Is going to church and being in fellowship important?

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”

(1 John 1:3-4)

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

(1 John 1:7)

Churches are not made of steel, brick or stone. They are not churches because they have crosses, steeples or stained glass. A church is made of God’s people.

God made humans so that we could be in relationship with Him. This is how important fellowship is to God. At the core of our existence is the need to have relationships, with God and with other people. It is written in our spiritual DNA.

In the Oxford dictionary fellowship is defined in this way:

“Friendly association, especially with people who share one’s interests: they valued fun and good fellowship as the cement of the community.”

and

“A group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim.”

These definitions partly define what fellowship within the church is designed to do, for Christians and for the whole world. Church should be a place filled with friendship and shared interest, where our aim – the great commission – to go out into the world and share the Good News of Christ, is central to what the church does.

Sometimes people can be guilty of wanting to go it alone, of thinking that going to church and having fellowship with Christians is unnecessary, that faith is enough and being part of the church is a waste of time. The Bible tells us otherwise:

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

(Hebrews 10:24)

Meeting together is part of God’s plan for Christian life. It helps us to grow and to encourage others to grow. It encourages the sharing of ideas, teaching, comfort, challenges, resources and so much more. Jesus wanted people to be in fellowship with Him. That’s the example that He set for the church. There is no doubt that He could have gone it alone if that had been the best way, but through His example, through his gathering together of people, Jesus showed us that being together in fellowship is the best and Christ-like way of doing God’s will.

One of the things we need to do in the Christian life is to be as much like Jesus as we can. How do we do that? We need to look at His life for examples of what to do. Jesus didn’t go it alone, he gathered with people, encouraged them and prepared them for the challenges ahead. This is why fellowship is so important – meeting together, to develop strength and faith by doing so, is to be more like Christ.

After Jesus ascended to Heaven, what did the Apostles do? They spent the rest of their lives going from church to church, teaching, encouraging and correcting where it was needed.

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

(Acts 20:28)

This is just one of the many instructions about how to be an effective church given by Paul. He knew that fellowship allows us to be cared for and watched over so that we don’t go down the wrong path. Throughout the last 2000 years God has put leaders in place in His church so that His people can be taught, encouraged and yes, corrected when it is needed. One person, who chooses to be on their own and not to be in fellowship, is more likely to stray as there is no accountability. Paul taught that the need to keep watch was for the benefit of all God’s children.

Paul also made it clear just how important the church is – it was paid for with Jesus’ blood.

There are many references in the Bible which tell of the importance of going to church and receiving the fellowship it provides. Being part of one body is the blueprint the early church was built from. It isn’t a coincidence that we all have different gifts to offer which, when brought together and used for God’s purposes, make us stronger and more effective in sharing the Good News.

Church and fellowship are also needed to follow the instructions found in the Bible:

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

(James 5:16)

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

How can we do these things alone? The simple answer is that we can’t. There are times for solitude in seeking God’s presence. There are times for listening to God in the silence of our own hearts and minds. There are also times, as we can see, for seeking each other’s company, as we have been instructed, so that we can be more effective in our walk with Christ and in doing His will.

With this in mind it is important to remember that when someone can’t get to church, can’t get to a study group, for whatever reason, they still need to be part of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim, with fun and good fellowship as the cement of the community.

You can always take church to them.

As Jesus said: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

(Matthew 18:20)