WHY Attend Church
Services?
Some are failing to assemble regularly each Sabbath
with the brethren. Read here the stern warning from Jesus Christ –
the Head of this Church!
by Herman L. Hoeh
A FEW brethren have fallen into dire spiritual
negligence. It appears that when local congregations are established,
some brethren think they do not need to attend REGULARLY.
Could this include YOU?
The Sabbath a Commanded Assembly!
The Sabbath was ordained to be a day of rest from
secular work. But it is MORE than a day of rest. It is also a HOLY
CONVOCATION.
The weekly Sabbath is so designated in Leviticus 23:3, "Six days shall
work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an
HOLY CONVOCATION."
Those are the words of the LORD to Moses. The
LORD who spoke to Moses is Jesus Christ! So those are the very words of
Christ — the Head of the
But what is a "holy convocation"? It
means a divinely commanded assembly, a summoned assembly where your presence is
ordered!
That is why Jesus Christ made it his CUSTOM to
assemble on every Sabbath. It was Paul's custom — long after the
rituals of Moses passed away — and it is the custom of the
God does not leave you free to decide whether you
want to attend local church services. If you live within traveling
distance He COMMANDS your REGULAR presence, each Sabbath! And the same is
true of every annual Holy Day.
Some brethren, it seems, want to make excuses to
Christ. They begin to reason why Christ or the local congregation doesn't
need THEIR regular attendance. But that is not the question. YOU
need the presence of Christ and the other brethren!
What We Have Found
Wherever new local churches have been established we
find this problem arising. People who are not in the
HABIT of meeting in a local congregation — because none had been located
there previously — sometimes find changing that habit difficult.
We are creatures of habit. What we must be sure of is that weestablish the RIGHT habits, and change our habits when
God commands.
Certain brethren have been making excuses to justify
their habits. They claim to be TOO TIRED to drive to church regularly.
Or, they are not used to city traffic. Or they just had to visit
relatives in another state over the weekend. A few couldn't find anyone
to take care of the dog, or the chickens, etc. Some insist they simply
don't GET anything out of Sabbath services.
These, brethren, are excuses! Let's look at
them for a moment. Let's see what these excuses indicate about our
spiritual condition.
What These Excuses Mean
Did you know that your spiritual attitude is plainly
indicated by the excuses you make for not regularly attending church services?
One most often repeated excuse some make is that they
don't feel at home with the brethren. "OTHERS don't show me
love," is the rebuttal.
Is that the only reason for which you go to church? —
just to absorb OTHER'S interest, personality and love? What about showing
others a bit of YOUR love?
We have never failed to notice that those who
complained of lack of love on the part of brethren were themselves the MOST
LACKING in love. These individuals, whether or not they realize it, are
self-centered. They are carnal — thinking only of what they can
GET, not of what they can give to others. Love is not getting, it is
giving. When anyone complains of not receiving enough love that person is
on the getting end. Have you ever thought that a little giving on your
part will prompt more love and interest on the part of others? Don't wait
for others to please you. Learn to help them first! Enrich them by
YOUR experiences, YOUR warmth of personality!
Again, I know of others who become careless about
Sabbath services because they THINK they already know all that is said from the
pulpit. They ASSUME they have no more need of preaching, no more need of
hearing God's word expounded. "I used to hear Mr. Armstrong preach
that when he was still in
In rare instances a few brethren have missed annual
Holy Days because they didn't find anyone to take care of their pets.
This excuse rings of idolatry! Are the needs of an animal — a dog —
or chickens — more important than the words of Christ to you? Are you
going to let an animal decide what you are to do, instead of letting Christ —
your God and High Priest — lead you? Don't any of you ever let this
happen again!
Sometimes families think it is more important to
visit relatives in distant places than attend church on the Sabbath. Granted,
there may be genuine emergencies when you have to BE with relatives in case of
death. What I am referring to is NOT an emergency, but a needless social
occasion! Visit your relatives during the week, or on Sunday. The
Sabbath is not the time to be visiting the unconverted and worldly
relatives. If your relatives cannot be visited during the week, and if
they live too far to be visited on Sunday after attending Sabbath services,
THEN DON'T GO. Instead, call them up by telephone on Sunday. It
will usually be much cheaper than paying for a lengthy trip!
Why, brethren, do a few of you put your fleshly
relatives before your spiritual brethren? Is it because you are LACKING
the Spirit of God and no longer feel comfortable with the brethren?
Christ forbids you to put family before Him. It is idolatry —
serving another master in place of the true God.
On occasions, elderly people find city traffic
frustrating. But this is no excuse to neglect assembling yourselves. In
all local areas we try to arrange to have others, who can drive safely, pick up
those who should not drive in heavy city traffic or on the highways. Yet
when transportation is freely offered, SOME REFUSE IT! This ought not be! Are you so proud and full of vanity that it is
beneath your dignity to accept a generously offered ride with your
brethren? Shame on you!
Too Tired to Attend Church?
Yet another excuse is that some are "too
tired" to drive to church. After six hard days work, it is reasoned,
it is just too much for Christ to expect one to attend church regularly.
Christ could have reasoned the same way at the time
of the crucifixion — BUT HE DID NOT! Notice the example of Jesus
that some are overlooking! On the mount of
Olives Jesus told the disciples, shortly before His capture: "Pray that ye
enter not into temptation." Then Jesus withdrew "from them
about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed ... And when he rose up from
prayer, and was come to his disciples, HE FOUND THEM SLEEPING" —
they were tired!
But so was Jesus!
Then Jesus aroused them and warned: "Why sleep ye! rise and pray, LEST YE ENTER
INTO TEMPTATION," Luke 22:39-46.
Here is Christ's example — His warning —
to those making excuses that they are too tired.
Of course man needs physical rest each Sabbath to
restore physical vigor and determination. But man ALSO needs to have
spiritual vigor and zeal restored! That is why church attendance is
vital! It is not enough to rest physically each Sabbath. You need the
spiritual stimulation that comes with personal contact with other
brethren. You need the presence of Christ and His words that come in
every Sabbath service. If God thought all you needed was physical rest He
would not have made the Sabbath any more than a rest day. But He did make
it more than a rest day. He made it a HOLY CONVOCATION. He COMMANDS your
presence, wherever a local church is available.
Thousands of you scattered brethren who have no local
church to attend know by experience what you are missing each week. Your LACK
ought to be sufficient proof to others of the NEED to attend local
congregations regularly, wherever they are established.
"Neglect Not the Assembling of Yourselves Together"
Now we come to a vital chapter of the Bible partly
devoted to church attendance. Most of us are familiar with Hebrews 10:25 — "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." But how many remember what the other verses of this
same chapter say.
Notice the subject is our access to the Father in
Heaven. Under the Old Covenant, there was only a
constant reminder of sin enacted by the priests in their daily
rituals. But under the New Covenant, we have access through Christ to the
Father. We are to draw near to Him "with a true heart in full
assurance of faith," verse 22,
and to "hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering," verse 23, and to "consider one
another to provoke unto love and to good works," verse 24. How are you going to provoke others to increased
love and good works if you never see them in church?
Verse 25 has the answer! We are not to neglect
assembling ourselves together, as the custom of some is! That is
how! We simply cannot exhort and encourage others when we are not in
church regularly. And notice that we are to assemble "so much the
more, as we see the day approaching"!
But this is not all that Paul wrote. "For
if we sin wilfully," he continues, "after
that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and
fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries," Hebrews 10:26-27.
Consider what this means!
Neglect of attending church each Sabbath — when
local churches are available — can and DOES lead
to WILLFUL SIN! Paul had just commanded the brethren in verse 25 to assemble regularly wherever
possible. Then he warns of sinning willfully. The connection is obvious!
Neglect of Sabbath attendance, carelessness about being regular, SEPARATES us
from God on the very day He wants us to be in His presence the most! This
is the road to sin and eternal death!
Now turn in your Bibles to verse 29. What happens to those who become careless, who fail
to observe the Passover with the brethren when they can do so, who do not value
Christ's blood which opened the way to true spiritual worship every Sabbath
with brethren?
Here is Paul's answer: "Of how much sorer
punishment — than under Moses — shall he be thought worthy, who
hath trodden under foot the Son of God" — who despises Christ's
express command to MEET IN HIS PRESENCE EACH SABBATH — "and hath
counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy
thing" — by neglect of assembling for Passover services when
available.
Paul concludes in verse 31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God"!
Don't say it doesn't matter — that you can
worship God alone at home! That is the same excuse the world uses for
pretending to worship God on Sunday instead of the Sabbath. God not only
tells you which day to devote especially to worship — but He also ORDERS
YOU TO APPEAR BEFORE HIM ON THAT DAY wherever a local church exists!
Brethren, what are some of you going to do now?
It Takes Faith and Patience
Heed Paul's words! "Cast not away
therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye
have need of PATIENCE, that, AFTER YE HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD, ye might
receive the promise," verses 35-36.
Some are not doing the will of God! Some lack the faith and patience it
takes to be consistent in their regular Sabbath attendance.
Now consider the importance of regular church
attendance.
It is good for you — and good for the other
brethren! They have as much need of your presence as you have of theirs —
and you all have need of the presence of Jesus Christ and His messages through
His ministry! THAT you cannot ever get privately, at home, while you
dwell on your own problems. You need to get your mind on other people's
problems, get away from your personal surroundings each Sabbath to a local
church. Ask the brethren who don't have a church how much they miss each
week — how much they long for fellowship with other brethren of like
faith. God does not hold THEM responsible for what they have not heard in
Sabbath services. THEY have none to attend.
But He DOES hold YOU responsible when you have a
service to attend! He warns you not to withdraw from His fellowship —
not to spiritually shrivel up in your little world. "But if any man draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him," concluded Paul, verse 38. Are you drawing back to
your old friends and acquaintances, to the little world you have been living
in? Or are you living BY FAITH — faithfully attending each Sabbath
service?
"We are not of them who draw back unto
perdition" — who begin to neglect the words of Christ, become self-centered,
preferring fellowship only with their family and acquaintances. We are
"of them that believe to the saving of the soul," verse 39. Do you BELIEVE Christ's
words? Do you act on them? He COMMANDS you to worship in His
presence every Sabbath wherever a local congregation makes a HOLY CONVOCATION
possible.
Next Sabbath, and each
Sabbath thereafter, ATTEND CHURCH. Be regular. Get acquainted with
other people. Learn to get rid of your feelings of inferiority by
becoming interested in others. Get to know their problems. Help
them. Several months from now you will be amazed at the change that has
taken place in your life. You and others will see what a totally new life
you are now leading!