1 Timothy 4:13, Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Thus, what profit is there in neglecting to meet with the brethren at your local church? For there you receive the public reading of Scripture to hear the conviction of the Law and the forgiveness and comfort of the Gospel, exhortation to do good works for your neighbour, and teaching to keep away from false doctrine and heresy as well as how to live as a Christian.
It is not a grave sin to miss church, but as a sinner, you have a disease called sin. Do you neglect visiting your doctor when your body is ill? Neither should you neglect the Word and Sacraments when your soul is ill, which is your perpetual state until the Last Day when Christ returns and gives you a new, perfect body.
Therefore, we should long for the Lord’s Supper as the elixir to our sin; and we should long for the public reading of Scripture with our brothers and sisters, for it is not only the apostolic command (cf. Hebrews 10:25), but also where we receive proper exhortation and sound teaching.
The Lutheran Column 