by Margaret Radisich Sleasman

Created on: December 01, 2009

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised:) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more as ye see the day approaching," (Hebrews 10:23-25 KJV). Based on this Scripture, I would say if there are any benefits of not going to church, they are minuscule in comparison to the benefits of attending.

I realize that getting up on Sunday morning is hard; it is even harder when you have children to get ready and maybe you would just like to throw the covers back over your head and say, "Not today." You can be sure that if you don't go, you will miss out on a blessing; and even if you can spend the entire day in prayer and study, you will still have missed the fellowship with believers. If you have children, you are setting a bad example for them and in later years they may choose not to attend at all because you did not stress the importance of the fellowship with other believers.

I realize that there are many churches that are social clubs rather than places to worship and grow in faith; if that is your situation, leave and find a group of Christians that gather together to worship and honor God. There are still a few of those left, and they must be searched out with a prayerful heart; the Lord will show you where His people are if you ask. It is hard to leave a church where your friends and possibly most of your family attend, but if the Lord is pressing on your heart that you need to leave, take the step.

Perhaps you are discouraged and want to spend time in the desert with the Lord; this can be a good thing for a little while, but it also can be dangerous if you stay too long. You may think that you no longer need to attend a fellowship because it is just "you and God" going forth - going forth where? You need a family; you need other people to help you along. God created Adam and decided he needed someone "for it was not good for man to live alone."

There are times that you can't attend because of sickness or some other emergency, but otherwise you should be there whenever possible. The fellowship of believers is where your faith builds; it is where you are blessed as well as where you bless others. You have no idea if something as simple as a smile, a handshake, or a greeting from you will make someone's day.

Church is not about what you can get out of it, or something that you are required to do just because it is expected of you. Church is the fellowship of believers and by being there, you encourage and even delight some and they in turn encourage you. If you attend church with a goal of seeking and worshiping the Lord, He will honor your attitude and bless you, building your faith in Him, and let you know what He would have you do. You became a Christian to honor and serve Him, He has a work for you to do and if you go off in the desert and become lost, you will never know what that work is.

Remember the apostle Paul, what if he had stayed in the desert and never became a witness for the Lord? It is possible that we would have never heard the Good News and the Gospel would have only been preached to the Jews. As long as there are still people in need of being saved, there is a need for you and I to witness to them. If we are not attending a fellowship, learning and being armed with the Gospel, we will not be able to witness effectively. Mouthing words is not as effective as living a life in honor of our Lord and Savior. People see your life and are drawn to what you have, then you can witness with words knowing that the Lord will plant the seeds of salvation in their hearts.

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