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“WHAT KIND OF CHURCH ATTENDER ARE YOU?”
WHAT KIND OF CHURCH ATTENDER ARE YOU?
Jerry Joseph
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24-25).
There are some in the church who believe it is not important to attend worship services. For them, attending church services are good if there is not anything else to do or someplace else to visit or some other activity to engage in. With some, as long as they show up occasionally or especially on Sunday morning, that is all that really counts.
Let us realize that even when we attend as we should, we must do so with the right purpose, motive and attitude. You see, if our motive and attitude are not right, then it matters not how many worship services we may attend.
It is evident that our attitude toward God, His Word and Worship itself will determine the kind of “attender” we’ll be. What kind of attender are you? Are you a...
1) Special occasion attender? Some believe that whenever there is a special occasion, a holiday, etc., that’s the time to be in attendance. To them, other regular times for worship services are not important.
2) Seasonal attender? This attitude toward attendance is that it depends on the season of the year. If it is “camping season“, “deer-hunting season“, “baseball season“, “football season“, etc., then being in attendance for the services is not as important. These so-called “seasons” should never hinder us from being faithful to the Lord, including the attendance of the services.
3) Spasmodic attender? Some come for a while, then miss for a while. With them, this becomes a way of life. You can never rely or depend upon them to take an active part in the work of the church.
4) Suit-your-self attender? These attend only when it “suits them” and it does not interfere with doing something else they want to do. To them, attending the services is not a spiritual priority.
5) Sunday morning only attender? These do not see the need for Sunday night or Wednesday night services; and, most of the time, Sunday morning Bible class either. They think like the old Brylcream commercial, “a little dab will do you.” They are the ones who are always asking, “How many services do I have to attend?” Their attitude of mind is “how little can I do and get by with it?”
6) Seeking-a-companion attender? These only attend services seeking someone they can date and perhaps eventually marry. So, when they visit a congregation and no one is available, then they will move on to another congregation. They are not seeking the Truth and the Lord, neither are they looking for a place where they can worship scripturally and be blessed spiritually, but they’re just looking for a companion. That is their only motive for attending services.
7) Sleeping attender? These use the worship services as a time to catch up on their sleep that they didn’t get the night before. They did not use that time to prepare themselves to worship God acceptably on Sunday morning. To them, worship services are not valuable and vital to their spiritual well-being.
8) Sorehead attender? These enter the church building “mad” and “upset” and are just waiting for someone to say or do something they can attack and then they are ready to give them “a piece of their mind.” They don’t want to participate in worship nor anything else that might help them spiritually. They are in the “kick-a-tive mood.” They feel compelled to try to stir-up trouble.
Do you see yourself among any of these groups? If so, change your attitude and action, “Repent!” Yes, it is sinful to willfully forsake the services of the church (Heb. 10:24-25); and, it is sinful to not have the proper motive and attitude (John 4:24).
When our actions and attitudes toward church attendance are not right, we demonstrate a lack of love for God, for the Word of God, for the church, for ourselves and others (John 14:15; Heb. 10:24-26; Col. 3:1-3; Rev. 22:14; 2 Peter 3:18).
Let us develop an attitude of mind as David, when he said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go unto the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1).
