An Army, Not an Audience

The people aren’t very friendly.

The worship music is old.

It just isn’t like the church you grew up in.

The online preacher is so much better. (Plus… you get to stay in your PJs.)

For many reasons, attending and being part of a church or chapel can be difficult, even before you add in the recent global pandemic. Re-establishing yourself in a congregation is tiresome. Finding the right church to call home is hard. Often, it’s just easier to stay home.

But if you do, you will miss out on so much that God intended when he established his church.

Throughout the Bible, followers of Christ are prodded to be in unity—and to physically meet to do that. We are told to gather, encourage, pray, hold one another accountable, and support each other.

As one pastor says, “the church is an army to train, not an audience to entertain.”

The church’s mission entails meeting more than just the spiritual needs of its congregants. It’s also about meeting a community's physical, emotional, and social needs. God is concerned about the total person, not just our spiritual well-being.

He cares so much about you. And a big part of the way he cares for you is through the community he created around you—your fellow believers.

Getting to church is also not about you only. It’s for your family. It’s for those who need to see you there, who will be encouraged by you. Some people will benefit from your investment in them.

Local relationships take work and risk, but they are necessary. It is unlikely that the popular online pastor, who is not intimately aware of your circumstances, will come to your house when hardships hit, or life calls for a celebration. Most often, it is those who serve in the local church that show up.

We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things. Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (CEV)

So, do look for a church, but don’t look for a perfect one. (Hint: It doesn’t exist!) Follow the Lord’s leading to a church that solidly teaches the Bible and works to love one another. We all tend to love things that we invest in, so get involved and watch how God grows a love for this group of people in you.

PRAY

Lord, please give us wisdom as we look for a church body to be a part of. May we be a blessing to someone when next we gather. Amen.

TIME TO TALK

Conversation starter for kids: Provides you with questions and prompts to facilitate a time of applicable discussion with children to lead them towards knowing God and His Word more deeply.

Question(s): What’s the best part of church? What could we do as a family to make church even better?

Apply: Volunteer to clean the church as a family for one week, do yard work, or plant flower beds.

KEEP IT GOING

Related passages: These additional verses will help parents expand Scriptural knowledge and place on the armor of God’s Word to tackle each day. Swipe to read the passages today.

Psalm 27:4

Hebrews 10:25

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Tonia Gutting wrote this devotional for the Hero Squad Program of the American Bible Society. Hero Squad provides complimentary faith-based resources to strengthen and encourage Military families through God’s Word. For more information or to enroll your Military family, check out our website.www.myherosquad.org.