Church is often a touchy subject. It is either a priority to some or simply a holiday tradition for others. There are mixed opinions about the importance of church in a person’s life. This is due to the many reasons (or excuses) people give for going or not going. But once we understand the true purpose and importance for going to church, there should be no reason not to go. Let’s take a look at 4 reasons to go to church:
1. Seek God
The mistake people make when it comes to church is going for purposes other than God. Yes, church is for gathering with people, singing songs, praying, hearing God’s Word, serving others, giving, and much more. But none of these mean anything without God. That’s why the number one reason for going to church should be to meet with and hear from God. Church is all about God.
If you don’t go to church because of God, then you will never find a church that satisfies you. If the people always disappoint you, if the music isn’t upbeat enough for you, if the preacher’s voice is hard to listen to, or if the church building doesn’t have enough color, then you’re probably going for the wrong reasons. There is no perfect church out there. If church is all about how you feel, then you will have a hard time hearing God.
So, if we go to church for God, we should know what God is about. God is about truth and relationship. This is where the other reasons come in. Let’s continue.
2. Hear Truth
When church is about God, there is a hunger to hear from His Word (the Bible) and desire to speak with Him in prayer. Church is about getting fed with truth. And truth is not always easy to hear. Hearing God’s truth is meant to convict, humble, transform, correct, and provide a right understanding and perspective of God, ourselves, and the world we live in.
As you sit in church on Sundays, you should be getting fed with biblical truth from the pastor. This should then lead you to seek truth from God in His Word and in prayer during the other six days of the week on your own and in community with others. Church is not meant to be the only day you hear from God. Church is to help challenge and encourage you in your faith for the rest of the week. You and I need God and His truth daily. We easily stray from Him, especially when we only hear from Him on Sundays.
3. Build Relationships
Another reason to go to church is to build relationships. When we are in community with those who share the same beliefs and values, we keep each other accountable and encourage each other in our faith. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
God is a relational God and created men and women to be relational. God did not design us to be lone wolves. Even Jesus built relationships with twelve men during His time on earth. Being a follower of Jesus is about relationships. Therefore, church is about relationships.
Church provides us with opportunities to connect with people in community and live together for a common mission. In community and on mission together, we form a new family. And this new family, with Jesus as our head, is called to go out in the world making “‘disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you’” (Matthew 28:19-20).
4. Sacrifice Yourself
Lastly, as stated before, church is not meant to be a once a week deal. Yes, church service is once a week, but the church is not a building. The Church is God’s people, the body with Jesus as the head. Just as we discussed in the third point, the church has a common mission. How is this mission fulfilled? Through sacrifice. The sacrifice of our money, time, possessions, talents, skills, and so on. We give and serve in the church and then out in the world, wherever God has us.
A healthy church cultivates an environment of giving and serving. It is a place to learn, train, equip, and practice in giving and serving with our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to better give to and serve those who don’t know Jesus yet.
What are the two most important commandments? “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39, ESV). What better way to display our love for God and people than to give and serve. When we do this, we are saying that we are all in for Jesus. Jesus Himself came to this earth to serve, not to be served (Matthew 20:28). He then calls us to do the same. Are you in?
What Now?
Hopefully this article was helpful in understanding the purpose and importance of going to church. To end this discussion, I want to provide you with some next steps to take. I know for me, after reading an article, I often will agree with what it says but not know exactly what to do next. This is too important to leave you hanging like that. Here’s three things I encourage and challenge you to do:
- Seek God: In all situations, your first step should be to seek the Lord. What is God calling you to do in the area of churchgoing? I bet He’s not going to tell you not to go to church. So, ask Him for help in having a desire and the motivation to go to church.
- Find a Church: Ask God to help lead you to a Bible believing and Bible preaching church in your area. And then go!
- Get Involved: The hardest step for some is getting out of your comfort zone to meet people in the church and find ways to serve. The problem with most people who don’t see the need to go to church is that they feel disconnected because they aren’t meeting people or getting involved. Church requires participation. You won’t regret getting involved by being in community and serving. It’s all about living life together for the glory of God.
