Do Not Neglect Church Attendance

Background Scripture: Hebrews 10
Lesson Scripture: Hebrews 10:19–25; Acts 20:7; Acts 16:13; Revelation 15:4

Introduction

Church occupies a central place in a Christian’s world. It is the physical place where we receive love, encouragement, and direction. We may live in a busy world, but we have time for what we find to be most important. A lack of interest in attending worship services simply shows that our interest has been taken by something else. This lesson will have us examine our practice and strengthen our conviction for going to church.

Key Verse

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Nonstop demands at many different levels continually compete for our attention. In the midst of all this activity, church attendance in North America is the lowest it has ever been measured, with roughly twenty percent of the population attending every week. Have we allowed the frenetic pace of modern life to affect our own practice? Do we use Sunday as a day to catch up, with going to church being optional? While it is true that church attendance will not save us, it is a strong indicator of our spiritual vitality.

We are saved by grace through faith. A worship service is an opportunity to give thanks to God for salvation. Our need for worship could likely be linked to how we see ourselves. If we feel like we are a fairly good Christian, we may think that if the devil would just leave us alone we could independently live a satisfactory Christian life. On the other hand, if we find we have a desperate need for God and his grace and are dependent on his mercy for our very life, we will see our own wretchedness and his strength. In this state, we will feel the need of worship and fellowship.

Thankfulness also contributes to the need for worship. Have we been forgiven little or much? “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47). Being faithful and careful in church attendance is not legalistic, and we should be concerned if we have only a halfhearted desire to be in church with fellow believers.

Traditionally, Sunday has been a day for gathering to worship to the Creator God, a wonderful day for fellowship with others. “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isa. 58:13–14). In the gospel, God’s day is a day to worship God. If this is not settled in our minds, and if we are not finding this delight in worship, is it possible we have cooled spiritually? “The faith and trust that first moved the heart to worship and adore the Lord has waxed cool. That inner desire to love the Lord more than all else has slipped away. The love for the salvation of souls has lost its intensity. In its place there has come a desire for power, prominence, and acceptance.” 1

Even during the week, there is something special about God’s house; it is a place of quiet, sacred safety. In the sanctuary, a more serious outlook steals over the soul, and we are able to see spiritual things more clearly. Are the strong and deep convictions of faith motivating us to worship God, or has the relentless insincerity of the world in the last days left us calloused and cold, unmoved by a spiritual thirst? Surely a certain amount of godly conviction is missing when we treat church attendance with indifference.

The blessings of being in church are many. We receive instruction and inspiration, we fellowship with the believers, and we are often blessed with renewed courage for the way. Both struggles and victories are shared, and love and encouragement abound. Reproof also comes to us, both over the pulpit and personally. While this probably never will feel good, the effects of it are the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Church becomes the place where our self-image goes to die, and we willingly help others accept the same application. Being a part of the body of Christ becomes our identity. One of our greatest joys as Christians is seeing the church prosper, and we should be ready to participate. Putting on our best clothes and going to church is an act of holy worship, an opportunity that we should be reluctant to pass up.

Becoming independent moves us away from worshipping with the congregation. Independence is the first step on the broad road to apostasy. We can be committed to the church without being committed to Christ, but we cannot be committed to Christ without the church. The key verse attests to this; in the light of Jesus is fellowship with our brothers and sisters and cleansing from sin.

Practical Truths for Today

As we consider church attendance, we need to think about what makes a worship service meaningful. Historically, our forefathers advocated that a blessed Sunday started with preparation the day before. Our leaders endeavor to feed us by teaching the Word. In Luke 10, the contrasting approach of Martha and Mary to the Lord’s company offers a poignant example. Have we become so busy caring for the needs of life and the responsibilities of that which is right and good that we find it difficult to spend time meditating and studying at the feet of Jesus? If more time was spent in the presence of the Master in humble worship, there possibly may be fewer needs. As we bolster our faith in private devotion, our collective worship will also grow more meaningful.

Sunday school will be inspirational as we honestly and openly share with each other how we apply our faith in daily life. This moves us beyond the outer layers of our personality, bringing us into a place of vulnerability. Debating historical points, sharing head knowledge, or relating a lot of experiences may not be so inspirational. Our discussion should offer some direction and encouragement for our walk. Voicing our thoughts in Sunday school lays the foundation for a warm service.

Song leaders, remember that at your fingertips there are many appropriate hymns for the particular tenor of a given service. Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your selection, not relying only on familiarity.

Above all else, we must remember that church attendance is about worshipping our Father and finding our delight in Him. It is not about me, my thoughts, or my feelings. Jesus has promised us He will always be found where his people are gathered. In the closing, confusing days of time, there is no safer shelter than to be in God’s house, connected, and completely free with our brethren. It is our privilege, our place.

Questions

1. Does a casual attitude toward church attendance indicate a concession of cheap and easy grace?
2. What is the cause if I find that a service lacks meaning?
3. Is there a spiritual law of blessing in attending church similar to tithing?
4. How much of our conversation at church should be of a spiritual nature? Do we find it difficult to speak of the things that really matter?
5. 1 Wilbur Koehn, 102 Devotional Sermonettes, p. 59

Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).