Title: Why Do We Need to Gather at the Church?
Let’s think about why we cannot worship God anywhere we want but need to gather at the church. Greek word for ‘church’ is ‘Ekklesia’ which means ‘to be called out.’ So, a church is the gathering of people who are predestined by God’s Will and gather at public place. A church is the gathering of people who used to be in the place of destruction but moved to eternal life by the redemptive love of the cross of Jesus Christ. In other word, a church is a gathering of the people who were saved by God at the place designated by God.
In fact, to gather at the designated place is one of very distinctive characteristics of Christianity and the existence of church depends on it. Throughout the history, there was always a movement to forsake the gathering. Today’s main scripture hints us that even in the time of Early Church, there were some people who suggested to forsake gathering together (Heb 10:25).
- Why do people forsake gathering?
In history, we can see different group of people came up with different ideas of why they don’t need to gather at the church.
i) Christianity should be proved towards actions and kindness towards our neighbour
ii) The persecutors scattered people to gather because they did not understand who Jesus is
iii) People were full of pride. They think they have repented and are forgiven hence they do not need to go to church
iv) People who avoid troubles. They prefer to leave the church when the church is persecuted.
v) Some make excuses that church is too far from their homes. Or they will be persecuted if they go to church.
vi) Some people who are so busy with their own business or worldly pleasure
vii) Some people thinks there are bad people, corruption, social hierarchy, unbalanced status in the church
Gathering at the church is not just an obligation or religious ceremony for the people who believe in Jesus. There are much more to it and higher purpose for it.
- Why do we need to gather at the church?
1 Pet 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
In order to give a spiritual sacrifice, a spiritual house which is the church is built. And we gather in the house of God to give a worship service that pleases God. The one thing that pleases God most is we worship God. Of course, God can be worshipped and praised in any places. However, God is most pleased if He is worshipped in the place God designated (Deut 12:5-6).
When it comes to the structure of worship, there are some parts and sequences that God ordered to put.
- Communal prayer (Psa 5:7; Psa 96:6)
- Praise (2 Chr 5:13; 2 Chr 30:21)
- Offering that brings down God’s blessing (Neh 8:4-10)
- Sacraments (Baptism/Holy Communion)
- Benediction (Doxology)
The sequences above cannot be performed individually. It requires gathering of people. This is another reason why we need to gather in order to give a service to God.
- We need to gather to bring about the movement of blessing
Gathering signifies a proactive attitude, physical and mental power. A church is a military that fights spiritual battle. For an army and battling soldiers, individuality is the sign of defeat. The strategy Satan uses is to make us forsake gathering, to bring down a church.
So, if anyone has a heart doesn’t want to come to church, we should know that we are being tempted by Satan and we are having spiritual sickness (Mat 12:30; Luk 11:23; Mat 18:20).
Jesus encourages His believers to gather. When gathering, there comes the work of God. When gathering, there comes the movement of prayer, the movement of great repentance, and the movement of great evangelism.
Rev Abraham Park says the secret that God bestowed upon Pyungkang Cheil Church is because we gather together. They gather and have meeting every day. When we gather, there will be movement of blessing. When we gather and worship, the power of darkness will be broken and the power of death will be broken, too. When we gather, there will be the power of God’s creation and His kingdom will be established.
Remember that His temple is where God and His people dwell together. If God is not there, it is not the house of God. But at the same time, if we are not there, it is not the house of God. So, when we gather and when God comes, that’s the house of God being manifested. Without gathering, His temple cannot be built properly.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 