Two Ditches of Church

The Fourth Commandment
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.

and from Luther's explanation to the third article of the Apostles' Creed...
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

There are two ditches I see when it comes to attending Sunday services (the Divine Service).
  • "I don't have to go to church to be a Christian."  This is a very American and very postmodern attitude, but not a biblical one. 
  • "Because I go to church I'm a Christian."  The response to this attitude has famously been "Just because you're in a garage doesn't make you a car."
 Why should we make regular attendance a priority?
  1. It is essential to what it means to be a Christian.  The reality is, as a friend of mine recently reminded me, the church isn't somewhere you go, but something you are.  But you are not individually the church, rather you are called into a community of believers.  So gathering with other believers is simply part of what God has called us to.
  2. We need to hear God's Word preached and receive His gifts of the Sacraments.  Often people say that they can worship God anywhere, which is true.  But a pastor friend of mine has a wonderful response to that mindset. Apart from church, are you going to be convicted of your sin and your need for a savior?  Apart from church, where will you find an honest assessment of your sin?  And more importantly, where will hear of the Savior and all that He has done for you?
  3. God said that we should.  " And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25)
  4. If you are a believer, then you're part of the body of Christ, and if you are missing, the entire body suffers.
The list could go on, but the reality is that our excuses really don't fly and we should be in God's house.

On the other end of the spectrum though are those who believe that simply by attending on Sunday, it makes you a Christian.  This simply isn't true.  Scripture is very clear that there will be hypocrites (people who pretend to be Christians) amongst those who are part of the visible church.  But simply "going to church" doesn't make you a Christian.

You go to church because you are a Christian.  Then, having received God's gifts, you live out your Christian faith in your daily living.  Your home life, the attitude you bring to work, your willingness to forgive and seek forgiveness will all flow from the faith that Christ has called you to and which the Holy Spirit has allowed you to continue it.

So going to church doesn't make you a Christian.  But if you are a Christian, you'll certainly want to be in church.

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