Issue 1401 – Don’t Need The Church – March 21, 2024

I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help but overhear.

Two ladies were having coffee; one invited the other to attend Sunday worship with her. Her friend replied, “I don’t need to go to church. I have Jesus, and that’s enough.”

I didn’t hear the reply.

Knowing Jesus is ultimately what matters, but we are to attend worship with other believers. For those in isolated areas or where it’s unsafe to worship or have mobility issues that prevent them from getting out, that might not be an option, but for the bulk of the people who read Gleanings, there is no excuse. Even in jail, they hold some form of worship service.

Most communities have more than one local assembly within easy access.

Lots of people have plenty of excuses not to attend. Here’s a partial list. I’m sure you’ve heard and likely used at least some of them.

• The preaching is boring.
• The preacher preaches too much or too little from the Bible, is too academic or not academic enough, or preaches too long or not long enough.
• The music is too fast/slow/loud/old/new.
• They are too formal/informal.
• The people are too friendly/unfriendly.
• They have/don’t have pews/organs/stained glass/pastoral robes.
• The service is too long/short, too demonstrative/not demonstrative enough.
• There is too much/not enough emphasis on the Holy Spirit.
• They do/don’t ordain women.
• They are too active/not active enough in outreach/missions/politics/social action.
• They talk too much about money/there isn’t enough emphasis on stewardship.
• Services times are too early/too late.
• The pastor is too young/old.
• The congregation is too big/small.
• The worship service is too structured/not structured enough, liturgical/non-liturgical.
• It is denominational/non-denominational.

Have I hit a nerve yet? Have I stepped on your sacred cow? It’s time to recognize that these excuses hurt you and the local congregation.

Why attend worship?

Some surveys I’ve read show that more than 90% of professing Christians who attend church regularly go because a given church meets the needs of that individual and their family. Did you know that’s the wrong reason to attend church?

First and foremost, the church is not about you. Did you know that? Church isn’t about going and feeling good or about having your needs met. Those things can and do happen but aren’t the reason we go. We go to glorify God and to minister to others.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honourable, we bestow the greater honour, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honour to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 

When you don’t attend and take an active role, someone else in the body suffers for your absence. That someone might need your ministry. Conversely, that person might be deprived of their ministry to you.

Not attending is a very selfish act. When parts don’t show up to do their bit, the whole body is missing out.

Can you get to heaven without going to church? Yes! Salvation is by grace and not measured by how often we go. Will the body of Christ be poorer for your absence? Yes? Will you miss out big time? Absolutely.

Until next time, quit making excuses. It’s time to take your part in the body.

Be blessed

Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)

Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV)