Why Church?

...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the Day approaching. Heb 10:25

We’ve all heard the reasons and excuses for not going to church, and probably used some ourselves at some time in our lives. As Christians the Word is clear, we are commanded to attend church and we should be encouraging others to do the same. But why? Why is church even necessary?

The most extreme reason would be that of the person who doubts there is a God, so church is far from their thinking. But other reasons are given and don’t really stack up, with the most used being, “It’s not relevant anymore”. This usually come from the lips of someone who has never given church a serious chance. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him”, so it would seem that we have to give church attendance a fair chance, by tasting (checking) and making a reasonable effort to be there each Sunday.

The benefits are obvious to the Christian. We have fellowship with like minded people, no matter where we travel. It’s true that the Christian community is a welcoming group. Then there’s the encouragement of praise and worship as we sing to the Lord our thoughts, feelings and prayers. Church would not be complete without the Word of God taught and preached by a Godly pastor whose job it is to draw us closer to the heart of the Lord, and even convict of sin through the work of the Holy Spirit. When leaving the service, you often feel like the psalmist when he said, “I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord” in Psalm 122:1.

So, why not give church the chance it deserves, and you need?