Throwback Thursday --- Why Church?

----originally published in 2011----

I get asked that question often. Not everyday but a couple times a year I think. That's often, I think, for a question like that. The conversation comes around to why do we need to go to church? What's the point?

As someone who loves going to church, being a part of a church, serving at a church, giving to a church and whose husband is employed by the church, I love answering this question. Cause I love my church! But I know I can't answer it like that for someone who doesn't.

Our last small group had this same discussion. Why go to church? I also recently talked with a good friend who asked what church was supposed to look like and what did God design church for.

After discussing this many times and sharing thoughts and scripture I think I'd answer it this way:

Because God created the church and the church body for His glory. At church is where we can corporately experience and share His glory. At church is where His glory is multiplied exponentially.

Does this mean God can't be glorified outside the church? No. Not at all. But I believe there is something special and unique about the way God uses a church and the people in it (if they allow Him to!).

Here's what I mean. In Matthew 14 Jesus and His disciples found themselves on a hill teaching 5000 men (and most likely women and children but only the number of men was recorded). It came time for them to eat. The disciples didn't know how everyone was going to be fed. The only food they were able to come up with was 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Not enough at all to feed 5000 men (probably 10,000 people!). But Jesus knew what to do.

He took what they had and multiplied it exponentially and everyone was fed with 12 baskets of food left over!

I believe He does that at church. He takes what we have, what we give Him - our time, our talent, our money, our worship - and multiplies it exponentially. It overflows and blesses the city around us and our world.

Here's what I mean. When we use our talents for Him as part of a church body of believers He increases it. Mark, for example, has a great voice. A talent God gave Him. He could use it at home, use it in the car, use it in a park but it's greatest use is at church as He leads people in our congregation to worship! That doesn't mean God can't use that talent anywhere else, He most certainly can, but people are impacted by the worship He leads and it spills over into lives throughout the week. Touching way more people than Mark could do alone. Make sense?

Another example: Our pastor is going to be teaching a pastor's conference in Uganda in a couple weeks. They want to have 800 pastors attend this conference but they have to raise funds in order to rent the building, feed them etc...It's going to cost only $10 per pastor! That's crazy! Nothing in the US cost $10! So if I have $10 and I decide to, on my own, send it to Africa in hopes of helping a local pastor, how much affect do you think it will have? Not much. But if I give my $10 to my church for this conference it will pay for a pastor to attend and then go back to his local church and affect hundreds of people for Christ. My money goes further when God multiplies it through my church. Does that mean don't give if it isn't through a church? No. It just means God takes what we give at church and multiplies it exponentially.

I also think church is where we can be encouraged, challenged, taught, refreshed, supported, sharpened, prayed for, loved, blessed, and poured into. Church is my family of choice. I truly would be lost without these people God has brought into my life to do life alongside me and my family.

Many people will attend church out of obligation or guilt or habit. Many people will attend a church and think "what are they going to do for me?". Many people will attend church and hate it because it feels so empty and it doesn't fill them. Many people will question why even go to church.

I challenge everyone to think - What can I do for people at my church? What can I give to others? How can I bring God glory in my local church body?
What talent or gift has God given me to bring Him glory? I'm pretty sure if we look to help others instead of ourselves we'd enjoy church a whole lot more!

I think there's a place for each person in a church and that the church just isn't the same without each piece. When we can come together in unity, God can do incredible things and He will be glorified. He will multiply our small gifts!