IS IT REALLY THAT IMPORTANT FOR ME TO ATTEND CHURCH?

SCRIPTURE:
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, 
but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 
(1 Corinthians 12:12)

MEDITATION:
Christians are all part of one body, and that body is Christ.
As part of His body, we should love what He loves.
Does He love the church? 
Look at what the scriptures say about it.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself 
up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through
the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain 
or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

Jesus loved the church so much that “He gave himself up for her”!
If He loved the church that much, then every Christian should love the church as well.
If we don’t have a love of the church, then are we really followers of Christ?
Jesus gave Himself up for the church – shouldn’t we do the same if we truly love Him?
When He gave Himself up, it sounds as if He gave His life for the church.
If He gave His life for the church, shouldn’t we give at least a few hours a week for it?
Tithing isn’t just about money, it is also about our time.

As followers of Jesus Christ, 
each of us are expected to be a part of the church.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews 
or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 
Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 
(1 Corinthians 12:13-14)

Our part may be to be in attendance, or sing in the choir, 
or teach a Bible class, or serve on one of the various committees. 
Whatever contribution God expects of us in the church, 
it all begins with our being there.

Whenever we are not part of the church, we are causing it to be incomplete.
Without our presence, something is missing.
What is missing is - what God wants us to be, 
as part of the body of the church.
But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, 
just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the 
body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. (1 Corinthians 12:18)

The church suffers whenever Christians choose to be absent.
However, when all parts of the body are present, the church rejoices.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, 
every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:26)

ACTION:
How do you feel about church attendance?
Have you “given yourself up” for the church?
If you have decided you are not expected to attend, don’t argue about it 
with another person, instead debate with the words of God in the Bible.

It is God’s command and not the suggestion from others 
that should be your motivation for attending.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good 
deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, 
but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Hebrews 10:24-25)

When you fail to attend church with other believers, you are disappointing 
Christ (Who loved the church), and you are weakening the church body 
because you are not fulfilling what God expects of you – part of the body 
is missing due to your choice to ignore God’s command and purpose for you.
Either you are fully committed to the Lord, or you are just playing around 
with ‘religion’ as you continue to hold on to your own selfish desires.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for not considering the importance of attending 
church, and for ignoring Your command to be a part of its body. Help me to 
set aside whatever selfish reasons I have for failing to obey You, and to 
decide to start filling in my part of the church body from this day forward.
Thank You, Jesus, for giving up Yourself for the church, and for going to 
the cross for me. Holy Spirit, create in me a desire to have the same type 
of love for the church that Jesus does.”