Why Stick With the Church?

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” (Romans 12:4-5 NLT)

The Covid Virus was allowed to compound an already existing problem when the government chose to refer to the Church as “non-essential” when placing restrictions on who could and could not meet. Even now most churches haven’t come close to what their pre-Covid attendance was, and many have had to close their doors.

While many today view church attendance as “optional,” historically it’s been a significant indicator of vibrant faith. It was viewed as a church “discipline,” right along with reading God’s Word, praying, and sharing your faith. God established His Church so that together we could work for the greater good, not only of those who believe, but for those who still need to believe.

Our individual efforts, while vital, can be multiplied through a vibrant and growing fellowship of believers. Our corporate mission is essential, not only for the spiritual health of each individual, but for reaching those who have yet to believe in our Savior.

John Stonestreet of the Colson Center wrote: “If believers struggle to remember why church matters, they cannot effectively share the love of Christ with the world.” 

When this great nation was founded, our forefathers penned a document that served as the guide in the establishment, not only of the few states that then existed, but for the massive expansion that would one day follow. When our Constitution was presented, those who signed knew they were putting their lives on the line. It wasn’t for them alone, but their families for generations to come.

Much blood was spilled to purchase our freedom as a nation, not only then, but across the years. Blood was also spilled to purchase our freedom as believers in Jesus. To view participation in the Body of Christ through faithfulness to a local fellowship as an option is a slap in Christ’s holy face.

To pretend that saying a prayer and believing a creed is all the Lord requires is to miss the point of salvation from our sin. It’s never been about us alone. It’s always been about the Body of Christ, His Church, submitting corporately to His authority and spreading the news of salvation through Christ alone by faith alone.

The Church is designed to give credence to our calling. Our corporate worship builds faith, and fellowship with other believers gives us courage and verifies we’re not in this battle alone. I heard an interesting statistic recently that said: “More than half of the Civil War soldiers never fired their weapon. They would just add shells to their already loaded weapon to make it look like they had.”

An argument could be made that there’s nothing more frightening than combat, but fear can drive us in many directions. In literal war our sense of self-preservation may move us to hide, while for others it drives them to heroic acts that boggle the mind. But what about spiritual warfare?

It’s estimated that only about 3% of professing Christ followers ever share their faith, and a growing number are “hiding” in the face of so many other options. Church attendance has taken a back seat to sleeping in, children’s sport’s leagues, and a myriad of other “better” offers.  

Tim Keller said: “We’ll never know what prayer is for until we learn that life is war.” We’re in the battle of a lifetime. Satan is doing everything he possibly can to take as many people to hell with him as he can. The Church is God’s army to battle against the forces of evil. If we don’t stick together as Christ followers, lost people don’t have a chance. We MUST stick together

Blessings, Ed