To Church or Not to Church

Some people joke about the “Bedside Baptists” who attend the "Chapel of the Tube" on Sunday mornings. Another "tongue in cheek" joke: "Those that attend Sunday morning love the preacher. Those that attend Sunday night love the church, and those that attend midweek services love the Lord!" But it's more than a joke. Many people refuse to get near a church unless their nephew is playing the role of a sheep in the Christmas pageant! They claim they can get more out of a walk in the woods than from the typical sermon.  Can a Christian survive apart from a church? Some Christians have no choice. They are trapped in a hospital bed, or working in an isolated area where no church exists. And God is certainly sufficient to care for their needs. You can still get to heaven if you can't go to church. But even though it's technically possible to live the Christian life in isolation, it's certainly not the norm. Well, why would a Christian go to church every Sunday? I could get all Holy and give you tons of Scripture verses that tell you: because God said so that's why! Well my goodness... has God been to some of these churches? Why would He tell us to go to church? I think I'll just let a little holy terror's mama tell you why:

Little Dewey was one of those holy terrors. His dad was surprised when Dewey's mom suggested that they buy him a bike for his birthday. "Do you really believe that'll help improve his behavior?" he asked. "Well, no," she admitted, "But it'll spread it over a wider area."

That's it! Right there! That's why I go to church! To spread what God has given me over a wider area. To fellowship and worship with others who love Jesus, to encourage a sister or brother when times are tough, to support the work of God in the world, in our community. Did you know it's the churches in a community that are among the first responders to a crisis? It's just amazing how the time and resorces you give to your church united with other gifted member will grow like fishes & loaves. Your involvement keeps you from spiritual drifting, backsliding or apostasy and the array of spiritual blessings are immeasurable.

A pearl to string: God has placed each one of us in the body of Christ as it pleases Him and not where we place ourselves. God says through Paul in I Corinthians 12:18, “But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” God did not place these members outside of the body nor did He intend for each member to be in single, individual homes because they can not function properly detached from one another.

He gave His life for you
Know you are loved,
Lyndi