- I believe in Jesus, I just don’t think you have to go to church. I pray and I think about Jesus some time. I try to live a good life. I know what I believe. It is between me and God.
Praying, thinking about Jesus, and trying to live a good life can all be done by non-Christians. To be a Christian is to be connected to the Body of Christ, the Church. Why would a Christian not participate in a church community?
If you are agoraphobic, going to church community events might be a challenge. Also if you are homebound due to illness or physical challenge. In these cases, a caring church community will come to you. Stephen Ministry is an excellent example of this.
What about your work schedule. If you can’t come to worship on Sundays because you work, there are plenty of churches who also worship on Wednesday or Saturday evening. There are also other church events during the week.
Why participate? Following Jesus means encouraging others. It is difficult to do this without being in relationships. Following Jesus means serving others. It is difficult to do this without being in relationships. Following Jesus means coming together in worship as a united community with Jesus in the middle. Going it alone is absolutely unheard of in Scripture. There is no precedent.
Probably the most important reason to be involved in a church community is you have no accountability on your own. You develop a faith based on your own thinking and desires. It is easy to stray from a normal, straightforward biblical view of living out your faith when there is no teaching to call you into question. Participating in worship and study with other Christians can keep you honest.
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