Do I Need to Go to Church?

If you’re a regular church goer, you may be attending church too much.  If you only attend church on Christmas and Easter, you may be going to the wrong church.  I’m not even sure it’s necessary to attend a local church.  It may in fact be better to worship God in your home with a small group of dedicated followers of Jesus Christ or even alone in the wilderness.

The Best Way to Worship God

Fellowship with other believers is one of the most rewarding aspects of following Jesus Christ.  There truly is nothing better than worshiping together with a group of sincere believers.  If you grew up in a local church I’m sure much of the congregation feels like family.  If you’re worshiping in a small home church, or as part of a small-group, breaking bread together, sharing your lives in a more intimate way, that experience can have a great impact.  Many people take great comfort in worshiping God alone, either out in nature, or in a quiet place of meditation and prayer.  However you choose to worship, the quality of that experience is solely dependent on you.

Acts 2:42 (NASB)

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Finding the Perfect Church

The early followers of Jesus Christ were devoted to one another.  The Bible tells us they studied the Word of God together, shared meals together, and prayed together. The spirit of every believer is likely filled with this same desire to share everything with other believers; however, the world we live in is pushing us in another direction.  Our lives have become so complicated that it is now increasingly difficult to find a group of people with whom we can connect.  One of the enemy’s best strategies is to divide and conquer.  There are thousands of Christian churches and I’m not sure any two are alike.  Searching for a comfortable fit into a local church or local worship group, can truly be a needle in a haystack proposition.  And the enemy has also made certain we barely have time to even think about finding a church, let alone actually go out to visit possible venues.

Push the Devil Aside

Don’t let the devil tell you there isn’t time to search for a local church or worship group.  Don’t let the devil tell you that fellowship with other believers isn’t important – it is important!  Don’t let the devil tell you only a perfect church will do – there is no perfect church.  Simply start exploring your options one-by-one and in time you’ll find what works for you.  Time alone with God in the wilderness is great, but fellowship with other believers is also God’s desire for you.  It may take months of visiting to find a worship service that fits your personality and schedule, but in the end you will likely gain years of meaningful relationships and experiences.

Finally, look for a church that is dedicated to serving others and not dedicated to simply gaining more members.  Look for a church that offers you specific ways to serve God without asking you to devote more of your time than is necessary.  Look for a church dedicated to faithfully studying the Word of God.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NASB)

“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.

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