Why Go to Church? - A Deeper Dive
Message Recap
In an era where the number of people attending worship services is declining, and a focus on personal spirituality is replacing the draw to organized religion, we ask, “Why go to church?” With the pandemic came the rise in virtual attendance, and for many churches, the return to in-person worship has been slow. What is it about corporate worship that is so important?
Regular participation in worship with other believers is a means toward spiritual growth. Jesus established the church as a community of believers gathering to celebrate God. It is a place to encourage one another and spread the Good News. It is important to understand what the church is to see the benefit of being a part of it.
The church is the Bride of Christ and, as such, is the object of Christ’s affection and glory. The world can witness God’s love through the unity of Christ’s followers when they come together. In this week’s scripture, John 17:20-26, Jesus prays that all of his followers - past, present, and future - experience unity, protection, and holiness. Jesus wants a unified church to serve as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. Unity of the church is only achieved by gathering together, encouraging one another, avoiding gossip and slanderous talk, building up rather than tearing down, and using our gifts and talents with humility. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he encourages the church by writing,
“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
The church was cleansed and made holy by Jesus’ sacrifice. It is up to his followers to honor that sanctification through a unified commitment to Christ for all the world to see.
The church is the Body of Christ, and he serves as the spiritual head that connects and directs all members of the body. Each member brings their own gifts to be shared. As Paul explains in his letters to the Romans,
“4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.”
As a church, we bring our gifts together to encourage and serve one another. We must also remember that all gifts are equally important to the body. All too often, we place greater importance on the gifts we see out front and give little regard to the vital work done behind the scenes. Whatever gift is received, it is given by God for the benefit of his people. One body, consisting of many members, unified by the common faith in Jesus Christ.
The church is a place for growth. In the opening chapter of his letter to the Romans, Paul reminds the church that we are mutually encouraged by each other’s faith (see Romans 1:12). We need each other. Imagine having to face the trials and challenges of life alone. Even those who would rather keep to themselves need the comfort of others in times of suffering. We grow in our faith by building each other up and refraining from tearing each other down with harsh words.
“29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
We must constantly look for ways to encourage others to grow in their faith, and this is best accomplished by gathering together to worship and praise our God.
lost focus
Studies continue to show a decline in church attendance. For many local churches, simply looking around the sanctuary on Sunday mornings tells the story. Where has everyone gone? The return to pre-pandemic attendance is slow. The harsh reality is that many churches will never rebound. Is this an indication that the number of believers is also in decline? Probably not.
Even committed Christians are placing less importance on regularly attending corporate worship. Busy schedules, greater demands by jobs, and accepting online worship as an alternative all contribute to the decline. Have we allowed life and the world to get in the way of an essential part of our faith development?
Consider the description of the early church found in the Book of Acts:
“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
What stands out in this description? Fellowship, being together, meeting every day. And the result? The Lord added to their number daily. Perhaps it’s time for us to remember how the church started and return to some of the practices we may have abandoned.