Last Sunday was Easter Sunday; just like many churches across our nation, we had a number of families and people that visited my home church yesterday. Sunday night I had trouble sleeping and went downstairs to lay on the couch and began to think of the people and families that came to worship with us yesterday. One thing that stuck in my mind is that for many of them, their spiritual health is much like the picture of the church above – tattered, torn, paint peeling, windows broken. While I may not know their exact relationship with God, I can tell you that there is seriously something missing in the life of a Christian that does not regularly attend church.
The picture of the old abandoned church is a good visual representation of a Christian’s life without regular church attendance. It’s weak, not structurally sound. Prayers and hymns of praise no longer fill the sanctuary, much like how the heart is no longer filled with joy. Pews sit empty, the wood cracked, the cushions long rotted away as decay begins to set in. The pulpit no longer bears witness of the glory, holiness, and power of God; the Holy Spirit no longer holds any sway over the Christian’s life. In place of an ever-growing congregation, a building in near collapse now stands. Instead of a fountain of love and joy springing from the heart of the believer, a stagnant pond contaminated by the disease of sin has become the focus of the life of the believer that will not be faithful in church attendance.
Although I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1988, I did not always have the wish to sincerely follow after Him as I do now. For a while, I was active in church, attending every service offered. Over time, my church attendance began to decline, my faithfulness to reading the Bible began to dwindle, and within a year, I fell into the trap of only attending church on Sunday morning. Within another six months, I only went to the Christmas Sunday service during that month of December. The next time I attended the Sunday morning service was Easter Sunday. Yes, I was still a Christian; however, I had fell into a subtle trap created by Satan that derails millions of Christians – as long as I am saved, that’s all that matters. Yes, we cannot lose our salvation; however, we can allow Satan to rob us of our joy. I had a heart that resembled that stagnant pond; the odor my heart let out was foul, full of decay and I did not have the ability to find peace, comfort, and joy that Christ had brought into my life at an earlier time.
When a Christian falls out of church there is more that they are missing than just the preaching and the singing. They miss the Christian fellowship that is essential for the development of a stronger walk with Christ. They miss the strength that praying with other Christians can bring to even the most troublesome burden. Believe it or not, there are other benefits that God has placed within the local New Testament church that the Christians who are fairly active within their congregations. Take a moment and, if you regularly attend your church, you will know immediately who the older women are that might be able to watch your child at a moment’s notice, who the men are that can help replace a starter or an alternator in your car, who might be able to fix a leaky sink, replace a circuit breaker, repair your computer, or even make a professional-quality cake. Within the last ten years, as I have grown more in my faith, I have helped church members with various computer issues, add telephone lines to their house, build computer networks, hook up new televisions and entertainment centers, video record weddings, and even repair/upgrade computer hardware. No, this is not the main reason that anyone should go to church but it is simply one of the added blessings that God provides to His children who are obedient.
When God brings Christians together through the local New Testament church, he makes that body with the idea that we are there to use our talents and gifts not only in the glorification of God in that local body, but that we might serve one another with our talents and gifts. This helps to strengthen the bonds between Christians and follows the examples of the early churches started by the apostles. The members of those early churches were known for helping one another out as part of the demonstration of their faith.
I do not promise you that your Christian walk will be without problems if you become more active in your local church. I will promise you that the fellowship will grow sweeter, your burdens and trials won’t seem so lonely, and you will develop friendships that will be founded in Christ that will last a lifetime. Christians that already have experienced this do understand the joys that our salvation does bring. It lifts our emotions and our spiritual well-being. It brings us closer to God and allows ourselves to become a part of His plan to reach others in our community.
