This assumption comes mostly from a gross misunderstanding of the church and what it is.  Most people view the church as a man-made organization governed by rules and regulations instituted by human tradition.

When people say Christians do not need the church, what they usually mean is that they do not have to be a member of any particular church, nor do they have to spend the Lord’s Day attending some kind of religious service.  They assume that they can please God on their own, worshipping Him as they see fit, and doing whatever they are comfortable doing, and that makes them happy.

First, the church is not man-made.  It is a divine institution built and bought by Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28).  In its universal sense, it is made up of the saved.  Since Christians are the saved, it does not make sense to say they do not need the church because they are the church.

What about the local church?  Do Christians need to be members of a local church to please God?  That question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.  Technically, a person can be saved without being a member of a local church.  When one obeys the gospel of Christ, that person is immediately saved and added to the universal church by the Lord.

Acts 2:47 (NKJV)

⁴⁷ Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

While a person might be saved before he ever joins a local church, the New Testament teaches us that it is the will of God for members of the universal church to join themselves to a local church.  The local church, with its elders, deacons, and saints (Philippians 1:1), is God’s arrangement for disciples of Christ.  We see this repeatedly in the New Testament.  Wherever we find Christians in the New Testament, we almost always find local churches.

Christians are commanded to meet on the first day of the week to worship God.  Where and with whom was this accomplished in the New Testament church?  It was in local churches (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:18).  These passages teach clearly that New Testament saints came together on a specific day to worship God.  This is the assembly that the Hebrews writer commanded us not to forsake (Hebrews 10:25).  It is also clear that it was at that time, and that time only, that Christians observed the Lord’s Supper.  This is one of the reasons that Christians need a local church—so they can scripturally observe the Lord’s Supper.  This is not something that Christians did at home on their own.  They did it when they came together on the first day of the week.

Giving to the Lord is also something that must be done on the first day of the week.

1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (NKJV)

¹ Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: ² On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Is this done by those who assume they do not need the church?  Probably not.

The church is needed for a lot of reasons even outside of fulfilling the God-given duties of observing the Lord’s Supper and giving to the Lord and His work.  It is in local churches where saints are strengthened and increase in faith.  It is where the love of brethren is expressed, and saints are edified the most.  It is no coincidence that those who forsake the assembling of the saints are weak and those who attend regularly are strong.  The church is, indeed, needed.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.