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Attendance: Is It Really Necessary?
“ATTENDANCE: IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?”
There is only one reason elders are concerned about church attendance: the Bible commands it! Matthew 6:33 states, “Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” First does not mean second. It does not mean third. It means before and above everything else! The Lord talked about those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” (Matthew 5:6) This is an attitude exhibited by those who strive day by day to follow the Lord’s way. The Lord’s way is for His people to assemble and worship Him according to the pattern of the New Testament. When we have the opportunity to meet with other Christians to study and worship, where else would we rather be? We study to grow and mature in the Word of the Lord. We worship to express our sincere trust and confidence in the Lord. We strive to “Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
If the elders decided to hand out money to everyone who came to Bible study on Wednesday night, would you come? If we decided to have a celebrity, a sports figure, or a local dignitary speak to us on Sunday evening, would you come? What if the elders decided to treat everyone to pizza after the services, would you come? The bottom line of these questions is people do what they want to do. If the Lord is not the FIRST priority in their lives, then they won’t attend services.
If you are one that needs to be begged, prodded, or coaxed into attending services, then maybe you have a heart problem, Maybe, your attitude needs an adjustment. Maybe, you need to take a long hard look at your relationship with the Lord. You need to remember Matthew 18:20 where Jesus states, “For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Brethren, if we put anything ahead of God, the church, and the Bible, and think that it’s fine with the Lord, we may be in for a rude awakening when Jesus returns. Why not make serving God the number one priority in your life? There is nothing better than serving the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You will never regret attending all of the services of the Lord’s church.
Written by Larry Schneider
