My Presence At Worship

Lesson 2

I.    Why Should I Attend Every Service Of The Church?

A.  Because I Need The Spiritual Food Offered.

1.   I should have a strong desire for such food, Matthew 4:4; 5:6; Psalm 119:172; Romans 1:16-17

2.   The exceeding value of God’s word is seen in Psalm 119:14, 16, 24, 72, 97-105.

3.   This word can save my soul, James 1:21.

4.   This word can enrich my life, Colossians 1:9-11.

5.   The word will keep me from falling, 2 Peter 1:5-11; 2:20-22; Matthew 13:20-23.

6.   The word is my weapon against temptation, Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:4, 7, 10.

7.   The word will give me victory over the world, 1 John 5:4; Romans 10:17.

8.   The word will help me to grow, 2 Peter 3:18.

9.   In view of all these facts, it is only natural that I would want to be present at every service where the wonderful word is being taught.

B.  Because I Want To Cooperate With And Be In Subjection To Those Who Watch For My Soul.

1.   God has given this awesome responsibility to elders, Hebrews 13:17.

2.   They are obligated to feed the flock, Acts 20:28.

a.   To fulfill this responsibility, they must provide a regular, balanced feeding,
Hebrews 5:12-14.

b.   Just as parents are concerned when their children fail to eat as they should, elders are concerned over Christians who forsake and neglect these feeding periods.

C.  Because God Has Commanded Me Not To Forsake, Hebrews 10:23-25.

1.   God has never commanded a thing that was not to the benefit of the one commanded to do the thing, Deuteronomy 6:24-25.  This is the nature of true love, 1 Corinthians 13:5.

2.   Because of who God is, His command to assemble should be enough, but even greater incentives than just obedience to commands are given to us.  Many blessings are attached to our obedience.

3.   It must grieve God to see people who claim to be His, yet they demonstrate they do not love nor do they care about the souls of others.

D.  Because I Owe It To My Brethren In The Local Congregation.

1.   God’s plan calls for the active participation of every member, Ephesians 4:16.

2.   The congregation is made up of individual members.

a.   The activity of the church depends on the activity of the members.

b.   The strength of the church depends on the strength of the members.

c.   My diligence and steadfastness will strengthen the local congregation,
1 Corinthians 15:58.

3.   The church is a fellowship, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 9.  Fellowship is “joint participation.”  I have fellowship with others to the extent that I jointly participate in the work and worship of the church, Acts 2:42.

E.  Because I Owe It To Those I Will Influence, Matthew 5:13-16.

1.   To convince the world of the value of being a Christian, I must demonstrate before them that I am convinced of its value.  Haphazard attendance reflects poorly on the Lord and His church.

2.   Those in my immediate family will be influenced for good by my decision to attend every service.  One should consider what will be the influence on children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews in one’s decisions regarding faithfulness.

II.      Is It A Sin If I Miss Service?

A.  This Question May Reflect A Poor Attitude.

1.   Usually, this question is asked by those who are willing to do only what is positively required to meet the bare minimum to get by.

2.   A willingness to sacrifice should characterize Jesus’ disciples, whatever the cost, Romans 12:1.

3.   However, this question is legitimate for those who are ill or shut-in or who are unable to attend due to some emergency or demands of employment.

B.  A Number Of Things Are Wrong When A Christian Is Willfully Absent From A Service.

1.   The absentee has neglected and forsaken the Lord and his brethren.

2.   The absentee misses the benefits derived from worship-taking the Lord’s supper, singing, praying, Bible teaching and encouragement from brethren.

C.  If My Attitude Is Right, I Wouldn’t Want To Be Anywhere Else.

1.   David had the attitude I want to have, Psalm 27:4; 84:10; 122:1.

2.   Worship is a great privilege and blessing.  It affords opportunities to express my love, devotion and gratitude to God with those I love, my brethren.

3.   God did not institute worship to be a burden to man.  It was designed to provide the appropriate avenue for man to express his appreciation and need for his Creator.

 

Conclusion:  In the beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  People with this desire will not have any problem attending the worship assemblies of God’s people.  They know the joy that comes from fervently worshiping God.

Questions:

1.   What are some legitimate reasons for missing an assembly?

2.   What are some poor excuses for missing an assembly and why?

3.   How does missing a worship assembly affect my brothers and sisters in Christ?

4.   What personal benefits have you gained from worshiping with your brethren?

5.   What is revealed about the heart of a person when he/she consistently neglects worship assemblies?

TRUE or FALSE

            1.    Worship is something that can only be done in an assembly of God’s people.

            2.    Bible study, prayer, singing, giving and the Lord’s Supper are all acts of worship.

            3.    When one willfully neglects a worship service, the only person hurt is himself.

            4.   According to Hebrews 10:24-25, the one who neglects an assembly is guilty of not provoking or encouraging the brethren unto love and good deeds.

            5.   While attending the worship services of the church is important, that is not all that is involved in faithfully serving God.

 

Page last revised January 19, 2008 by Bob Sarrett.