Why Should I go to Church?

I believe in Jesus and consider myself a Christian. Why do I need to go to church? Does the Bible actually tell me I am supposed to attend a Church? I prefer to go out in the woods alone with God or watch Church on TV.  Is that wrong?

Before we answer these questions, lets consider what the Bible says about Church.

The English word “Church” is derived from the Greek word “kuriakos” and is defined as “belonging to the Lord.” Interestingly enough, the only two times this word is used in the New Testament is in 1 Corinthians 11:20 and Revelation 1:10. In one instance it is referring to the Lord’s Supper, and the other time it is referring to the Lord’s Day.  This is important because this word clearly implies something that belongs to Jesus!

The next Greek word we find for church in the New Testament is “ekklesia”, which means “an assembly of people.” This word can be found in many places such as Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:47, 9:31, 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Revelation 1:4 to name a few.

Using the two words together, we can see that the Church is not a building, but rather an assembly of people that belong to the Lord. In the early days of the Church, they would meet in homes.  In other places around the world, people will gather underneath a tree or in a schoolhouse.  It’s not about the place; it’s about the people. If you are a believer in Jesus, you are a part of this. Yes you are a part of the Church.  Take a look at 1 Corinthians 12:1-29. This chapter speaks of the Church in the terms of a body. The head of the body is Jesus, and the members of the body are his followers. Each member brings an important attribute to the body, just like the toe is as important as the eye or ear.  God has given you specific gifts that are not meant for you to keep to yourself. Ephesians 4:11 states, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The Church needs the gifts God has given you, and you need the gifts God has given other members. This will not happen if you spend your Sundays’ watching a person speak on TV or being alone in the woods.

You are a valued member of Christ’s Body or His Church! He desires that His children come together to fellowship and worship Him collectively. According to Acts 20:7 believers met on Sunday together to do just that. This is one of the reasons Christians today gather together on Sunday. If we are truly born again, we should begin to have a love for other believers as 1 John 3:14 points out. It is safe to say if we love other believers, we should want to have relationship with them in some way such as gathering together. However, there is another very important reason to go to Church and that is the Bible commands it.  Where does the Bible state that you might ask?  Take a look at Hebrews 10:23-25. Here it tells us not to forsake assembling together, which we already learned is the Church. It is also interesting to note that this warning is included in a book of the Bible that speaks a lot about people walking away from their faith in Jesus.  Reasons given as to why this happened include, getting dull of hearing (Hebrews 5:11), which means they grew tired of listening, they stopped progressing in their study of the Bible (Hebrews 5:12) and they stopped gathering together as the Church.

In summary, going to Church does not make you a Christian; faith in Jesus is what makes you a true Christian. However a sincere Christian is commanded to be a part of the Church, should desire to go to church, and needs to understand he is needed in the Church.  If you are looking for a home Church to be apart of, we would love to have you join us at The Altar.  Take a look at the times we gather, and please feel free to contact us with any questions.