As the strength of a house’s foundation is proven when the wind comes, so the strength of the church’s foundation is tested when sin and struggle arise (and they will arise). A body rooted in the Word of Christ—and not in authenticity for authenticity’s sake—has a solid foundation upon which genuine love relationships can grow and withstand the darkness when it appears.  

Church is so boring…

Or is it?

I recently finished the short, but loaded, book How Church Can Change Your Lifeby pastor and author Josh Moody. In less than 100 pages, Moody responds to ten common questions about church—objections like the above—posed by Christians and non-Christians alike. He covers subjects such as Jesus’ view of the church, the purpose of baptism and communion, and why believers should not be duped into believing they can “be the church” through podcasting sermons and listening to Christian radio, while privately meditating in their pajamas.

Moody’s book made me think more deeply about common objections I’ve heard from friends, family, and others regarding local churches, along with the lies that fuel these objections. Here are seven lies that you may also have encountered, whether personally or from other people, about church:

Lie #1: I don’t need to attend church to be a growing Christian.

While it may be true that a person can trust in Jesus Christ for salvation apart from attending a local church, it is much harder to see how they can take up their cross, follow Christ, and grow in spiritual maturity apart from engaging with and committing to the Bride he so values and loves.

The church is Christ’s bride (Revelation 21:2), his body (1 Corinthians 12), his assembly of believers who gather to worship him in unity and to be his fragrance to the rest of the world (Ephesians 4:1-16). While there is spiritual value in parachurch ministries, campus initiatives, and Christian conferences—both for introducing people to Jesus and for growth in the Christian life—they cannot and should not act as replacements to the local church. Jesus, himself, expressed an intimacy with his body that specifically points to the gathering of his people in the doctrinally-sound, Bible-rooted, commitment-based, leadership-valued setting called the church.

Why are so many of the Epistles penned to local churches? Because the local church was and is the establishment of believers that Christ said would be built upon the gospel of grace (Matthew 16:17-19). While a person certainly does not earn salvation through church commitment—it is by grace we are saved through faith alone—the Christian most certainly proves his or her love for Christ by valuing what Jesus values and loving what he loves.

Lie #2: Church is only for Christians.

Christian, if you believe the lie that church is only for Christians, then you have come up against two other roadblocks that need removal. One, you’ve not yet grasped the purpose and power of the Word, as proclaimed through worship services, to convict and transform rebellious sinners’ hearts. Two, you’re missing an enormous opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ by inviting others into his house!

Perhaps you’re reading this, and you’re not a Christian. It’s important that you see this lie exposed: Church is not only for people who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The local churches around your region are most certainly filled with believers (I would hope so!), but it is pure joy to these congregations when you walk through the doors. Every Christian was at one point a first-time church-goer, so every person there knows how it feels to be new. Every new endeavor tends to feel awkward and scary, but you won’t grasp on to a good thing unless you give it a chance in the first place!

Church is not only for Christians. It is a spiritual hospital for the weary and heavy-laden sinner and, we pray, the sinner-turned-saint through the power of the gospel.

Lie #3: If I don’t feel comfortable the first time, that means it’s not the right church for me.

Pastor Colin once asked our church, “What’s the point of worship services?” He gave some commonly-expressed answers like, “To learn the Bible,” “To fellowship with believers,” and “To enjoy some music that leads me to worship.” In some sense, these responses aren’t wrong; they’re merely incomplete, he said to our congregation.

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