What's The Point?

Why do I have to go to church? Do I have to go to church to go to heaven? These and other questions similar have been asked for centuries, and will probably still be asked until the day Jesus returns! I intend to offer my two cents worth into the age old debate on what is the point of church. I would like to take a moment or two and answer the two above questions…

Why do I have to go to church?

1) It’s a Commandment – Hebrews 10:25: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The writer of Hebrews is in the middle of encouraging the Christians to not leave their faith. He had talked to them about persevering, having confidence before God because of their relationship with Him, about having a clear conscience before God, and about how Christians are to encourage one another. We go to church, not for ourselves, but for each other. When we get together as a church it is a family. When you miss out on your family, you miss out on everything that really matters…spiritual connectedness.

2) It’s what Jesus is all about –

“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” Acts 4:32-35

Obviously if Jesus was going to give the disciples the Holy Spirit, and that Spirit was going to work so quickly to make an impact on the world…Jesus must have seen it as important. The ministry of Jesus is solely dependent on one thing—the church. The body of Christ is what Jesus has given to carry out HIS mission, to seek and save the lost. What we do in the church is to encourage and strengthen one another toward that end. We do this through fellowship, discipleship, serving others, and growing closer to Christ—and each other.

Do I have to go to church to go to heaven?

I don’t know. How about that? I do know this, however, and that is Jesus instituted the church and saw it as important, and that is enough conviction for me to make sure me and my family are there.

4 Common reasons and responses for not attending church…

1) Church is boring

Church is as lively and exciting as you make it. If you stay up way late on Saturday night and come in on Sunday morning dragging…it will be extremely boring. If you think it is boring, talk to your church pastor or church leadership about some different methods to liven up the service. Maybe you are the leader your church needs to help your church go to the next level!

2) Church is full of hypocrites

This is exactly true! Church is full of hypocrites, that’s why they are in church! Jesus said: “"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."(Mark 2:17). We are all sinners in need of the great physician to help us get better.

3) Churches just want my money

While it is true that it takes money for the church to do ministry, pay staff, keep the building in good condition, etc… That is not all churches want. Churches (unless they are a part of a denomination) depend on the giving of it’s members to operate…that is why they spend so much time on giving, not to mention the fact that the Bible stresses sacrificial giving and tithing on numerous occasions.

4) Church is full of rules to make you feel guilty

Church is only filled with the rules of scripture, so if you really have an issue with church rules, God is the one to take issue with. We live in a society that does not like to be told something is wrong. We like to be tolerant (unless, of course, it goes against what we want or like or believe). The Bible has a set of standards of right from wrong that has stood the test of time (over 3,000 years)…so maybe it knows a little about the subject. The guilt we feel is usually the result of the Holy Spirit letting us know what we are doing is wrong…so we need to listen.

My hope and prayer is that you find a church that you can be a vital part of. You will not find a perfect church…every church has issues. The goal in life is to find the right church family that you can feel comfortable going through hard times with. The church is Gods tool to reach the lost…if you are not a part of that tool, you are not reaching the lost, and if you are not reaching the lost…what’s the point?