Why Do You Go To Church? [Bible Teaching]

Many years ago, there was a Sunday radio programme that the host opened the phone lines and asked a simple question: why do you go to church? There were many people who called into the programme to share their views. In all the submissions, one thing was predominant: we go to church because we want to go to heaven. I was not well grounded in the Scriptures to say whether they were true or not but I could tell there was something wrong somewhere. Does it mean that everyone who shows up in church will go to heaven? What about the false people who appear as saints?

To a large extent, going to church is a sign of being a believer who is committed to the things of God and hence will show up in heaven. But it may be erroneous to believe that everyone inside the church is going to heaven. The Bible teaches that church is the assembly of the redeemed of God. It is fellowshipping with other believers who have been bought with the blood of Jesus. They are born again.

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Hebrews 10:25 says,

“…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

#1. Gathering of Saints

Firstly, church is a gathering of the saints of God. We go to church because it is natural for like-minded people to gather and fellowship. People meet for various reasons, but believers meet to worship God and exhort one another. We love the gathering of the saints because we are hewn from the same stone.

#2. Exhorting One Another

Believers meet amongst other things, to exhort one another. We meet to encourage and bear one another’s burden. We share love. We weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who are joyful. In a fallen world where Satan is bent on deceiving even the elect, God brings His own together to fellowship and be there for each other.

The next time someone ask you why you attend church, be ready to offer a hopeful reason. There are many reasons and Hebrews is a good place to encourage them that Christianity is reasonable and human. It is a celebration of community and shared love. If God wanted to take us to heaven, He would not have left us here on earth after our conversion.

Church is the gathering of the saints of God who are joyfully lifting hearts and hands to honour and worship their maker and Lord.

May we not miss the purpose of the church.

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