"So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read." (Luke 4:16 NKJV)
Sometimes people tell me they do not attend church services because of all the hypocrites in the church. Some people say they don't go because they know more about the Bible than the preacher in the pulpit. Others are just too busy to go to church anymore. There are more important things for them to do with their time than gather with God's people for worship and edification. Typically for these people the church is not important until they need something from it. I have even heard of some people who attend church but admit they withhold their tithe in protest over some issue, program, or music style the church is using.
As I think about these statements often heard I compare them to the life of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that it was Jesus' habit to gather at the spiritual meeting place with other people. Going to a worship gathering was a common part of His life. He was not like 50% of the church members in the average church who never attend worship services. He was not even like those who attend once in a while. He was certainly not like those who withhold their giving in protest! Instead he was in the habit of gathering with other people for worship.
If anyone could have found excuses to stay away it would have been Jesus. He is the only person who could have legitimately said, "I am better than all these hypocrites here today." He is the only person who could have rightly said, "I know more than the person preaching today." And he could have withheld his financial contributions because he did not like the way the place was being operated. But thankfully Jesus was not like many modern-day church members. He attended services, he participated, he worked to make the place better, and he contributed financially. He ultimately gave His very life to build the church. He did all of this because it was the right thing to do. He did what he did because of his relationship with God the Father, not because of his relationship with other people.
Perhaps it is time for people to stop making excuses and start putting God first again in their lives by following the example of Jesus. Jesus is the one, after all, who said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). I cannot think of a higher calling and privilege than to be a part of the body that Jesus died to build. I am an active part of my local congregation because I believe in the mission of Jesus Christ in the world through the church. There is no such thing as a perfect church. (If you ever find a perfect church please do not join it because you will ruin it!) But I do what I do because of my relationship with Jesus Christ and God my father. What about you? Do you want to be more like Jesus in this area of your life? Being like Jesus means going to church.
