Being there

Being There

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ 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.

Let me start out by saying attending church services does not save you.  Many people attend churches services weekly and leave unchanged.  However, there is a reason why we have church services and why we go to church services.  It's because we are a member of the body of Christ (the Church) and because we are members of Christ, we should not only desire, but commit to being with the other body parts when they assemble together to worship, study, and serve.  Being involved in church services benefits you and benefits the church if we have our heart and minds on God.

I've seen too man people "skip" church services because they don't like the sermon series, or what the teacher is teaching in Sunday School, or the preacher is boring, or theirs a guest speaker because the pastor is gone, or whatever excuses we make to miss church.  Or they put other things before church and easily miss services or don't attend consistently.  First of all, if you have to make excuses or find reasons to miss church services, the problem is you not the Church.  Your heart is hard or your attitude is bad. You need to repent. NO excuses.

Secondly, you also have missed the point of going to church services.  You've made them about you and they are about God.  When we go to church whether to worship, bible study, Sunday school, small groups, or whatever types of services your local church has you are there to honor, worship, and give God glory first and foremost. It shouldn't matter what the sermon is about, what the lesson is on, or who is the one speaking or teaching. It's about God not us. You are also there to participate.

Thirdly, you are a valuable part of the body of Christ. Each part is important and special in the body, yet most local churches have a lot of missing, irregular, or uncommitted parts.  When you are missing from the body it does effect the body.  You miss out on a blessing or learning or growing or worshipping or serving, but the body suffers too with your absence or inconsistency.   When you are there, the body is full, you have change to encourage someone else, to bless someone else, or be used by God in some way.

I don't care what the sermon or lesson is about, who's the one delivering it, or what you got planned,  we all can gain something from God's Word and God can use any lesson, sermon, or messenger to challenge us, convict us, deliver us, heal us, or encourage us.  We have to change our attitude and stop acting like the church should cater to us and we're only going to participate when it benefits us.  We need to repent of such attitudes and behaviors. We also need to realize when we go to church services we are actively participating in the body of Christ and worshipping our Creator! We also need to prioritize our faith and our church membership. What better way to show your appreciation and adoration to God then showing up and participating in His body! 

We are all valuable parts of the body of Christ.  We belong to Him.  He can't use us if we're not present or available to Him.  While church services won't save you, they can help you and help the body if we all show up and show up with the right mindset.  Let's be present in the body both spiritually and physically so that the body of Christ is built up!  Don't make excuses to miss services, but be committed to God and His Church that you are supposed to be a part of, You are the Church!