Do Not Forsake the Gathering
The term pastor gets a lot mixed feelings because the crazy spectrum of them. We've got a bunch of those stereotypical "fire & brimsone" pastors who seem to delight in people going to hell, and then there's the "love-wins" pastors who think sin is a myth and the Bible is out-dated, and then there's the tv preachers who tell you that Jesus will make you rich and healthy, etc....the point is: many people who claim the post have completely misused and abused their power, which I'm sure you can think of some in your head now!
True pastors are simply obedient shepherds who lead under the authority of what the Word teaches. We are to live with love. The love of the Bible which is sacrificial, kind, gives patience, isn't arrogant, and is hopeful of the best. In that love, comes searing correction from the Word, because we are commanded to live rightly now that we are in the truth! If your pastor never says words that wound your spirit, or push back on your comfortabilities, or cause you to have to make decisions based on perspective from God's point of view - you aren't under a pastor - you are under a performer. Do you always feel increasingly entertained and pumped up every time you leave church to the point that smaller churches seem boring? You're at a show. Of course a tv show gets old if they don't change it up, right? Church can't be a show.
So HERE'S the reason why going to church is good for you, ok?? Number one, we are there to gather, celebrate, and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is alive and well and working, and to worship Him, but the correction of God's Word LEADS US BACK TO THAT FREEDOM IN CHRIST and keeps us rooted in truth so that we don't fall into sin! If "getting out into nature alone" is exclusively how you worship God - conveniently always on Sundays!! - abandoning those baby Christians who need community and to grow and for you to be activated in the church is, well, eternally tragic, ya know? Heck, being out in creation is spectacular, but so is being a part of a good, centered, living, breathing church, and a good Bible believing church very practically keeps us on the track of living for Him. It helps us to build lifelong, rock-solid relationships with other true believers - which leads to building up and encouraging each other. It's a family to belong to, contribute to, and lean on.
We need correction to prosper. We need tension to thrive. We need to constantly be reminded and directed back to the Word - even as born again Christians - because our flesh is aggressively, tirelessly working to justify our sin which chokes, enslaves, and kills us.
