What’s the Big Deal?

“See you in church!”

“Go to church!”

“I think he’s a Christian, but he doesn’t go to church.”

“There’s a wonderful Bible study every Tuesday night, down the street at the Smith’s house.  Everyone on our block is invited.  You should come!”

Church, church, church.  All these Bible thumpers always getting together.  Meet, meet, meet.  Study, study, study.

What’s the big deal?  I can meet with God and worship on the golf course (Praise the Lord, a hole in one!!), or even better, on the lake (Thank You Jesus! That’s a twelve pounder!!).

What is the big deal about going to church?

In Hebrews 10:25, we are instructed:

²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

For encouragement.  To receive encouragement to “stay the course” and to encourage others to do the same, as the return of Jesus draws near.  We know Jesus is coming soon and so does Satan.  The closer we get to that moment, which no one knows what day or hour, but the closer we get, the harder Satan will attack us and the more encouragement we need from each other; the more we need to know Jesus and develop our personal relationship with Him.  Part of that process happens when we learn from each other.

Here’s how God designed this thing we call church: 

When we are saved, we are ’born again’ into the body of Christ or another way to say it is, we are born again into the family of God.  (Salvation is explained in the sidebar on the right under “your relationship with God".”)

In 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul tells the Christians:

¹² The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

And in the next verse, he explains a little further the importance of each member of the body:

¹⁴ Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

And then we see God’s design for His body, the Church.  It’s beautiful:

¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹ How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰ Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”   (read the rest of His beautiful design here)

But, still, why is it so important for me to go to church, to meet with a bunch of other Christians?

When we are born again, not only are we born into the family of God, but we are giving spiritual gifts.  We aren’t given those gifts to sit on a shelf.  We are given those gifts to use in whatever way our gift or gifts are designed to be used.

If we are a new Christian in need of teaching, learning and being discipled and we are not meeting with the body (church, Bible study, etc.), somewhere there is a body without ears.  What’s the point of teachers teaching and preachers preaching if there are not ears to hear?

If God has given you the gift of encouragement and you are not using that gift in “the body,”  somewhere there is a body without a heart!!  There’s a body without compassion and there are hurting people who need YOUR gift of encouragement.

If God has given you the gift of singing, and you are not, somewhere there is a church without praise.  Oh, how sad.

If God has given you the gift of teaching, and your not teaching in the body of Christ, somewhere there is a church without a mouth and a heart.

If God has gifted you with service, somewhere there is a church without hands and feet… and a heart.

If God has called you to preach and you’re not being obedient in response to that call, somewhere there is a church without a head!!  And believe me, there are churches all over this nation without a preacher and one day those who did not obey God’s call to preach, will give an account to God for those headless churches!  Oh my.

You get the picture now?  God has a gift and a purpose, a plan for each one of us in His family, and the local church or Bible study or small group in a home is one of the most important places He has designed for you to use that gift, to complete a body.

If you are born again and are not serving in a church, somewhere there is a body without a heart, or a hand, or a foot, or a head.  Or you the cause of a body being cripple?

²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

He is the Master, I am His slave.  His role is to supply me with whatever is needed for me to do the task He has told me to do.  My responsibility is to trust Him and do it.

Thank You Jesus for the joy of serving You and trusting You.

O magnify the LORD with me
And let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 43:3