Church is a sensitive topic for a lot of people.
In my experience people tend to look back on times when their parents brought them to church with disdain, or resentment even. Others might’ve been driven away from the church because of political, or interpersonal, or theological conflict.
But regardless what your experience may be, the church is essential for your spiritual growth.
My Personal Testimony
I didn’t exactly enjoy attending church as a kid. It felt draining to me at the time.
But once I moved to college and chose autonomously to continue following Christ, my attitude changed. I learned pretty quickly how impactful church involvement can be, and now I’m beyond grateful for how my parents raised me.
I’m writing this to share what God says about the church and why it’s essential for your spiritual growth.
The truth is that if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, you should consistently attend church.
Before you keep reading…
Please acknowledge that the church is for everyone, but there isn’t any obligation or pressure to attend church if you’re not a baptized believer!
In other words: unless you’ve accepted Christ as your savior, no one expects you to come consistently or give up your time serving and least of all donate any money!
If you don’t ascribe to Christianity at this point, you should definitely go to church, experience how God is moving there, and consider what God is doing in your own life.
Church is a great place to learn more about Christ and His plan for your life. Just know that there isn’t any pressure! I cannot stress this enough!
Now that we’ve banished any unhealthy social pressure, we can turn our attention to the main focus of this article: the church and why it’s essential for spiritual growth.
What is the Church?
According to gotquestions.org “church” comes from two Greek words that together mean “called out from the world for God.”
Understood literally, the “church” refers to all of Christ’s followers, who have left the ways of the world and who have a personal relationship with God. But the Word “church” can have a few other meanings.
The word “Church” can refer to either:
- The Universal Church (all Christians)
- A Local Church (a particular group of Chrisitians) or
- A Physical Church (the building)
The Universal Church
The Universal Church includes every Christian there is. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes all Christians collectively as the body of Christ. Each person who accepts the gift of salvation becomes a part of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
Each believer in Jesus Christ becomes a member of the body of Christ. And so Jesus Christ directs us to achieve his purposes on earth.
The Local Church
The local church is a particular group of Christians who meet regularly. Most meet on Sunday mornings.
The local church is called to meet regularly (Hebrews 10:25). This allows the body of Christ to be spiritually fed with God’s Word and encouraged to live out the life that God’s called them to.
As quoted by Challies, Mark Dever describes God’s 3 purposes for the local church.
“The proper ends for a local congregation’s life and actions are the worship of God, the edification of the church, and the evangelization of the world. These three purposes in turn serve the glory of God.” -Mark Dever.
Dever identifies 3 general purposes of the church:
- Worshiping God
- Spiritually growing the Church and
- Sharing the Gospel
If a local church strives after these three objectives, they’re on the right track!
A Physical Church
Today, Christians normally meet in churches–that is, buildings set apart for God’s people to gather.
But it wasn’t always that way!
When the church was founded on the Day of Pentecost, church buildings didn’t exist. Instead, believers met privately in their homes. During this time, Christians were faced with severe persecution from the Roman and Jewish authorities.
The early church had found their meaning and life through a relationship with Jesus Christ but some of them were even forced to flee their homes due to the political and religious persecution.
In light of this, we know that the church is so much more than a building! The church is first and foremost the body of Christ– His redeemed people!
Why Church is Essential For Your Spiritual Growth
Jesus founded the church to meet some of the spiritual needs of His people.
To facilitate spiritual growth, God prescribed this interaction with other Christians.
The apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (CSB; emphasis added).
Churches that rightly handle the Word of God for teaching and accountability equip one another to pursue personal righteousness and prepare themselves for the work God has called them to.
Let’s explore some more specific ways that local churches meet our Spiritual needs…
Striving For Spiritual Maturity
According to Ephesians 4, members of the Church of Christ should pour into each other.
Christ intended some Christians to be, “apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints [the church] for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12 CSB; emphasis added).
If someone wants to be spiritually invested in and grown, learning from Bible teachers at their local church is the place to start.
Paul continues in verses 14-16, “Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part” (CSB; emphasis added).
Gathering as a church promotes spiritual growth and endurance and therefore promotes a greater closeness to Christ.
The Benefits of Christian Fellowship
The word ‘fellowship’ is rarely used nowadays.
According to Grace Theological Seminary, the word ‘fellowship’ in the Bible is derived from a Greek word that means “holding something in common”, which describes, “the unity of the Spirit that comes from Christians’ shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviors.”
I’m sure we all know how much easier it is to connect with others when we have something in common with them.
In just one local church, people can come together from any background, any occupation, any ethnicity, or even any stage in life and still be unified in Christ.
Paul knew that Christian fellowship was profitable.
In Romans he wrote to the church at Rome, “without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Romans 1:9-12 ESV).
In verses like these, Paul’s love for the church is clear. He wanted to bless the church and receive blessing from the church. Following his footsteps, we should also desire Christian fellowship!
The Miracle of Complementary Gifts
God works through each and every person in His Church.
The Bible teaches that each person who receives salvation, receives the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:9).
Each of us are uniquely blessed with Spiritual gifts to edify the Kingdom of God. Some of these gifts listed in Romans 12:4-8 include prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leadership, and mercifulness.
These giftings allow each person or member of the body of Christ to serve in their own unique way. Just as different parts of our body serve a different function, each person in the church can serve and participate in various ways. As Romans 12 explains:
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we , though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” Romans 12:4-6 (ESV).
You can see how difficult it would be for a member of the body to carry out their function without the support of the rest of the body. What use is a metaphorical arm if it has no legs to carry it anywhere?
In this way, each church member’s giftings miraculously complements that of other Christians. Giftings allow each person a special opportunity to serve the Kingdom of God.
In my experience, a Christian can make a greater impact in their community, their family, and their world when they serve from within the church as well as outside of it.
How to Find the Right Church for You
If you don’t consider yourself a Christian…
The church is a great place to learn more if you’re curious about what the gospel could mean for your life. Just try searching for reformed churches in your area and try one out for a few weeks.
And if you decide to take your faith journey further, talk to someone at that church. If you don’t connect well there, try a different church. Sometimes the first one you try out isn’t the right one for you!
To learn more about what Christianity can mean for your life, check out this article that talks about the profound impact faith in Jesus can have on your life.
If you are a believer…
You should absolutely attend a church consistently!
I simplified the steps to finding the right church for you into just four points:
- Know what you believe
This can streamline the church-finding process by allowing you to find a church with the same theology. It might help to write out some bullet points on what you believe.
- Find out what the nearby churches believe
Search for nearby churches. If you know what denomination you align with best, look for one of those. If you’re not sure what you believe but you agree with what I’ve said in this article, I recommend looking for reformed Baptist churches near you.
- Visit Churches
Try attending some of the churches you found on your search for a few weeks. Get to know their foundational beliefs and consider whether you agree with them.
- Choose a Church
Once you have a better idea of which churches suit you best, commit to attending that church. Spiritually, you will grow more if you consistently attend one church and get involved there rather than ‘church hop’ indefinitely and never find your roots.
Benediction
Regardless of the situation you find yourself in, being a part of your local church is essential for your spiritual growth.
I pray that this article helps you realize how important the church is in the life of a Christian and that you’re able to find the right church for you this coming Sunday morning!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him by the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV).