Attendance to the services of the church is a good
work and an indication of faithfulness to God. Regardless of
excuses, willful absenteeism is an indication of disinterest.
The conscious failure to be at the assembly, where the Lord is
present in Spirit, is finally one's own personal choice. Most
people would be amazed (if not entertained!) by many members
flimsy excuses. In many cases, a simple "I really didn't really
want to come" would have been the real truth of the matter.
If brethren would soberly reflect on the
implication of not faithfully attending the services of the
church, I am convinced the sincere, sensitive souls who seek to
please God and help their would intensify their efforts to be at
all services of the church possible. Think with me about the
many adverse things which happen when you don't attend like you
could and should as faithful member of a local church.
1. Your Influence. Willful absenteeism robs the
church of your good influence. One of the ways we can let our
"light shine before men" (Matt. 5:16) is to show others our
interest in spiritual activities. Participation in the public
assemblies of the church is letting our light shine as to what
we consider most important. The story is told of an elderly
sister who was hard of hearing, legally blind and walked with a
cane. She hardly ever missed an assembly of the church. When
asked why she attended so often, even though she see or hear all
that went on in the service, she replied, "I want everyone to
know which side I am on." She realized the importance of
influence. A local church cannot convincingly influence the
world that the gospel of Christ is the most important message in
the world if a noticeable number of its members will not support
the proclamation of it. Even the world recognizes your alignment
of priorities by where you give the greatest amount of time,
attention and involvement.
2. Encouraging Others. Your neglect to come to
church robs others of your encouragement. Even if you didn't
need to worship God (which you do), and even if you already know
all you need to know in the Bible (which you don't), and even if
your attendance would not in some other way help you be a better
a Christian (which it does), God still wants you to think of
others and what you can do to encourage them spiritually.
Christians draw great strength from being together with others
who share their faith, love of truth and common goals in Christ.
By neglecting to assemble, you rob your brethren, who already
face a multitude of temptations and worldly discouragements, of
the encouragement of your presence. A full house is exciting,
just ask some other members! Sparse attendance, where the empty
space of the auditorium seems to swallow those who are present,
is very discouraging to those present.
3. Personal Edification. You miss an opportunity
to be spiritually edified. Personal spiritual growth is greatly
aided by active involvement and participation of the worship
services and teaching program of a local church. You can only be
made a better Christian by blending your voice in praise with
your brethren to the great and awesome God of the universe, by
praying along with the sincere, heartfelt public prayers, by
listening carefully to the wonderful words of life from God's
one and only book, the Bible. We can only be built "up in the
most holy faith" (Jude 20) by spiritual "exercise." Coming to
the services of the church is where we can be empowered to meet
the trials and temptations of daily life. Failure to attend
consistently robs you of spiritual strength you need to live
faithfully before God during the week. It is a generally
recognized axiom that those who attend the most frequently tend
to be the strongest members of the church. You don't want to be
one of the weak ones, do you?
4. Opportunity to Glorify God. The person who
loves God supremely, which Jesus said is the greatest
commandment (Mark 12:30), will not be ashamed of His ways, His
truth or His people. The faithful child of God will stand with
God's people. "I am a companion of all who fear Thee, and of
those who keep Your precepts" (Psa. 119:63). Attending the
services of the church is a sure way to show we are serious and
happy about putting God first in our life and giving Him His
due. "I was glad when they said to me, `Let us go to the house
of the Lord'" (Psa. 122:1). How can you glorify God if you sleep
in, stay home with company or watch TV, go fishing or do house
work when your brethren are worshipping your Creator? When we
approach our God in worship, it gives Him His rightful place,
and it refocuses our minds on the things that are most important
in life.
Plan ahead and resolve to be consistent in your
attendance to all the services of the church possible. You and
your brethren will be glad you did.