AVOIDING THE "HOP," "SKIP," OR "JUMP" TO CHURCH

As the winter weather has made me, a pastor, make tough choices and cancel several church services, I find myself growing VERY hungry to see my brothers and sisters again and to join with them in the worship of our Lord, our God, and to do so in spirit and truth!  We have so much to praise the Lord for, and so much need to lift one another up in encouragement and hope! 

But in our "time off," my mind has gone back to the different perspectives that have been offered to me (even before I became a pastor) regarding church attendance.

Some people do the "Church Hop" - hopping from one church to another, making no commitments in any direction.  Others routinely "Skip" church in order to please themselves rather than joining with their brothers and sisters in the group worship and work of their church.  Still others "Jump" ship at the first sign of trouble or something they dislike in their church, rather than being a part of the solution. 

But God's design for you with regards to Church attendance is neither a hop, skip, OR a jump to church.  It's to connect yourself willingly to a local church in several ways for several reasons.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

"HOP" - I HAVE FRIENDS AT SEVERAL CHURCHES
Indeed you do.  So do I.  I once had a young man tell me of a church he attended that he really enjoyed.  He invited me to go sometime and "try it out."  As pastor of my own church, I simply responded, "That wouldn't work very well for me, a pastor, now, would it?"  Suddenly he saw the problem.  Being connected in some vital way to your own church is essential to your church's success, continuance with its mission - loving the community by sharing the gospel.  Hopping churches gives you no anchor to a single church whereby you can have the deep relationships, important responsibilities (I know, you don't want responsibility; but that must mean you want genuine immaturity in the faith, for with maturity comes responsibility, which in turn brings more maturity) and genuine discipleship that causes lasting changes in our lives.






"SKIP" - I CAN WORSHIP AT HOME AS WELL AS AT CHURCH
Yes, it is true, one can.  However, I'm willing to bet that does not happen.  I put a challenge out last Sunday over the Internet for folks to hold their own home Church services with their families as they hunkered down for a good snowing.  I couldn't even get my own family up and together for such a thing, to be honest.  But when we have church, the whole family is there.  The external accountability keeps the things going that need to be kept going - Church Attendance.










"JUMP" - I HATE CONFLICT, SO WHEN IT SHOWS UP, I LEAVE
Conflict is part of family life.  It is also part of Church family life.  Avoiding conflict by jumping ship will only get you wet or drowned, spiritually speaking.  You miss the chance to be a part of the resolution, see the Lord work through the conflict, and experience the joy of settling things!  Nobody likes conflict (well, there may be some people who do, but not many). 

Our passage indicates that God's intention is for us to be an influence in our church - not go from church to church, skipping church, or leaving in tough times.  We are to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.  When conflict arises, we are there to help resolve it - by strirring up love and getting the group's focus back on good works.  The LAST things we should do is hop, skip, or jump.  Verse 25 clearly says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some."  Hopping, Skipping, or Jumping is "forsaking the assembling of oneself together."  There are those who did this in the day Hebrews was written - but they didn't get good press in God's Word!  God has little good to say about that behavior.  He, rather, encourages us to be faithful in our gathering. 


Why is that important? 

1.  Because we live in a world where we are bombarded with temptations to hate and do evil, not to love and do good works.  We live in a world that wants to separate us from our God; and we need to encourage one another to stay close to Him and live by faith, not by sight.  We are also given a bit of prophecy (in my own words) - "Things will grow even more difficult as the return of Christ nears."  "So much the more as you see the Day approaching."  We absolutely need one another.  

2.  We need to love one another (meaning we need to be loved AND we need to love others).  

3.  We need to encourage one another (meaning we need to be encouraged AND we need to encourage others).  

We aren't there just for ourselves.  Some people go to a church where they feel the love; they feel the encouragement.  But they give neither love or encouragement back. Withholding love and encouragement from others will shut it off altogether.  Then the bond of love is broken in your own heart, and for you, the hop, skip, and jump is back on.  Don't let that be you!  Go join a church today and make a commitment to stay where you are through thick and thin!