I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about church attendance lately. Apparently, the number of people who are attending evangelical Protestant churches is in decline throughout the Western world, according to most experts. But at the same time, there are more people living in North America than ever before. That means, then, that the churches in our day are exerting less and less influence upon society. We have found ourselves in what some call a Post-Christian America.
Evidently, the younger generations have found other things that they deem to be more important to do on Sunday mornings. Many church members are missing from church when they’re supposed to be gathering together as the body of Christ. It seems as if the church is losing ground with each successive generation. And most of the churches aren’t holding the people accountable, but instead are letting them wither, unattached to the vine!
But what is the answer to this problem? We can’t brow-beat people, or use strong-arm tactics to get them back into church. If the people aren’t there on their own volition, they might as well not be there at all! Manipulating people into church would be as bad as parents sending their children to church while they stay home to watch TV or do chores around the house. Too many children grew up in a culture where their parent’s modeled the lesson, “Do as I say, not as I do!”
Now it seems that parents, aware of their own hypocrisy, have given up on church altogether. Or, as a result of bad mistakes in the past, just can’t get their own adult children to see the need for church now that they’ve renewed their commitment to the Lord. Too much damage has already been done. Too much love for the world has permeated their hearts. They just don’t see a need to go to church!
The younger generations claim that the church has become irrelevant, and it appears that in many situations they have a valid point. Wherever the church has exalted programs and methods to a place of preeminence, they have lost something irreplaceable. When the gospel has taken a back seat to pragmatism, then the church has lost its unique witness. When the young people get over the initial euphoria that’s generated in these places, they realize there’s really nothing substantial to fill the void in their lives. Therefore, they conclude that the church is irrelevant. I don’t blame them!
However, we need to call them back to faithfulness in the church without twisting their arms. Instead we ought to be displaying the value of what they’re missing by ignoring God’s command to be in church. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:25 that we should “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some.” I’ve heard many people use this verse as a hammer to pound those who are unfaithful. But this doesn’t just resort to finger-pointing and scolding. The words before and after this are crucial in our understanding. Beginning with verse 19, the author of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is reminding us that we have a Great High Priest, who has broken down the barriers for us so that we could enter the Holy of Holies! What was once unaccessable to us has now become accessable through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, we have been granted entrance to worship the Lord without the restrictions and limitations that were there before! Praise God! Therefore, it continues in verse 22 by exhorting us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” We’ve been made clean through Christ and we have been given the right to enter. Then, verse 23 asks us to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who is promised is faithful.” This means that we should boldly proclaim with our words and our actions (by honoring Him in worship) that He is faithful and worthy to be praised.
Verse 24 gives us another strong argument for church attendance. It says, “let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” This is followed directly by the popular appeal for church attendance that so many use out of context. But even after that, there is another call in verse 25 for “exhorting one another.” This reminds me of the instructions from Paul in I Corinthians 12 for the church to function as an effective, working body, dependent upon one another for life and growth.
We should heed the warnings from verses 26 and following as well. Why should we “sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth?” (verse 26) Why should we “trample the Son of God underfoot” and “count the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing?” (verse 29) Why should we “insult the Spirit of grace?” (verse 29) By God’s grace, let us not “cast away our confidence, which has great reward.” (verse 35)
Each of these things has tremendous implications for a person who claims to be a believer, but refuses to take the time to honor and glorify God through regular worship in the church. In other words, the Bible is pointing out the incongrueties of those that say they love God but won’t honor Him in church. As Hebrews 10 teaches us, we should take advantage of the great privileges that have been provided for us through Christ. We should attend worship because our Lord is worthy of all worship and glory and praise! And we shouldn’t go with a what’s-in-it-for-me attitude. We need to consider the needs of others, to stir up love and good works, exhorting one another as faithful believers should.
So, believers in Jesus Christ are not given an option about church. If we love the Lord and love His Word, we will love the church as well. Remember, it was Christ Himself that ordained the church as a means of grace for us. It’s time for us to lovingly call believers back to the church!
But there are implications for the non-believers here as well! Church attendance is not optional for non-believers either. The church has been designated as the place where the Lord calls people unto Himself. He wants to show non-believers His glory and rescue them from their life of sin and misery. The gospel call shines no brighter anywhere else than in a church that faithfully displays the magnificent splendor of Jesus Christ and His work. Therefore, the general call of the gospel is for all people. God is calling people to church to hear the gospel call. Without the call, the non-believers will suffer eternal punishment apart from God.
So, church is absolutely necessary for those that are seeking Christ’s kingdom, whether they know it or not! Why not come to the place where we worship God, through the redeeming grace of His Son Jesus Christ, by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit. Do it now while we have the chance to do it willfully! One day, without exception, every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. But that day may be too late! Considering all this, is a few hours really too much to give to the Lord every Sunday morning?