REASONS I NEVER LEFT THE CHURCH! Pt. 2

     I remember talking to a young man about the subject of church attendance a while back.  We were discussing the importance and value of coming to church.  That day I made this statement to him, "coming to church does not save you but by all means saved people go to church." I stand by that statement today.  One of the greatest blessings and benefits that we have as people of God is the fellowship of His saints.

     When the saints gather together we find ourselves encouraged, refueled, infused with power, edified, and sometimes corrected and rebuked. When the people of God gather together to honor Him, to worship Him, to give to Him and to hear from him there is no doubt that Jesus joins us.  He is always in the midst of His people.  I have lived this truth over and over my entire life. Consider for a moment Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

     It only takes an elementary understanding to realize that there are certain things in life that simply require a group of people. Briefly lets look at it from a secular perspective. What would a concert, or sporting event, or birthday party be without the gathering of people.  It is undoubtably true that in certain cases the gathering of people creates an atmosphere that causes things to happen that otherwise would not have happened without the group. So as a result it is a desirable thing for most to go to a game, or a concert, or a party. Why? Because it is in these places that they are temporarily able to be entertained, enjoy themselves, forget their issues, release their stress and frustrations.

      So why do people go to church? Saved people go to church to meet God, to seek God, to hear from God, to receive from God, to offer to God, to praise and give thanks to God, to be strengthened, to be healed, to be restored, and among other things, to be obedient to God.  When we faithfully attend and serve in the church we walk in order and when we don't we walk in disobedience. Remember Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling (gathering together) of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.

     Church attendance was never optional, not for the early church and not for the church of today.  I understand that there are many churches, pastors, prophets, bishops and such like who are not authentic or God ordained and that blur the lines of the true Church of God.  That reality, however, does not negate the fact that church was established by God through Jesus Christ. Remember just solely going to church doesn't make you saved but by all means saved people go to church.