“Why do I have to go to church?” Some may ask, “It’s awkward, full of hypocrites, and incredibly outdated. Anything spiritual I need I can get online”… it’s a valid question! Church has fallen out of favor with a whole host of people, and not for unfair reasons. A global pandemic, combined with a growing skepticism of religiosity in general, and a higher standard of online religious environments, have led many to say “not for me”. Why does church matter? Why should people go? Well, let’s take a look and see exactly why church is the hope of the world.
Church… what is it?
If we’re going to answer this question, we need to decide exactly what church means. Since “church” like “group” or “gathering” can mean a lot of different things. And a lot of different religions call themselves “church,” so what exactly do we mean when we say church? Miriam-Webster defines the word church as “A building for public and especially Christian worship.” So we’ve narrowed our focus a little, we’re discussing Christianity. Can we possibly narrow our focus a little more?
Since we’re discussing Christianity, we can look at the Bible for further clarification. The first time the word “Church” is used in the bible is in the book of Matthew, right at the beginning of the New Testament, in chapter 16 and verse 18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
So here we can see that Jesus says that gates of Hades will not prevail against a church, so a church is supposed to be strong, enduring, and victorious. Now there’s some confusion about exactly what Jesus means when He says “on this rock”. But in the context of the chapter of Matthew 16. We see that Jesus is saying that Peter’s confession of Jesus as Lord, is the foundation that the “church” is built on. This help us a little bit more. They have to say Jesus is Lord, and they have to prevail against hell.
So we’re almost there, next let’s look at the book in the Bible that describes the church the best, the book of Acts! It’s right after the book of John, and before the book of Romans, in the Bible. Chapter 2, verse 42 gives more good descriptions… “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
This is excellent! This narrows it down quite nicely. Sometimes it’s hard to make out exactly what the Bible is saying, so let’s translate a little bit. “Apostles’ Doctrine” means that they need to believe the Bible. Fellowship means they need to meet together consistently, and get to know each other a lot. The breaking of bread means they need to participate in what Christians call “communion”, which is a very special thing that we’ll discuss in another blog soon. Finally, in prayers means they need to pray consistently, which we’ll also discuss in another blog. So here are out definitions of church, but next we need to discuss, what about all that bad stuff?
Church… it kinda stinks
There’s no shortage of issues or criticism with church and churches. Feels like every other day brings up a new controversy or falling from grace. While many of us, inside of churches, would love to just ignore or avoid these complaints, the current state of the world demands an answer. So we plan to answer common criticisms or hurts with the church.
Everyone is a hypocrite. This is probably the problem most people have with church, and honestly it feeds into the other two. I’ve heard and seen countless people say things like “I’m a better person than all of my Christian friends” or “So you’re struggling when you do it, but when I do it’s sin?” Both of these and countless other comments are pointing at a very real place in the church. The idea that our Bible calls for perfection, yet Christians are anything but. The Bible actually has quite a lot to say about hypocrites, Jesus especially has a lot to say when speaking to some hypocrites in the book of Matthew, which we looked at earlier. Especially one verse, found in Matthew chapter 22, verse 13, ““But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”
Again, sometimes it’s hard to understand what the Bible is saying, so allow me to translate again. Jesus is speaking to two groups who are responsible for teaching people God’s Word at the time. The Pharisees and scribes, but they weren’t doing a good job, and not really living out what God was saying. So we can see that Jesus condemnation hits as hard today as it did then.
The Bible doesn’t make sense. Another common issue many have with church is with the very cornerstone of it. The Bible is the very foundation of the church, and many believe that the Bible as a written work is incomprehensible at best, and deliberately misleading at worst. While it can be said that the Bible is hard to understand at times, what with languages being what they are, translation is a complicated and not easily understood process. But take comfort in the fact that many historians say the Bible is the best preserved book in history, so allegations of falsehoods have absolutely no basis. However, the larger issue here is a question of personal understanding, as opposed to historical accuracy. In regards to this I will simply say the albeit biased opinion, that the Bible makes sense, if you give it the chance to explain itself.
Church is behind the times. This is another common criticism leveled at churches the world over. That our adherence to a 2,000 year old book means we cannot change, cannot adapt to “the way the world is now”. While this criticism does have a basis in reality, the Bible actually has a lot to say about modern issues, and modern problems people are facing. Examples include, Anxiety disorders… “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7; Wars… “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 24:6; … Financial Hardship… “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. Call me crazy, but it looks to me like the Bible, and by extension the church, has quite a lot to say about “the way things are”. A lot of them encouraging, instead of hateful and angry. Maybe give church a chance? “But what do I get out of it?” You may be asking, I’m so glad you asked!
What will church do for me?
This is the ultimate question, really the whole reason we’re here. What does church offer, how can it help you in whatever situation you are in right now? Well let’s look:
Church can bring you hope…
Like we talked about earlier, “times being what they are”. There’s a lot of suspicion and anxiety in the world today. It’s easy to be discouraged or despair, it’s easy to believe that a better day will never come. This is not what church says. While many churches believe that there are dark days ahead, we also believe that there is hope to found. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13. Hope is essential to life, the Bible talks about that too. Church is a place where hopeless people can go and find hope, not in the people themselves but in God.
Church can bring you comfort…
This goes along with hope. Many people have had to make a lot of tough choices in the last few years. A global pandemic and a massive redistribution of wealth have brought misfortune on a lot of people. The Bible has a lot to say about that, but it also can help you find comfort in these dark days. The Bible has no shortage of verses on comfort, and as the old saying goes: “Misery loves company” while your church may not make a show of it, there are people who can help you experience and find the comfort of God in all circumstances. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” 2 Corinthians 1:3.
Church can bring you support…
Hope and Comfort are great, both are essential to a healthy life! But a time comes when a change needs to occur, whether it be a move, beating an addiction, or just making new friends. Church is an excellent place for you to find people to support you in these life changes. While some church people may be shy, or not sure how to talk to people. Rest assured, many churches have people who are eager and willing to assist, and the Bible makes a big effort of trying to get people to help each other. So we encourage you is you need support, church can be the perfect place to find it: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2
So there it is. Returning to ur initial question, Why do I need to go to church? Well if: You want a strong, enduring, victorious place where we believe the bible, meet together and get to know each other, where we may be hypocrites, but there’s always room for one more, our bible is complicated but enduring, with help for you in any situation. Or if you need hope, comfort or support, we can provide that for you. Church is a perfect place for imperfect people, so give it a shot! and who knows, maybe you’ll just end up liking it.
That’s all I have for you today… Go in peace!
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