Saturday Night Encouragement For Weary Saints

Perhaps you're exhausted from a busy week. You're looking forward to taking it easy today...and maybe tomorrow, too. Or perhaps, you're planning to attend church tomorrow, but you're not super excited about it. That's understandable. Honestly, I feel that way at times, too. Or maybe it's been a little while since you've attended your church's Sunday School/Discipling Hour/Small Group, or the Sunday night gathering (after all, one service on Sunday is just plenty--considering how long your pastor preaches!). If any of those sentiments describe you, read on. 

Why should you still attend church, even if you don't feel like it? Now, you might be thinking, "That'd be really hypocritical--to attend when I don't feel like it." But is that really what hypocrisy is? No, it's not. Hypocrisy is play-acting, pretending to be righteous when you're not. Doing something you should do when you don't feel like it isn't hypocrisy, it's maturity. 

So why should you still attend church, even when you don't feel like it? Here's a few Scriptural reasons why you should come to church tomorrow: 

First, God commands His people to gather (Hebrews 10:24-25). To not gather with Christ's people "so much the more" is to disobey God. Since nothing else is more important than obeying God, then gathering with God's people tomorrow is the most important thing you could do with your day.  

Second, we need each other's encouragement to press on in the Christian life (Hebrews 3:13-14). Being a Christian is hard, life is challenging, and temptation is real. The truth is, we cannot live a God-pleasing life by ourselves. We need each other. We need to see each other, hear each other, listen to each other, and pray with each other. 

Third, we get to worship God. Not "have to," "get to." It's a privilege for us! While we should worship God on our own, something special happens when we all do it together. We have the privilege of singing to each other (Colossians 3:16) and offering our praise to God as a sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15-16). Our joy is multiplied by the fact that we can do it with other God-treasurers.

Fourth, we get to learn God's truth together. Think of it! Mere mortals will hear from God Almighty as His Word is opened. That's awesome! If you believe that God's Word is true, authoritative, necessary, and sufficient, why wouldn't you want to take advantage of every opportunity to learn it better? In our church, we have Sunday School, morning worship, and a Sunday night question and answer time followed by an in-depth Bible study. Although each of these gatherings has a different purpose and format, all are focused on the teaching and application of God's Word to God's people. 

So, beloved saint, I urge you to set that alarm clock, turn off the TV, and get some sleep so you can gather with God's people tomorrow. 

What reasons would you add to these ones?