Why Gather With the Church   

There are many great reasons to gather with the church to worship; here are three:
1. Because God’s worship is transforming. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, and behold, all things have become new.” When we become Christians, we are born again, and we begin a brand new life. But the spiritual transformation doesn’t stop there. As we continue to commune with God, through individual time as we walk and talk with Him, and through those times we gather together, drawing near to Him in praise and worship, we continue to be transformed.
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul talks about Moses and how, after he had spent time with God, his face would shine and glow so much that he had to wear a veil when he gathered with the people of Israel. Then Paul talks about how our being with God and His Spirit today causes us to reflect God’s glory as we are being transformed to grow more and more like Christ.
2. Because God’s family is encouraging. Someone once said, “You go into the world to get torn down; you come back home to be built up.” We go out into the world, and sometimes the world is not so kind. Aren’t you glad we get to come here to worship, and to be encouraged by people who genuinely love and care about us?!
Contrary to what you may have heard, Hebrews 10:24-25 says a good bit more than just “Go to church!” It reminds us that one great reason for assembling together is to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds,” and that we might be “encouraging one another.” Acts 2:42 tells us those early Christians “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” How encouraging it is for us as well to spend such uplifting and worship-filled time with brothers and sisters in Christ!
3. Because God’s word is enriching. James 1:21 tells us that God’s word “is able to save your souls.” 1 Peter 2:2 tells us that God’s word helps us to “grow in respect to salvation.” God’s word will truly enrich your life and your soul. Like those early Christians, we too gather together several times a week to worship and study the wonderful truths that God has given to us throughout the sacred writings of scripture.
There are so many stories of people who have such a great love and hunger for the word of God that they are willing to walk miles and miles just for the opportunity to hear more from scripture. When you and I have that same desire, that same hunger, we too will joyfully gather at every opportunity to worship and be blessed in studying and learning from the word of God.

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