Should Christians Attend Church? Yes. No. Maybe so.

Several years ago, I published a video called God Doesn’t Want You to Go to Church. As it grew in popularity, the comments started flooding in. Even though I wasn’t directly telling people not to attend church, many of the responses included phrases like, “Exactly! I’ve been saying this for years! Christians don’t need church. It’s just a huge scam.” Other people expressed opinions like, “Yes! I don’t need other believers. All I need is Jesus.” After months of responding to comments and attempting to explain the actual point behind the video, I finally changed the title to God Doesn’t Want You to JUST Go to Church. No more comments. Whew!

The point of the video was simple: things like church attendance don’t impress God. That’s not what He’s after; He’s after our hearts. Following after Christ means picking up our cross and surrendering completely to His leading. It’s like the old saying about the car in the garage. The point is your location does not define you. Sitting in a church pew doesn’t save you. Only a real belief in Jesus can do that.

But, as good as my intentions were, the point of the video was widely misinterpreted. By commenting, people assumed they were jumping onto this anti-religious-establishment bandwagon. So, where do I actually stand on the issue? To not create any more confusion, let me be as clear as possible. Should Christians attend church? Yes. No. Maybe so.

Okay, so that’s the opposite of clear. There’s a reason for my answer though. I want to discuss five quick points that should help us dive a little deeper into this issue, and as odd as it sounds, the points don’t seem to agree with each other on the surface level. However, I believe they all ultimately point to a single solution.

1. The church isn’t a place, it’s a people.

Since we’re talking about misinterpretation, let’s look at a verse about the church that has long been subject to differing degrees of explication. Jesus says in Matthew 16:18,

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

Despite the various opinions about Peter’s role in the church formation, there is one key principle we can pull from this verse I believe most believers will agree on. That is simply this:

Jesus did not come to found a non-profit; He came start a family.

When He talks about the gates of Hades attempting to overpower the church, He’s not talking about a literal military assault launched in the parking lots of all the First Baptists. He’s talking about the spiritual battle Satan wages against the body of Christ—against the people of God.

No matter how many times you’ve heard someone say, “The church isn’t a building,” the point still stands. When we focus too much on the organizational structure of the church and belittle the importance of believers uniting in Christ across various denominations, we actually hinder the work God wants to do through the church. Paul states the purpose of those in the church in Ephesians 4:11-13:

“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

God brings people into His family to build up the family, not to create more sects. When we succumb to the lie that our group or view is the only stamp of a true Christian, we open ourselves up to one of the most devastating attacks of the enemy: divisiveness. The truth is there is only one way, and that is Jesus Christ. Beyond that, there will be disagreements, but to allow those disagreements to separate us is to say that they are more important than the unifying truth of the gospel.

Is it possible to treat each other the way the early church did in Acts chapter 2? I believe so, and I believe the key is simple: we must hold firmly to the word of life. We must allow the sacrifice of Jesus to be the most important issue.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.”

Philippians 2:14-16

2. Iron sharpens iron.

Have you ever felt like a church was taking advantage of you? If I’m being honest, I have. When this happens, one common reaction is to justify moving on—to leave that specific church or even leave church altogether. We get offended or hurt, and we walk away because we know that God wouldn’t want us to be in a situation where people are taking advantage of us, right? Let’s look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:39:

“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

Thanks Jesus, I knew you would understand…wait a minute. To tell the truth, Jesus’ answer isn’t really what we would expect. He says, if someone takes advantage of you, let them continue doing it.

Now, please don’t get me wrong. If someone is physically abusing you or taking advantage of you sexually, you should remove yourself from that situation. Jesus isn’t telling us to become doormats. How do I know that? Think about the reason behind His words. Earlier in the same chapter, Jesus discusses two related issues: spreading the gospel and taking up offenses.

He’s not making room for abuse, but instead He’s saying something very simple: love your enemies.

You might be thinking, aren’t we supposed to hold up believers in the church to a certain standard? Shouldn’t we expect them to act like believers? Yes, to an extent. However, there are people in the church who give money and serve on Sunday mornings that still don’t know the life-changing love of Christ. I know this because I was one of them. The moments I knew I was missing something were the times when true believers would respond to my actions in love.

If turning the cheek will help reveal God’s love to someone in darkness, do it. If overlooking an offense will help someone else in the church see what God’s love really looks like, overlook it.

There are also times when genuine believers act in the flesh and treat you in a way you don’t deserve. In that situation, I would point you to Proverbs 27:17:

“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”

Iron sharpening iron isn’t a gentle process. It’s not a smooth technique. If God is allowing a believer to take advantage of you, it’s probably a test. If we can’t learn to turn the cheek when believers are mistreating us, then how on earth are we going to turn the cheek to unbelievers? The body of Christ is perfect in its identity, but it’s far from perfect in its performance. Because of this, God uses imperfect, stubborn, inappropriate people to check our hearts. As God molds our hearts toward believers in the church, He is preparing us to respond in love to unbelievers as well.

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:17-21

It’s not always wrong to leave a church, however, it matters why and how we leave. If we’re walking away because we’re offended, to get back at someone, or to show someone how wrong they were, we’re leaving for the wrong reasons. In fact, leaving may cause us to miss what God wants to do in our hearts through that experience.

3. The church is spiritually immature.

Have you ever peered around a room and realized you are the most spiritually mature person present? If you’re thinking, “Only every time I walk into a room,” then you may have a problem. In all honesty though, at times you might be further along than the believers around you. If you attend a church that mostly distributes spiritual milk, you may be wondering every week, “Where’s the meat?” If you’re eating full-on banquets of truth and revelation in your personal quiet time and your church is doing nothing more than passing out spiritual nuggets, then I can understand why you might want to leave.

Before packing your bags, there are few issues I want you to consider. First, you may be the waiter or waitress God has called to deliver the main course. I’ve heard so many Christians say, “I learn so much more from the Holy Spirit on my own, so why do I need church?” Here’s my answer: if you’re so spiritually mature, use that maturity to build up the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is not teaching you for your benefit only. He’s teaching you for the benefit of the body. I’m not telling you to share every little thing the Lord gives you. It’s important to use wisdom. However, there is a purpose behind your growth, and that is for you to be a vessel to grow others. Paul addresses the spiritually mature in this way in Galatians 6:1a:

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.”

Paul is talking about a specific situation, but his statement can be applied generally. The question is how can you restore those caught in sins if you are not involved in their lives? If it’s just you and the Holy Spirit, how are those who are babies in their faith benefitting from that?

Second, God did not expect us to be mature the minute we believed. Why then do we expect perfection out of others? Paul addresses this in Romans 14:1 when he says:

“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.”

When we sit down for a Bible study with the mindset, “Well, time to tell everyone why they’re wrong about the Bible,” something is off.

Do believers have wrong opinions about Scripture sometimes? Yes, absolutely, but it’s not our job to correct people every time. It’s our place to listen to the Holy Spirit and share when He is leading us, but it’s not our responsibility to “fix” people. That is the Holy Spirit’s work, and it’s a work that He does gently. I’m thankful He didn’t point out all my flaws the minute I got saved, because I don’t know if I could have handled it. Instead, He’s slowly molded me over time, and He’s still molding me today. We need to show that same patience to others.

Finally, there is one thing you can always learn from any other believer, no matter how spiritually immature they may be. You can always learn to be more humble. Here’s one thing I’ve learned from my own struggle with pride: if you think you’re better than someone else, that means you’re not. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:2:

“If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know.”

Harsh, Paul. But true. All spiritual knowledge and truth is revealed by the Holy Spirit. No matter how much time you’ve spent studying God’s Word, you didn’t arrive where you are on your own. Just ask the Pharisees. Prolonged study didn’t work out too well for them because their pride was blocking God’s work in their hearts.

When you think you have gained something beyond another believer, remember this simple truth: everything you have is given to you by God. You haven’t earned it. You, just like them, are recipients of His love and mercy. When we look at spiritual maturity from that perspective, it makes serving others a whole lot easier.

4. The leadership let you down.

Let’s be honest. A lot of the time, it wasn’t the members that hurt us the most. It wasn’t the members that caused the severest offense. It was the leadership. It was the pastor, an elder, or a leader who should have known better. Someone who was supposed to be in a position of spiritual leadership broke your trust. They hurt you. Or worse, they attempted to lead you astray.

If the leadership in your church has subscribed to a false gospel and they are actively teaching it, I would strongly suggest you pray about leaving. In some situations, you may be able to influence them toward the truth, but if a church is built on a rock other than Christ, it’s probably not going to benefit you spiritually to be there.

On the other hand, if the leadership has offended or hurt you in another way, turning the cheek is the best response. I know I talked about this under point #2, however, there’s another reason why learning to forgive leadership is critical to a healthy walk. It’s simply this: it’s healthy to have people in spiritual authority over you. In Hebrews 13:17, we are told to:

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.”

No spiritual leader is perfect, but they are needed. When you’re trying to arrive at a destination in your car, you have to take roads to get there. Asphalt roads are smoother than dirt roads, winding roads take longer than straight roads, but sometimes it’s necessary to take a winding dirt road in order to arrive. Spiritual leadership is similar in that some are better than others. Hebrews tells us that they are all tasked with watching over our souls—with pointing us in the direction we are supposed to be going. They aren’t the road—that’s Jesus, so don’t take the illustration too far. Spiritual leaders don’t save us, but they can help encourage and build us up along the journey.

“(…they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.”

1 Corinthians 16:15b-16

But you said it’s okay to leave a church if they’re teaching heresy! Absolutely. However, don’t allow the sins of one spiritual leader to prevent you from ever submitting to another. In 1 Peter 5:5, this encouragement is given to the young (and I believe we can also apply it to those younger in Christ):

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

On top of encouragement and teaching, we also grow in humility by submitting to the spiritual authority over us. This results in us experiencing a greater grace in our lives.

You don’t have to agree with every little thing a pastor says. You don’t have to like every decision they make. However, it’s always right to forgive, and it’s healthy to submit.

5. Jesus goes to church.

Now that I’ve run out of other points, I’m moving on to the number one Sunday school answer. Jesus goes to church. Does He really though? Well, since we’re talking about Sunday school answers, let’s look…in the Bible. Yay! Let me just do a Bible flip here. I landed on Matthew 4:23, which says:

“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”

Though you might argue that Jesus was only going where the greatest opportunity for ministry was, there’s more evidence in Scripture that Jesus faithfully attended synagogue (one Jewish version of church at that time), to do things like pray, read the Word, and teach. Luke 4:16 says:

“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.”

You might be thinking, “I get what you’re saying, but didn’t Jesus come to fulfill the law? Didn’t He replace the old covenant with a new covenant?” Yes. You’re absolutely right, and during His time on earth he gave us the blueprints for what His church would look like when He said “Upon this rock I will build My church.” He replaced the old with the new. We see Jesus clearly define this transition in John 2:19-22:

“Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

Jesus is speaking of Herod’s Temple, a place of prayer, praise, and sacrifice. Directly relating it to the death and resurrection of His own body, Jesus gives us the key: His body is the church. We can take it one step further by looking at 1 Corinthians 12:27.

“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

The church is Jesus’ body—that’s us! I know I covered this in point #1, but there’s a fundamental truth I don’t want you to miss.

“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Ephesians 4:15-16

The body of Christ—God’s temple on earth—is held together by what every individual believer supplies.

The church grows when each member of the body is working properly, the way we were designed to work. Here’s my question to you: where are the members of the body? Most of them meet together in church. Some meet in house churches, and some meet in other ways, but the entire body functions when the individual parts are working together.

Here’s my question to you: if your walk with the Lord wholly consists of individual prayer, individual worship, and individual study, how are you supplying the body with what it needs? Jesus used the image of His body to represent the people of God for a reason. He was saying, “Where My people are, that’s where I am.” If the body is meeting together, Jesus is there too.

I know my points don’t all seem to agree, but my hope isn’t to simply argue a side. I have two specific intentions in writing this. The first is to attempt to express the Biblical version of what church is meant to be, and in doing so, I hope that you’ll see where you fit in it. I don’t believe we all have to attend a Sunday morning service to be a part of the body of Christ. We don’t all have to belong to a church in the traditional sense. I do believe we all have to be connected and continue connecting in order to be properly functioning in the church.

Second, I want to give you a chance to open your heart to the Holy Spirit. If you’ve been reading this, and you know God is saying, “It’s time to find a home church,” or maybe “It’s time to get involved in serving,” I encourage you to respond in faith. If God is leading you somewhere, you can trust that He’s leading you for your good. It might not be your first choice, but God knows better than we do. He knows how to take difficult people and use them to shape us. He knows how to take imperfect people and use them to encourage us. Let Him lead you as you respond in faith today.