Falling Away – Part 2

By Pastor Chad

It is no secret; the church has been a significant part of my life. I started going to church when I was still in the womb. There were weeks I was at church more than I was at home, and that trend continues to this day. As you likely can tell, I love the local church. I love the community of believers. I love the worship services. I love the Bible studies. I love hanging out with church people. I love potlucks. I even love just sitting in a quiet, empty church sanctuary. If I have learned anything in my life about the local church, it is that you (follower of Jesus Christ) need the church.

I know there are some who cannot attend church due to health reasons, etc., but for those that can be at church, you need the church. Furthermore, for those that can be at church, but have disconnected themselves from a local church, they are in open sin against God. Perhaps that sounds harsh, but it is the Biblical truth. Thus I say, Christians, you need the church. Now, that leads to another important question: Why do we need the local church? Though the answers to that question could fill a whole book, I think Hebrews 3:13-15 give us two important reasons you and I need the church. 

The first reason we need the local church is to avoid being “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 13b). That is, to guard against the traps of sin. We need the local church for encouragement and strengthening, but we also need the local church to keep our faith in check. If I know anything it is that I don’t know everything. As human beings we are prone to overlook our own faults and sins. It is quite easy to do at times. Christians need the church because we help one another walk as God has called us to walk. 

In fact, in the first part of Hebrews 3:13, the author says, “But exhort one another every day…” That means we are to encourage, reproof, strengthen, and challenge one another daily in the faith, so that we may live in accordance to the call placed upon our lives. 

The second reason the church is important is so that we may stand firm until the end. Verse 14 says, we have “come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (v. 14). The church is a source of grace for those who are called to follow Jesus. It is a means of grace to help us persevere in our faith. In His goodness, the grace necessary to save you is the grace God will continue giving to sustain you. A true faith is a lasting faith. A true faith, in other words, is a faith that will last until the end. Yet, one way God distributes His grace is through the work of His local body, the local church. Thus, one way we persevere in our walk with the Lord is by remaining connected to the church that He founded and bought. 

So you can see, you need the church. Let us not take it for granted or shun it off as a burden. It is a gift given to us by God. And it is a blessing to have such a community.