Why Go?

Good Morning,

Hebrews 3:12-14 (NIV)
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

We are all bothered, in one way or another, by sin in our lives. It can be often or occasional, but it happens and will happen again in the future. I guess it's part of being a human being...that returning sometimes to sin and/or doubt. We might fight against it and refuse to believe it, but eventually...even often for some...we will fall into what the writer of Hebrews says is "a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God." Yes, reality is often harsh, isn't it?

But, we also read today that there is a way to keep this sinful and unbelieving behavior at bay and help our brothers and sisters do the same. He says, "...encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." You see, in our own strength and under our own power, we are pretty defenseless when it comes to falling into some sinful behavior or other. However, if we are to believe what God placed in the Bible for us to read today, there is strength in our encouragement of one another. That's where we can find the will and power to resist much of the sinful desire that comes to us from the temptations of the enemy. I guess that old saw, "There's strength in numbers," is really true, isn't it? It is definitely what we're reading today in how to keep from turning away from God.

So, that brings me to sort of another point today. I've been asked by a few people why they should go to church. I hear the arguments and the reasons why church isn't for them. I'll not go into all of the details, but there are many Christians who simply have lost hope and trust in our local congregations. Some for good reasons and some for not so good reasons. However, the fact remains that there are people who are just kind of turned off by organized religion and local churches or congregations.

Okay, so what does this have to do with our Scripture today? The problem as I see it is the fact that if we don't attend regularly a local congregation of believers then we lose contact with our support structure in helping us keep from having that "sinful, unbelieving heart" that we read in these verses this morning. Our local congregations are the places where we meet and get to know other believers who can help us...and who we can help...with our "strength in numbers" against an enemy that is waiting to tempt us and lead us away from God. It's really sometimes as simple as that for a reason to go to "church" regularly. If we don't go, we lose contact (that is an unfortunate fact, I'm afraid) with those we really need to help us and who might just be the ones who depend on us to help them.

Yes, there are many, many other good reasons that we should attend our local church services at least weekly and be an active part in our congregations. But, I believe, what we read today is one of the most important reasons. Simply put, it would be so you can encourage me and I can encourage you...Today!

Love, peace, and blessings,

David