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We asked this question of a number of people, and below are some of the answers we received. (We saved the best reply for last.)
It's an Act of Obedience to God
Going to church is a matter of obeying God's Word, God wants us to come together in order to motivate and encourage one another. This is a responsibility charged to every believer. To reject regular church attendance, is a rejection of one of the sacred duties of the true believer.
It's an Expression of Our Love for God
Going to church is a visible, tangible expression of our love and worship toward God, something that is required of all Christians (Matt. 10:32-33).
It's in church that we bring Him offerings of praise, thanks, and honor.
It Builds Spiritual Character and Strength
Receiving the preaching and teaching of the Word of God increases our faith and builds us up spiritually. Every believer knows what it is to face spiritual conflict in our lives. Paul warns us that it will take much to stand successfully against the Devil and his evil forces. To win the final victory we must take every opportunity to receive ministry and strength from God's Word.
It Provides Fellowship with Other Christians
Gathering together with other Christians is important to God. The Bible makes it clear that we must seek a relationship with God and with other believers.
It is not possible to love God and refuse to love other Christians. If you have a problem loving other Christians, then there is a problem in your relationship with God. Scripture warns us that not forgiving others can void God's forgiveness of our own sins (Matt. 6:15).
Keeping ourselves in love and harmony with other believers keeps us humble before God so that Christ's blood can continue to cleanse us from our sins.
It Guarantees a Special Visit from the Lord
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matt. 28:20). This means whenever "Jesus" is the object of gathered worship, praise, prayer, preaching, or other Christian service, Jesus will be there also. Even though Jesus resides within the heart of every believer, he honors a gathering in his name by being "in their midst," with his power, awareness, and special anointing. In such a gathering, Christ does things with our hearts and minds that do not occur at other times.
It Produces Greater Group Gains when We Pray and Worship God Together
The Bible indicates that agreement in prayer with other believers has special factor with God. Greater spiritual power comes from the combined faith of God's people. It is clear that greater spiritual gains can be realized through corporate prayer and worship.
It Makes Us Accountable to Spiritual Leaders
God wants us to submit to the authority of spiritual leaders -- within the boundaries of God's Word. God designed this system of accountability for the progress and protection of His flock. This isn't possible unless we are a part of an organized fellowship which has identified guides, elders, pastors, or leaders. One cannot genuinely be under a TV pastor who has never met you. Nor is it possible to be under submission by visiting a different church each week. Submission necessitates a commitment and relationship to a local body of believers and their spiritual leader(s).
It Honors the Lord's Day
The fourth commandment of the law that God gave Moses was to set aside the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as a holy day to the Lord. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." (Ex. 20:8). After Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, the early Christians began meeting together on this day as well as with the Jewish community in the synagogues on the Sabbath. The Jewish Christians came to view Sunday as a combined observance of the Sabbath and the resurrection day of Jesus. This day of Christian worship came to be called the Lord's Day (Rev. 1:10), a day to fellowship, worship, pray and study the Word together.
For Those Who Love Jesus, the "Church is the Body of Christ"
Why? Because that's exactly what it is, that's what we are. The Church is the very means by which God expresses his physical presence here on Earth. How else? Where else do we see Christ more fully realized, more wholly presented, more passionately worshiped, or more deeply understood? When people want to get as physically close to God as they possible can, where do they go? Where can they go ... but to Church?
And without people that belong to and support it, a Church is nothing more than an empty building, filled with empty seats, capable of nothing. The Church is Christ's body on earth. It's where and how our world God lives, breathes, moves and acts. It's how he nurtures his believers, how he reaches out to and provides for those who do not yet know him.
Once you have felt Christ within you come alive; once you've acknowledged and acquiesced to the truth of the reality of God within you, you do become a cell in the body of Christ on Earth. And going to church - regularly communing with a bunch of other living, breathing cells of the same body - is the means by which you discover how the cell you are is meant to contribute to the functioning and betterment of that whole body.
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