In the fifth chapter of Matthew we read Jesus' teachings on a wide variety of subjects. The chapter starts with a group of blessings that have been termed, The Beatitudes. Each beatitude begins with "Blessed are . . ." and then proceeds to teach some way of living that causes one to be blessed. The beatitude section is beautiful prose and profound.

In the rest of the chapter, Jesus covers a variety of topics. The topics include murder, adultery, divorce, vengeance, and showing love to those we hate. In one section of this chapter Jesus addresses the Law, meaning the Ten Commandments God gave to the people through Moses and other directives. Jesus proclaims that He has come to fulfill or complete the Law. Indeed with His death on the cross Jesus does fulfill the Law and ushers mankind into the age of grace.

One should notice in Jesus' teaching on the various topics that the standard He sets is higher, deeper, and more demanding than the Old Testament commands given. I submit two examples to illustrate my point. "Thou shalt not murder." is the sixth commandment. Jesus says in Matthew 5 if one is angry with their brother, and elsewhere if you hate your brother, then you have committed murder. He goes deeper than the actual act of physically taking another's life and add our attitude.

The other example is the seventh commandment. "Thou shalt not commit adultery." that is sexual relations with a married person who is not one's spouse. Jesus adds that if one has lust in their heart towards another than they have committed adultery in their heart. Again Jesus adds attitude or thought in addition to the actual physical act.

Jesus also taught on being truthful and letting your word stand on it's own. In verses 33 through 37 of Matthew chapter five, Jesus teaches that we should not undergird our word by swearing on something. The swearing here is not using the seven forbidden words as the Comedian George Carlin once waxed amusingly upon. Rather it is saying an oath by something recognized as greater than ourselves.  Jesus teaches us to let our Yes mean Yes or our No, No. Another way of saying this is "Say what you mean, and mean what you say!" Be a person who stands by their word. As you live your life in this manner, others will soon learn your word can be trusted. Being recognized as a person of one's word is a valuable, and rare, commodity.

Jesus expands His teaching on standing by one's word in Matthew 21:28-32. In this passage Jesus shares a parable about two sons. The father tells his sons to go work in the vineyard. One son says "No," and the other son says, "Yes." The son who answered "Yes," is the obedient son, right? As the parable continues we find that the son who readily replied, "Yes," or more exactly, "I will, sir."  Did not do as he said he would. The son who said no, and I'm sure at the time disappointed if not angered his father, changed his mind and went to the field to work. Jesus puts forth the question, "Who did what his father wanted." To which those present answered correctly, "The first," that is the one who said no but then relented and obeyed.

Jesus used this parable to teach that there are people in the world who say "No" to God's ways but later repent and embrace Him and obey. There are also those who either by zealous exuberance, or a desire to curry favor immediately say yes but then fail to follow through or who perhaps had no intention of ever obeying. Jesus teaches it is the one who ultimately obeys who is in the right. Appearance means nothing, obedient action, even if one initially refuses, is rewarded. This passage is another example of saying what you mean and meaning what you say, however, if you say "No" but change your mind and obey, then you are forgiven and rewarded.

We must be people of our word; in our word to man but definitely in our word to God. "Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7

In our scriptures the believers of God are encouraged to come to church to join in worshipping Him and to learn what the scriptures can teach us about God and how to live with our fellow man.

The most recognized verse about regular worship attendance is Hebrews 10:25. Following is Hebrews 10:24,25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 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.

These verses teach us to encourage one another to live in love and do good towards others. The final lesson is that we should not give up on meeting together.

Humans are social creatures. Yes, we need alone time, but we need the interaction with others as well.

The previous eighteen months have been hard on our relationships, and churches, as we have needed to self-quarantine as a measure to prevent infection of the COVID-19 virus.

I found the following list on health benefits of regular church attendance.

According to Radiant Church, the most noteworthy health benefits of church attendance are as follows:

• One of the foremost health benefits of church visit is its ability to relieve stress. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone of the human body that gets released from our adrenal glands lying on the top of the kidneys. When an individual suffers from stress for a prolonged period, the level of cortisol goes excessively high. This can very easily lead to conditions such as diminished memory, dampened immune system, and heart-related Regular church attendance helps manage the stress, and decrease the cortisol level in the body.

 

• Often referred to as the trust or “feel-good hormone”, oxytocin is part of a group of brain chemicals known as As we get to meet plenty of caring and kind people in the church, the brain starts releasing this chemical. This helps us bond with others and create healthy relationships in the Biblical community.

 

• It is also said that regular church attendance may thicken our brain. In a recent study, it has been shown that people that value spiritual activities such as going to a church are likely to experience the thickening of some areas of their brains. Several other studies indicate that contemplative as well as reflective spiritual activities help the growth of many other parts of the brain.

 

• Improved sleep in another important health benefit of attending church. According to the findings of a recent study, there is a serious correlation between church attendance and better sleep. The author of this study claims that compared to less religious individuals, religious adults that visit a church regularly tend to exhibit healthier sleep outcomes.

 

• A team of Canadian researchers has recently concluded a study revealing that individuals attending church more regularly are likely to experience less depression. This can probably be attributed to the fact that these people are more resilient because of the social support they receive in the church.

 

• Another similar study indicates that the lifespan for whites attending a church is seven years higher on an average, compared to non-attendees. Also, this increased lifespan was found to be 14 years for African-Americans.

 

• A study conducted way back in 1998 revealed that the blood pressure of older adults that are religiously active is lower compared to people that are religiously inactive or less active. This study considered individuals to be religiously active if they attended the church frequently, prayed, and studied the Bible.

 

• Another 2016 study indicated that compared to non-visitors, women attending religious services more than once a week were 33 % less likely to die within the study period. The same percentage was 26% lower for women that attended the church just once a week.

 

• Finally, it has also been observed that couples attending church together have a more stable and sexually satisfying conjugal life. The Marriage and Religion Research Institute informs that the most sexually satisfied partners within the age group of 18 and 59 are the ones that worship together on a weekly basis.

Regular church attendance helps each one of us stay connected with our faith community, to join in praising and worshipping God, assist in teaching our children about God and worship, and lifts our spirit when we see long time friends.

There are practical benefits of regular church attendance. From time to time each one of us needs practical help. It may be a financial need, help with moving, appliance repair, vehicle repair, and on and on the list goes. When we are part of a local body of faith we have the opportunity to help others and to receive help when we need it.

Finally regular church attendance helps all of us feel better. When we attend church we raise the number in attendance. Seeing greater church attendance encourages all of us.

If you don't have a church you regularly attend, or you've drifted away from church attendance, we at Campbellsburg Baptist Church invite you to worship with us. We won't make you feel awkward by pointing you out in the worship service as a guest. However, some of our members will take the time to welcome you and tell you they're glad you attended.

We can, and should, engage in private Bible reading and worship of God. Each one of us receives benefits from regular church attendance and our fellow worshippers are benefitted by our attendance.

I hope you will choose to make church attendance a regular part of your week. I really believe that taking time on Sunday to worship God and listen to His word, will make the rest of the week better for you.

​I've included the link to the article I quoted below so you can read all the comments.


Read more: The Top Health Benefits Of Church Attendance • https://www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/wellness/the-top-health-benefits-of-church-attendance/#ixzz73i4CbntI
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