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Have you ever invited someone to church, or just in conversation talked about church? You have probably come across at least one person who does not see the need to go, attend, or even belong to a church. You may have heard, “I don’t have to go to church to worship.” This is actually a true statement, but the problem is it’s a selfish way of looking at church. Going to church has very little to do with what we want, or even what we think we need. 
Yes, we can and should always worship the Lord everywhere, but church goes way beyond just a place to worship. The church isn’t even a place, the church is those who belong to Christ and whether we like it or not, we do need each other. Let me give you just one example of what I mean.
Romans 1:11-12, “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Do you see what Paul is saying in these two verses? In the church, there should be a longing to be together and one of the reasons we should desire to be together is to encourage one another. 
We were never meant to walk the Christian life on our own, but to be part of a community of believers who love one another, who want to help each other, and yes, encourage one another. 
I’m not sure when this idea of “church” being about my wants and needs wormed its way into the life of believers, but may I say that it needs to be done away with. We are called to be a family. There should be nothing greater than to belong to a body of other believers who desire to be together and love each other so much that the world is amazed and desires what we have. 
My challenge and encouragement are that we must put to death the selfishness of our wants and desires and ask the Lord, where He wants us, and who He wants us to do life with. If we chose to live in this way, I do not doubt that the church would once again turn the world upside down and have such an impact that the church would no longer be the punchline of a joke, but a powerful force that would draw all people to Jesus.