Many Christians have decided that it is better not to attend church
because they get nothing out of it, the reality is that they put nothing
into it either! The Bible clearly teaches that we are to connect with a
local assembly for the purpose of being with a group of believers who are
truly worshipping God in truth and Spirit. One would never go to a dead
church and the Bible does not condone dead churches because of their false
gospels or lack of real gospel teaching but there are legitimate reasons
that a Christian should definitely be in a local assembly.
1) Communion or the Lord’s Supper
(1 Cor 11:23-26 KJV) For I have received of the Lord that which also I
delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was
betrayed took bread: {24} And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and
said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in
remembrance of me. {25} After the same manner also he took the cup, when
he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. {26} For as often as
ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till
he come.
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Lord Jesus celebrated the Last Supper
with His disciples right before He went to the cross. He was showing that
the bread and the cup were symbols of His sacrifice which was about to
happen. It was not until the book of First Corinthians was written that we
see it was a command of the Lord for His children to partake in the symbolic
Lord’s Supper. The reason we celebrate it is two-fold, to remember His
sacrifice and the looking for His return on the clouds of glory on the last
day. We must keep in mind that even though the Lord Jesus gave us the method
in the gospels, it was not until He wrote to the Church in Corinth that He
made it a command. The Lord’s Supper was to be partaken of, in the church,
until the Lord returns.
It is interesting to note that because this was written to the church,
there was also a warning that unbelievers were not to partake of it because
the consequence could be death because that would be profaning the Lord’s
Supper which was only meant for the true believer. Now this warning also
reveals to us that there were unbelievers in the Corinthian church as there
are in today’s churches. This is why many churches take the warnings very
seriously and practice closed communion so the elders have an opportunity to
speak to all the those in the congregation and spiritually assess to see if
all are truly saved. If they deem someone to be unsaved, they will tell the
person to let the elements pass by. If a person is unsure of their
salvation, it is better to let the elements go by, for there is no sin in
not taking the Lord’s Supper but to take it as an unbeliever (unworthily)
then that is a sin which carries consequences. The essence of these
statements in 1 Corinthians is that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed
until the Lord returns which means there must be a church in assembly until
He returns. This also tells us that the church age will end on the last day.
2) The use of Spiritual Gifts
(1 Tim 4:14 KJV) Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given
thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
All true Christians are given spiritual gifts for the following purpose
:
(Eph 4:11-12 KJV) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; {12} For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:
Perfecting
- This word means to equip or to make with complete
furnishing. This is the only place in the New Testament this word is used.
God is using the offices of the church to grow, mature, and ground the
Saints.
Work
- This word means works, tasks, or occupation. When a person
finds and hones their spiritual gift, they are able to begin working in the
sphere God has empowered them to work in. Normally each believer begins
their Christian work life within the context of their local church under the
supervision of those who are more mature in the faith.
Edifying
- This word means to literally build the body of Christ. It
carries the meaning of a building. We see this principle more clearly in
Ephesians 2:21-22. The word "building" in Verse 21 is the same word as
edifying in Eph 4:12.
(Eph 2:21-22 KJV) In whom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: {22} In whom ye also are builded
together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit implants spiritual gifts into new believers, the
first place that a Christian would normally begin to use those gifts would
be in the local church. It could be as a teacher, organizer, evangelism,
etc. When a new Christian works side by side with someone who is older in
the faith, they can begin to teach and help that Christian develop their
gift and then begin work in some sphere of Christian service. If a Christian
never mingles with other Christians, they may never find their spiritual
gift nor their sphere of service. When one is in a decent local church, they
may begin to grow and develop and mature in the faith. Then they would
become a good soldier of Christ.
3) Commit to Faithful Men
(2 Tim 2:2 KJV) And the things that thou hast heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach
others also.
One of the chief responsibilities of every Christian is to grow in the
faith and then hand down what they know to the next generation. If
Christians are running amok and have no intercourse with older Christians,
there will be no faithful Christians to hand down the true teachings and the
true teachings to. This is when the church will go out of existence but that
situation is not in view here. Timothy was a young pastor and in the first
chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul is exhorting Timothy to be on the lookout for
false teachers and teachings. He is doing this in the context of a local
church. God is showing us that false teachings can be exposed and controlled
by the local church if the leaders are biblically astute. If a Christian is
running around without any attachment to a local church, they will become
prey to every kind of false teaching out there. At least, when there are
more mature Christians around, they are able to spot and rebuke false
teachings and guide the younger Christian back to truth. Anyway, if there
are no churches, then how would the command to commit to faithful men the
true gospel be accomplished? How would one be judged as a faithful
Christian? Do we send out a questionnaire to their houses and have them fill
it out? The only way to tell if there is a faithful Christian who is
qualified for leadership is to see their Christian lives unfold, especially
during tough times, and their understanding of God’s Word. That is the way
we are able to commit to faithful Christians.
4) The Great Commission
(Mark 16:15 KJV) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature.
The primary reason of existence for the church is to preach the gospel
to the entire world so God may begin to reclaim His elect from all the
nations. This proclaiming continues until the last named one is saved and
then the end shall come. The local church is normally where the Christian
has their introduction to world missions and many churches have missionary
conferences where missionaries come and tell the people about the mission
field and what God is doing on the field, especially in foreign countries.
For almost 2,000 years the method of evangelism was the personal sending
forth of the gospel with missionaries who would dedicate their lives to a
certain field and would also normally translate the Bible into the
indigenous languages.
Since 1906 God began to use other methods beside personal missionaries
to bring the gospel to other countries. He began with AM Radio, then
Short-wave Radio, then Television, then FM radio, then Satellite, and now
the Internet. But as I mentioned before according to Wycliffe Bible
Translators, 60% of the world have never even used the telephone. This means
that well over three billion people would never be able to hear the gospel
because of lack of some type of receiving device. Mission societies have
always been tuned into the needs of the foreign fields and the local church
still has a major impact on world missions.
Since many countries have become closed to the ministry, mission
societies have begun to place a heavy emphasis on the support of nationals.
This is a wise decision because it cuts down training time for language
skills and since the nationals already live there, it cuts down on expenses
of moving and culture shock. For example, Gospel for Asia can support a
national pastor in India for between $90-150 per month.
Owing to severe poverty in many countries, word of mouth is still the
cheapest way to communicate the gospel. So it seems that God is using the
electronic medium to reach one half of the world and He is using word of
mouth to reach the other half. God blesses the local church that reaches out
with the gospel beyond their own walls. A missions minded church is a
blessed church which has its priorities in order.
5) No Elders or Pastors
(Heb 13:17 KJV) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit
yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account,
that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable
for you.
One of the reasons God gave the local church was to allow a pecking
order to exist for the purpose of keeping Christians in line. While
Christians are redeemed people, they still exist in the flesh and can go
awry in their walk. This is the reason that God gave Pastors and Elders to
the local church so there would be a system of accountability. The primary
function of these offices is found in the above verse. "They watch for your
souls." Their principal duty is to watch over the flock in the area of
spiritual growth. They are set there to be a guide to the sheep. (Prov
15:22 KJV) "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude
of counsellors they are established."
Remember this verse in the area of guidance. The Bible tells us that in
the church there should be a plurality of elders and not just one man. One
man can be very subjective to personal ideas but if a teaching or situation
is laid out before many elders, then an objective opinion could be more
easily given because even the elders could check each other while they
search. Without Godly oversight the same situation is going to happen to the
church as it did to Israel during the time of the Judges.
(Judg 21:25 KJV) "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man
did that which was right in his own eyes."
Without accountability
leadership, even Christians can go astray when left to the mercy of the
world. The idea of "fellowshipping" around a radio or the internet as stay
at home Christians do is foreign to the Scripture because God wants His
church to interact plus we read in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 that Paul was
expecting the Corinthian church to take up a collection and have it waiting
for him when he arrived. This was to be done in the context of the local
church.
There is not one shred of evidence in the Scriptures which teach the
system of Pastors and Elders has come to the end. As a matter of fact,
without any official leadership sad situations could arise, such as a person
may come into the assembly who is living in sin with another person and
without leaders to deal with the situation, the person could tell the other
Christians in the assembly to take a hike since they are not leaders. It is
a fact of life that leadership is needed in the church to deal with problems
that will arise in the spiritual realm. Can you imagine a corporation that
dissolves its board of directors and management staff and places everyone on
the same footing? Can you imagine the absentee rate? What about
productivity? 4 hour lunches? How long would that company survive? It is the
same with the local church. If the leadership offices are done away with and
all you have is a Bible teacher, then what makes you think that your
assembly will last? If accountability is done away with, do you honestly
expect people to come every week? If there is no accountability, the sin
nature will capitalize on it and will eventually dissolve that assembly and
destroy the testimony of many.
6) Weaker Christians
(Rom 14:1 KJV) Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to
doubtful disputations.
The word "weak" here from the original Greek carries with it the meaning
of "unhealthy, in need," along with "weak." Paul wrote this command to the
Roman Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that weaker Christians
were to be extended a welcome in the assembly. In contemporary Christianity
that need is still there. Those who are weak in the faith, not necessarily
new to the faith, need a place where they can ask questions and pour their
hearts out. You cannot do this in front of a radio or TV. The Bible is a
spiritually complex book and many Christians are not able to grasp many of
the truths and therefore need a place where they can be taught so
understanding may come. Weaker Christians need to have a place where they
can gain counsel on sensitive issues such as those we encounter in our daily
lives. If weaker Christians have no place to turn and have no interaction
with stronger Christians, they may face problems and fall.
God commands those who are stronger in the faith to bear the burdens of
those who are weaker in the faith. (Rom 15:1 KJV) "We then that are
strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please
ourselves." The word "infirmities" in this verse is a cognate of the
word "weak" in Romans 14:1. Those who have been trained well in the
Scriptures are able to cope with life’s problems and should pass on what
they know to those who are weak in the faith so they may begin to see
victories in their Christian walk. When weaker Christians begin to see
victories in their walk, they begin to be strengthened in the faith and then
defeats will be far and few in between. When they do come, that Christian
will be able to cope. The local church is still the best place to train a
believer. Many have been trained in the local church and have gone on to be
missionaries, bible teachers, pastors, etc., all because the local church
was there to help.
7) Occupy Till I Come
(Luke 19:13 KJV) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten
pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
The word "occupy" here carries with it the idea of doing a diligent
business with a good outcome. While this command was not given directly to
any church, yet it was given to all Christians. Now the majority of
Christians occupy themselves with spiritual work, not outside the church,
but within the context of the local church. The first Bible study I ever
taught was in my local church. The first sermon I ever preached was in my
local church. The first message I ever delivered to an elders conference was
in my local church. I became an elder in my local church (this was before I
knew about the marriage requirement). The Lord then opened the door to speak
to a National Elders Conference. So to capsulize this principle, if I was
not a member of a local church when I first became saved, I would not have
had the initial opportunity for preaching and teaching. Just an aside, the
church I was in was a dead church but there was a group of about 7 believers
there who became my cheerleaders and encouraged me in these things. I am
sure that many have the same story to tell that it was in the local church
where they became initially involved and the Lord began to widen their
ministries. So when the Lord gave the command to occupy till He comes back,
it is not just to go to work, but we are to occupy in the realm of His work
and normally that is within the local church. Incidentally, all the para-church
ministries out there have gotten their help through and from the local
church from where people learn of their needs and job openings. Christian
job sites do not cover them all.
8) Don’t Forsake the Assembling Together
(Heb 10:24-25 KJV) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works: {25} Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one
another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
One of the first places the Lord Jesus and Apostle Paul went in their
journeys was to the local synagogue where they would reason with those who
were gathered. This gives us a little insight into the importance of the
local gathering if both the Lord and Paul visited them. When Paul went to
Athens he visited Mars Hill and unfortunately in that location there was
nothing but false teachings being taught such as philosophy and false
religion.
Let us take a look at some of the words in Hebrews 10:25 and see if we
can retrieve a better understanding of this verse and how it relates to the
idea of leaving or dissolving a church.
Forsaking
- It carries with it the meaning of abandoning or
deserting. It does not carry a voluntary sense nor does it carry a positive
meaning. A parallel usage of the word which gives a good understanding of
the word is found in 2 Timothy 4:10:
(2 Tim 4:10 KJV) For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this
present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus
unto Dalmatia.
Assembling
- This word is used only twice in the New Testament. This
verse and 2 Thessalonians 2:1:
(2 Th 2:1 KJV) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
It is interesting to note that the assembling together of the true
believers on the Lord’s Day and the return of Christ are related. In 2
Thess. 2:1, the word describes the rapture of the church in another manner,
"gathering together." When the church gathers on Sunday it is a foreshadow
of the return of Christ when we shall be gathered unto Him but until that
time we are to gather together as a congregation. The weekly gathering is
like a mini-rapture as we see the believers come out of the world and away
into their churches, thus leaving the unbelievers in the world behind for a
few hours. On the last day, we shall leave the unbelievers behind forever
when we are gathered to our people.
Exhorting
- This word actually means encouraging one another.
This would be impossible to do if every one was staying home by their radio.
When believers meet together it is not only for fellowship and learning but
to encourage each other in the Lord. Most of what I hear on the radio is
gloom and doom which is fine for evangelism but a steady diet of that does
not grow a Christian instead it beats them down making them feel guilty for
being Christians and going to heaven.
The day approaching
- This phrase may be translated "the day drawing
near." This phrase is speaking of the approaching of the last day and the
return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that as we get
closer to the last day God makes it a point that believers should not
forsake or abandon their churches. This is probably because of all the false
teachings and theories which would characterize the last years prior to the
Lord’s return.
This verse is very explicit and whether you call the "assembling" a
church or a fellowship, it does not matter. This verse is teaching that
Christians are to gather until the last day and that order has not been
rescinded by any directives in Scripture. Spiritualized verses are never to
exceed the authority of the direct commands of Scripture. The direct
commands are plain while spiritualized verses are subjective to the teaching
at hand.
Summary
We have looked at quite a large number of verses and all have harmonized
that the Christian is to attend a local church if it is still reasonably
faithful to God’s Word. Those churches which have become apostate have had
their candlesticks removed but faithful churches are still in existence
today. These eight basic reasons are biblically based and if a Christian is
going to be obedient in that area, then they need to follow the biblical
guidelines and find a good bible teaching church.