If you have been asking yourself questions like ‘Why should I go to church?’, ‘To what end do we go to church?’ or ‘What do I gain from church aside from singing and dancing?’ then get on board, let us find answers from the word of God. The meeting together of the saints is not just a Sunday ritual. There is more to it and there is a need for understanding the concept of church so it is not only done as a religious duty.

From the book of Acts, the 2nd chapter, we learn of the birth of the Church. The church was born on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in cloven tongues as of fire and they began to speak in tongues when they were filled with the Holy Ghost. That day, Peter preached to the crowd and three thousand (first) converts were won to the church. After that, the disciples spread out to preach the good news of the Kingdom amidst diverse persecutions, and now the baton is in our hands.

The mention of the Greek word “Ekklesia” in scriptures means Assembly/gathering together. ‘Ek’ ‘means out of and ‘klesis’ means a calling, so together it means a ‘calling out of’; it wasn’t only for church but any gathering unto a purpose (Acts 19:39). There are also yet words like ‘Synagoge’– synagogue (a local church/a particular congregation; 2 Thessalonians 1, James 2:2)  and ‘paneguris’ (meaning general assembly setting; Hebrews 12:23, Psalms 89:7, Hebrews 10:24-25).

Matthew 18:20 says anytime two or more people are gathered in the name of the Lord, HE is there, thus a gathering of just two people in the name of the Lord is a church and GOD is right there. Now that we know from the scriptures that just two people gathered in the Lord’s name is a church, next time you go to the church assembly and there is one person be glad, because with you there, it is still a church meeting. Amazing, right? Whether it’s a gathering of thousands or two, so long as it is in the name of the Lord, God is right there and this is not restricted to meetings inside a building. It could be a gathering on the street, it could even be an e-meeting (electronic meeting).

First off, the Christian fellowship isn’t optional, it is an instruction from the Lord essential for the body of Christ. God commands that we should not forsake the assembly of the saints because that’s an environment for growth. Yes, I know you can read the Bible yourself and you may understand it; you might even watch all the Christian programs on TV on Sundays, but let’s take a look at Hebrews 10:25 – “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near”. It speaks clearly about the manner of the Christians who would not go to church and instructs us not to tread that path. DECIDING TO LIVE A SOLITARY CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT GOD’S PLAN; IT IS LIKE BEING IN THE NAVY BUT NOT WANTING TO GO ON ANY SHIP. There is the universal body of Christ which all Christians are baptized into by the Holy Spirit but this universal body (church) has members (local assemblies) all over, it is like living stones with members of the body of Christ all knit together. Some people say they are looking for the perfect church to go to and I tell them, when they do find that church and join, it no longer becomes a perfect church because they joined with their imperfections. If it is a place where Christ is preached and Christ is exalted, we have to be there and give everything to attend to the business of our Lord. In Luke 4:16, Jesus Christ our Lord cultivated the custom of going to the synagogue – He who was the son of God. It should be our personal habit to go to church just as Christ did if we are Christians

In addition, the Word of God says HE gave gifts unto men. HE gave some Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, till we all come in the unity of faith (Ephesians 4:11-16). From the scriptures, the saints are to be perfected (from the Greek word ‘katartidzo’ which means to repair or mend to complete thoroughly) for the work of the ministry and the Lord has given us gifts in the form of men who will mend and repair us to be thoroughly furnished for every task, till we all come to complete full growth in Christ. God is building His church together as a whole unit and joining yourself to others exposes you to the growth that happens in that assembly and builds you up for your ministry/assignment. 

The church provides an opportunity to work for the Lord and witness for Christ in our daily lives; at home, school, work etc. Some of us will not take the initial step to witness to anyone about Christ but through the church, we are exposed to doing this until it becomes a part of us. The Bible calls us Ambassadors for Christ – it says we are peculiar people separated to Christ and so as we are built up in these truths, we live as Christ and our very lives becomes a testimony to others.

Another essence of the assembly is to encourage one another, stir up one another, exhort one another and sharpen one another. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”. In the gathering of believers, we are helped when weak; maybe you are struggling with something that you need answers or directives on – at your local assembly gathering the Lord can bring you insight from another brethren’s talk, or sermon; sometimes that anxiety is lifted during a song ministration.

Winding up, there are innumerable blessings in being an active member of a local church but following these few points, I hope to see you in church next Sunday!