5 Reasons That Aren’t Worth Skipping Church

My friend Pastor Danny Kolota said this recently while preaching: “Why would you give up the gift of regular gospel encouragement that Jesus bought for you with his blood?” and that landed with me. I’ve led worship at churches for fifteen years now and I’ve struggled with how to talk about how important the gathering is. In our cultural moment, it feels like churches either under-emphasize their gathering or over-emphasize it—like there’s no perfect middle ground. Either you de-emphasize it to make it less “rote” and “more understanding” for busy and tired people—or you make it the be-all end-all.

The church in Troas understood the need for regular gathering (Acts 20).

They gathered regularly according to Acts 20:7, and they were IN it (20:7-8).You may have heard the story of Eutychus—he got bored and fell asleep and fell out of the window. They brought him back up dead, but when Paul took him in his arms he was alive, and they “were not a little comforted.” They were VERY comforted!

Pastor Danny pointed out to us that this glorious miracle that encouraged the church happened at their ordinary, every week gathering, and challenged us with this: We’re not Paul in this story, we’re Eutychus. Our spirit is willing but our flesh is so weak, and it’s too easy to forget that our weekly gathering is a gift from Jesus, not something we “have to do.”

If you’re tempted to skip church this weekend for any of these reasons, here’s some encouragement for you to stick with the regular, ordinary, glorious weekly gathering:

“I’m too busy.”

Gathering isn’t optional. In fact, it’s not the only thing the church does—but it’s what makes a church a church! Here’s what the writer of Hebrews had to say about it: “23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 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.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 10:23–25.

If you’ve got a habit of neglecting to meet together because of your schedule, that’s a priority problem. The Church gathers. It’s what we do!

“I’m too tired.”

But I hear you saying, “Okay, but sometimes I’m just too tired. I won’t get anything from it if I go like this.”

Good news: The gathering isn’t just for you to get something from it! In fact, you’re actually taking something away when you don’t show. Check this out in Colossians 3: “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:16.

You’ve got a part to play! We get a lot of things from gathering regularly—we’re refreshed, we’re challenged, we’re filled up by fellowship, we’re motivated for the mission. But you’re also there to lend your voice along with the rest of the body. Please don’t deprive your brothers and sisters of your gift to the gathering: yourself.

“I’m not connected enough.”

Maybe you don’t come because you don’t feel connected enough to your brothers and sisters at your church for that to land. Thankfully, you’ve got another chance to get connected THIS WEEKEND! “4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 12:4–5.

Everybody in your church is important, so maybe you need to take the initiative to meet the rest of the body this weekend. Gospel friendships have so much more potential to satisfy, and I’ll bet there’s more than one person at your church who’s ready to greet you!

“Someone at my church hurt my feelings.”

That’s probably the most legitimate reason on this list—and I’m really sorry that happened. There absolutely are legitimate reasons to leave a church because of hurt—but can I challenge you to prayerfully consider staying? Jesus didn’t tell us to forgive 70x7 times because hurt isn’t real—it’s because he wanted to unite imperfect sinful people into a 1 Peter 2 kind of church: “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 2:9–10.

You’re part of a people now: that’s worth fighting for. If you need help reconciling, I’m sure your pastor is willing to help you! If your pastor is the reason you’re hurting, give him a chance before pressing the eject button. The Holy Spirit is working in each person in every church—pastor, member, worship leader, missionary, all—to make them more like Jesus. That’s a step worth taking together.

“I can watch online.”

If you’re not shut-in, sick, travelling, or new… Let me encourage you that it’s better to be WITH your church worshipping than to WITNESS your church worshipping. I’m a big advocate having a good livestream that helps shut-ins, sick, travelling, and new people see what it’s like to gather at your church so they want to come be PART of it. It’s not for you when you can make it. I promise, it’s better. Not just as an experience you consume, but as a practice your soul needs.

The weekly gathering of the church isn’t just tradition—it’s a blood-bought gift. Whether you’re tired, busy, disconnected, hurt, or tempted to just stream it this week, I want to lovingly remind you: you need this. We need this. The church in Troas saw God work powerfully in their regular gathering—not because it was perfect, but because Jesus was present. And He still is. So if any of those five reasons have been tugging at your heart lately, I hope this encourages you to show up anyway. Your presence matters more than you know.

🙌 Check out the full video on YouTube to dive deeper into each of these reasons and find fresh encouragement for this Sunday → Watch now on YouTube