Why Church?

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

Why go to church?

This question is one with which many people struggle.

While not often verbalized, thoughts such as these emerge:

     * I don’t have to do to church to worship God.

     * I’m closer to “the man upstairs” when I’m out hunting.  That’s my church.

     * When I’m on the lake, I see the beauty of God’s creation and hear his voice so clearly.  That’s church for me.

But, these answers imply that God wants people to gather as the church exclusively to learn about him or worship him.  However, what if there was more? 

Here is a question many people do not wrestle with, “What has God designed to happen uniquely at ‘church’?”

One passage that provides insight into that question is Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

The biblical author exhorts the reader to consider how to stir up other believers to love and good works.  The solution?  Meet regularly with one another, and in those meetings, encourage one another to be faithful in light of the immanent return of King Jesus.

According to this text, here is a key reason to gather regularly as the church.  Encouragement.

Believers can demonstrate faith in isolation (Heb 10:22).  Believers can develop hope when they are alone (Heb 10:23); however, acts of love require other people, and the church is called to stir up these acts of love by encouraging one another in light of “the Day drawing near.”

So, the church “Gathers to Encourage.”  Certainly, learning about God through the accurate preaching of his word (2 Tim 4:2) and worshipping him (John 4:20-24) are part of it, but encouragement is a key element that must not be missed.

This Sunday believers will be tempted to sleep in.  They will be tempted to just spend another weekend on the beach or at the game.  For those who regularly do this and neglect the meeting together of God’s people, they cause others to miss out on something.  Notice, the issue isn’t that they are missing something, but they cause others to miss something.  Their presence means someone is not there to encourage others, someone is not there to lift up the broken, minister to the hurting, challenge the complacent, all in light of the return of their King.  Believers should regular meet together to encourage others, because someone is going to show up that needs them.

What if, instead of seeking to get something, Christians gathered to give something?  What if they persisted in encouraging those that come on Sunday mornings.

Imagine what church might look like if believers adopted this biblical approach to meeting together?

The love and support that would fill church would become intoxicating.  It would eventually overflow into other areas of their lives.  It would change how they speak to their spouses and kids.  It would change their understanding of their purpose in this world and in meeting together.  It would signify a realization that everyone has a role to play.  They would become active participants and not passive receivers.

And, lives would be changed because of it!  People’s futures would be rewritten because the church took the time to care, the church took the time to notice, and the church took the time to encourage.