\nThis article addresses this question from a biblical perspective, Why should I go to church, why is church attendance important.<\/p>\n
9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.<\/i><\/span> 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.<\/i><\/span> The Word of God is the bedrock of the Christian life.<\/p>\n Everything must be built on it.<\/p>\n 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: It provides the intellectual basis for all of our beliefs, and it shapes our understanding of our whole lives and all of creation.<\/p>\n 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.<\/i><\/span> 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. Notice the usage of the words spirit , life and eat<\/p>\n Word of God here is described by Jesus as \u201cSpirit\u201d and \u201clife\u201d, which if a man eats he will have life.<\/p>\n Knowing the Word of God is therefore very important and needs to play a vital role in the life of the believer.<\/p>\n 19 Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. …….. and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.<\/i><\/span> James says, in the quote above, that the Christian should with meekness receive the Word into his heart, for this Word will \u201csave\u201d, or restore, heal or rejuvenate, our souls.<\/p>\n The continual consumption of the Word of God will shape us to be more and more like Christ.<\/p>\n This is a force that needs to be continually active in our lives.<\/p>\n There are methods we can use to accomplish this, but none is so effective as being in church.<\/p>\n The scripture admonishes us to be faithful to the house of the Lord, let’s look at several translations of the same scripture:<\/p>\n 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.<\/span> 25 Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.<\/span> 25 not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.<\/span> 25 not neglecting our own congregational meetings, as some have made a practice of doing, but, rather, encouraging each other. And let us do this all the more as you see the Day approaching.<\/span> Word of God is substantial and complex, and the depth of it cannot be comprehended in a month or a year, but is the work of a lifetime.<\/p>\n Christianity is the only religion where you never stop growing, you never arrive<\/p>\n Notice the word CHURCH – It’s not just the same without the U in it – CHRCH<\/p>\n You may not feel like it but YOU are important to the church<\/p>\n Why?<\/p>\n One of the ways the enemy of our souls attacks us is through our self esteem, our sense of worth.<\/p>\n If he can discourage you through attacking your self esteem he can cause you to fall out of church, discouraging both you and those you minister to.<\/p>\n A lot of people talk a good game with God, but their actions don’t verify their faith for the Apostle James wrote:<\/p>\n 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.<\/span> I\u2019ve noticed that a large number Christian parents talk a lot about wanting their children to make God their number one priority, but then those same parents will fail to show their priorities in relation to church.<\/p>\n So are they really teaching their kids to prioritize God?<\/p>\n Kids learn a lot more from what you say and do than what you just say.<\/p>\n When you say that God is your number one, but you lack faithfulness to the house of the Lord, your kids see that.<\/p>\n Christians with unbelieving spouses also need to take this into consideration. When wives are told to submit to their husbands, they are to do so \u201cas is fitting in the Lord\u201d<\/em> (Col. 3:18).<\/p>\n They are also told they can win their husbands without the Word by their walk with God.<\/p>\n Wives, fit in with your husbands’ plans; for then if they refuse to listen when you talk to them about the Lord, they will be won by your respectful, pure behavior. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words.\/i><\/span> Our relationships with our families and friends must always be subjected under the Lordship of Christ.<\/p>\n That means that God\u2019s policies come before everyone else\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n Everyone is watching you as you follow Jesus, so what are you teaching then?<\/p>\n 2 [No] you yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody.<\/span> A couple of years ago one of our well known preachers made the statement something to this effect, “we have taught our people how to shout and dance to the preaching, but we have failed to properly teach them”.<\/p>\n A good balanced diet of the Word consists of preaching AND teaching<\/p>\n God has chosen to save people by the foolishness of preaching<\/p>\n 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.\/i><\/span> But he has chosen to KEEP his people through teaching<\/p>\n 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.<\/span> Some have this thought that once people become Christians, they no longer needed to hear the gospel or to be taught the Word.<\/p>\n That is because of the influence of Calvinism and the once saved always saved movement.<\/p>\n But Jesus spoke concerning the last days and stated:<\/p>\n 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.<\/span><\/p>\n 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.<\/span><\/p>\n 13 But he that shall endure<\/strong> unto the end, the same shall be saved.<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n Matt 24:11-13 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n Endurance and perseverance requires strength, and our spiritual strength comes from gathering together.<\/p>\n 3 But [on the other hand], the one who prophesies [who interprets the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching]<\/b> speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation.<\/span> One of the most important things that Christians need is consistent reflection on the word of God.<\/p>\n The apostle Paul told the Roman Christians that God \u201cis able to strengthen you according to [the] gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ\u201d<\/span> (Rom. 16:25)<\/b>.<\/p>\n Did you see the depth of that statement?<\/p>\n God strengthens you with both the gospel and the preaching of Jesus.<\/p>\n Do you really believe that you do not need to be strengthened on a consistent basis?<\/p>\n Not only are you strengthened explicitly through the messages preached, but you also experience God\u2019s presence in a powerful way when His people gather together.<\/p>\n This may seem clich\u00e9, but the Word actually commands that you don\u2019t neglect public worship.<\/p>\n As we examined somewhat earlier in this article, the writer of Hebrews says that Christians should \u201cconsider how to stir up one another to love and good works\u201d and then adds that those same Christians should \u201cnot [be found] neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near\u201d (Heb. 10:24-25).<\/p>\n Look at that closely.<\/p>\n The Christian who takes God\u2019s Word seriously (is there any other type of true Christian?) will notice that the writer of Hebrews noted that there were some, as there are today,\u00a0 who neglect the gathering together of the Church, but that Christians should not neglect those gatherings.<\/p>\n Rather, they should be encouraging one another and, as the previous verse states, be found doing their best to stir each other up to love more and to participate in more of the good works of the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n But it doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n The writer attaches this way of living to the expectation of future judgment.<\/p>\n Yes, you are supposed to attend public worship and participate in encouraging others because God\u2019s judgment is coming.<\/p>\n How do we know that the \u201cDay\u201d of v. 25 refers to judgment?<\/p>\n Simple, read verses 26-31. If you truly have been born again (John 3:1-8)\u00a0 then there is a deep desire in your heart to worship God and to fellowship with other believers and to live a life shaped by Scripture and the on-going walk in the Spirit.<\/p>\n Sometimes we just need reminders of these great things!<\/p>\n Let me encourage you to find a bible believing church and become\u00a0 part of it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1067","page","type-page","status-publish"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1067"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1082,"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1067\/revisions\/1082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/njupc.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
\n11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! <\/i><\/span>
\nPsalms 119:9-11 NKJV<\/b><\/p>\n
\nJames 1:21-22 NKJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nJohn 6:63 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
\n26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
\n27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.<\/i><\/span>
\nMatt 7:24-27 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nJohn 6:63 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.<\/i><\/span>
\nJohn 6:57-58 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n20 For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].
\n21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.<\/i><\/span>
\nJames 1:19-21 AMP<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nJames 1:21 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nHeb 10:25 AMP (Amplified version)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nHeb 10:25 TLB (The Living Bible)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nHeb 10:25 MSG (The Message Bible)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nHeb 10:25 CJB (The Complete Jewish Bible)<\/strong><\/p>\n(1) Your attendance ministers to other people.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
(2) Your attendance teaches the people that are around you about what your priorities are in life.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nJames 2:26 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1 Peter 3:1 TLB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n2 Corinthians 3:2 AMP<\/strong><\/p>\n(3) You need to be strengthened by the preaching and teaching of the Word.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nTitus 1:8 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1 Cor 14:3 AMP<\/strong><\/p>\n(4) Scripture teaches that Christians are to gather together for the specific purpose of worship and ministry. <\/strong><\/h2>\n