Think of your life’s greatest moments. They were probably spent in front of a mobile device, or maybe watching a television screen. Perhaps, it was an email you received with the funniest text message gif, or meme you’ve ever seen. No? How about a Facebook post that received a thousand likes? Of course not. If we were to describe the best moments in our lives, we would recall those moments of pure joy in the presence of those we love. We would remember the celebrations, the adventures, the sacrifices and challenges faced with close friends. Life is not meant to be lived alone. Neither is your faith.
Personal vs. Communal
Whether it’s the Old Testament, the New Testament, the teachings of Jesus, or the Apostles, the Christian life has always been presented as a communal experience. In more recent years, an emphasis has been placed upon having a personal relationship with Jesus. But that’s not the way it was in the beginning. We’ve been obsessed in recent years with questions like what is God’s will for my life? What are his plans for me? What blessings has he promised me? But we often fail to recognize that outside of the context of the faith community, the answers to those questions cannot be answered.
In the beginning, God created the world and everything in it. He called it good. He repeats the pronouncement that everything is good multiple times for effect. He creates man (Adam) and all of the sudden he observes something is wrong. It’s no longer good. What is wrong? It’s not good for man to be alone. God created the women (Eve) so that Adam would no longer be alone. But not only the woman. God creates the potential for procreation and his goal is to have these human beings multiply upon the earth. He wants a family. He echoes this command to Noah and his family in the wake of the flood. “Be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.”
God didn’t design human beings for a solitary existence. It’s simply not in our DNA. One needs only to observe what happens to a person who has been alone in the wilderness for too long. It’s not good. We know this intuitively. It’s why most people live with family, maintain friendships, and know their next door neighbors. But what about your faith? Are you living out your faith in the context of community, more specifically, a church community? It’s vitally important!
Identity in Christ
Your identity in Christ is directly tied to being a part of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the church. If you aren’t connected to the body (the church), you are literally dismembered. It’s wonderful to have a Bible study with friends, or occasional dinner parties with fellow Christians, but frankly speaking, that is not at all a substitute for being a part of a church community. Neither are bedside Baptist sessions, or nature walks on Sunday mornings.
Why not?
- A church community keeps people aligned with the mission of Jesus to bring the kingdom of God to earth.
- A church community provides leadership to help teach and instruct people to live their lives in the way of Jesus.
- A church community comes together as an expression of praise for the things God has done. God is enthroned, present, and active in the praises of his people.
- A church community is an extended family. It is not a community of people in which you have an affinity. It is made up of people from many different backgrounds, economic levels, and races. Just like family, you don’t get to choose them. You have to live out the most difficult commandment of Jesus to love the people you may not choose as friends.
- A church community requires you to make sacrifices in order to demonstrate your commitment to Christ. You are called upon to give and to serve others. You are given the opportunity to live out the command of Jesus to lay down your life for others just as Jesus laid his down for you.
Notice that this list of reasons is not a list of “feel good” benefits. Perhaps that is why church attendance has been declining in the United States of America for the past 50 years. The benefit of going to church is like the benefit of exercising, or eating healthy. One trip to the gym, or one plate of vegetables on Christmas and Easter isn’t going to cure heart disease. If you want to live a vibrant and healthy life, you’ve got to make a consistent commitment to exercise and eat right. You can’t read about exercising and eating write. You have to actually do it! You can’t watch other people exercise and eat right either. You’ve got to physically show up. So, if you’ve been waiting for someone to make the case for why you should go back to church. You’re welcome.