Worship and fellowship with your local church family is a God-given privilege.
This includes Benefits of Having a Church Family in daily life.
So, are you cheating yourself?
“When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise…” (Psalms 42:4, NKJV)
I recently viewed some videos from past worship services. I couldn’t help but notice the ebullient joy on everyone’s faces as they shouted praises to the Lord!
There’s no doubt that as they departed to go home, their spirits were still singing, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1)
All across this country, many who once were so thrilled to be in God’s house have fallen away — if not from God, at least from going to His house.
For some, the protracted lockdowns of ’20-‘21 caused them to forget how glorious those days were. During that run, they decided that there are other “things to do, places to go, and people to see.”
For others, the distractions of this world, the deceitfulness of material gain, and the desire for other things seem to have “choked the word” that was blossoming within them. (Cf. Mark 4:19)
Still others bought into the tired cliche, “There are too many hypocrites there.” (My dear mother used to say, “If you allow hypocrites to stand between you and God, those hypocrites are still closer to Him than you are!”)
But from God’s Perspective…
They’ve given up two very ESSENTIAL things. (Governors who claimed that church attendance was “unessential” while allowing so many other entities to remain open, lied.)
So, What Have They Given Up?
In Scripture, the synagogue/temple and the local church are considered to be “the house of God” (Cf. Nehemiah 6:10; Matthew 12:1-8; 1 Timothy 3:14-15). What then has been lost by those who’ve decided they no longer need to faithfully go to Bethel (the house of God)?
1. They’ve Given Up a God-given Privilege
It’s a given that you don’t give everyone the right to freely enter your home. Those who enter must be welcome and invited by you, right? You give them the privilege.
Likewise, no one has a right to freely enter the king of England’s Buckingham Palace at his or her own will. You must be invited.
So then, remember that when you enter Jesus’ house, you are privileged to enter the “palace” of the king of Kings!
2. They’ve Given Up a Myriad of Benefits
- They’ve given up the joy they once knew when singing songs such as, “When WE ALL Get to Heaven, What a Day of Rejoicing that Will Be!”
- They’ve given up the blessing of hearing the Word of God being delivered with anointed preaching. (Cf. Isaiah 61:1; Luke 11:28; Romans 10:14)
- They’ve given up Holy Communion together at the Lord’s Table, which is health to the spirit and body.
- They’ve given up the axiom that, “In blessing others, I am blessed; and in giving, I receive.”
- They’ve given up the church family that will suffer with them in sorrows, and rejoice with them in their victories. Speaking of the Church body, the Apostle Paul says, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26, NKJV)
I think of faithful church attendees throughout the years who were drawing their last breaths. They were surrounded by singing, praying church family. I remember the visible peace those persons had when the saints were present to help usher them into the next life!
Conversely, I’ve had friends who rebuffed my invitations to church, while constantly boasting of their “hundreds of friends” on social media. When I visited them in their final days, I wondered, “Where are those friends?”
In a parable, Jesus spoke of ones who were invited to a supper that the Master hosted in His house, with the privilege of feasting at His Table (Luke 14:15-24). But they refused the invitation and failed to show up. Might that also be you?
Worship and fellowship with your local church family is a God-given privilege that brings a myriad of benefits.
You Can’t Afford to Lose Those Privileges and Benefits
So… Are you cheating yourself?
Listen to Bill Gaither sing his beautiful composition, “Family of God.” Hopefully, it will make you glad you have a church family that will shed tears with you in sorrow, and rejoice with you in victory!