3 reasons worshipers need the church

For example, Paul tells Felix that while he used to worship by "going to Jerusalem," now he worships "according to the Way, which some call a sect" (Acts 24:11, 17). In other words, Paul’s worship was in his heart, but in tune with the worship of other christians. Below are some basic components of this corporate worship gathering.

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1. Fellowship as corporate worship

The early church had their corporate worship service marked by fellowship (Acts 2:42). This fellowship grew out of the preaching of the "teaching of the word," and was seen in the acts of the ordinances and prayer. When a congregation strives for holiness, their weekly gatherings for worship are marked by this "fellowship of light"(2 Cor 6:14). In fact, this corporate fellowship is an act of worship because it flows out of the union each individual christian has with members of the trinity (Phil 2:1; 1 John 1:3 also ties this Trinitarian fellowship to the preaching of the word: "We proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.")

2. Scripture reading as corporate worship

Paul tells Timothy that when the church is gathered, they need to "give attention to the public reading of Scripture" (1 Tim 4:13). The context of 1 Timothy reveals that Paul viewed this kind of reading as connected to, but nevertheless different from, the teaching and preaching of God’s word. Paul’s command is likely modeled off of the example of Ezra in the courtyard of the temple: "Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed Yahweh the great God. And all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground" (Neh 8:5-6). That passage, which is preceded by similar events in the life of Israel’s kings, shows the noteworthy connection between scripture reading and worship.

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3. Giving as corporate worship

Christians are called to be faithfully supporting the church that they worship in. Paul commands that if a christian sits under the teaching of God’s word, they should be helping to support that pastor financially (1 Timothy 5:17-18). This command takes giving out of the realm of preference and makes it a Christian obligation. Subsequently, Paul explains how that giving should happen as a part of corporate worship. Paul viewed his support as a missionary as a gift not from individuals, but from the church in Philippi as a whole (Phil 4:15). He describes the offering he is asking for from the Roman church as one that can be received when he comes to visit the church (Rom 16:25-27).