Why every Christian needs a church
God created the church to help people live out their Christian lives. Discipleship, training, equipping, community, and much more come from being in the church. While the popular Christian catch-phrase “You do not go to church, you are the church” is a good sentiment in some ways, this view can often be misconstrued by pitting “being the church” and “going to church” against each other. If we are truly “the church,” we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot “be” the church if we do not “go” to church. Not fully anyhow. The church never connotes single, individual, lone ranger Christians just going about their duties and never gathering to worship together with other believers.
God has ordained the church, a fellowship of the flawed, to carry out His will and purpose in the world. When we consider the biblical teachings of the church, we become aware of its vital importance for growth in Christ. As a branch grows through its connection to the tree, so do we thrive when staying connected to the church. If we are to explore this issue, it is necessary to consider what the Bible says about the church. However, before we can look at what the New Testament teaches about the church, we first need to see what the Old Testament says about life and worship.
What the Old Testament says about the church
God had instructed Moses to build a tabernacle—a portable tent representing the presence of God dwelling amid his people. The tabernacle, and later the temple, were the places that God had ordained where sacrifices were to be carried out and festivals were to be celebrated. It functioned as the central location of instruction and teachings about God and His will for Israel. From the tabernacle and temple, Israel sang forth loud and joyful hymns of praise and worship to God’s glory. Instructions for building the tabernacle required for it to be at the center of Israel’s encampment. Later, the site of the temple in Jerusalem was seen as a representation of the center-point of the land. The temple and tabernacle were not only to be viewed as the geographical center of Israel but were intended to be the spiritual center of Israel as well. Like spokes of a wheel fanning out from the hub, so were the occurrences at these worship centers to affect every aspect of Israelite life.
Although we do not find the word “church” written in the Old Testament, that only holds for the English translation of the Bible. However, the Greek translation of the word “church” is “ekklēsia,” which is used in the New Testament for describing a specific gathering of Christians or all believers together. The same word (ekklēsia) is used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, to translate the Hebrew term “qāhāl,” which means “assembly.” The word was used as a description of when Israel gathered together to appear before God or as a general reference to all of Israel. “Sunagōgē” is another Greek word used for translating “qāhāl,” and also used to translate another word for Israel, ‘ēdâ, which means congregation. In the New Testament, “sunagōgē” is most often used for a synagogue or its members but is used as a gathering of Christians in James 2:2. The terms used in the New Testament for the church are not new but rooted in the Old Testament. Israel was thus, in at least some sense, the Old Testament church-assembly-congregation!
The church as the communion of Saints
Since the very beginning of God’s dealings with his people, the Bible has stressed community. Biblical discussions of godly living are nearly always set in the context of growing together, in community, as God’s people. For Christians, dating back over 2,000 years to the present, God has established the church as the vehicle for that community. Some current movements are seeking to adapt or replace more traditional understandings of the local church, often seeing a smaller group of friends meeting together, for instance, as Church. However, that is not quite the picture we see in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, we see young and old mixing, as older women and men are to teach younger women and men. We see people who come from different stages in life, occupations, and backgrounds coming together to worship God. Paul stressed that the social splits typical of most societal groups have no place in the church, as it should be a place of diversity, where each individual can contribute to the whole. Limiting oneself to a small circle of peers is not sanctioned by Scripture and does not cultivate or promote spiritual growth.
Unfortunately, there are many modern-day churches in which church leaders attempt to dominate their congregation rather than shepherd them into the model of the selfless love of Jesus. However, those bad examples do not take away the biblical command to gather and worship as a church. Local churches undoubtedly have their flaws, as they are made up of sinful and flawed people. The Apostles’ Creed refers to the church as a “communion of saints.”
Coming into the church, we often imagine there to be no problems, no conflicts, and no frustrations among our community of saints. However, we tend to forget the fact that we are a community of flawed individuals, still burdened by our imperfections, sins, and failures. It is, in fact, precisely because of all our flaws and faults that we need each other.
Four reasons why church is important:
There is a great deal of uncertainty for many a person regarding the reasons why a Christian should become a member of a local church. A common misconception people often believe is the warped view that membership is merely a technicality, not seeing much of a difference between attendance and membership. Membership is about making a commitment. It is a commitment to the body of doctrine, the body of people, and to the body of Christ. Becoming a member means joining arms with others of like faith and joining God in His redemptive work in this world. God’s word teaches us the importance of active participation in a local church. Perhaps it is time for God’s people to recommit themselves to regular and active involvement in a local church. Here are four reasons why believers should prioritize church attendance in their personal and family schedules and put going to church ahead of other seemingly beneficial activities.
1. Christians need each other
If you want to know what you believe, just listen to what your friends have to say. The more time we spend around those who ridicule God, the more we allow their attitudes to affect our own attitudes and thoughts (Psalm 1:1-2). In contrast, the more time we spend with God’s people and in His presence, the more like Jesus we will become. That is why the writer of Hebrews encouraged Christians not to give up meeting together. If we want to hold to our faith unswervingly, we need to surround ourselves with people who will motivate and encourage us to follow Jesus even when it is difficult, to have faith even when everything seems hopeless, and to rely on God even when we think we can handle everything on our own (Hebrews 10:23-25).
We need fellowship and Christian community found in the church. We all yearn for community and connection with others. God has rendered us this gift in gathering together for church. It fulfills something inside us when we do life with others, encourage one another, and are authentically involved in each other’s lives. While Christian TV, podcasts, books, and conferences are all wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, nothing can take the place of the consistent Christian community through the local church.
2. Discover your spiritual gifts
Each person has a unique skill that God wishes to use in us with the purpose of reaching others so that they can come to know and follow God. These skills are called spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12). We discover our spiritual gifts in the same way as we discover any other special talent. Kobe Bryant only realized he was great at basketball when he started playing basketball. Katy Perry only discovered that she could sing when she began singing. And just as a prima ballerina would never have known she was good at dancing had she not gone to her first ballet class, so too will we never uncover what the Lord has equipped and called us to do if we do not get involved.
The Church is God’s avenue for Christians to utilize and practice our God-given spiritual gifts. Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12 highlight that every believer is the recipient of one or more spiritual gifts as God-given enablement for serving Him in the church effectively. God never intended His church to be for spectators who only show up for attendance on a Sunday morning. He designed it as a place for believers to take part in church functions by utilizing their spiritual gifts.
3. We need authority
We do not have to believe anything anyone tells us about God at face value. He has appointed leaders in the church to guide and to teach us (Hebrews 13:17). God has given us the Bible and the Church so we can know what is from Him. Through the church’s authority structure, we can test and see what is of God and what is not when we cannot discern on our own. When we have prayed, read the Bible, and are still unsure what to do, the church is where we go for advice. To lead his Church, God appoints elders as leaders (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The leaders of the local church never possess absolute authority. Whatever authority they have is delegated by God. According to the Bible, Christians are commanded to submit to their local church’s leaders (Heb. 13:17; 1 These.5:12-13).
The concept of submission has negative connotations, and many Christians may balk at this assertion, but submitting to the leaders of your local church is good for you, for the church, and it brings glory to God. Submitting to Christian leadership is integral to New Testament Christianity. The ‘going it alone’ approach might work just fine in the short term. However, eventually we err if we believe we do not need structures and human authority. God’s provision of order and authority in the church is his realistic way of helping us. (See Titus 1:5; Hebrews 13:17.)
4. We always need grace
Church people are not perfect people. Although we are forgiven, we are still sinners. No matter how long we have been following Jesus, we are bound to slip up, fall short, and sin. And when we do, we need a place where we can come to be healed, restored, and renewed. That place is the church. We grow more spiritually when we gather together in a church environment than we can by ourselves. It can get messy when we step into each other’s lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect, so it requires much effort, intentionality, and grace from God to do life together, even as believers. Gathering regularly together with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help, pray for, and encourage each other to follow Christ more wholeheartedly.
Do not let excuses stand in the way of what God is calling you to do. God will strengthen and empower you to do what He has called you to do. He will bring healing and grace to you as you seek to follow Him and love His Church. If you would like to call Grace your home church, contact us today to become a member.