Thank you for the question on worship, “If one stays home on Sunday listens to preaching on TV and reads the Bible can that be considered the same as going to church on Sundays?”
Yes, one can consider listening to preaching on TV and reading the Word as going to church on Sundays. The central question is not whether one can, but what is the true reason for remaining at home and not attending church.
Here are some thoughts for one’s consideration why one should consider attending church in person rather than virtually.
1, God desires the worshiper to worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 4 says this, “23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (NIV).
The focus is not on location but the attitude of the heart. Thus, am I truly worshiping God in my home or am I just too lazy to present myself before God in his house? When I am “watching” the service, do I join in the worship songs or am I sipping my coffee or eating my breakfast? One must ask oneself, “Am I truly worshiping the Lord at home?”
Those who are elderly and have medical restrictions may not be able to be physically present in the house of the Lord. There are those who are at the church service who is physically present but mentally and spiritually absent from the service. It is ultimately a matter of the spirit, heart, and mind of a person.
2. God desires his people to live in spiritual accountability.
Hebrews says this, “24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (NIV).
Christians are to spur each other on toward love and good deeds. How is one spurring others to love and good deeds when one is worshiping from home or how can others spur you when they don’t see you? Each of us have praises and petitions. If I have a channel to share with others and for them to encourage oneself, then one has some accountability with others.
The writer strongly encourages believers to gather together, not to live in isolation from others. The danger of living in isolation is that one will not have any accountability at all.
3. God desires his people to exercise their spiritual gifts.
Paul writes in Ephesians 4, “15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (NIV).
I Corinthians 12 declares that believes are members of one Body. In the Body of Christ, God has given spiritual gifts to each believer. The purpose of the spiritual gifts is to build up the Body of Christ through each person’s exercising his/her spiritual gift.
If one remains at home, there is the absence of benefit to the Body of Christ of one’s spiritual gift nor can others impact you by their spiritual gifts. The Body of Christ has to “work harder” to compensate for the absence of members.
There may be the lack of coworkers to help with the various ministries within the Church. Coworkers may have to double-up in ministry positions facing the danger of burned out. That believer may not be as effective in that ministry since s/he does not have that spiritual gift. The work may get done, but it will be a lot harder and longer.
It is serving out of love that one builds up the Body of Christ. Thus, one must ask, how am I showing love to the other believers when I am at home and how can they show me love when I am at home?
Summary: Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. When one is worshiping from home, how are you giving to others in building up the Body of Christ?
-Kingston