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“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the worlds needs is people who have come alive.”
― John Eldredge
Yes- "Do not forsake the assembly." To forsake means to leave it completely. No one I know has perfect attendance, but we should go as often as we can, and we must go at least often enough. The church is the body of Christ through which His life-saving blood flows. How long can you cut off blood circulation to your finger before your finger turns gangrene, dies, and falls off? It is the same in the church, you must take the blood (Lord's Supper) (in the assembly of the saints, upon the first day of the week) in order to stay part of the body and stay alive spiritually.
If you have no reason to miss church, and do so purposely, on a continual basis- that is living in sin. Those who purposely live in sin are already cut off from the blood- which means if they die before repenting they will not go to heaven. The Bible says "If you sin willfully there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins." Sinning willfully means premeditated sin. (Sin planned for and provided for future occurrence.)
I have left my congregation to attend elsewhere. I told one person, who I assumed would tell them. Whether they know why I'm not there or not, no one has called me- which shows me I made a wise decision. But I have been missing more and more Church because of medical problems, no gas money, no clean clothes, etc. I want to be there every time, and used to go every Sunday morning, Sunday night, Tuesday morning, and Wednesday night, before I had roadblocks. Do people judge me, think I'm falling away? I don't care what people think, God is my only Judge, and He knows I'm just as strong as ever.
Part of the reason I go to church is to honor the Lord. Another reason is that church is a big part of my life. I don't think the Lord is so strict that he expects us to attend no matter what the circumstances. I don't attend twice a year because I'm up in Oregon visiting my brother. The Lord seems to be okay with that. If I'm sick, I don't go to church. If there's a lot of snow on the roads, I might not go.
People do get hurt by churches sometimes. The Lord understands this. He might try to guide that person into another church, or fix the situation in the first church.
Totally understandable and I don't overly disagree. I'm trying to not do things that bring dishonor to God and in the long run I think churches are in some ways how we help other peoples. I just simple wonder if abstaining from attendance for a time is unbiblical. I won't say I've or we've been hurt in a church just because I don't think anything done has been intentional. We just provide an odd circumstance and I think that sitting out a few years sounds reasonable. But if the idea is unbiblical I can suck it uplol
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the worlds needs is people who have come alive.”
― John Eldredge
Why wouldn't you want to assemble with God's people? It is where the assembly capacity worship of God takes place and the bible states that the Lord gave himself for his church......just saying........
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the worlds needs is people who have come alive.”
― John Eldredge
I've always gone to church. Being with other believers edifies and builds you up. I need to hear the Word correctly divided. I do a lot of reading, studying and praying. But it is not mutually exclusive to attending church.
And I do like a building, with people I am walking with on my journey with God. We have 300 as a ceiling for the max amount of people in a church we attend. Simply because when we went bigger, we lost the sense of intimacy. I feel in large churches, I could have stayed home and watched YouTube or some tv church. Others might like the services a larger church can provide. Still others are more comfortable in a home or other setting.
Christianity is a public religion. There is no Biblical justification for isolationism, or monks. We are the body of Christ. You cannot be the body of Christ, in community, if you stay home by yourself. (Not talking shut-ins, of course!)
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matt 18:20
"That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." 1 Cor 12:25-27
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.6 We have different gifts,according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:3-8
"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 2 Cor. 12:9 NASB
The church I attend is basically a weekly Bible study. I also attend two other home Bible studies. One is hosted by an elder in my church; currently, we follow along with the Sunday teachings, going over the same readings but bringing more to the study in terms of personal sharing, and praying for each other.
The second home Bible study I attend originally started in a church, but then all the Christians departed the church and the building was dedicated to community services/space only. At that time we started meeting at a member's home. Lucky for me she lives fairly close, and it is a pleasant walk there and back. The study itself follows the liturgical year, and is "lead" by an ordained minister who can read Greek and Hebrew. We usually read verses from both the old and the new each week, from multiple translations. We compare the differences and have lively discussions around them, and any number of related topics.
An awkward aspect of this second study is that largely, none of the people believe the things I do. They do not believe Jesus is God. They do not believe He died for the sins of the world. They do not like the gospel of John. One of the men does not even believe that God exists aside from perhaps being a set of principles to live by. He is a very nice elder gentleman and like the others considers himself a life-long Christian. But this study is a critical analysis of the text and not a devotional study. There is a difference. I like doing both![]()
Embrace the Grace and Rejoice in His Everlasting Mercy and Love
Ah, so THAT'S it.
I was tempted to make a different kind of reply earlier in this thread but I wanted to see exactly where you were going with this first. And it is good, because my earlier reply would have been in the wrong direction.
If one thinks it is good to avoid church for a while I would first look at the kind of church one has been attending. It might be time to find a new church. Of course the reason one wants to stop going to church for a while could also be something one does not want to let go, something for which he always feels condemnation when he goes to church. Without information it is impossible to say WHY someone would want to stop going to church for a while.
But the fact that a person wants to stop going to church for a season does indicate something is very wrong somewhere. If you know somebody who is looking for a reason to not go to church anymore, you should probably pray hard for him. It's easy to go the wrong way when you're isolated from the church body.
"Do you sing at church?"
"Yes I sing at church. And I sing at work. And I sing at home... and in the car... at the supermarket... at Wal-Mart..."
Well, you should talk it over with the Lord. However, the idea of "sitting out a few years" seems odd to me. If the Lord wants you to go to church, he wants you to go to church. If there are things that bother you about your church, he will be happy to work that out with you. Maybe he'd like you to try out other churches.
Yes, It is.Because we are encourage each other to love and good works KJVHebrews10:24-25 24.And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.,And another reason, we are body of Christ KJVRomans12:5 5. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Last edited by 20; July 18th, 2017 at 04:46 PM.
KJV1Corinthians2:9 9.But as is written,Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
where we live, there seems to be a church or two' on 'every-corner & in a lot of strip malls'...
but where are the 'cars'??? it seems like even 'NEON' signs aren't working anymore...
go 'figure'...
As to the Thread: Building? Yes.......and, not always needed. Jesus Himself criticized those who had turned His Fathers HOUSE into a den of thieves. Pretty sure He was talking about a building. The early Church gathered to worship in a home of one of the Congregation. Pretty sure that would have been a building. Now, at times, their worship services were outside, but for the most part, they took place IN A BUILDING.
Folks wanna diss a Church Building.......but it IS Biblical.
As for the word Church.........it has more than one meaning. The Church (all believers) The Church (building). Both are correct, and both are Biblical. From early on God Himself instructed His people on how to build HIS BUILDING.
Remaining Obedient Scures Eternity
Matthew 7:21