Why Should We Go to Church?

you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple  (1 Peter 2:5 NLT)

 

Dear Friends and Members of IBC,

On Sunday, I mentioned that we need models, examples in the faith to follow. None of us are independent. The Bible describes us as ‘living stones’ (1 Peter 2:5). God, the Master Builder, builds His church so that we are all to help, care, and support one another. This helps explain why attending church is so important.

In 2025, the question ‘Why should we go to church?’ rings out louder than ever. The explosion of the internet and social media has meant we can now watch our favourite preachers, maintain online community, and quickly find out the answer to any faith related question, without ever having to leave our homes.

The church isn’t a building. It’s a body of believers united in Christ. And so, whilst it is not so important the exact location of where this body of believers chooses to meet, the body should still gather together. Hebrews 10:25 even specifically instructs us to ‘not give up meeting together’, because some people in the early Church were already in the habit of doing their own thing.    

The local church is the place where others can profit from the spiritual gifts that God has given each of us. It’s where we can find out first-hand how a suffering friend is really doing and help them to carry the burden. And it’s where we get to carry out Jesus’ great commission to go and make disciples.

The Church has been given this mission and purpose to reach out and share the gospel; we get to do it together.

When the apostle Peter writes to the early Christians fleeing persecution, he encourages them to see themselves as ‘living stones’ in the growing spiritual temple that God Himself is growing, and in which He dwells. I find this description of the Church immensely beneficial. Basically, Christians need each other. There is no such thing as cowboy Christianity. God’s House, His Body, His Temple, His Family, simply doesn’t work properly if it’s missing bricks or body parts. An important step for every follower of Jesus is to commit to being part of God’s House and allow Him to build us up together.

God bless you
James