Thoughts on Attending Church Services

 

"We love each other and cherish the fellowship of God's people."

Jesus told us, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," (Matthew 6:21). Based on that, many people have pointed out that you can learn much about a person by finding out where his money goes. A checkbook register full of waste, lewdness, and gluttony reveals something about the checkbook owner's heart. His savings and investments (or lack thereof) preaches something, too.

In the same way, a person's calendar exposes what resides in his heart. Schedules full of distractions reveal a distracted heart, schedules that focus inward reveal an inward-focused heart, and so on. How we spend our time speaks just as loudly as how we spend our money. You've heard me carry on about this before, but let's consider it again.

Throughout the New Testament, the apostles assumed the desire of the Christians to meet. Think about that. There's an underlying pre-understanding in their letters that believers would be together often, which is why there's only one "go to church" passage (Hebrews 10:23-25). One of the sad realities of our day is that church membership is employed by local churches as a way of separating the casual from the committed. Nearly all of those who attend services claim to be and are considered Christians, but only those who devote themselves to regular attendance and service are members. Oy.

Such a dichotomy is foreign to the Christianity of the Bible. For the apostles, to be a Christian was to be in consistent fellowship and service. We should heed their instruction with great obligation, as they relay to us the will of God in Scripture.

Yet, more than some cold responsibility to attend services, all Christians should have--as a deep desire of their hearts--a longing to be with the people who make up their eternal family. Part of the salvation package (if you'll allow me to phrase it that way) is a care and concern for the church of God, found right there alongside our hope of eternal life and faith and joy in Jesus Christ. When this desire, this longing, this care and concern is not met, the Christian feels it and suffers through the consequences. And I do mean "suffer," here; the believer understands lack of fellowship to be painful, difficult, and tortuous.

Therefore, as we ponder this core doctrine together this morning, let's consider our calendars. Are we truly making the time to be together in a way that reflects biblical values? (Let me add: If you're waiting to "find time," you won't.)

But beyond that, let's also consider our hearts. Do we have the right attitude toward the church and our participation in Christ's body? If not, let us go to the Lord and ask Him for it.