I have heard people say that they don’t need to go to church; they can feel close to God in nature or on the golf course. The question isn’t one of feeling close to God. A mature believer can and should feel close to God at all times. God is present with us every moment. No, the question is one of love and obedience. Jesus said that if we love Him, we are to keep His commandments.
God doesn’t call us to be spiritual Lone Rangers. In Hebrews 10:24-25 we are told to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. In our church worship and other times of meeting, we encourage and lift up one another. We pray for one another, we support one another. We are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together “as is the manner of some.”
Jesus didn’t die for me alone; He died for the church. The church is His body, it is His bride. It’s important to remember that I am not the bride of Christ, the church is. When we neglect the church, we are neglecting the bride and body of Christ. When we neglect the church, we are neglecting Christ. If we say we love Christ, but don’t keep His commandments, we show how shallow and empty our love really is.
Tomorrow is Sunday, a day when the church, the body of Christ gathers together to worship Him and to encourage one another. We show our love for Christ by gathering with those for whom He died to offer up praise and worship to Him and to show our love for those who belong to Him. “Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.”
Pastor Haney
