Why Christians should go to church

[Croghanite]

Know of any good sermons that deal with this subject?

Something that deals with the old "I don't have to go to church to be a christian" line of thought.

thanks

 

[Confessor]

The pope handled this issue very directly for the Roman Catholic Church, by declaring the non-attendance of Mass a mortal sin.

Fortunately we do not accept papal authority.

 

[Poimen]

I don't have a sermon but I have some points I have written up-

Positively we consider:

1) The scriptures tell us that the day of Christian worship is “the Lord’s Day”. (Revelation 1:10) We are called to serve Him and put aside anything that might hinder that: “if you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight… Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD” (Isaiah 58:13-14) Delighting ourselves in Him means setting the whole day aside, for His worship and praise. We meet in the morning and afternoon to honor that command. (Psalm 92:1-2)

2) The Word is preached to us twice that we might open our mouths wide, be fed and be satisfied. (Psalm 81:10)

3) The scriptures call us to fellowship and commune with each other in worship (Psalm 84; Ephesians 5:19-20).

4) The scriptures call us to follow the faith (or example) of our office bearers (Hebrews 13:7). According to Article 37 of the URCNA Church Order, the “consistory shall call the congregation together for corporate worship twice on each Lord's Day.” (emphasis ours) We continue to do so in the hope and expectation that a joyful response will come forth from God’s people.

Negatively we consider:

1) When we stay away from worship we devalue our relationship to the Lord. He calls us to worship and promises to meet us there. (Psalm 100) If we are not there, but in the presence of others instead, are we saying that our relationship with them is more important? (Matthew 10:37)

2) When we stay away from worship we devalue the Word. If the Word is being preached faithfully we not only have a duty but an opportunity to once again be fed. Do we delight in God’s Word and its regular exposition or are we saying ‘no’ to the meal set before us? (John 6:63)

3) The scriptures explicitly call us not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together.” (Hebrews 10:25)

 

[Croghanite]

I really would like a sermon. I do electrical service work and I can play sermons for my apprentice to hear as we drive around.

 

[Tim]

I think sermonaudio.com allows you to search for sermons on specific scripture passages. Put any of the ones mentioned above by Poimen. I especially like Heb. 10: 24-25.

 

[Davidius]

The pope handled this issue very directly for the Roman Catholic Church, by declaring the non-attendance of Mass a mortal sin.

Fortunately we do not accept papal authority.

I'm not following you. We don't have the RCC's hierarchy of venial and mortal sins, but do you not agree that skipping church is a big deal?

 

[Scott1]

One way that might he helpful in exposing the presupposition in this is:

Not going to church is denying the body of Christ.

God regenerates us, justifies us, and adopts us into the Body of Christ as sons. To have a life pattern apart from that is to deny that truth, before God (and before men).

 

[Pilgrim]

Here's a tract that addresses this issue:

Go to Church or Go to Hell by Conrad Murrell

 

[Seb]

Here's a few sermons/podcasts from the URC:

URC Learning » church membership

and from the Sinners & Saints guys:

URC Learning » Join a Church!

 

[Confessor]

The pope handled this issue very directly for the Roman Catholic Church, by declaring the non-attendance of Mass a mortal sin.

Fortunately we do not accept papal authority.

I'm not following you. We don't have the RCC's hierarchy of venial and mortal sins, but do you not agree that skipping church is a big deal?

Sorry, in retrospect I see that those sentences appear interrelated, but they were not. Not going to church is certainly a big deal, and my comment on our not accepting papal authority was more of a peripheral one.

 

[Davidius]

The pope handled this issue very directly for the Roman Catholic Church, by declaring the non-attendance of Mass a mortal sin.

Fortunately we do not accept papal authority.

I'm not following you. We don't have the RCC's hierarchy of venial and mortal sins, but do you not agree that skipping church is a big deal?

Sorry, in retrospect I see that those sentences appear interrelated, but they were not. Not going to church is certainly a big deal, and my comment on our not accepting papal authority was more of a peripheral one.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Joe,

Sinclair Ferguson had a wonderful sermon on Sunday that demonstrates Paul's exception love for the Corinthian Church. Paul contrasts his own love for the Church with the super-Apostles who are jealous for the Corinthians so they can have them for themselves. The real question here is: "Do you love the brethren?"

Sunday AM Services (look for Exposing the Disguise)

 

[Semper Fidelis]

For what it's worth: Bear Each Other's Burdens (Galatians 6) | SoliDeoGloria.com

 

[Rev. Todd Ruddell]

In addition to Rev. Kok's excellent post, consider that what we do on the Lord's Day, when we're involved in all the means of grace, (Word, Sacraments, Prayer, Godly conversation and fellowship, Singing of Psalms, etc.) is that the Lord, by these appointed means continues to chip away at our natural, corrupted thinking and little by little, more and more, as we're exposed not only to our own Bible reading and study, but especially to the preaching of the Word, and the discussion of it with others, that the Lord changes the way we think, conforming it to His own, from which follows godly behavior.

It is my considered opinion that not only neglect of going to Church, but neglect of making good use of the ordinances on the Lord's Day, contributes mightily to Christian apostacy.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

The Book of Hebrews is so chock full of warnings about falling away and is equally full of exhortations that we strive, we remain faithful, let us consider how we may stir up....

Frankly, the person that does not want to be in and among Word, Sacrament, Fellowship, and the Discipline of the Church is in grave danger of falling into the hands of the Living God. It's not a "Law thing", per se, where the person earns merit points but it's all about hearing about what Christ has done, being reminded of it, being engrossed in it, being encourage in it.

The days are evil and we need each other to see ourselves for who we are and our constant need to cling to Him and to see our brothers' and sisters' need of us to strive with them that we all keep believing.

 

[R. Scott Clark]

Three resources on this question:

Jesus Didn't Die for Campus Ministry.

This is a major theme in Recovering the Reformed Confession.

The Church: The Christ Confessing Covenant Community (with thanks to Derke Bergmsa for that phrase)

Finally, WCF 21:6

Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshiped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by his Word or providence, calleth thereunto.

 

[Croghanite]

I appreciate the help, thanks.