Why do we go to church?

This is a question that believers should consider, especially in a culture that often sees church through a self-focused lens. Many of us come to church with expectations of personal encouragement, a spiritual boost, or even a sense of belonging. While there’s nothing wrong with these desires, they only scratch the surface of what church was designed to be.

At the Gospel Community Conference in October 2023, Pastor Mark Dever described the church as the “manifestation of God in the world,” meant to reflect His nature and character. This vision challenges self-centred views and invites us into something far richer and more profound—to be a community that displays God’s holiness, unity, and love for a world that desperately needs Him.

So, what is the church supposed to be like, and why is it called to be this way?

 

A Holy Community

As God’s people, we are called to be set apart because God Himself is holy. Holiness is not simply about being perfect. It also refers to a distinctiveness that stands out in the world. The apostle Paul described the church as “God’s temple,” a special dwelling place for the Spirit of God. His dwelling place is the people of God, gathered together as the church. It’s no surprise that the dwelling place of God must be pure (1 Cor 1:2).

Holiness within the church also goes beyond personal morality; it’s a commitment to honour God together. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul addresses a situation in the Corinthian church where they struggled with sin. He calls the church to purity and to align its practices with God’s standards, even when it’s uncomfortable. This is why church discipline, often misunderstood, is vital. Because the church is made up of repenting sinners, we need to lovingly call one another back to God’s ways, keeping our witness strong. As Dever explains, “Holiness is to be an attribute which marks the church, not a bunch of self-righteous people, but a community that in our conduct, holds out hope of a better, more humane, more God honoring way of living than you and I knew before we were Christians.”

A United Community

Unity is another vital characteristic of the church. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians highlights the problems caused by division within the church, where members aligned themselves with different leaders—Paul, Apollos, or Cephas—as if Christ were divided. Paul reminds us that unity isn’t agreement on everything; rather, it’s a reflection of our shared foundation in Christ.

Unity in the church serves as a counter-narrative to a world fractured by differences. While differences in backgrounds, opinions, and personalities exist, they should not cause division in the church. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the church as a body with many parts, each playing its role in harmony with the others. This unity is rooted in love—a love that is patient, humble, and self-sacrificing, putting the needs of others before our own, just as Christ has done for us.

This oneness is not something we manufacture; it’s God’s work. Through the Spirit, we are united as one body, sharing one faith, one baptism, and one hope. When we act in harmony, bearing with each other in love, we reflect God’s unity. In a divided world, the church’s unity offers a profound testimony: that in Christ, true community and peace are possible.

A Loving Community

Perhaps the most visible attribute of a gospel-centered church is love. Jesus Himself declared that love would be the mark of His followers, a love that doesn’t merely echo sentiments but actively seeks the good of others. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul calls love the “most excellent way,” reminding us that love is more than a feeling—it’s action. This love builds up others, encouraging and supporting them in their faith journey.
When we gather as a church, our love for each other is an extension of God’s love for us. 

This love reaches out, crosses boundaries, and sacrifices for the benefit of others. Paul puts it simply: “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others” (1 Corinthians 10:24). This is the kind of love that edifies and strengthens the church, enabling us to reflect God’s love to a watching world.

This isn’t always easy. Genuine love requires vulnerability, patience, and sometimes even putting aside our own preferences. But it is this kind of love that makes the church a compelling witness, a community where the lonely find family, the wounded find healing, and the seeker finds a home.

Reflecting God to the World

So, why go to church? The answer extends beyond personal needs. We go to church to reflect God—to be holy because He is holy, to be united because He is one, and to love because He first loved us. The church’s purpose is to be a living display of God’s character. We’re called to show the world what God is like by the way we live together in community. As we gather, worship, and serve, we provide the world with a tangible picture of God’s kingdom. When we grasp this purpose, our gatherings are where we collectively declare, “God is among us.” For in the end, our purpose as the church is simple yet profound: to show the world the glory of God.