I am surprised at how often I hear this question. I hear it from people with whom I study the Bible, and I occasionally hear it even from the children in my Bible classes.

I am always surprised by this question, but it has generated some serious thought and study on my part. Since we are studying the topic of worship in my ladies’ Bible class, I thought this might be something our readers might be interested in considering.

In order to answer this question, we must first determine what the purpose of worship is. To do that, let’s look at a passage in Hebrews 10. The writer of Hebrews is contrasting the Old and New Law. He talks about the priests offering sacrifices, and he tells us that Christ sacrificed Himself to take away our sins through obedience to Him. Then the writer says:

“And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…” (verses 21-24 ESV)

There are some very important statements in this passage that give us a picture of the purpose of worshiping.

• The first is found in verse 22, “Let us draw near to God”. This shows us looking upward to God and being brought closer to Him when we worship. This is different than under the Old Law where the people came to the priest, and he made the sacrifice, offered prayers, and served as the active participant in their worship to God.
• The second is found in verse 23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our faith”. In worshiping God, we should remember what it was like when we were living in sin and before we became obedient by confession of sins, repenting of those sins, and being baptized into Christ. This brings us inward, examining ourselves for sins for which we still need to ask forgiveness. We should look at ourselves, not at others. We should examine our own hearts for whatever needs correcting and strengthening.
• The third is found in verse 24, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works”. This should cause us to look outward to those around us. It should cause us to encourage and support those with whom we worship to go out and bring in others—teaching them, encouraging them, serving them in whatever way we can.

Now the writer says what we most often use to tell others why we need to worship. He said:

“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.” (Verse 25)

 He now gives the command not to neglect meeting together. The King James Version says, “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together”. These people needed to be together to worship the Father. They needed strength from one another. These new Christians were living in troubling times, being persecuted and even put to death.

We aren’t facing death for our beliefs in this country, at least not yet; but we are once again living in troubling times. Our religious freedoms are challenged on a daily basis. We, too, need to look upward to God, inward for an examination of our own hearts, and outward to serve others.

There is one other point in this text that deserves our consideration. Look at what is said in verse 26:

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”

This chapter has already laid out the sacrifice made for our sins. It was made by Christ Himself when He gave His life for us. If we continue to willfully sin, there is nothing left to sacrifice. God gave His only Son that we might have everlasting life.

So, the next time you hear the question, “Do I have to go to worship?” point that person to this passage in Hebrews.

Sandra Oliver