Why Go to Church?

Mankind or humankind is known as “homo sapien” or “a knowing human” implying that human beings have the capacity to a certain level knowledge above what is common in the animal world. But before we are “homo sapien” we are “homo religiosus” meaning we alone (on earth) are first created to worship and serve God, the Creator (see Romans 1:18-25).
Our Standards (Westminster CoF) remind us in chapter 22 that “The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is good, and doeth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.” The Lordship & sovereignty of God requires the Christian to worship God—period! It is not optional—never has been; never will be. God is a jealous God, especially in this sense. If you are a Christian, not to worship God is sinful.
The worship of God is THE first thing of “First Things” and, sadly, many so-called Christians are not committed to the public worship of God on Sunday. The old excuse “I can worship God anywhere—it doesn’t have to be in a church building” may be carried only so far—so far as there is NO church building nearby where God is rightly worshipped. Heb 10:2-25 admonished Christians saying “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; [24] and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, [25] not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Peter likewise instructs us saying in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We are to be set apart from the world while living in the world all the while displaying to the world our connectivity; our commitments to one another. None of this precludes our worshipping God in all of life and on other days but draws special attention to the one in seven.
Not to attend church or to attend irregularly on the Christan Sabbath is sending the world the wrong message. It tells them that Christians are not as committed to their God as they pretend, at the very least. At worst, we dangerously reveal a level of hypocrisy verging on apostasy (unbelief). The biblical principle to avoid any confusion lies in 1 Peter 2:11-12 where Peter teaches “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. [12] Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
It is true that our Standards likewise teach (biblically so) a rational and logical freedom saying “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his Word, or beside it in matters of faith or worship. So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commandments out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.” Yet Christians are the ones who have experienced God’s redeeming mercy in an absolutely unique way—being united by faith to Jesus Christ, adopted as bastard children (illegitimate, remember the Old Testament taught salvation is from the Jews) into God’s forever family (i.e., the church militant—on the earth; triumphant in glory), having our cosmic, death deserving, crimes forgiven and granted everlasting life in God’s very presence. To be the “people of God” a “royal priesthood” means we are “duty-bound” to worship and serve God as he demands us to.
When we fail to attend the local congregating of God’s people in the church militant, we fail at levels few of us ever imagine. How, then, can we come to deeply appreciate not only what others have died for in redemptive history but what awaits us in glory—the church triumphant? This, too, ought to be a means of grace and a means of preservation in this fallen world. Christ died for his church—he died for believers. If you are not availing yourself of the church (though on the earth she’s troubled), as often as you can (unless providentially hindered), then something is terribly wrong—either with the church or with you. But since we make up the church, then it must lie with us!