“We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming” (Hebrews 10:25 GW).
As we close our look at this important portion of Scripture, we will pause briefly to consider the distinguishing marks of a good church. For example, the Biblical book of 1 Timothy identifies an important cornerstone that helps identify a healthy church fellowship: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13 ESV).
This passage identifies three elements that should exist whenever God’s people assemble to worship Him: reading, exhortation, and teaching. These elements involve…
- Communicating God’s Word in a public setting.
- Encouragement to act upon it.
- Accurate instruction in sound Biblical doctrine.
Therefore, we can say that a good church fellowship is one that helps its members understand, remember, and apply God’s Word. With these things in mind, we would be wise to seek out a church with leaders who are committed to helping others to understand and apply the Biblical Scriptures. One source adds the following insight…
“There is no doubt that it is wise to be selective in which church body we choose to attend. This may require attending different churches for a while so that we can best decide which church home God may be calling us to. The goal is to find a church that teaches that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and affirms all of the essentials of the Christian faith. This may take some time and might technically be called church-hopping. However, after having found a solid church, we must commit to remaining there.” (1)
Another author adds…
“God’s Word admonishes us not to forsake ‘the assembling of ourselves together…’ (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs bum brightly together, but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.” (2)
Finally, and most importantly, those who fail to attend church regularly lose an opportunity to spend quality time with Christ. As Jesus taught in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT).
(1) GotQuestions.org, What does the Bible say about church-hopping? Retrieved 14 November, 2022 from https://www.gotquestions.org/church-hopping.html
(2) Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson, He Walked Among Us : Evidence For The Historical Jesus. Here’s Life Publishers, Inc. © 1988, Josh McDowell and Bill Wilson [pg. 339]