“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
Christians must meet together. Meeting together is an essential part of the Christian life, and it is impossible for Christians to grow into spiritual maturity without meeting regularly in church.
With the rise of modern technology, it is possible to meet together online. The drive toward online church is spurred by two main factors. First, in many places there is an increase of governmental restrictions against Christians meeting together in church. In many places they can still meet online, but they cannot meet together in person. Second, people desire convenience. They would prefer staying at home and sometimes not interacting with anyone – and just watching a screen.
Online “church” meetings might be helpful for a brief time in order to maintain relationships in the body of Christ when it is not possible to meet together in person. However, online meetings cannot become a permanent or preferred way of doing church. They can occasionally supplement, but must never replace, meeting together in person.
Here are 7 reasons why.
1. Close Fellowship
The Bible commands believers to have fellowship together. Fellowship builds community, enables ministry, helps us bear each other’s burdens, and facilitates discipleship. In-person interactions build relationships and foster community in ways that online interactions can’t.
This is illustrated by simple acts of touch. Christians are commanded to give each other a holy kiss (Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess 5:26). Hugging our brothers and sisters in the Lord can encourage them. We are instructed to extend the “right hand of fellowship” (Gal. 2:9) to our brethren, which is symbolized by the simple act of shaking hands. Throughout history, physical touch has cemented relationships and bonded people together. This can’t happen online.
In addition, church is to be a place of sharing burdens, sharing possessions, and helping others with practical needs. Such help can often be only done in person.
Meeting in-person enables fellowship in ways that are impossible online.
2. Water Baptism
Jesus commanded the church to baptize people in water.
Each born again believer is commanded to be baptized in water. In the New Testament, people were baptized in water immediately after being born again. Water baptism is an important step of obedience that lays the foundation for future growth in God. Water baptism is one of the basic principles of Christianity (Heb. 6:1-2).
The church must baptize people in water, and baptism can only be done in person.
3. Laying on of Hands
“They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Matt. 16:18b).
Laying on of hands is one of the basic principles of Christianity (Heb. 6:1-2).
Jesus and his disciples laid hands on the sick to heal them. Christians today are commanded to lay hands on the sick so they can be healed.
The laying on of hands is important for other reasons. It catalyzes the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17), imparts spiritual gifts (1 Tim. 4:14), and equips people spiritually to do ministry (Acts 13:3).
Believers must lay hands on each other so they can experience spiritual breakthroughs. They can only do this in person.
4. Breaking Bread
The breaking of bread is an essential part of Christianity. It is one of God’s primary ways of imparting spiritual power and blessing to his people. It fosters believers’ connection to Jesus, knits their hearts together in fellowship, strengthens them physically and spiritually. It also protects them from Satan.
Whenever the church met in the New Testament, they broke bread together (Acts 2:46; 20:7). The breaking of bread was so important that people were excommunicated from the church by stopping them from breaking bread (1 Cor. 5:5,11).
The church must meet together in order to break bread.
5. Anointing of Oil
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).
When Christians are sick, God has a remedy. He commands them to ask the elders of the church to pray for them and anoint them with oil. The Bible says that through fervent prayer and the anointing of oil, the sick will be healed.
Anointing of oil can only be done in person.
6. Church is an Assembly
Church is the word ekklesia in Greek. Ekklesia means assembly of people. Church is by nature an assembly of people. If there is no assembly of people, there is no church.
Online meetings are not assemblies in the Biblical sense. Christians can see each other and hear each other online. However, they cannot experience the unique spiritual interchange that happens when they meet together in person. This is largely because of point #7.
7. The Unique Presence of Jesus is Promised to Church
When Christians meet together in person, they can experience the powerful presence of Jesus in a way that they cannot experience as individuals.
“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).
Jesus didn’t say that he is inside us when we meet together, but that he is among us when we meet together. Although Jesus is inside every Christian, he is among his people in a unique way when they gather together in his name.
Where refers to physical location. There also refers to physical location. When Christians meet together, Jesus is in their midst, in the place where they are. This unique presence of Jesus among his people is what gives the church special spiritual power.
The Bible reveals that it is possible for the Spirit of God to be in a place. During Jesus’ ministry, there were times when “the power of the Lord was present there to heal” (Luke 5:17). When God’s presence is in a place, miracles happen.
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit “filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). The Holy Spirit was in the house with them. Those inside the house experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; those outside the house didn’t.
When God’s people meet together in Jesus’ name, Jesus joins them in a special, almost tangible way. This unique presence of Jesus enables the church to operate in a high level of spiritual power.
This is the power to bind and loose. It’s the power for answered prayer. It’s the power to effect church discipline,
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:18-20).
The presence of Jesus that is manifested when Christians meet together gives them the power to bind and loose in the spiritual realm. Binding and loosing enables the church to break demonic strongholds and advance the kingdom of God upon the earth. It’s the ministry of spiritual warfare (compare Matt. 12:29).
This presence of Jesus makes the church the church. It’s why the church can be the seat of the governing power of the kingdom of God upon the earth. It’s the key for effective discipleship, deliverance, spiritual growth of individuals, and the building up of the church.
Online Church is Inadequate
Online, believers cannot break bread together, lay hands on each other, baptize new believers, or anoint people with oil. Fellowship is not the same. They cannot experience the fullness of the unique presence of Jesus that is promised for Christians when they meet together. If Christian meetings are shifted to a strictly online format, baptisms will be stopped, the laying on of hands will stop, the breaking of bread will stop, and the anointing of oil will stop. Binding and loosing will stop, as well as many other things that depend on the powerful presence of Jesus that is manifested when Christians meet together.
Online church is not real church.
When believers don’t meet together in person, they can’t fully function as the church, and they won’t prevail against the gates of hell (Matt. 16:18).
Online meetings will eventually be problematic for another reason. They will expose the church to audio and video surveillance. This loss of privacy will be dangerous, since governments in the end times will be hostile to Christianity (many governments already are).
As the end times approaches, Christians will face increasing challenges to meeting together.
Such threats are nothing new.
“As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3).
In spite threats of imprisonment and death, the early church kept meeting together.
Today, in many parts of the world, Christians face persecution when they meet together. But they keep meeting together anyway. We must meet together too, in spite of opposition.
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
In other words, “Don’t stop meeting. Even if some Christians stop meeting together, you shouldn’t, especially as you get closer to the end times.”
Meeting together will be particularly important as the end times approaches. There will be increasing evil in the world, and Christians will be threatened. We must stand together, deriving the strength that comes from meeting together in Jesus’ name.
Bethel Cornerstone 