What’s the Point of Going to Church?

You're in a conversation and someone says, "I'm a Christian but I don't go to church because I don't get anything from it.” What would you say? Many Christians practice a do-it-yourself faith. While a majority of the population still claims to be Christian, church attendance is at a historic low. Clearly, a lot of people think they can follow Christ without the Church. But in reality, they’re misunderstanding what the Church is and why it’s important, and they ignore the Bible’s command that we gather for corporate worship. So, the next time someone says, "I'm a Christian but I don't go to church because I don't get anything from it,” here are three things to remember: Number 1: Church isn’t primarily about what you “get out of it.” The idea that we should only do things that benefit us in some way is deeply-ingrained in our culture. We tend to be individualists and consumers, asking “what’s in it for me?” and constantly shopping around for the best deals and the most satisfying experiences. But what if it’s not all about us? What if, as the Westminster Confession puts it, the chief end of human beings is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever”? If that’s the case, then worship isn’t a product to consume, but the purpose of our very existence. It’s not a means to an end. It’s the end in and of itself. While we can certainly worship God as individuals, we can’t fully worship God alone because to be a Christian is to be a part of Christ’s Church. Gathering together to worship God isn’t about asking “what’s in it for me?”; it’s about gathering with other believers to fulfill our purpose of glorifying and enjoying God. Number 2: We need the Church, even if we don’t think we do. It’s easy to dismiss organized religion as a bunch of hypocrites dressing up and pretending to be holy. Jesus and the Apostles were pretty critical of the Church in their day, too. But they did it as part of the Church… as insiders, not outsiders. Throughout Scripture, the Church is called “the pillar and bulwark of truth,” “a holy temple” and a “dwelling place” for God, the Bride of Christ, against whom the gates of hell would not prevail. An essential image used by Paul for the Church is the body. In places like 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, he calls each Christian a part of that body. And just like an eye can’t say to a hand, “I don’t need you,” no Christian can say to the rest: “I don’t need you.” What happens to an organ cut off from the rest of the body? Number 3: The Bible commands us to gather. The fourth commandment says to “remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” The Jews did this through weekly assemblies. We know from Acts 20 verse 7 that the first Christians assembled on Sunday, marking Jesus’ resurrection. And at that meeting, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper, which Christ commanded us to observe “until He comes.” Hebrews 10:25 commands us not to neglect this gathering, and even the New Testament’s word for “church,” “ekklēsia” means a called-out assembly. Again and again, the Bible models, commands, and assumes corporate worship. The idea that Christians “don’t need it” is so foreign to Scripture and history that it’s a wonder we ever thought of it. No, the Church isn’t perfect. But neither are you and I. That’s why we need worship, word, and sacrament. God has designed and commanded us to worship and learn together, as brothers and sisters, royal priests, and fellow members of the body of Christ. We were designed for community. We need each other on a regular basis, and the Bible knows nothing of “Lone Ranger Christianity.” So, the next time someone says, “I'm a Christian but I don't go to church because I don't get anything from it,” remember these three things: Number 1: Church isn’t primarily about what you “get out of it.” Number 2: We need the Church, even if we don’t think we do. Number 3: The Bible commands us to gather. For What Would You Say, I’m Shane Morris.

Being the Body by Charles Colson
https://www.amazon.com/Being-Body-Charles-Colson/dp/0849963524

The Church of Christ by James Bannerman
https://www.amazon.com/Church-Christ-James-Bannerman/dp/1848715021