Must I Go To Church?

Must I go to church?

I don’t have to go to church.  We live in the United States where I don’t have to do much of anything.  I have to pay taxes.  Evidently, according to some, I must buy health insurance.  I suppose the Supreme Court will decide if I must do that.

But must I got to church?

The answer would have to be no.  Plenty of people who claim to know Christ do not go to church.

They say that they get just as much out of going to the lake or river and fishing as they do going to church.  They say that they would prefer to go hiking or go to brunch or play golf.  There are multitudes of other things.

So, must I go to church?

Some preachers would say that I do.  They would claim all sorts of reasons.  They would reference the cross and say it’s the least I could do.  They would reference Hebrews 10:25 and say that I should not forsake assembling.  They would say that Sunday is the Lord’s day where the Lord’s people gather in the Lord’s house.

So, must I go to church?

Really, when it comes down to it, what  matters is what I say, not what anyone else says.

So, must I go to church?

Yes.

I must go to church.  But it’s not the kind of must that you may think I’m talking about.

Before I got to bed every night, I must kiss my wife, Jan.  But it’s not out of a sense of duty.  It’s because I am so compelled by my love for her.  I must kiss her every morning when we wake up.

I don’t kiss her out of any law or duty.  I kiss her because I am driven by my love and desire to kiss her.

It’s the same thing with going to church.

I want to gather with fellow believers and worship the Lord.

I want to be stimulated to good deeds and encouraged.

I want to experience a community of believers.

So, must I go to church.

Absolutely.

Must you go to church?