Most of us live busy lives. We've got jobs to do. Get the kids to school and sports practice. Pick up the groceries. Complete our chores. Cook healthy meals and exercise. Get enough sleep. Socialise with friends. It's no secret that life just gets busier! So it's no surprise that, for many people, attending church can easily become a luxury rather than a necessity. Some polls indicate that regular church attendance means attending just once a month. That's why it's a good idea to consider the question: why do we go to church?
First and foremost, we go to church because the Christian faith has always been communal. It has been like this since the very beginning. We read in Acts 2 that the church "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Acts 2:42). That word fellowship means a family type of bond, one which is later picked up by the apostle Paul when he describes the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27). Salvation is not a one-person experience; we become a part of the body, this community, when we are redeemed in Jesus Christ. Everything we know about Jesus has come to us from the people who went before us. Without this community, we would not have had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and be saved from our sin. We need one another, and future generations need us! That's why the Hebrews were told to not to neglect meeting together but to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25). In this community, we are encouraged to continue in our faith until we finally realise our destiny in the presence of Christ.
Have you ever found yourself in a church, looked around, and wondered how so many different people could be united in such a powerful way? There is so much that could divide us but, week after week, the Church gathers in unity. Why is that? The Kingdom of God, central to Jesus' teaching, transcends any cultural, ideological or political difference. When Jesus began to preach his message of redemption and grace, he proclaimed that the Kingdom was near (Mark 1:15). Scripture has promised that our final destination is not in question. We will live forever in the fully realised kingdom of God. The Church is an expression of that Kingdom today—imperfect but sustained by grace. Whenever we gather, we are showing the world what it looks like to belong to the Kingdom which Jesus brought to us. We are offering a sustainable way to live and a way to navigate the challenges of life. Healthy churches are full of people of different cultures and languages worshipping the name of Jesus together. They are collections of people who have found an eternal purpose that unites them in community. This is a picture of restoration and reconciliation, as, no matter our past, we welcome one another as brother and sisters. It is unity in a world growing more bitterly divided by the day and finding hope in the joy of one another. Scripture has promised us that one day we will all be in the physical presence of Jesus, as everything that separates us becomes less than a memory. Until then, we have a taste of that day every time we gather as the Church.
The early church survived enormous challenge by serving one another. It was so important that the apostle Paul wrote, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4). It is pretty difficult to serve someone else if we never spend time together! church offers a place where we can practically display the love of Christ towards one another as brothers and sisters in faith. We can pray for each other. We can use our gifts and talents to help someone else. When we are together, there is opportunity to find out what burdens someone is carrying and how we might bring them comfort and support. There are many ways we can do this, but the corporate gathering of the Church gives us unique opportunities that we don't get in any other setting. Moreover, church usually provides strategic ways of reaching out to our wider communities. Resources can be pooled and the small difference we might make on our own is suddenly magnified. There is real power for transformation in the gathering of believers!
As a Jewish rabbi, Jesus called twelve men to follow him. They learned about God from him. He taught them how to live and pray, how to serve and how to love. Their lives were transformed because he discipled them. Two thousand years later, this simple truth has not changed. We grow in faith through discipleship, and discipleship only happens when we are connected to other believers. Through the Church, you and I are discipled—taught the way of Christ. We learn what it means to follow him and submit to his Spirit. Believers who are more mature than we are can teach us how to practice forgiveness, perseverance, and service. They can encourage and correct us in love. If we are to do as Peter tells us, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18), we must be taught by those who are further along the journey than we are. There are a lot of things which can easily make us too busy for church. But if we allow ourselves to be drawn away from the gathering of God's people, we miss out on so much he has promised for us. Church is not just something we go to; it is the family to which we belong. And, like any family, it is important that we make time for each other!
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