Is church attendance important?
Introduction. It is good that we want to determine what is important to God. God is the one whom we seek to please (cf. Heb. 11: 5).
Regular attendance is necessary to being like the early Christians. Paul wrote regarding the "whole church coming together" (1 Cor. 14: 23). The writer of Hebrews urged: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is..." (Heb. 10: 25). Forsaking the assembling is presented as falling away from Christ (Heb. 10: 25-29). It is written of the early Christians that "...they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2: 42). The breaking of bread, the Lord's Supper, was done in the assembly (1 Cor. 11: 18-29; Acts 20: 7). James wrote in keeping with regular assembling being understood (Jas. 2: 1-10).
Acts of worship performed in the assembled church. Beloved, there are a number of public worship acts required of God which are performed in the environment of the assembled local church. For example, we are to regularly give (meaning of the Greek) into the local treasury on the Lord's Day (1 Cor. 16: 1, 2), teach and admonish one another in song (Eph. 5: 19; Col. 3: 16), and partake of the Lord's Supper in the assembly (another regular act of worship, (Acts 2: 42; Acts 20: 7; 1 Cor. 11: 18-29).
Conclusion. Dear reader, it is admitted that one can attend out of improper motivation. However, such a possibility does not negate the foregoing. It is also true that God would not require of us that which is impossible - sickness and physical inability to attend, etc. We should also point out that we are not to attend just any religious service (2 John 9, 10). If we partake of error, we are also wrong (2 John 11). Attending service is a great privilege (Eph. 4: 15, 16).
Regular attendance is necessary to being like the early Christians. Paul wrote regarding the "whole church coming together" (1 Cor. 14: 23). The writer of Hebrews urged: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is..." (Heb. 10: 25). Forsaking the assembling is presented as falling away from Christ (Heb. 10: 25-29). It is written of the early Christians that "...they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2: 42). The breaking of bread, the Lord's Supper, was done in the assembly (1 Cor. 11: 18-29; Acts 20: 7). James wrote in keeping with regular assembling being understood (Jas. 2: 1-10).
Acts of worship performed in the assembled church. Beloved, there are a number of public worship acts required of God which are performed in the environment of the assembled local church. For example, we are to regularly give (meaning of the Greek) into the local treasury on the Lord's Day (1 Cor. 16: 1, 2), teach and admonish one another in song (Eph. 5: 19; Col. 3: 16), and partake of the Lord's Supper in the assembly (another regular act of worship, (Acts 2: 42; Acts 20: 7; 1 Cor. 11: 18-29).
Conclusion. Dear reader, it is admitted that one can attend out of improper motivation. However, such a possibility does not negate the foregoing. It is also true that God would not require of us that which is impossible - sickness and physical inability to attend, etc. We should also point out that we are not to attend just any religious service (2 John 9, 10). If we partake of error, we are also wrong (2 John 11). Attending service is a great privilege (Eph. 4: 15, 16).