Skipping church doesn't make you a Christian either

We've all heard some variation of the phrase "Sitting in a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a stable makes you a horse". It's an excellent reminder that there are false converts in the Church. Unfortunately, it has also become an excuse for some people to habitually skip church.

Church attendance, in and of itself, is not important. The Bible leaves plenty of wriggle room in that regard. Romans 14, for example, makes it quite clear that some Christians have their special days, whereas others esteem all days alike. Thus, the stereotypical Sunday service is not, in and of itself, essential. If Sunday is just another day of the week to you, that's fine. If your congregation meets on a Saturday instead, God's totally cool with that. I was surprised when I first found out most of my American friends also go to church on a Wednesday. Know what? The Bible says that's ok too. God doesn't vacate the church on a Sunday afternoon and refuse to go back in for 7 days. If you want to meet on a Wednesday, God is still glorified.

But just because specific services are not essential does not mean we should just stay behind a locked door. The Bible tells us quite plainly that fellowship is a very important thing. "No man is an island", as the saying goes. Your faith is greatly enriched by the constant presence of other believers, and likewise suffers when they are absent.

For this cause, God, through Paul, tells us "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NKJV).

Fellow believers serve a purpose in our lives. They encourage us, they offer prayer, they edify us, they provide accountability in times of sin, they push and pull us towards Christ. Speaking for myself, I can testify to this: I would be nowhere right now without my own congregation. My brother, the drummer, showed me how to bear good witness to unbelievers rather than insult them. My brother, the historian, showed me how to disagree even with fellow believers, yet remain united with them. My brother, the local wise man, studied the Scriptures daily, and never ceased to drop wisdom bombs on me whenever we met. These are just three examples from my personal life, and it is my contention that every believer should know people like this, and, wherever possible, be people like this. When this happens, the individual believer is as strong as the Church as a whole. Therefore, let us gather together, whether on a Sunday, or whenever your local congregation should choose to meet.