Do I Really Need to Go to Church?

Question: I am a “new” Christian and I have a question that concerns me. I do not have a church home and to be perfectly honest, I have not found one that makes me comfortable. There seems to be too much politics involved, so to speak. I pray, I believe that Jesus died for me, I study my Bible and I listen to various services on TV and have received much knowledge by doing so. My life is dedicated to serving my Lord but I do not want to displease Him. Is it necessary to have a church home?

Answer: Yes, I believe it is necessary to have a church home. I know that there are unpleasant interactions in any body of people gathered for a common purpose. Politics, the practice or study of the art and science of forming, directing, and administrating states and other political units, is an inevitable part of any collective body. But the politics of the church should be about implementing the will of our Leader, Jesus Christ. His apostles, who were his authoritative spokesmen for the faith, planted churches wherever they went. That is, they called together the believers for the purpose of meeting in unity around the authoritative gospel message and to worship together their Savior. They appointed leaders to help govern the church. But of course, from the very beginning there were leaders who did not lead well and plenty of opportunities for church members to get upset with each other.

It is in this kind of situation, however, that we learn that we are just as capable of the very errors we hate and in which we must learn to love and be loved. Like marriage, which is also a very imperfect representation of the ideal love we want to experience, the institution becomes a laboratory for learning love. If we submit to the Lord and ask him to help us be shaped by love and be shapers of others by our love, he will certainly work that in us. We need the accountability of others in our lives and to be those who offer accountability.

This is why it says:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV).

Now, I will say that there are certain situations when believers cannot meet with the congregation of believers (illness, agedness, etc.) and to have the resources you mention, TV and radio and internet church, are very helpful and appropriate.