Why go to church?

Answer 1

We go to church to have fellowship with fellow believers as well as to take time from our "worldly cares" to pay attention to our spiritual selves.

AnswerEven though it's technically possible to live the Christian life in isolation, it's certainly not the norm.

When you become a Christian, you are called into a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9), but 1 John 1:3 makes it clear that we enter a fellowship that goes two ways: with God and with other Christians.

The New Testament never divides Christians into the church members and the non-church members. All the way through, it assumes that everybody participates in their local church gathering. One scholar has said that "any idea...of enjoying salvation or being a Christian in isolation is foreign to the New Testament writings" (Alan Stibbs, God's Church, p. 92). Wherever Christians are within range of each other in the New Testament, they meet. Every time the Apostle Paul comes to a town in the book of Acts where there are no Christians, he wins a few converts and immediately organizes them into a small group - a little church. In these churches they indulged in activities described by Paul: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them." For Christians in every location, regular gathering was a part of life.

It's illogical to say that you are part of the worldwide, universal church, yet refuse to gather with the segment of that universal church that exists in your area. It would be like claiming you have a car, when the right fender is in America, the engine is in the UK, and the wheels are in Russia. You don't have a car; you have the beginning of the inventory for a junkyard. It just won't function until the pieces are put together.

The church must be together to carry out many of its purposes.

Here are some irreplaceable pieces of the Christian that cannot happen when you live in isolation from the church:

• Worship. If you love God then worship is second nature. Worship really means 'worth-ship' - giving God his worth. This can be better achieved in the company of other Christians than alone.
• Use of Spiritual Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12 makes it clear that God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian. And verse 7 states unmistakably that these abilities are not provided to make you feel good; they are abilities to minister to others and that should be used for the common good! The same passage makes it clear that we meet with other Christians so they can use their gifts to strengthen us. God's gift of a preacher or teacher is wasted if no one comes to hear them speak.
• Bible Study - although this can be done privately, meeting for study is much more effective as scripture can be discussed, argued and mutual support sought.
• Prayer - private prayer is important, but corporate prayer is just as important. Prayer with others increases our closeness with others as well as our joint closeness with God.
• Mutual ministry - The church is pictured as a body in 1 Corinthians 12, and Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness.
• The New Testament is full of "one another" commands. We are to comfort one another, build up one another. confess our sins to one another , pray for one another, and many more. How can we obey these directives if we stay away from the gathering of believers?
• Accountability - God designed the church as a place where spiritual leaders could watch out for our welfare, as a shepherd guards the sheep A Christian who answers only to himself can easily rationalize sinful attitudes or actions; regular contact with other Christians can keep us sharp.

Finally, a story about a wise man: a young, new Christian once went to visit an old wise Christian of many years. They both sat in front of his roaring coal fire and the young Christian and asked him why he should go to church. The old man sat in silence for a while and then bent down and picked up a coal out of the fire with some tongs. He placed the burning coal on its own on the hearth and watched it. Within a short time the coal cooled and turned into a dull gray cinder. He then picked it up and placed it backon the fire and within seconds it burned bright yet again. "I think you have answered my question" said the young Christian.

With other Christians in worship we too become fired with the Holy Spirit. Alone, without mutual support, the trappings of daily life soon take over and God is forgotten. We become as a cinder - dull and worthless as Christians.

Answer 2

because you can learn more about god