An excerpt from Ben Miller’s book, “The Kingdom Has Drawn Near: Studies In The Gospel Jesus Preached“, from chapter 3, “The Kingdom and the Church”:

The church is not a voluntary society. It is the sphere in which God’s loving, gracious, faithful rule of his people concretely operates through the keys of the Word and sacraments and discipline. I say it again: an indicator of how seriously you take the rule of God in your life is how diligently you bring yourself under the ordinances of the church of Jesus Christ, particularly in his gathered worship on his appointed day. Do not say you love the kingdom if you will not bring yourself under the King’s ordinances. The King’s rule is visible in the ordinances of his church.