Does the Bible Say You Go to Church?

I often hear about Christians disillusioned with the thought of going to church. The bad experiences left a bad taste in the mouth and in most cases they completely gave up the practice of attending a local church. Here is a letter from one:

Hello Maria,
I was reading your instructions on how to grow up as a Christian, where you declare that we have to go to church. Well, that's where I have to differ, because it doesn't suit me when the concern of the church is a person's income. I have been to several churches and they always ask me for revenue. I understand that the church needs funds to function, but telling someone they have to give ten percent is not fair ... I decided to go online and do my Bible studies and use the Internet to get information on how to follow Christ and get to know God. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Peace be with you and God bless you.
Best regards,
Bill N.
(Most of my response to Bill's letter is contained in this article. I am delighted that his response has been favorable: "I very much appreciate the fact that you have underlined the various steps and will continue to search," he said.)
If you have serious doubts about the importance of church attendance, I hope you will also continue to examine the scriptures.

Does the Bible say you have to go to church?
We explore several passages and consider numerous biblical reasons for going to church.

The Bible tells us to meet as believers and to encourage each other.
Hebrews 10:25
We do not give up meeting together, as some have a habit of doing, but we encourage each other - and even more so when you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

The number one reason for encouraging Christians to find a good church is because the Bible teaches us to be in relationship with other believers. If we are part of the body of Christ, we will recognize our need to adapt to the body of believers. The church is the place where we gather to encourage each other as members of the body of Christ. Together we accomplish an important purpose on Earth.

As members of the body of Christ, we belong to each other.
Romans 12: 5
... therefore in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others. (NIV)

It is for our good that God wants us in communion with other believers. We need each other to grow in faith, to learn to serve, to love each other, to exercise our spiritual gifts and to practice forgiveness. Although we are individuals, we still belong to each other.

When you give up attending church, what's at stake?
Well, to put it in a nutshell: the unity of the body, your spiritual growth, protection and blessing are all at risk when you are disconnected from the body of Christ. As my pastor often says, there is no Lone Ranger Christian.

The body of Christ is made up of many parts, yet it is still a unified entity.
1 Corinthians 12:12
The body is a unit, although it is composed of many parts; and although all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12: 14-23
Now the body is not made up of one part but many. If the foot were to say "Since I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body", then it would not stop being part of the body. And if the ear said "Since I'm not an eye, I don't belong to the body", then it wouldn't stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God arranged the parts of the body, each of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all a part, where would the body be? As it stands, there are many parts, but only one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand: "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet: "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem weaker are indispensable and the parts that we consider less honorable we treat with special honor. (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:27
You are now the body of Christ and each of you is part of it. (NIV)

Unity in the body of Christ does not mean total conformity and uniformity. Although maintaining unity in the body is very important, it is also essential to evaluate the unique qualities that make each of us an individual "part" of the body. Both aspects, unity and individuality, deserve emphasis and appreciation. This creates a healthy church body when we remember that Christ is our common denominator. It makes us one.

We develop the character of Christ by bringing one another into the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4: 2
Be completely humble and kind; have patience, taking you with the other lover. (NIV)

How else can we grow spiritually if we don't interact with other believers? We learn humility, sweetness and patience, developing the character of Christ as we relate to the body of Christ.

In the body of Christ we exercise our spiritual gifts to serve and serve one another.
1 Peter 4:10
Each should use any gift received to serve others, faithfully administering the grace of God in its various forms. (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:11
So encourage each other and build each other, just like you are actually doing. (NIV)

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)

We will discover a satisfying sense of accomplishment when we begin to realize our purpose in the body of Christ. We are the ones who lose all the blessings of God and the gifts of our "family members" if we choose not to be part of the body of Christ.

Our leaders in the body of Christ offer spiritual protection.
1 Peter 5: 1-4
To the elders among you, I appeal as an elderly companion ... Be shepherds of the flock of God who is under your care, who serves as overseers, not because you have to, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not by dominating him over those who have been entrusted to you, but by being examples for the flock. (NIV)

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep an eye on you as men who have to give an account. Obey them so that their work is a joy, not a burden, because this would be of no benefit to you. (NIV)

God placed us in the body of Christ for our protection and blessing. Just as it is with our earthly families, being relationship is not always fun. We don't always have warm, fuzzy feelings in the body. There are difficult and unpleasant moments as we grow together as a family, but there are also blessings that we will never experience unless we become connected in the body of Christ.

Do you need one more reason to go to church?
Jesus Christ, our living example, went to church as a regular practice. Luke 4:16 says: "He went to Nazareth, where he had been educated, and on Saturday he went to the synagogue, as was his custom." (NIV)

It was the custom of Jesus - his regular practice - to go to church. The Bible of the messages says thus: "As he always did on a Saturday, he went to the meeting place". If Jesus prioritized the meeting with other believers, wouldn't we, as his followers, do it too?

Are you frustrated and disillusioned with the church? Perhaps the problem is not the "church in general", but rather the type of churches you have experienced so far.

Have you done an exhaustive search to find a good church? Maybe you've never attended a healthy and balanced Christian church? They really exist. Do not give up. Keep looking for a biblically balanced church centered on Christ. As you search, remember, churches are imperfect. They are full of imperfect people. However, we cannot allow the mistakes of others to prevent us from having an authentic relationship with God and all the blessings he has planned for us as we relate to him in his body.