Here are a week’s worth of daily reflections on why to never miss a Sunday gathering, but for absence and illness.
They are intended as encouragements not rebukes. With all the distractions of summer now here and modern life increasingly 24/7 these are truths to constantly remind ourselves of, so that we make this time an absolute non-negotiable for us and our children.
Out of our 112 waking hours each week, our two hours together comprise just 1.8%. So, we have titled these: Venerate the 1.8.
1) AT CHURCH WE JOIN HEAVEN IN WORSHIP.
| Hebrews 12v22-24: “You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
Now “we live by faith not sight” (2 Cor 5v7). The Lord has set things up this way in part so that in things that seem small and insignificant our devotion to him is proved by the fact that we see through faith just how weighty and profound those things are: a baby in the manger being the Lord of glory; a humiliating death working salvation and the restoration of the cosmos; and with that, our messy gathering of a hundred or so in a community building being a joining with the entire host of heaven! The apostle Paul even implies angels look on when we meet.
What this means, is that our choosing to order our time to be there each Sunday if at all possible is deeply honouring to God. It shows he is first. It is the one time above all others our heavenly Father and royal brother call us to come and meet with them. That’s why Sunday became known as “the Lord’s day” (Rev 1v10, Acts 20v7). And they call us to worship with purpose, as they have created music and song to engage us in ways little else does: to deepen our appreciation and so joy in all they are to us; to instruct each other in their truth, and embed it in our memories for our good (Col 3v16).
Of course we can worship on our own, but we rarely do and so need the gathering to draw us to worship and teach us how if it is new to us. Moreover, individual praise doesn’t benefit in the way that corporate praise does. And when we do obey the Lord in this, in time we will find he profoundly refreshes us through it.
I still remember how alien church and worship was to me when I first became a Christian. And we’ve had may times when it’d be easier to be elsewhere or give in to teenage protestations! But when we see by faith what’s there behind the scenes, why wouldn’t we want to be there?
2) AT CHURCH WE HEAR GOD SPEAK HIS LIFE-GIVING WORD.
Now “we live by faith not sight” (2 Cor 5v7). The Lord has set things up this way in part so that in things that seem small and insignificant our devotion to him is proved by the fact that we see through faith just how weighty and profound those things are: a baby in the manger being the Lord of glory; a humiliating death working salvation and the restoration of the cosmos; and with that, our messy gathering of a hundred or so in a community building being a joining with the entire host of heaven! The apostle Paul even implies angels look on when we meet.
What this means, is that our choosing to order our time to be there each Sunday if at all possible is deeply honouring to God. It shows he is first. It is the one time above all others our heavenly Father and royal brother call us to come and meet with them. That’s why Sunday became known as “the Lord’s day” (Rev 1v10, Acts 20v7). And they call us to worship with purpose, as they have created music and song to engage us in ways little else does: to deepen our appreciation and so joy in all they are to us; to instruct each other in their truth, and embed it in our memories for our good (Col 3v16).
Of course we can worship on our own, but we rarely do and so need the gathering to draw us to worship and teach us how if it is new to us. Moreover, individual praise doesn’t benefit in the way that corporate praise does. And when we do obey the Lord in this, in time we will find he profoundly refreshes us through it.
I still remember how alien church and worship was to me when I first became a Christian. And we’ve had may times when it’d be easier to be elsewhere or give in to teenage protestations! But when we see by faith what’s there behind the scenes, why wouldn’t we want to be there?
2) AT CHURCH WE HEAR GOD SPEAK HIS LIFE-GIVING WORD.
| Hebrews 12v25-27: “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
These verses come straight after those from yesterday. The sense is that in gathered worship we hear God speak from his throne as the Bible is read and preached.
Just ponder that. As yesterday, we see through the eyes of faith how what seems so mundane and insignificant is infinitely profound and weighty. What grace that the Lord would use the weak and faltering attempts of us preachers to minister his word like the disciples taking the miraculous bread and fish to the thousands.
And the eyes of faith see that word for what it is. It is life-giving, for as Jesus said: “My words are full of the Spirit and life” (Jn 6v63). Hebrews 3v7 makes this point profoundly. Quoting a psalm written by King David around 1000BC, it is introduced as “the Spirit says” – present tense. So, the Bible’s words are not just historical words back then, but the present word of the Spirit to us today.
The logic is that we should receive God’s word in scripture with the same reverence and awe as if the Lord Jesus was preaching it to us. And just as he brought the life of creation into being by his word, he now uses his word to work spiritual life in us. We will not and cannot keep going or growing as Christians without it. So, we neglect it to our peril as the verses above show. It saves us, it strengthens us, it sustains us, and it sanctifies us. And without it we will gradually wither and die (Psalm 1v1-3). I imagine we have all experienced that to some extent.
Of course, we can read it on our own and we can listen to sermons online, although time often pushes those things out. But “Christ himself” has given teachers as his personal gifts to the church and for a reason (Eph 4v7-13). Only as we gather can we benefit from those who have the training and time to study in depth, and who know our particular flock so it can be applied as medicine according to our particular needs. Even the greatest preachers from elsewhere are unable to do that.
And although it is good to study in our growth groups, God has commanded preachers to preach because of the particularly authoritative way that style of communication hits home in his hands (2 Tim 4v1-5). Moreover, by charging them in the light of the judgment to do this “in season and out of season” he implies that as hearers we are called to attentively listen “in season and out of season” too (2 Tim 4v1-5). What kindness in the Lord that he speaks so frankly to us on this.
We are very aware as elders how hard it can be to engage with sermons, especially for SALT. But because of what they are in God’s hands, this is something to work on rather than give up on. Pray as you arrive. Follow things in the Bible. Commit the main points to memory as they are stated. Pray them home as they hit you. Take notes. Each name one thing that struck you on your way home. Talk about all this as a family. And listen online if you really are unable to be there.
Imagine the impact on your health if you halved your food intake. To be at church every week means just 26 hours of teaching a year. But if we are only hearing the sermon every other week, that’s cut to 13 hours – the equivalent of only two days at school!
When we see by faith what goes on when the Bible is preached, why would we want to miss even one opportunity to hear?
3) AT CHURCH OUR PRAYERS JOIN TOGETHER IN A HEIGHTENED WAY.
| Acts 4v31: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
That was quite a prayer meeting. And it is a sign of the particular significance of uniting together in prayer.
Christ himself said: “truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’” Now, the Lord Jesus is always present by his Spirit. So, what he must mean is that he is especially ready to bring our petitions to his Father when we unite in prayer. Psalm 33 gives a hint why: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!... For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life for evermore.”
Of course, this should encourage us to our prayer breakfasts and prayer weeks. But has it ever struck you that there is no other time in church life when as many of us unite together in prayer as there is in our church services each Sunday? We can pray with each other at any time. But only on Sundays, like the believers the day before Pentecost, do we “all” join together in prayer (Acts 1v14), and are led by those who have been told the particular needs we have been praying for.
Who knows what blessings we have received because we gather to pray together on Sundays. Who knows what blessings we might have received if we were more committed to this sort of corporate prayer.
The vision of Revelation 5 reveals twenty four elders around the lamb’s throne, representing the people of God. They hold only two things: A harp, perhaps representing our worship which, we saw previously, joins with that of heaven; and golden bowls of incense which we are told “are the prayers of God’s people” (Rev 5v8).
Incense was sweet-smelling, costly, and offered with sacrifices in the temple. In other words, our prayers every Sunday are sweet smelling to the Lord who loves to see us come together before him like devoted children before their father, but also precious in being made possible at the cost of his one and only Son.
When by faith, we see this significance when we gather in prayer on a Sunday, why wouldn’t we want to do so?
4) AT CHURCH WE EAT AND DRINK OF CHRIST AT COMMUNION.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.”
Again, it’s about seeing with the eyes of faith. As we do the simple thing of gathering around a trestle table and consuming a little bit of bread and wine, we “participate” in the body and blood of Christ. Something supernatural is going on.
This one needs some deeper thinking. The word for “participation” is “koinonia” which can be translated “fellowship.” It’s about sharing with someone or in something. In other words, as we receive communion we are somehow together engaging with and benefitting from Christ’s body and blood just as we do with bread when we all eat from one loaf.
This picks up the Old Testament idea of worshippers eating a share of the sacrifice offered for them in the presence of God at the temple. It stresses the table-fellowship with God that Christ’s sacrifice achieved, and which is fulfilled at the heavenly banquet.
But in what sense do we eat and drink of Christ? Think of the picture of a family member in your contacts on your phone. You might look at it and be reminded you need to call. So, you click it and are transferred across great distance to them via radio waves. In a similar way the bread and wine is a picture of Christ’s body and blood. It reminds us of Christ and all he has done in an especially tangible way, so focusing our faith on him in heaven. And as the same Spirit who fills and flows from his body and blood (1 Cor 15v45) there also resides in us, when we click on the picture by coming to eat and drink with faith, there is a sense in which we are transferred to him: We are actually coming to Christ in heaven and so participating in fellowship with his body and blood there (Eph 2v6).
It’s truly amazing to consider. And what this means is that as we receive, looking to him for the cleansing and strengthening we need, he graciously gives us just that. Just as food and drink nourish, refresh and sustain us, we find ourselves spiritually nourished, refreshed and sustained in our walk with him, by the Spirit who flows into us from his body and blood. John Calvin was the greatest theologian of the Reformation. He put it this way: “dwelling in us by his Spirit he raises us to heaven to himself, transfusing into us the vivifying vigour of his flesh.”
Now, it is possible to receive communion in growth groups. But it is really the whole family meal, which is why we keep it for Sundays. And although we can look to Christ for what he gives without taking communion, nothing really focuses us on him in quite the same way, which is why he commands us to receive it. “Do this” he says “in remembrance of me.” Given he commands it, and given the wonder of what it involves, why would we ever miss it?
5) AT CHURCH WE GET TO KNOW, ENCOURAGE AND BE ENCOURAGED BY OUR ETERNAL FAMILY.
| Hebrews 10v24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
As followers of Christ we are to “value others above ourselves” (Phil 2v3). So, even if we may not feel like getting to church, the more important reason is to be there for others.
And that importance can’t be overstated. The verses above show that there have always been those who are lukewarm about “meeting together.” But the Lord is not content with that. Here he explicitly tells us that if others are to grow in love and good deeds, they need us to be present to encourage them.
This was brought home to me in talking to an alcoholic who attended five meetings of AA a week because she felt she could not stay sober without them. Yet we assume we can stay faithful without our church meetings, despite the temptations we face being far starker.
Put simply, there may be some who will only be kept from falling away into sin and unbelief because you are there at church on a Sunday. There may be some who only get to heaven because of something you said to them, that may seem insignificant to you, but in God’s hands was his means to sustain them.
The time before and after our worship is filled with opportunity. Who knows what may be going on in someone’s heart or life? Yet by being there, you are available for the Lord to bring you to that person over coffee. As you ask how they are or what struck them in the sermon and sense a need for encouragement or prayer or service, you are then able to meet it.
Of course, you may be the one in need yourself. One of the things that grieves church leaders most is when those who are busy, struggling or weak of faith, pull back from church. It grieves us because it is the very opposite of what they need to be doing.
The church is God’s shoulder for the weary, his hospital for the sick, and his oasis for the dry. As a Trinity of three persons he never intended those he made in his image to go it alone. He made us to need one-another and find joy in serving one-another. And so to be irregular at church is like the patient who refuses to turn up for appointments and then wonders why they are only getting worse. Perhaps you are experiencing that at the moment. No, if we can get to work despite our busyness and struggles then we can get to church. And it is church that is by far the more important.
Belonging to Grace Church is to recognize that God has individually brought each of us into each other’s lives so that we might walk together to glory, urging each other on and sometimes carrying each other too. When we see that through the eyes of faith, why would we not want to be there each week? Why would we not want to give the time to get to know, bless and be blessed, by our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we will share eternity?
6) THERE WE GET TO ENGAGE IN MINISTRIES THAT FURTHER GOD’S GREAT MISSION.
| 1 Peter 2v9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
What an astonishing verse. And what a privilege.
As Christians we are not to do our walk with God alone. He has chosen us to be a people and nation that is holy. The word “holy” means something that is set-apart for God’s serve. And so, we are a people with purpose. In our weak and faltering way, we are called to help others come to hear the wonders of all God has done for us in Christ.
In what follows Peter explains that we do that by living such distinct lives together that people are intrigued, and sharing the message of Christ with them as we do (1 Pet 2v12, 3v15).
Everything we do at church is either about our worshipping God with our lips and lives, or calling others to do so as we reach out to them with his good news throughout the week. Our Sunday ministries, groups and events, for whatever ages, all seek to serve this great purpose.
It is often noted how some Christians see the church rather like a cruise liner. You pay your money for the captain and crew to do everything, so you can put your feet up in a deck chair. In truth, the church is like a yacht, where everyone is crew and so everyone has a role. We are so thankful to God for the way that is evident at Grace Church.
But here’s the thing: People can’t crew unless they are in the boat.
We have all sorts of rotas on a Sunday. But if someone is only there irregularly, and is then asked to help with something that keeps them from the sermon, they may go a month only hearing God’s word preached once if at all. That is very serious. Which is why we only ask those who are very regular to help with kids@4.
But the principle is broader too. Other areas of service on a Sunday depend on people being present so that the same people aren’t always asked to fill gaps of absence.
And then there are the informal ways of serving too: being present to just lend a hand when needed, to ask someone how they are doing, and then to hear a need that you could help out with each week.
One of the biggest needs is to just be there to welcome newcomers. Some years ago a lovely Korean family settled with us. They said they came “because we saw Asian faces.” Rightly or wrongly, the fact is that if someone walks in who is of a similar age, background or ethnicity to you or your kids, and you aren’t there, they may not come again. But if you are there, they can be introduced to you, which may be a massive blessing to you and your kids too.
Jesus said: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10v44-45). Well, our Saviour, King and Master asks us to be present at church to serve. And when we see through the eyes of faith that this is true greatness and the way by which God is glorified and heaven populated, why wouldn’t we want to do so each Sunday?
7) AT CHURCH WE SET AN EXAMPLE TO CHILDREN AND OTHERS WHICH COULD AFFECT THEIR SALVATION.
| Titus 2v6-7: “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good.”
I count seven times the New Testament stresses how the example of everyday believers can influence others for good. And here we see it’s particular importance for the young.
The fact is that our kids are growing up in a superficial, fun packed, excessively busy, 24/7 world. The idea of taking time out for the weighty thing of worship and service will not only feel alien to them, but will be a constant struggle as parents at Grace know only too well. It is no surprise then, that over the years we have observed that it is the children of parents who evidently delight in the church, who patiently persevere in explaining its importance to their kids, who encourage and help them to engage, and who make attendance an absolute non-negotiable for themselves – the children of these parents who tend to continue with Christ and church as they leave home.
Obviously, there will be times when exceptions may need to be made. But if they see you coming even when tired or under the weather, and if they witness you saying no to that fun event, social engagement or urgent work you could give the time to, because “that is our time for the Lord and his people,” then they will learn the priority that Christ and his church is to you. By contrast, if they see you only making it when you feel a hundred present or nothing else is on, they will want to do likewise and will tend to push back week by week.
The reverberations such a godly priority can have are massive. Your children are more likely to act as you do with their own children, so your example could well impact your grandchildren and beyond.
Consider the impact on others too. Whether or not you are there sets an example to everyone else in the church. And whether you kids are impacts other kids. How tragic if someone’s child complains “but their children don’t come every week.” How wonderful if a parent can persuade their children with the words “but their children will be there, they always are.”
Think also of non-Christian friends or spouses. We may need particular wisdom if things get difficult with a spouse. But when we gently explain that we can’t do something because that’s our time for church, even if they respond negatively, they are learning something about the value of Jesus to us. And who knows how the Lord might intrigue them through that in the future.
Jesus said to his disciples: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (Jn 13v15). Ephesians 5v25-26 outlines what that involved: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy.” This Christ-like mindset is the one we are advocating in all these reflections. It is one in which we truly love our church and give up everything that might keep us from benefitting it. And as we obey Christ in following his example, we pray our children, our children’s children, and many others too, will learn the joy of doing the same.
Given all that, why wouldn’t we make church our utmost priority?
These verses come straight after those from yesterday. The sense is that in gathered worship we hear God speak from his throne as the Bible is read and preached.
Just ponder that. As yesterday, we see through the eyes of faith how what seems so mundane and insignificant is infinitely profound and weighty. What grace that the Lord would use the weak and faltering attempts of us preachers to minister his word like the disciples taking the miraculous bread and fish to the thousands.
And the eyes of faith see that word for what it is. It is life-giving, for as Jesus said: “My words are full of the Spirit and life” (Jn 6v63). Hebrews 3v7 makes this point profoundly. Quoting a psalm written by King David around 1000BC, it is introduced as “the Spirit says” – present tense. So, the Bible’s words are not just historical words back then, but the present word of the Spirit to us today.
The logic is that we should receive God’s word in scripture with the same reverence and awe as if the Lord Jesus was preaching it to us. And just as he brought the life of creation into being by his word, he now uses his word to work spiritual life in us. We will not and cannot keep going or growing as Christians without it. So, we neglect it to our peril as the verses above show. It saves us, it strengthens us, it sustains us, and it sanctifies us. And without it we will gradually wither and die (Psalm 1v1-3). I imagine we have all experienced that to some extent.
Of course, we can read it on our own and we can listen to sermons online, although time often pushes those things out. But “Christ himself” has given teachers as his personal gifts to the church and for a reason (Eph 4v7-13). Only as we gather can we benefit from those who have the training and time to study in depth, and who know our particular flock so it can be applied as medicine according to our particular needs. Even the greatest preachers from elsewhere are unable to do that.
And although it is good to study in our growth groups, God has commanded preachers to preach because of the particularly authoritative way that style of communication hits home in his hands (2 Tim 4v1-5). Moreover, by charging them in the light of the judgment to do this “in season and out of season” he implies that as hearers we are called to attentively listen “in season and out of season” too (2 Tim 4v1-5). What kindness in the Lord that he speaks so frankly to us on this.
We are very aware as elders how hard it can be to engage with sermons, especially for SALT. But because of what they are in God’s hands, this is something to work on rather than give up on. Pray as you arrive. Follow things in the Bible. Commit the main points to memory as they are stated. Pray them home as they hit you. Take notes. Each name one thing that struck you on your way home. Talk about all this as a family. And listen online if you really are unable to be there.
Imagine the impact on your health if you halved your food intake. To be at church every week means just 26 hours of teaching a year. But if we are only hearing the sermon every other week, that’s cut to 13 hours – the equivalent of only two days at school!
When we see by faith what goes on when the Bible is preached, why would we want to miss even one opportunity to hear?
3) AT CHURCH OUR PRAYERS JOIN TOGETHER IN A HEIGHTENED WAY.
| Acts 4v31: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
That was quite a prayer meeting. And it is a sign of the particular significance of uniting together in prayer.
Christ himself said: “truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’” Now, the Lord Jesus is always present by his Spirit. So, what he must mean is that he is especially ready to bring our petitions to his Father when we unite in prayer. Psalm 33 gives a hint why: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!... For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life for evermore.”
Of course, this should encourage us to our prayer breakfasts and prayer weeks. But has it ever struck you that there is no other time in church life when as many of us unite together in prayer as there is in our church services each Sunday? We can pray with each other at any time. But only on Sundays, like the believers the day before Pentecost, do we “all” join together in prayer (Acts 1v14), and are led by those who have been told the particular needs we have been praying for.
Who knows what blessings we have received because we gather to pray together on Sundays. Who knows what blessings we might have received if we were more committed to this sort of corporate prayer.
The vision of Revelation 5 reveals twenty four elders around the lamb’s throne, representing the people of God. They hold only two things: A harp, perhaps representing our worship which, we saw previously, joins with that of heaven; and golden bowls of incense which we are told “are the prayers of God’s people” (Rev 5v8).
Incense was sweet-smelling, costly, and offered with sacrifices in the temple. In other words, our prayers every Sunday are sweet smelling to the Lord who loves to see us come together before him like devoted children before their father, but also precious in being made possible at the cost of his one and only Son.
When by faith, we see this significance when we gather in prayer on a Sunday, why wouldn’t we want to do so?
4) AT CHURCH WE EAT AND DRINK OF CHRIST AT COMMUNION.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.”
Again, it’s about seeing with the eyes of faith. As we do the simple thing of gathering around a trestle table and consuming a little bit of bread and wine, we “participate” in the body and blood of Christ. Something supernatural is going on.
This one needs some deeper thinking. The word for “participation” is “koinonia” which can be translated “fellowship.” It’s about sharing with someone or in something. In other words, as we receive communion we are somehow together engaging with and benefitting from Christ’s body and blood just as we do with bread when we all eat from one loaf.
This picks up the Old Testament idea of worshippers eating a share of the sacrifice offered for them in the presence of God at the temple. It stresses the table-fellowship with God that Christ’s sacrifice achieved, and which is fulfilled at the heavenly banquet.
But in what sense do we eat and drink of Christ? Think of the picture of a family member in your contacts on your phone. You might look at it and be reminded you need to call. So, you click it and are transferred across great distance to them via radio waves. In a similar way the bread and wine is a picture of Christ’s body and blood. It reminds us of Christ and all he has done in an especially tangible way, so focusing our faith on him in heaven. And as the same Spirit who fills and flows from his body and blood (1 Cor 15v45) there also resides in us, when we click on the picture by coming to eat and drink with faith, there is a sense in which we are transferred to him: We are actually coming to Christ in heaven and so participating in fellowship with his body and blood there (Eph 2v6).
It’s truly amazing to consider. And what this means is that as we receive, looking to him for the cleansing and strengthening we need, he graciously gives us just that. Just as food and drink nourish, refresh and sustain us, we find ourselves spiritually nourished, refreshed and sustained in our walk with him, by the Spirit who flows into us from his body and blood. John Calvin was the greatest theologian of the Reformation. He put it this way: “dwelling in us by his Spirit he raises us to heaven to himself, transfusing into us the vivifying vigour of his flesh.”
Now, it is possible to receive communion in growth groups. But it is really the whole family meal, which is why we keep it for Sundays. And although we can look to Christ for what he gives without taking communion, nothing really focuses us on him in quite the same way, which is why he commands us to receive it. “Do this” he says “in remembrance of me.” Given he commands it, and given the wonder of what it involves, why would we ever miss it?
5) AT CHURCH WE GET TO KNOW, ENCOURAGE AND BE ENCOURAGED BY OUR ETERNAL FAMILY.
| Hebrews 10v24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
As followers of Christ we are to “value others above ourselves” (Phil 2v3). So, even if we may not feel like getting to church, the more important reason is to be there for others.
And that importance can’t be overstated. The verses above show that there have always been those who are lukewarm about “meeting together.” But the Lord is not content with that. Here he explicitly tells us that if others are to grow in love and good deeds, they need us to be present to encourage them.
This was brought home to me in talking to an alcoholic who attended five meetings of AA a week because she felt she could not stay sober without them. Yet we assume we can stay faithful without our church meetings, despite the temptations we face being far starker.
Put simply, there may be some who will only be kept from falling away into sin and unbelief because you are there at church on a Sunday. There may be some who only get to heaven because of something you said to them, that may seem insignificant to you, but in God’s hands was his means to sustain them.
The time before and after our worship is filled with opportunity. Who knows what may be going on in someone’s heart or life? Yet by being there, you are available for the Lord to bring you to that person over coffee. As you ask how they are or what struck them in the sermon and sense a need for encouragement or prayer or service, you are then able to meet it.
Of course, you may be the one in need yourself. One of the things that grieves church leaders most is when those who are busy, struggling or weak of faith, pull back from church. It grieves us because it is the very opposite of what they need to be doing.
The church is God’s shoulder for the weary, his hospital for the sick, and his oasis for the dry. As a Trinity of three persons he never intended those he made in his image to go it alone. He made us to need one-another and find joy in serving one-another. And so to be irregular at church is like the patient who refuses to turn up for appointments and then wonders why they are only getting worse. Perhaps you are experiencing that at the moment. No, if we can get to work despite our busyness and struggles then we can get to church. And it is church that is by far the more important.
Belonging to Grace Church is to recognize that God has individually brought each of us into each other’s lives so that we might walk together to glory, urging each other on and sometimes carrying each other too. When we see that through the eyes of faith, why would we not want to be there each week? Why would we not want to give the time to get to know, bless and be blessed, by our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we will share eternity?
6) THERE WE GET TO ENGAGE IN MINISTRIES THAT FURTHER GOD’S GREAT MISSION.
| 1 Peter 2v9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
What an astonishing verse. And what a privilege.
As Christians we are not to do our walk with God alone. He has chosen us to be a people and nation that is holy. The word “holy” means something that is set-apart for God’s serve. And so, we are a people with purpose. In our weak and faltering way, we are called to help others come to hear the wonders of all God has done for us in Christ.
In what follows Peter explains that we do that by living such distinct lives together that people are intrigued, and sharing the message of Christ with them as we do (1 Pet 2v12, 3v15).
Everything we do at church is either about our worshipping God with our lips and lives, or calling others to do so as we reach out to them with his good news throughout the week. Our Sunday ministries, groups and events, for whatever ages, all seek to serve this great purpose.
It is often noted how some Christians see the church rather like a cruise liner. You pay your money for the captain and crew to do everything, so you can put your feet up in a deck chair. In truth, the church is like a yacht, where everyone is crew and so everyone has a role. We are so thankful to God for the way that is evident at Grace Church.
But here’s the thing: People can’t crew unless they are in the boat.
We have all sorts of rotas on a Sunday. But if someone is only there irregularly, and is then asked to help with something that keeps them from the sermon, they may go a month only hearing God’s word preached once if at all. That is very serious. Which is why we only ask those who are very regular to help with kids@4.
But the principle is broader too. Other areas of service on a Sunday depend on people being present so that the same people aren’t always asked to fill gaps of absence.
And then there are the informal ways of serving too: being present to just lend a hand when needed, to ask someone how they are doing, and then to hear a need that you could help out with each week.
One of the biggest needs is to just be there to welcome newcomers. Some years ago a lovely Korean family settled with us. They said they came “because we saw Asian faces.” Rightly or wrongly, the fact is that if someone walks in who is of a similar age, background or ethnicity to you or your kids, and you aren’t there, they may not come again. But if you are there, they can be introduced to you, which may be a massive blessing to you and your kids too.
Jesus said: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10v44-45). Well, our Saviour, King and Master asks us to be present at church to serve. And when we see through the eyes of faith that this is true greatness and the way by which God is glorified and heaven populated, why wouldn’t we want to do so each Sunday?
7) AT CHURCH WE SET AN EXAMPLE TO CHILDREN AND OTHERS WHICH COULD AFFECT THEIR SALVATION.
| Titus 2v6-7: “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good.”
I count seven times the New Testament stresses how the example of everyday believers can influence others for good. And here we see it’s particular importance for the young.
The fact is that our kids are growing up in a superficial, fun packed, excessively busy, 24/7 world. The idea of taking time out for the weighty thing of worship and service will not only feel alien to them, but will be a constant struggle as parents at Grace know only too well. It is no surprise then, that over the years we have observed that it is the children of parents who evidently delight in the church, who patiently persevere in explaining its importance to their kids, who encourage and help them to engage, and who make attendance an absolute non-negotiable for themselves – the children of these parents who tend to continue with Christ and church as they leave home.
Obviously, there will be times when exceptions may need to be made. But if they see you coming even when tired or under the weather, and if they witness you saying no to that fun event, social engagement or urgent work you could give the time to, because “that is our time for the Lord and his people,” then they will learn the priority that Christ and his church is to you. By contrast, if they see you only making it when you feel a hundred present or nothing else is on, they will want to do likewise and will tend to push back week by week.
The reverberations such a godly priority can have are massive. Your children are more likely to act as you do with their own children, so your example could well impact your grandchildren and beyond.
Consider the impact on others too. Whether or not you are there sets an example to everyone else in the church. And whether you kids are impacts other kids. How tragic if someone’s child complains “but their children don’t come every week.” How wonderful if a parent can persuade their children with the words “but their children will be there, they always are.”
Think also of non-Christian friends or spouses. We may need particular wisdom if things get difficult with a spouse. But when we gently explain that we can’t do something because that’s our time for church, even if they respond negatively, they are learning something about the value of Jesus to us. And who knows how the Lord might intrigue them through that in the future.
Jesus said to his disciples: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (Jn 13v15). Ephesians 5v25-26 outlines what that involved: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy.” This Christ-like mindset is the one we are advocating in all these reflections. It is one in which we truly love our church and give up everything that might keep us from benefitting it. And as we obey Christ in following his example, we pray our children, our children’s children, and many others too, will learn the joy of doing the same.
Given all that, why wouldn’t we make church our utmost priority?