Why do Christians go to church?
by Tom Plonski
Jesus never said I have to go to church.
The Bible doesn't say I have to go to church.
Why do I have to go to church?
Remember that love is measured by willing sacrifice.
Christians go to church to demonstrate their
gratitude and love of God. It is a sacrifice to go to
church instead of sleeping late or doing something that
would be more fun to do. Going to church instead is a
way of showing our love of God by making the sacrifice
of effort and time.
The Bible does say: "Remember the Lord's day. Keep it holy."
A good way to "keep it holy" is to meet with other believers
and worship the Lord together.Exodus 20:8
When Christians go to a public worship meeting in
church, it is the same as standing up for Jesus.
When Christians go to a public worship meeting in church,
it is letting the whole world see that we
believe in God, that we believe in Jesus, that we are
Christians, and we accept Jesus as our Savior.
Practicing Christians go to a public worship meeting
in church even though they know they may
be ridiculed by non-believers. Again this requires willing
sacrifice. Publicly accepting Jesus as our Savior might
result in losing friendships or respect of relatives who
are non-believers.
In some communities and in some times letting
non-believers know we are Christians can have strong
negative consequences. Non-believers might be in a
position of power or influence. They might use their
influence to deny a Christian an opportunity for
advancement, job promotion, political office, etc.
In some communities and times Christians were and
still are treated as inferiors or outcasts.
Being a Christian also carries responsibilities.
We have the responsibility to set a good example for
fellow Christians.
It takes courage and sacrifice for Christians to
go to church. It takes courage to let the
world know that we are constant in accepting Jesus as
our Savior.
Tom Plonski
November 2, 2003
