The Pew Research Center revealed that one-third of U.S. adults say they attend religious services in person at least once a month, including 25% who report going at least once a week. Far more Americans (67%) say they attend religious services in person a few times a year or less often. This includes about half of U.S. adults who seldom or never attend services.
If you attend at the Loop (or your home congregation) every week, you’re not in a large group of the American public. If you don’t miss an assembly at all (2-4 times per week), you’re in extremely rare territory.
People may be inclined to believe that your presence is requested and expected at the assemblies simply because they want your money. While that may be true for some mainstream churches, it’s not the case for churches who follow the New Testament pattern. They’re keenly aware of the fact that assembling demonstrates three important appreciations each week.
First, you show an appreciation for spiritual food. There are numerous benefits of the Word of God (Psalm 119:97, 105; James 1:21). Growth and maturity is directly connected with knowledge (2 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 5:12-6:1). There are only two types of babies in the church: those who are babies by design and those who are babies by default. One of these babies receives the comforting hand of the Lord as He helps them along; the other aggravates and grieves the heart of the Lord. The assembly can change you from the worse to the better.
Second, you show an appreciation for the saints. Many in the congregation recognize that they have a commitment not only to the Lord but also to their brethren, and they want to see that their obligation and privileges are faithfully fulfilled (Hebrews 10:24). The local body is made up of individual members, each of which has a function to serve (no body works well with missing members), and that function is not to discourage or be a stumbling block.
Third, you show an appreciation for the wisdom of God. God has always expected His people to assemble to worship Him (Nehemiah 10:39). Jesus had a custom to go to the synagogue every Sabbath (Luke 4:16). Hebrews 10:25 refers to continual practice of assembling not some haphazard, irregular, half-hearted practice for the purpose of edification and exhortation. God said that we need these assemblies — are we smarter than God?
Hard questions must be asked. What are you doing at these times which is more spiritually profitable than what we do at an assembly? Where will you be Sunday morning? Where will you be on Sunday or Wednesday night? Would you want the Lord to see you there?
Kyle Campbell