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I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO CHURCH!

by Jeffrey Hagan  
9/01/2014 / Christian Living

by Jeff Hagan, DCE, DMin, (ThD)

Do we have to attend church in order to be saved? No. Is it extremely important to attend church and worship the Lord together as community? Absolutely! Spotty or only occasional church attendance paints a certain picture and it brings about "definite short term and far-reaching effects." Not gathering together with brothers and sisters in Christ for regular worship, unless of course you are ill, on vacation, have a disability, or some other legitimate reason, does several things. Following is a list of some of these things which have been borrowed, adapted, edited, paraphrased, or quoted from an article by Earl Blackburn titled "Church Attendance: Is It Important?" Choosing not to attend church on a regular basis:

-Reveals a heart that has grown cold and a lack of sincere and passionate love to Christ who ultimately established local churches.
Revelation 2:4, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first" (ESV).
Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (ESV).

-It displays disregard for the example set by the apostles as well as for the command of God's Word.
Acts 2:41, "So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls" (ESV).
Hebrews 10:24-25, "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" (ESV).

-"It robs you of blessing and help for the days ahead" (Blackburn).

-It robs the congregation of blessings and help they would get from "your mutual ministry to them (see 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 10:24, 'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good works.' NIV)" (Blackburn).
1 Thessalonians 5:14, "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all" (ESV).

-"It grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells in each believer individually, and in the church as a whole" (Blackburn).

-"It grieves the Elders who oversee you and minister the Word of God to you (Hebrews 13:7 & 17 cf. I Thessalonians 5:12,13" (Blackburn).
Hebrews 13:7, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith" (ESV).
Hebrews 13:17, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you" (ESV).
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves" (ESV).

-It can be a negative example to others. From your bad example less mature believers may become "unfaithful, lazy, indifferent and selfish...You are a letter known and read by all men (2 Corinthians 3:2,3a)" (Blackburn).
2 Corinthians 3:2-3, "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (ESV).

-It discourages fellow believers in the congregation "with whom you are joined" (Blackburn).

-It is a poor witness to seekers and unbelievers who notice the inconsistent pattern. And believe it or not, they are watching.

-It shows your "lack of vision for the future of that" (Blackburn) specific church where you are a member or consider your home church.

-It is often the first step on a slippery slope on the way to "luke-warmness" and even possible apostasy (read and study Hebrews 10:19-39 paying special attention to verse 25 in it's context).

-It shows a lack of respect for what should be the "best and the brightest day of the week" (Blackburn). As believers we celebrate and gather on Sunday, the Lord's Day, because that's when your Lord Jesus Christ rose from his tomb.

It is absolutely true that a person is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and this saving grace should cause one to be ignited to love Christ's churches. If one does not have love or concern for Christ's churches nor a concern to commit to a church body, then the authenticity of one's faith becomes questionable. "True love and saving faith creates a love for the things Christ loves. He loved the church and gave Himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25)" (Blackburn).
Psalms 27:4, "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple" (ESV).
Psalms 84:1-2, "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God" (ESV).
Psalms 84:10, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (ESV).

I think John Owens says it best as quoted in Blackburn's article mentioned earlier:

"It is the duty of everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, and takes due care of his own eternal salvation, voluntarily and by his own choice to join himself to some particular congregation of Christ's institution...no particular person is to be esteemed a legal, true subject that does not appear in these His courts with a solemn homage to Him" (Works, Vol. 15, 'Duty of Believers to Join Themselves In Church Order,' pp.319-327).

Jeff Hagan is the President of True Grace Ministries and Theological Institute. Interested? www.preacherjeff45.wlxsite.com/truegracetheolgical

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