Because… The Lord commands so!
“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it...” (Deuteronomy 12:32)
“What thing soever I command you, observe to do it...” (Deuteronomy 12:32)
Hebrews 10:25 says:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
While we should never worship a church building or meeting together, it is important that we obey God’s commands. Hebrews 10:25 is a simple command from the Bible that we are to follow without any reservations. If God says, “jump!” we should just jump without even asking. The only question we may be allowed to ask may be, “how high?” not “why?” In the same way when God says that we should not forsake the assembling together of the saints it is necessary to just obey. God knows the weaknesses of the saints in the church and has not appointed you judge of the church! In fact He says, He will deal with it at the end:
“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” Matthew 13:30
You see, usually when God gives a command He never gives us the consequences of not obeying, He simply says, “do not...” or “do...” without a “...because...” However God never gives us commands to show that he is the “man above us (ndiye aripanyanga).” He does so in order to protect us because He loves us (Job 33:14-18). The same God has commanded us not to forsake meeting together.
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| Why should I go to church? |
Remember He is the God who commanded that a temple be built, a place where He would meet with His people apart from the fact that they would also have prayers in their homes. For God’s people to meet was, and is, so important that even when the Jews went into Diaspora they were to meet in synagogues (places of worship, built to accommodate Jewish worship when away from the Temple) and once in a while travel back to Jerusalem for worship at the stipulated festivals. Whenever they prayed, they faced Jerusalem from whatever place they were in, because the city housed the temple. Jesus, the Blessed One who is our greatest example of obedience led us by example:
“...as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” Luke 4:16
Going to church, for Jesus, was not a once a year activity but it had developed into a custom. He loved church so much that He was glad to have His parents go home alone whilst he remained in the temple (Luke 2:44-49). Whose example do you follow? Has going to church become part of your custom, and an everyday activity? Unfortunately for some of us, we appear in church only three times in our life: when you are hatched, when you are matched, and when you are dispatched!
What did the early church do? They went to church daily!
“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple...” (Acts 2:46).
What did the apostle Paul do? He was in the synagogue every Sabbath!
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.” (Acts 18:4)
For His people to meet together is so important for God, it must be important for us! He has commanded it; hence, it must be obeyed. This is the first reason why all of us should be going to church, without excuse.
“LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.” Psalm 26:8
“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” Psalm 27:4
(article by: Apostle P. Sibiya)
