Involvement in the local assembly takes time. And anything that uses our time must make a good case for doing so. Time is limited. We only have so much to give, so why should we give it to the assembly? There are good reasons.
1. The assembly is part of God’s eternal purpose (Eph. 1:11; 3:11). This makes it superior to anything else we do. No other human endeavor can compare to God’s eternal purpose. This does not mean that I abandon other responsibilities in living. The same Ephesian epistle reminds me that daily living is “unto the Lord” (see chs. 4, 5 and 6). But I must remember that what and how I contribute to the local church is an eternal investment. Let this sink in. Unbelievers who have acquired vast sums of wealth or fame are going to lose it all. But believers who took children to Sunday School, repaired assembly buildings, showed hospitality, cared for the flock, prayed, and performed a thousand other jobs have been involved in the eternal purpose of God. This will remain.
Some of us, however, are living like the world in our attitudes toward allocating time. We have been fooled into thinking this world should get our quality time and energy, while the assembly gets the leftovers. Paul’s life was characterized by viewing the eternal and unseen (2 Cor. 4:16-18). This equipped him to make intelligent decisions in how he was going to invest his time. In no other area of life would we give first claim to a temporary arrangement and secondary claim to a permanent one.
2. The Lord insists on giving rewards to those who build with quality materials (1 Cor. 3). Our view of reward is based on merit and success. God’s view of reward is based on faithfulness. There is no point in minimizing the idea of rewards as if it would be unspiritual to accept His reward. The Lord wants to give the reward. And He rewards those who build in His assembly. In fact, God views it an unrighteous thing to forget the service His people performed (Heb. 6:10).
3. The assembly comprises God’s present-day people (1 Pet. 2:9-10). The New Testament makes this clear. While God has not forgotten Israel, and He will deal with them again in the future, the fact remains that at present, the church are God’s people. The Lord Himself began to show this in His ministry (Mt. 21:28-46). The apostles later confirm this. Doesn’t it make sense that we should invest a reasonable amount of time in God’s people?
4. The assembly is God’s dwelling place. Even in the Old Testament the language is not so strong as to state that Israel was God’s dwelling place. The tabernacle was a meeting place, but in the New Testament the language vigorously states that the church is His dwelling place. For example, John 17:23, “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Or notice Colossians 1:24-27, “for His (i.e., Christ’s) body’s sake, which is the church:…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Or consider Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now therefore ye are…fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God…In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Even Solomon had to admit at the dedication of the temple these words, “But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee: how much less this house which I have built!” (2 Chron. 6:18). Yet the church confidently believes He dwells within. Matthew 18:20 reminds us, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Countless believers throughout church history were willing to lay down their lives for God’s assembly. Others suffered personal loss in favor of giving to the local church. Many today give themselves sacrificially and consistently to the local fellowship. What is it they see? What motivates them so? Why do they give so generously of their time? They see what God sees. The decision is easy after that. Yes, the assembly is worth your while.