Do I REALLY Have to Go To Church?

Why bother with church?
Well, if you aren’t interested in Jesus, don’t bother with church. Church isn’t for the uninterested, nor is it for those who want the church to adopt their own philosophy. Church is about a bunch of people working together to follow Jesus. That’s the whole of it.

But if you do want to follow Jesus, the church is the best place to be because that IS what the church is about. And that’s the reason why everyone who wants to follow Jesus should be a part of a church—because it helps us follow Jesus. The church is really just about “en-couraging” each other. This means that we give “courage” to each other to be like Jesus, in the midst of a society that wants to dis-courage us from Jesus. The church’s purpose is to provide a context to grow in Jesus and to serve Jesus. Without the people of Jesus, our life in Jesus is limited to ourselves, which is like not having Jesus at all.

But the church isn’t just a good idea for a believer in Jesus—it is necessity. Here’s three reasons why:

1. The church is part of Jesus’ salvation.
Jesus died and rose again so we can be a part of God’s kingdom. Jesus is the king, and the kingdom is not a land, but a people—Jesus’ people. If we refuse to be with Jesus’ people, we are actually refusing a part of Jesus’ salvation.

2. The church is the body of Jesus.
The church is actually a part of Jesus. Jesus said that what happened to his people happens to him, whether love or persecution. This means that if we reject Jesus’ people, we are actually rejecting Jesus himself! Thus, to not have anything to do with the church is to separate ourselves from Jesus.

3. The church is the context to obey Jesus
Jesus gave us many commands that are to be done in the midst of his people. Jesus said, “love one another,” and “be at peace with one another” and “serve one another.” But if we are not a part of Jesus’ people, we cannot obey Jesus.
Thus, the church is essential for real Christian life, not an option.

The church problem
As necessary as the church is, the church is also the biggest problem of being a follower of Jesus. The church is full of arguments, hatreds, divisions, hypocrites, superficiality and wrong directions. There are so many people in the church who seem to be trying to KEEP people from following Jesus, it is hard at time to look at this group of disobedient “saints” and call it the place where we will grow in Jesus.
What we need to realize is not all the church is the church. You can look at any given group of so-called “followers” and find a bunch of people that aren’t in it for Jesus at all. But you can also look within most churches—not all, but a lot of them—and find a core of people who are truly seeking Jesus above all else. You may not find them in the leadership of the church, and you probably won’t find them in the group that’s in charge of the “programs” of any given church. They may be in charge of a small group fellowship. They may lead a prayer meeting or bible study. They may be a counsellor and supporter of others in the church. But you will find that these people are the heart of the congregation of Jesus-people in the church.

Don’t look for these things in a church
Great music—This has nothing to do with following Jesus
Great preaching—Just because somebody sounds good doesn’t mean they know Jesus
No hypocrisy—Every church has some hypocrites, and most every church have those who are not hypocrites. The trick is enduring to find the difference.
A holy looking building—A lot of the best churches don’t have their own building at all, but meet in a house or a storefront.
Rich people or the opposite sex of the right age—Don’t go to church to further your own economic or social agenda. Church is for Jesus, not personal gain.
“People like me”—A church is not a social club, either. Yes, we are going to be more comfortable in a church with people we culturally understand, but the real issue in church is participating in Jesus.
Total agreement in theology—Certainly we want to be in general agreement of how to read the Scriptures and understand Jesus. But we will never find a church we completely agree with. It is enough to find people who are living it.

Signs of God’s church
So, let’s say that you are visiting a church and you meet some of the leadership and you’ve even found the spiritual heart of that gathering of Jesus-people. But still, how does one know if it’s the right place? How does one find a place that truly has Jesus in it, and not just something that looks like Jesus? As you do your detective work on a church, check for six things that a true church has:
 The gospel
The true church of Jesus holds the truth about Jesus at its core. They proclaim that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. They have a very firm commitment to Jesus and know that the true Christian is one that not only says the right words, but acts in the way Jesus wants them to act. They are working hard to have Jesus rule over every part of their lives, and yet, somehow, they are not judgmental against those who are finding it difficult to have Jesus as their Lord. And not only that, they are so hot about Jesus that they are ready to talk about him to anyone who will listen—and possibly to some people who don’t want to listen. Don’t join a church that isn’t talking about Jesus.
 The Holy Spirit
The true church of Jesus displays the Holy Spirit in its very fiber. They know that their prayers are heard, and they expect people to be healed and set free by the power of God. But the Holy Spirit isn’t shown just by loud, demanding prayers—rather the Spirit is shown by the actions of love—they are gentle, peaceable, self-controlled against sin, open to everyone yet understanding that God wants us all to be pure. They are firm but not forcing, they make sense, but are maybe a little crazy, too! Crazy in a good way, though. Don’t join a church that isn’t powered by the Holy Spirit.
 Sharing with the poor
Jesus’ true church is interested in the needy. They seek out those who have needs—either within or outside of their congregation—and try to meet the needs with whatever resources they have. This doesn’t mean that they spend all their time with the poor, nor does it mean that everyone lives like monks, either. But the serious people in the church must be serious about adjusting their lives to include the needy around them. Don't join a church that doesn’t help the poor.
 Servant leaders
The leadership of Jesus’ church aren’t interested in promoting themselves, but they want to assist the people in the church. The leaders see the average person in the church as the most important people in the congregation, not those on the leadership team. They do not promote their personal agenda, or their own church, but consider what is best to help others. They aren’t focused increasing the size of the church or in new buildings—rather, they want to serve people. Don’t join a church where the leaders are full of themselves.
 Support of the persecuted
Jesus’ true church sees themselves as part of a persecuted body. This doesn’t mean that they are paranoid. Rather, they know that Christians around the world are being persecuted for the gospel, and they want to do what they can to support them. Perhaps they support the persecuted in their own community and rally around them. Or perhaps they support the persecuted from a distance. But they see persecution as a sign that the church is involved in the spiritual battle. Don’t join a church that ignores the persecuted followers.

 Community Support
Jesus’ true church is a family that supports each other. If you are in a social club, people come in and go out and don’t feel the need to talk to anyone. In a community, people are involved in each other’s lives—not being busybodies, but trying to offer help and support as they are able. Jesus’ community really cares about each other, and when they ask, “how are you,” they really mean it, because they really want to rejoice or sorrow with you. When someone is in sin, the rest of the church prays for them to repent and encourages them to remain in Jesus. When someone is in need, the rest of the church looks for ways to help them. Don’t join a church that silently encourages isolation.

Be a Part of Jesus—Join Jesus’ Community!