Thank you for the good question..

To begin, I think we need to first establish what Praise and Worship is by definition. Praise: “To extol or exalt… to express approval or admiration. To praise is to voice approbation, commendation, or esteem. ”1  “Praise comes from a Latin word meaning “value” or “price.” Thus, to give praise to God is to proclaim His merit or worth.”2 Worship: “1.a)The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity……1.b)The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed. 2.) Ardent devotion; adoration.”1 

By these definitions, we can now get an idea of what it means to praise and worship God. Giving praise and worship to God is expressed in many different ways. For example:

Now, when you say, “Worship Service” I assume you speak of Worship to God expressed by song, music, dance, etc.. There is no doubt that these expressions are forms of praise and worship to God. In fact, these forms of Praise and Worship are the most mentioned in the Bible. For an example let’s just look at a few passages out of many found in the Scriptures.

We can clearly see that worship is/can be demonstrated through music, singing and dance. Let me quickly say, when it comes to the topic of praise there in no shortage of scriptures. The reason is because God is worthy and deserving of our Praise.(Psalms 96:4) Therefore, it’s no wonder when reading about the faithful who lived before us we have so many accounts of them Praising God.

Now, getting to your actual question… “If you go to Bible study weekly is it important to attend a worship service also?” The answer is yes and no. Let me explain..

The reason I pointed out there were many ways to worship God was to show that its important that we’re giving God the glory in all that we do. In other words, If the only time we give God our worship and praise is once a week at a scheduled time, then it’s not enough. See, our lives and all that we do should give glory to God. Now, don’t get me wrong, I realize we are all sinners and we struggle in the flesh, therefore not everything we do will give glory to God. My point is, it should be our heart’s desire to give God glory in all that we do. As we grow in our walk with the Lord we should also grow in giving God glory in what we do.. See, as we grow in the Fruit of Spirit(Galatians 5:22;23) we naturally grow in our worship to God, by worship I mean the multiple expressions of it. So, my first answer is, worship to God must be done(working on) in all areas of our lives not just once a week.(Psalms 34:1)

AS for the scheduled worship services go lets consider this for a moment. We just saw how worship and praise should be more than just once a week. Now.. What about reading and studying God’s Word? Should it only be done once a week? Of course not, we both know it should be done daily. In fact, the daily reading of God’s word is what we call Daily Devotions. It’s personal time a Christian spends reading God’s Word and spending time in prayer/with God. Where as, the group Bible Study (church) is a time when we come together to learn God’s word together, usually taught by the Elders of the church(Pastor(s)) and spend time in prayer as a group. There is a difference between the two studies, yet both are important for our growth and walk with the Lord.

Paul tells us that we as fellow believers should not forsake assembling together (Heb.1:25).. Now, granted, you said that you already attend a weekly bible study, which is good. However, if studying and reading God’s word should be done both in our personal lives and as a group then doesn’t it stand to reason that Praise and Worship should be the same? See, there is something special that happens when a group of believers come together. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”(Matthew. 18:20). As you see, something special happens when a group of believers gather in His name.. Jesus said He would be in our midst.  That’s an amazing promise our Lord has made.. There is just something different that takes place when we come together in unity in the name of Jesus.. For that matter, even in ministry we should never go at it alone. Luke 10:1 “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” Mark 6:7 “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.” It seems to me, that there is a clear spiritual principle that is taught throughout the Bible concerning the importance of  a group of believers (more than one)..

So, to answer your question…. Is it important for you to attend a worship service? I would say, Yes.. Understand that I say “Yes” to the question “is it important..?”, the key word being, “important”. I think it is important we do both, study God’s word in our personal time and as a body. I also think it’s important that we both praise and worship God in our personal lives and as a body. Ephesians 2:19-21 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,  20)… Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21) in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,”

Now having said all that, I need to make clear that there is no scripture that say’s you should or shouldn’t attend a weekly worship service. Therefore, to not attend worship service is not a sin. However, there are several passages that speak of praising God in His house with fellow believers. Therefore, I think it’s good for your growth and fellowship with God and other believers. For example:

In closing,

Please understand that it’s hard for me to truly address your specific situation because I simply don’t have enough information. I’m not sure why the church you’re attending holds them on different days. Usually, both Bible Study and Praise & Worship are done in the same meeting. Furthermore, I’m not sure what your reasoning would be for not wanting to attend the worship service…. It could be do to scheduling problems, or maybe the your churches style of worship doesn’t appeal to you or a list of other reasons.. Whatever the reason is, I would encourage you to go and talk to your Elders (Pastor) about working something out. Maybe they can add some praise and worship to the Bible Studies or something else.. I personally think adding some praise and worship would be nice for those who do attend the weekly Bible Studies. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant; God looks at the heart not how good someone sings or how good the equipment is or lack of, nope.. just what’s in the heart.  

Well, I hope this has helped you in your search for an answer on this issue.. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, comments or needs..

In CHRIST, TRM

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 1: The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000.

2: Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman.

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