ATTENDANCE
The
churches of Christ
Greet You (Romans 16:16)
Attending
worship services faithfully is of utmost importance. Many strong
Christians
have become weak, and many weak Christians have totally fallen away,
because at
some point they began to miss worship services and Bible study classes
on a
regular basis. A Christian’s attendance
of services has been rightfully declared by many, as a thermometer
indicating
one’s fervor for the Lord. One cannot truthfully say he is a faithful
child of
God if he does not attend worship services regularly.
But,
does
the New Testament teach that Christians must be present at every
meeting of the
church? This is not a question that can be answered with a simple
“yes,” or
“no.” There are several elements to the issue that must be taken into
consideration.
Reasons Why Christians
Should Regularly
Meet Together
The
Bible
says, “And let us consider one another in
order to stir up [provoke unto] love and good works, not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching”
(Hebrews
10:24-25).
These
Christians were to “consider” one another. “Consider” (katanoeo)
is meaningful. It is a compound of two Greek words, kata (“down”),
and noeo (“mind”). The idea is that of putting the
mind down on
something, i.e., reflecting upon it deeply and continuously. In Hebrews 10:24, the word emphasizes the
intense and abiding reciprocal concern and mutual helpfulness that must
prevail
among Christians.
When
children of God have a proper consideration for one another, they will
“provoke” each other to love and good works. “Provoke” normally has a
negative
thrust in the New Testament (cf. Acts 17:16; 1 Corinthians 13:5), but
here it
connotes the idea of “spurring on” or “stimulating” others – in a
healthy,
positive sense.
Our
assembling
together exhorts and encourages us to greater Christian enthusiasm.
Because of
the trials, temptations and heartaches we face each week as Christians,
it is
important to assemble together at each opportunity so that we might be
stimulated and encouraged, and do the same for others. It is reassuring
to be
around those of “like precious faith”
(2 Peter 1:1). We all need encouragement, but we must attend worship
services
and Bible study faithfully to receive this precious privilege.
Another
reason for meeting regularly with the saints for worship and Bible
study is to
be a good example for others. Peter declared, “For to this
you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter
2:21).
Jesus left us innumerable examples of how we should live. One of these
examples
is that He kept the Law of Moses perfectly, which included attending
all of the
different feasts and special days of the Jewish religion.
We,
too,
learning from the example of Jesus, should regularly attend all of the
worship
services of the church, as well as all other gathering for the purpose
of study
and edification. We should do this to please our Father, but also to
set good
examples for others. Paul said that we are to be “an
example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit,
in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). What kind of example do you
set for
the non-believer or for the weak Christian by apathetic attendance? Not
a good
one we assure you.
Would
one
consider a car faithful if it only starts every other time? Would you
consider your
spouse faithful if she cheated on your marriage once per month? Of
course not!
Then what makes us think we can be faithful Christians if we are not
attending
worship service and Bible study regularly?
It is vital that we are faithful in attendance – our eternal
destiny is
hanging in the balance.
Still
another
reason we should attend worship services and Bible study faithfully is
because
it is a command of God: “Not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some…”
(Hebrews
10:25). Jesus said, “If you love me keep
my commandments” (John 14:15). Furthermore, we also need to
remember, “For this is the love of God, that we keep
His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John
5:3).
The Holy Spirit informs us that we must assemble at every opportunity
with the
saints. If this was the only reason for attending worship regularly –
it would
be enough. Those who really LOVE the
Lord will do what he says (read Luke 6:46).
“Forsaking” is a present tense form, hence
denotes
a practice that is repeated. The phraseology does not describe, as some
have
argued, a once-and-for-all-time abandonment of the faith. Rather, it
depicted
what had become a customary habit into which some of the Hebrew saints
had
fallen – which could lead to total apostasy, if correction was not
made. The
term strongly emphasizes the sort of disregard for others that
characterizes
some children of God – in this case those who persistently, without
valid
reasons, neglect church meetings.
Forsaking
the church assemblies is an egregious form of both arrogance and
selfishness.
Some of the Jewish Christians had gotten into the habit of excusing
themselves
from the meetings of the church perhaps as a result of the fear of
persecution,
materialistic pursuits, or downright laziness. These
assemblies were the very life of the
disciples, without which they could not survive.
IS “MISSING” A SERVICE,
“FORSAKING”?
There
are
various extremes with reference to church attendance. Some appear close
to
contending that one may not be absent from any congregational meeting
unless he
virtually is on his deathbed. Others – far more common in number –
allege that
corporate worship is entirely optional (except, perhaps, for a Lord’s
Day
morning service), and so one may do as he/she pleases for any
preferential
distraction. The truth is somewhere between these extremities.
Surely
it
will be acknowledged that one could remain at home to care for the
infirm. Too,
aside from the primary Sunday obligation, it must be admitted that
other
service times are set by the elders (or leaders) so as to accommodate
the
spiritual needs of the majority. By implication, this will deprive a
minority
from assembling on occasion.
Moreover,
it
is a reality of life that not all people are suited, by virtue of
education or
skill, for a 9:00 to 5:00, Monday-through-Friday vocation. Some, who
truly love
the Lord and are devoted to His cause, have to work at other times.
Shall we
conclude that when they are forced to miss some of the services they
are
apostate? That is absurd. Is the Christian physician who must rush to
the
hospital at 9:00 on Sunday morning to deliver your baby remiss his duty
– while
you are not culpable for being absent from the same service?
On
the other
hand, there are others who are shamelessly flippant about their
obligation to
meet with the saints. With but the slightest deterrent – be it a sports
event,
a family outing, or that I’m-too-tired rationalization – it matters
little to
them. To argue, as some occasionally do, “Prove to me that I must
attend the
Bible classes,” reveals a pitifully blighted condition of soul. Where
else
would a spiritually minded person want to be if he/she is able? The
truth is,
frequently church service delinquency is a heart problem (cf. Acts
8:21-22).
The Lord’s kingdom is not first in some saints’ lives (Matthew 6:33);
it runs a
distant somewhere else.
Here
is a provocative
thought. Do the elders of the church have an obligation to “feed the
flock”
(Acts 20:28)? If so, do the “sheep” have a duty to yield to their
persuasion
(Hebrew 13:17), utilizing the nourishment they provide? Quite clearly
they do.
If, then, the elders attempt to nourish the church at reasonably
appointed
times, and the Christian is not occupied with truly crucial
responsibilities
otherwise, does he have the right to frivolously decide whether or not
he will
follow their leadership in this regard? A spiritual person will reflect
deeply
about this matter.
It
is not up
to the leaders, ministers, or anyone else to micro-manage the
attendance
patterns of every other Christian within the local congregation. We
are,
however, on our honor to do the best that we can in our service to the
Master
(1 Corinthians 15:58). Flagrant, sustained truancy is another issue
altogether.
Such certainly could become quite possibly a disciplinary matter.