Why Attend?
Have you ever pondered why Sunday worship services are so important to your Christian walk?
It’s more than just a weekly routine. It’s a community gathering where we can fellowship, grow, and find strength in God’s words.
“Let us not give 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 10:25. This scripture underscores the importance of communal worship. It’s not about just ticking a box every Sunday, but it’s about spiritual nourishment, unity, and growth.
Three Benefits of Attending Sunday Worship Services
#1 – Spiritual Growth
Sunday worship services provide an opportunity for you to delve deeper into God’s Word. It’s a chance to learn and grow in your understanding of the Bible, and in turn, grow closer to God.
Remember what the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
#2 – Fellowship and Community
When you regularly attend Sunday services, you become part of a community, a family, that supports and uplifts each other. Acts 2:46-47 speaks to this, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”
#3 – Inspiration and Motivation
As Proverbs 27:17 puts it, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Through the shared experiences and unity with other believers, you’ll find encouragement and motivation to keep the faith, even in challenging times.
A Call to Action
Sunday worship services are a fundamental component of your journey as a Christian. They offer a space for reflection, fellowship, and learning. It’s where you are reminded of God’s love and grace.
So, are you ready to take this step towards personal and spiritual growth?
Will you make a commitment to join us every Sunday?
Remember, together we are stronger, together we grow. Let’s embark on this beautiful journey of faith, unity, and spiritual growth.
Your spiritual journey starts here. Your best life starts now.
Just some thoughts,
I know many people would prefer to say, “We are the church and we go to the building”, but the term, “go to church” can mean when one attends or goes to the assembly.
The question this week is, “Why do you go to church?”
In a recent article found in the Spring 2020 issue of Preaching magazine, J. D. Greear cites some research from Great Britain regarding religious practices. The research referenced that “70% of British people never anticipate going into a church in their lifetime.” These results shown the British may be more secularized than anyone may think.
Dr. Greear also stated that these results did not indicate they were mad at the church or trying to avoid it. The research shows those surveyed could not see a reason to go to church.
Can you imagine 70% of a nation (if the survey is consistent) would see no reason to attend services of the church? What if those results were the same in our country? What about in our state? What about in the Gadsden area?
Acts, the book of history in the New Testament, reveals that the early church met together every day and found encouragement. Not only did they continue to teach one another (Acts 5.42) but they also shared what they had with each other (Acts 2.44).
Not only did the early church meet to worship (Acts 2.42) but they continued to meet because of their relationship. It was necessary for them to meet to “stir up one another.” (Hebrews 10.24)
So, back to the question, “Why do you go to church?”
Just a thought,
From coffee cups, water bottles, and even snack containers; these are the items that litter many church auditoriums following brief periods of worship. Stuffed in the pockets of the seats are handwritten notes regarding the afternoon activities and future events of the day. In fact, the newest church seats resemble theatre seats equipped with cup holders more than the pews of piety from years past. The flashes of light against a screen, called PowerPoint, are the highlight of the service instead of humbly bowing before the Almighty.
Each Sunday for one hour members fill an auditorium for “worship.” For many, this may be the only time each week they worship God. For others, this will begin their week of worship. While each person may be drastically different, we all understand that worship is a part of our lives. The question may be, “How well do we respect our worship?”
My friends, I submit to you today, that we clearly see our respect for God in our worship of Him.
Let me pose a few questions for you to consider:
- If our minds are not focused on the Father during the week, how can one hour on Sunday morning suffice?
- If our worship is filled with what we want, when do we live in what God wants?
- Do our children see us worshipping God, or respecting the world?
Hard questions deserve hard answers!
Take a moment and consider the words of A. W. Tozer this day:
“Christian churches have come to the dangerous time predicted long ago. It is a time when we can pat one another on the back, congratulate ourselves and join in the glad refrain, ‘We are rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing!’
“It certainly is true that hardly anything is missing from our churches these days—except the most important thing. We are missing the genuine and sacred offering of ourselves and our worship to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.…
“My own loyalties and responsibilities are and always will be with the strongly evangelical, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring churches. We have been surging forward. We are building great churches and large congregations. We are boasting about high standards and we are talking a lot about revival.
“But I have a question and it is not just rhetoric: What has happened to our worship?”
A. W. Tozer, Whatever Happened to Worship (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1985), 9–10.
Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed.) (810). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Just some thoughts,
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Singing is powerful aspect of our worship that motivates one to a greater attitude and a greater desire to worship. Music has a tendency to transport the mind into a higher realm.
In 1780, John Wesley published his rules for singing as a part of a hymnal he produced that same year.. The list is fascinating and the points apply to this year even more than the year they were written. The list is contained below:
- Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
- Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all.
- Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can.
- Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep.
- Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation.
- Sing in tune. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before or stay behind it. Take care not to sing too slow.
- Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing.
A few years before the hymnal was published, Mr. Wesley wrote his views on a new song in a journal entry dated, July 3, 1764,
“I seldom relish verses at first hearing. Till I have heard them over and over, they give me no pleasure, and they give me next to none when I have heard them a few times more, so as to be quite familiar.”
I find it interesting that emphasis John Wesley put on singing. He knew there are something about worshipping God in song that brought delight to the worship of God.
Just some thoughts,
Every week, across our brotherhood, sermons are presented, and Bible classes are taught. During those few hours each week, some people gain more insights than others. While it may be said that we should not come “looking for something”, we should come ready do worship the Almighty. If we have the proper mindset there is still something to be gained from the lessons.
Consider these few questions to see if they can help you “get something” from the lessons:
Why did you come to worship or Bible class?
The way we approach worship will determine our experience and our learning capacity. Ask yourself, “Am I coming to join with the saints and worship God the Father?” Are you coming together with others to praise God or just to “get something” out of the day? If someone comes to worship to find a self-pleasing ritual, then worship will not be God-centered.
What are you putting into the sermon or Bible class?
When you come to the assembled worship or Bible Class time, have you prepared your mind to learn? Our mindset will say much about our ability to learn. Are you opening your Bible and following along, or even taking notes to examine later? The old saying is, “you get out what you put in.” Are you putting effort into learning?
Where was your mind during the sermon or Bible class?
When you are listening are you thinking of how to apply the points of the message in your daily life? Once again, listening goes back to mindset. Are you focusing on the worship of God or things outside of worship?
Just some thoughts,
Each week there are a few things followers of Christ do to strengthen their relationship with the Lord and to enhance their relationship with each other. Though the world sees them as simple, the deeper meaning behind each one is the key to a long lasting, strong fellowship.
Each week, Christians meet to commemorate the Lord’s Death on the Cross (Luke 22.19; 1 Corinthians 11.23-26) as the Christians in the first century did (Acts 20.7). It is during this time each person’s mind should reflect on the sacrifice of Christ (1 Corinthians 11.27-32).
Each week, Christians meet to pray together. The Bible speaks of the power of prayer in passages such as James 5.16, “The prayer or a righteous person has great power in its working.” Christians know not only the power of individual prayer, but also the power of united, group prayer (Acts 4.24-31; 12.5; 20:36)
Each week, Christians meet to sing. Passages such as Ephesians 5.19-21 and Colossians 3.16 speak of the singing of Christians. Their singing was to God and each other, but it came as a result of their salvation in Christ. The realization of salvation from sin should be enough to make anyone sing for joy (James 5.13)
Each week, Christians meet to study God’s Word (Acts 20.7). The study of God’s word was a core practice among the early church and not just on the first day of the week, but through the book of Acts, you will find they were constantly studying the Book (Acts 17.11) because they understood it was their inspired guide to salvation (2 Timothy 3.16-17).
Each week, Christians give. When a need arose, the early Christians sought to fill that need for the brethren. Whether it be a famine, hardships or supporting the work of the gospel, the early Christians stepped up to meet the need (1 Corinthians 16.1, 2; Acts 4.34-35; Acts 11.29)
Each week, and throughout the week, the early Christians met together to draw closer to God knowing that, in turn, he would draw closer to them (James 4.8). Their fellowship with each other was greater because of their desire for God and as a result, they found a greater fellowship with each other.
Let us strive together to strengthen our fellowship by drawing closer to God and closer to each other.
Just some thoughts,
