I have always believed that it is the duty of the Christian to be loyal to his church and faithfully to attend its services.
Even in my unbelieving days, I never gave up regular attendance at the worship services of my church—partly out of habit and partly because I didn’t want to hurt my parents, whom I dearly loved. But when I became a Christian, I made a commitment not only to God, but to the church, the people of God. 1 publicly confessed my faith in Christ and convenanted with my fellow church members to live my life in ways consistent with that commitment.
That is no doubt why I have been concerned about, and even a bit suspicious of, the so-called electronic church. Made-for-television religious entertainment tends not to breed loyalty to the church but to foster an isolated, private, and individualistic kind of Christianity; and that is not the kind of Christianity nourished in the Bible.
I am not in the least unappreciative, however, of the good that has come through Bible-centered religious broadcasting. Through the ministry of those radio or television preachers who stress biblical teaching, many have for the first time experienced the joys of God’s free grace and have found ultimate meaning for this life and hope for the life to come. At an advanced age, my own grandmother found Christ by tuning in to the radio program of Dr. M. R. DeHaan, whose gravelly voice and open Bible teaching nourished the faith of many during the middle of this century. My father, too, came to realize the joyous wonder of the gospel through that same preaching. I have tender memories of him sitting with an open Bible in his hand, and his heart and mind attentive to the words of this radio pastor.
No doubt one can worship all alone. Our Lord taught the importance of secret prayer. And good Bible study can take place at one’s desk, undisturbed and undistracted. Some of my most precious times of spiritual growth have occurred when I was alone with God.
But the electronic church and all privatized Christianity do not involve direct participation and involvement with others in the visible body of Christ. And Scripture makes abundantly clear that we are to be members of a local church. We are to confess our faith in baptism. We are not to forsake regular assembly with other believers. We are to engage in corporate worship and prayer and biblical instruction. We are to bear the burdens of fellow believers.
For years I have known these things theoretically. I have taught them to my classes, preached them from the pulpit, and shared them with those who come to me for counsel. But during the last six months the Lord has provided me with a first-hand object lesson in these biblical truths. I have gained a new and vivid realization of the importance of the local church and of fellowship in the body ol Christ. I have experienced in a new way what it means to belong to a local church and to take part in its life.
Warned of a problem through a routine blood test, my family doctor advised a series of diagnostic tests—all of which proved negative, but led in turn to an operation that showed I had a malignant tumor. This required a second major surgery, and I write this in the midst of ten weeks of radiation treatments. My radiologist assures me that the average rate of recovery is between 75 and 80 percent, but that 20 to 25 percent do not recover. I probably won’t know, he says, into which category I fall for another six months.
But that is not new. When has a Christian ever been assured of this life? Our faith is in God. Our future lies in his hands, and, whatever happens here, we are ultimately safe in him.
Nevertheless, this has proved a disquieting time for my wife and me. Fortunately, the loving concern and earnest, faithful prayers of my friends have taught me anew the joy of resting in Christ and his sufficiency. Most of all, it is the earnest prayer and loving care of my fellow church members, many of whom I did not even know by name, who surrounded me, fortified me, and proved to be a source of spiritual strength during these days. In a new way I am grateful for my local church.
