Why Do I Have To Go To Church?
We learned that the purpose of the Church is threefold: to worship God, to minister to each other, and to proclaim the Gospel to the world. But many people seem to go to Church these days in order to 'get' something out of it. Many are not pleased with a 'church' if they aren't intellectually pleased with what the pastor preaches, or maybe the congregation is too old or too young, or maybe the church sings too loud, or too many hymns, or (on and on and on.) Worse, with an 'easy believe-ism' faith (when one believes that mere assent to the facts of Christ as Savior - not necessarily as Lord) one may believe that "I don't have to go to Church to be saved!"
When considering Christ's intention for His Church and its members, it is healthy to step back and take a sober accounting of one's contributions, in light of the expectations that Christ has for each of us - individually. First, we must understand that as believers, we are a part of the Church of Christ, and that brings with it a mark of separation from the 'world' as well as a membership:
"...you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household..." Ephesians 2:19
We have a responsibility not only to God, but to the other members of the Church:
"...so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5,
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10
We are to show tolerance toward each other, and present the cause of Christ to the world in unity and love:
"Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." Romans 15:2
"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:7
Most importantly, for the Church to function properly as God intended, each member must mature and contribute his God given gifts, for use in and outside of the Church:
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:6-8
Clearly, the Church cannot carry out its responsibilities and its mandates without the active participation of its members. Surely there are many who cannot attend, whether they are immobile, or distant, or in any other condition that physically limits the gathering. But God clearly intends for us to be a community, and whenever possible every effort should be made to not only attend the gathering, but to find, develop and contribute our God given and intended gifts for the edification of the Body of Christ and the contribution to the Kingdom of Heaven.
WhyIBelieve.Org Ministries Copyright Pending 2002 M. Sutherland |
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