Read Mark 2:23-28. “I don’t need a church to be a Christian”! Have you ever heard anyone say that?
It is a popular opinion that you can be a Christian without going to church. That your Christianity is between you and God and no one else. But that’s not what Jesus showed us. He spent the Sabbath in the synagogue. It’s not what the Early Church showed us. They worshipped regularly together in the temple.
Why did they do that? Why is getting together with other Christians on the Sabbath so important? Because your church helps you to centre your life on God. Committing to worshipping with your church family once a week for an hour or so helps you focus and centre your life on God. It’s part of the rhythm of work, rest and worship that God designed for you.
It’s easy to find excuses not to do it. You can worship God anywhere, after all, so you don’t need to be in church to do it. It might be inconvenient to have to commit to a particular time and place to worship with others each week. Other activities might crowd in at that time. It might be easier to simply catch up with the worship meeting online when you have a moment, or to watch another church’s meeting online because the timing is better for you.
But not committing to worship with a particular church family at a particular time and in a particular place each week often means your life rhythm will get out of order. You’ll feel restless and lost. Out of kilter. Commit to being in worship with your church family this Sabbath and discover again just how restful that can be.
THINK IT OVER
Think about the following:
•How can worshipping with our church family benefit our spiritual lives?
