The church is much more than just a social gathering. It was instituted by God for His saints to connect, pray, fellowship, and help one another grow in the ways of Christ. Once in a while, we feel lazy to leave our homes and travel to our church buildings to fellowship with other believers. The problem could be tiredness from the previous day’s work or discouragement but regardless of the challenges preventing us from attending mass, we would discuss reasons why we ought to go to church.
God’s Command
All Christians are required to attend church services because God commands us in His word to do so. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25). The fact that we’re Christians implies that we’re followers of Christ. As followers of Christ, we are to submit to Him, His word, and His ways. If we love God, we would keep His commandments (John 14:15). Attending mass is a way of showing love to God because it is in obedience to His commands.
To be fed with the Word
One of the most important aspects of church service is the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Just as we feed the body and it grows, we need to feed the soul so that we can mature in the faith. Without the word of God in our lives, our souls would eventually perish. Jesus talked about the importance of His word to our lives in Matthew 4:4; He proclaimed that man shall not on live on physical food but nourished by the word. In church, we get fed with the word of God through the preacher’s sermons.
For corporate prayer
It is good to pray alone but that does not discount the importance of praying along with like minded believers. The scriptures talk about the effects of praying together with other believers in Matthew 18:19: “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” We see here that corporate prayer shall be answered by God so far as the parties praying are in agreement. In the church praying together helps our prayers get answered whiles building us up in the faith.(Jude 1:20).
That is where God is
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”(Matthew18:20). God’s word is evidence of how much God prices the gathering of His people. He clearly informs us that being together in His name implies that He is in our midst. As seen in the scripture, there is a surety that once we’re gathered in His name, His Spirit comes to abide, bless and fellowship with us. Going to church ushers us into the presence of God. It is important for us to be in the presence of God to partake of His goodness, blessings and glory.
To serve with your gifts
Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. All the parts of the body cooperate to achieve a common goal. The goal of the church is to become just like Christ is. All the members of the church need to work together in order to make the church like Christ. Each individual has been given a specific gift/talent that when put to use, would contribute to the qualitative growth of the church. Some are good at evangelism, others are great singers, preachers, organizers, etc. You have a special ability that is needed in the house of God and failing to attend church services denies the entire body of Christ the benefits of your peculiar abilities. You are needed in the church because there is a void you have been tailored to fill.
To support and be supported
One advantage of being part of a church and attending services is to provide and benefit from spiritual, psychological, emotional and monetary support. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron. That is to say that, our interaction with other believers gives us strength to overcome the challenges of life. “Carry each other’s burdens, and this way you fulfill the law of Christ.”(Galatians 6:2). In Matthew 22:36-40, Christ shows us what the highest commandment is. He expects us to love Him with all our hearts and also love our neighbours as ourselves. Carrying each other’s burdens fulfills Christ’s command that we love one another. Also, if everyone in the church has been tasked with carrying each other’s burdens, it would imply that when we attend church with our problems and troubles we would find solutions through our fellow brethren.
In conclusion, despite the stumbling blocks that seek to prevent us from attending church services and programs we have to make it a point to look beyond our feelings and attend church services for the sake of the ministry, ourselves, and our brethren. We all need a healthy, vibrant, and loving community to feel refreshed and loved. The church provides us with all those benefits and even more!