TODAY’S VERSE: HEBREWS 10:24-25 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
REVELATION:
Why go to church? I must confess that this has proved a difficult question for me to ponder. I grew up as a Christian, and I have been going to church every Sunday for as long as I can remember, so the answer seems obvious to me. But if any question remains in your mind, today's verse will help you to find the answer for yourself.
As I was meditating on this verse, I took the time to do some background research on the internet, to see if I could find any information on the subject. After a few hours of "googling" (using the internet search engine called "Google"), my heart led me back to today's verse. So rather than reporting what internet sources have to say about this topic, I will tell you the three main reasons why I go to church myself.
TO BE REMINDED OF GOD'S WAY
We live in a fallen world, and it is very easy to get caught up in its confusions. Hearing God's Word preached every Sunday gives me perspective about His way, and my faith is nourished and strengthened. I am reminded that although we live in a fallen world, we do not have to live by its ways - we should go forth seeking and practicing God's truth in our daily lives. If you do not attend church to hear God's Word on a regular basis, it is unlikely that you will be able to follow God's way all on your own.
TO PRAISE GOD
Another reason why I faithfully attend church every Sunday is so I can lift up my voice in praise and song to my gracious Creator and Savior. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by my emotions, and I don't know how to express my joy or my sorrow, but the songs I sing in church always reveal exactly what I want to say to God. The act of praising is rightfully due to God, and in church I find the means to offer the praise I owe Him.
TO BE ENCOURAGED AND TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS
I am blessed to attend a church that is truly committed to "making the God Difference." Church On The Rock - New Haven takes a practical approach to the Word of God, and forces me to look beyond myself, toward others. For example, there are small groups in which church members can form meaningful relationships. The people in these groups truly care for one another, and unite in lifting each other's burdens before God, and encouraging one another.
Dear Reader, it is with deepest sincerity that I urge you to attend church regularly, if you are not already doing so. Today's verse tells us to encourage one another toward love and good deeds, and church is the best place to find and give this kind of encouragement. The verse instructs us to continue meeting together, and all the more as the Judgment Day approaches. Everything in this world is temporary, and will eventually come to an end. So the question you must really ask yourself is, are you ready for that Day? Don't let another Sunday pass by without giving Jesus a chance to save you. I encourage you to accept Him as your Savior by confessing that He is Lord, and to believe in your heart that He died on the cross and was raised from the dead so that you could be saved.
PRAYER:
My Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your presence in my life. Please forgive me if I have not always made time for You as I should. I pray that You will always guide me to walk with You, in Your way. In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen.
APPLICATION:
If you do not attend church regularly, I encourage you to begin this Sunday. Find a Bible-teaching church nearby, and allow God to show you His way. If you do your part, I know that God will do His.
Perhaps you already attend church on a regular basis, but only because it seems like the right thing to do. I encourage you to become actively involved in the church you attend. We are all equipped with gifts that we are intended to share, and church is the best place to begin cultivating the gifts that God has given you. Involvement brings growth, and you will gain as much as you give.
I will now relate an instructive story that I found on the internet, regarding regular church attendance:
A churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper, complaining that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This comment started a real controversy in the newspaper's Letters to the Editor column, much to the delight of the editor. The debate went on for weeks, until one reader sent in this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"
Like the man who wrote this letter to the editor, we all should learn to appreciate the gifts that we take for granted every day. If you attend church regularly, you will be reminded every Sunday of the gifts that you have been given, and you will find new opportunities to share them, and to pass them on.
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