Often Should A Christian Go To Church
A true Christian should never choose when he/she should go to church. You must also go to church as early as possible.
This may, however, be a chore for the working class who must meet the needs of their work.
To them I say, learn to strike a balance between work and worship God in church. It’s not an easy task, and for each individual, the steps to creating the balance will vary greatly. Pray and ask God for direction on how to create the balance.
Finally
Going to church on Sundays should be a must for every Christian home. And it’s important to attend service early. I’ve seen a lot of people come to church 30 minutes before the closing time on a Sunday and say they’ve been in church.
Who goes to an exam hall 30 minutes to the end of the exam?
