In many places the church building is filled on Sunday morning, half-filled on Sunday evening, and one quarter filled on Wednesday evening. Fortunately, our congregation has a little better attendance than the previously mentioned example. However, the difference in attendance numbers indicates that some Christians (not those who are prohibited from attending) have the idea that if they make it to take the Lord’s Supper and contribute on Sunday, they have done all that’s required of them for that week. Perhaps the thought is if they can get to heaven by just attending on Sunday morning, why do more? It’s just too much to expect them to give up their favorite entertainment or recreation on Sunday or Wednesday nights to attend the services of the Lord.
First, these people don’t realize that this attitude toward spiritual thoughts and activities completely makes them unfit for heaven. If they were instantly transplanted into heaven, they would soon tire of the environment (cp. Revelation 4:9-11). If they only like one hour of worship a week here, how do they think they’ll enjoy an eternity of it over there? Death is not going to produce a miraculous change in them so that they will enjoy in heaven what was so boring and unimportant here on earth. If they don’t cultivate a pleasure for spiritual thoughts and activities while they are on earth, they sure won’t want to be burdened with it in the next world.
Second, people who only go to church assemblies one time a week, and are unconcerned about others that are going to the assemblies with them, are not interested enough in the salvation of others — and even their own — to be fit for heaven. I dare say there isn’t a single Christian who attends only on Sunday morning who hasn’t at least had a glimmer of a thought that they should be attending during other assemblies and classes (James 4:17). We understand from the Bible that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. John 14:2-3 says, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” This means that a devout Christian is going to do all they can to put God first, just like Noah (Genesis 6:9), Abraham (Genesis 12:4), Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:3), and John the Baptist (John 3:29-30).
Are you prepared? Jesus, in Luke 9:62, said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” I hope this will edify you and encourage you to do better attending the church’s assemblies.
Kyle Campbell
