Are we worshipping weekly or worshipping weakly?

We will either worship weekly or we will worship weakly. Take your pick.

Whether yours is a house church or a "big box" church, whether yours is a missional or an attractional church, whether yours is a suburban or urban church, too many of us have a sporadic commitment when it comes to attending weekly worship services.

In the Western world we have many choices to make. So, people decide on Friday or Saturday which of the various options they have on Sunday will be embraced. Sadly, worship too often takes a backseat to work, sports, recreation, travel, and various ways of seeking after personal peace and affluence.

In our CVC Bible reading for today, Nehemiah 8, we see an Old Testament version of the importance of regularly gathering together as God's people to hear the word of God taught and applied to our lives.

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel.
2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.
3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand.
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.
6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places.
8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. Nehemiah 8

The Old Testament saints were not so spiritually superior that they felt themselves above the need for regular worship. The New Testament saints were not so free under grace that they felt no need to worship weekly. The gospels show us that Jesus Christ Himself gathered regularly with God's people on the Lord's day.

We simply cannot develop a cavalier attitude about worship. A "maybe I will, maybe I won't" attitude about attending worship regularly is not biblical or helpful.

Our first sin of the week – neglecting God and His worship – will surely lead into other sins during the remainder of the week. No wonder, then, God withdraws His favorable presence of blessing from the ones who worship so casually and carelessly and haphazardly.

Settle this once and for all. Say, "Each Lord's day for the rest of my life, unless providentially hindered, I will find my place in worship at the house of God."

Don't be legalistic about it/ But don't be antinomian about it, either. Decide now and make this a commitment for the rest of your life. At the end of your days, you will never, ever regret saying, "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Question: What reasons to attend services regularly would you give to someone who is questioning the need to go?