Do you really need to go to church every Sunday? That’s a good question. You’re not the first person to wonder at that. The Bible doesn’t give a straightforward verse that says, “Thou shalt attend thy local congregational gathering and do so at least once per month!” So let’s break down the question a little bit and start with, “Do I need to go to church.”

If you’ve been instructed as a Lutheran, you might remember the Small Catechism and its teaching on the third commandment. You should “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,” which Luther taught that this means to, “…not despise preaching and God’s Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” To hear and learn preaching and God’s Word, someone else has to be there to tell it to you! For Luther, the implication is obvious, to know God’s Will, you must gather together at least with one other person to teach you God’s Word. That is going to church.

The other aspect to this, which we’ll use the Scriptures to explore, is that going to church isn’t something that you do for God, but something that God does for you. By going to church:

• You enter God’s presence,
  • “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them,” Matthew 18:20.
  • “… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:20b

• You receive forgiveness from Him through Absolution and Holy Communion,
  • “And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld,” ” John 20:22-23
  • “When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men,” Matthew 9:8. (This is in response to Jesus forgiving the sins of the paralytic and healing him.)
  • “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins,” Matthew 26:26-28.

• He teaches you the truth through His Word,
  • So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” John 8:31-32.
  • “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding,” Proverbs 3:5.
  • “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” Romans 12:2.

• He strengthens you to endure life’s hardships,
  • “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies,” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10.
  • “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed,” 1 Peter 4:12-13.

God doesn’t need your worship, your reception of the Lord’s Supper, or for your ears to listen to the sermon, but you do. Church isn’t for God, it’s for you.

This list isn’t comprehensive, but it sums up a number of benefits of going to church. By neglecting to gather, which is warned against in Hebrews 10, you are forsaking these gifts and neglecting God’s family which He has made you a member of. So, do you need to go to church? Yes! You have the responsibility to go, the joy of going, and gifts to receive! Open your Sunday morning schedule, clear up your calendar on Saturday night and attend service.

Now should you go every single weekend? Again, there’s no simple Bible verse when it comes to frequency of gathering. However, the example from the Old Testament suggests that Israelites would gather in the morning and evening of each day to worship and offer sacrifices. That isn’t to say that each day, every person would gather every evening and morning, but the opportunity to gather before the Lord was frequent. The frequency of this indicates how important it was to gather before God often.

The early church in Jerusalem as described in Acts similarly saw the value in frequently gathering together. “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teachings and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…and day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,” (Acts 2:42, 46.) This gathering happened day after day and people came together as often as they could.

We have examples for us from the Old and New Testaments, now let’s consider a word from Jesus Himself. “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst,” (John 6:35.) Jesus regards himself as one’s daily nourishment. During His time, the staple of each day was bread. Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, implies one should eat of Him daily, which we understand in this passage to be His Word. This feeds our soul. We should be reading our Bibles to help feed our soul and meditating on God’s Word, but in the church service it is as a feast for the soul because the Word of God is both read, interpreted and taught to you.

As long as a Christian is able to gather for church, they ought to. And they ought to as often as they can. Because within the gathering of God’s people is Christ Himself, coming to you in the Word of God and the Holy Sacraments sustaining you and delivering you from sin, and of this you will always be in need.

In Christ,

Pastor Lewis