If you had to choose between...

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Ryan1976

Ryan1976

Banned
#1
Jul 17, 2009
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#1
If you had to choose between two churches...

1.) One doesn't serve coffee, the people are lazy, there's no parking, the music is bad, it's an hour away, there's no A/C, the pews need cleaned, you have to bring your own bibles, you can't relate to anyone and no one likes you, but it's doctrinally sound....

2.) And the other is what YOU always imagined a great church to be like except they're not doctrinally sound at all and have no clue what they're talking about, but still preach Jesus is Lord there....


Which do you choose and why? Feel free to answer in bible verses.
 
L

Lindqvist

Guest
#2
#2
The second: My faith is my faith no matter what they preach. And the rest is convinient. I know we are supposed to suffer trials to test our faith, but I'm pressed to think the lack of AC being one of these trials.
 
phil36

phil36

Senior Member
#3
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
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#3
Lol, i like your cleverly thought out hypothetical questions...or, are they hypothetical?

Doctrinally sound, would be for me, and I would take my own seat lol, and a flask of coffee. What benifit or edification would you gain from a pulpit firing out nonsense, albeit they might have comfy seats, nice coffee and heating! but if your not being properly fed it is pointless.

Luckily I go to a church, with heating, coffee and cumfy seats ad the teaching is sound :)

Soli Deo Gloria

Phil
 
J

jgrig2

Guest
#4
#4
option 3: move to a new place where there is a good church
option 4: plant a new one with the PCA, OPC, Sovereign grace ministreis, SBC, etc... suprevising you.
 
J

jgrig2

Guest
#5
#5
but the answer would be the first to me if I was just restricted between those two because if they are doctrinally sound there is hope for reformation.
 
S

starfield

Senior Member
#6
Jun 13, 2009
3,393
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#6
The important thing to look for in a church is their commitment in teaching the sound word of God that enables one to grow spiritually. 1 Thessalonians 1 talks about a model church, the church that God wants. In that church, the gospel comes in power and from the Holy Ghost, they work by faith, and serve the living and true God. Therefore, I will choose the first option because I'd rather go to a church that will build my faith in God even though it's not physically comfortable than be in a physically comfortable church where my faith in God will be lost.

 
R

Rissa77

Guest
#7
#7
I choose the first. I've been to churches like that and the Spirit MOVED because the people there were committed (even in a service where we didn't all speak the same language!!). They had their full hearts into serving and hearing from God. If I had the chance, I'd go back to those churches in a heartbeat. I'm home for the summer and I don't attend a "church" as of right now because of option 2. I go to doctrinally sound Bible studies at a teen outreach ministry in town. My home church is 3 hours away. Thankfully that will be resolved come September 15 :D
 
B

broken

Guest
#8
#8
I choose A.

B. is a disaster looming in the future. Something some madman once said about building houses on rocks and what not. I don't drink coffee at church, maks me have to go to the bathroom.
 
K

Knightjester

Guest
#9
#9
LOL, good one, but I choose none!
The Church is the people, it's us.

"We are the temple of God"
*This verse is gotta be somewhere in the Bible
 
C

carpetmanswife

Guest
#10
#10
Id stay home :D :p great question btw
 
wattie

wattie

Senior Member
#11
Feb 24, 2009
3,040
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#11
This is an interesting one because.. ya I would choose the doctrinally sound one.. because you get doctrine wrong.. and the Lord may not give authority to that church to be one of His! Remember how Jesus was talking about the lampstands of churches in Revelation.. that could be lost?

But with doctrinal soundness.. normally you would get people who are welcoming.. have a clean church.. and have some bibles ot hand out etc.. because part of being doctrinally sound is being a good steward of what you got!

Course you can get churches that have the theoretical doctrine all straight.. but have trouble applying it..

But yeah.. if I was restricted to the only two options.. would go for biblically sound one.. because that would mean there is a high chance it is church that Jesus would call His own... although if they neglected things.. wonder how much he would tolerate that?
 
S

suaso

Guest
#12
#12
Option 1.

None of those other things matter in the grand scheme of things. If you want coffee, go to Starbucks. If you want activity, join the YMCA. If you need a place for you car, leave it at home and take a bus. If you want good music, buy CDs. If you want AC, visit Home Depot. If the pews are yucky, brink a napkin to sit on. It never hurts to own and bring your own Bible. You will never relate to everyone, so appreciate your uniqueness because God gave it to you, and of no one likes you then that gives you more to pray about. BUT as long as they all believe what is doctrinally sound, then by golly, there's your diamond in the rough.

I for one go to church for the good of my soul. Some times I dont "feel" like it. Sometimes the music is bad. Sometimes I wish everyone was different that what they are. Sometimes I am a little uncomfortable because it is stuffy in there. We Catholics have a somewhat sarcastic yet meaningful saying when someone complains about a mild discomfort or inconvenience in their life: "Offer it up!" Christ's life wasn't peaches and cream, but if given the chance to do it all again, I know he would, because it needed to be done. Sometimes we need what doesn't immediately make us happy on the superficial level, but later, we realize the great value it holds. Right teaching will always be miles better than anything that caters to our physical and emotional desires.
Also, if you go with option 1, maybe you could try to start up something like getting coffee made for everyone, of raising money to provide Bibles for the Bible-less, or try to make the music better by finding good musicians/vocalists etc.
 
Ryan1976

Ryan1976

Banned
#13
Jul 17, 2009
353
0
0
#13
Yeah, I have to go with option 1 too. To remix Kennedy (if we can really credit him with this saying):

Ask not what your Church can do for you but what you can do for your Church!

However, in doctrinal issues, it's usually quite difficult but not impossible to correct errors. However, to effect an entire church from the top down to the bottom and vice versa is rare and if done usually results in the birth of a new denomination.

Prior to A/C there must have been a lot of people with homemade fans. Plus they wore those wool suits to church. The old school folks didn't play. :p

N.T. Wright, an Anglican, said something funny about coffee. He said that Paul and the early Christians accomplished what they had without coffee is a miracle in and of itself (paraphrasing of course).

Last night after our study we were tossing around a what if: what if St. Paul etc. had twitter and the ability to text. We were joking how the church at Corinth would have had a pretty scandalous twitter page. And getting a twitter reply from Paul to the Corinthians would have, retrospectively speaking, quite funny. However, I personally would have been a little scared to see I had a reply from St. Paul to one of my twitters.

Juxtaposing modernity onto the Early Church results in some weird scenarios.

:p

God bless
 
S

suaso

Guest
#14
#14
Haha so true. I figure that the Church has made it 2000 years without all the modern trappings we all love and enjoy today, so if all those in the past could do without, than so can we. And if we are lucky to get those extra perks, then Alleluia!
 
pickles

pickles

Senior Member
#15
Apr 20, 2009
14,479
182
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#15
I would choose both. The first to remain grounded. The second because what a great oppertunity to witness and serve the Lord. God bless, pickles
 
W

Walter11

Guest
#16
#16
Well, let me see, given the fact that their are so many churches that dont teach or even agree on what the bible says, the coffee and other stuff would be the last thing on my mind. I would be more concerned about which church has the truth. Since the churches here have became places to make money, for family reunions, dating, showing off etc etc etc not to mention that the true gosple has been replaced with a do it yourself, homemade, reconditioned, replenished, recycled, purged up and refreshed gosples. I think am better of at home listen to God as my teacher through His word.
 
D

doubleedge

Guest
#18
#18
ALL religious groups have to follow papal rome’s guidelines of worship... but 2 Timothy 4 says that any who willingly follow lies are those with itching ears. Just look at the Sabbath!!!
 
D

doubleedge

Guest
#19
#19
papal rome governs ALL modern worship in the Christian faith
 
C

collective

Guest
#20
#20
My dream church is to have church up on grassy hill plains and reflect on Gods handiwork with just a bible to preach from without no huge pulpit for a preacher to hide or power trip behind and padded seats and four walls and wouldnt need to pay for upkeep of a church building, maybe a guitar to go with the singing or archapello aint so bad, we need to have sound doctrine, the devil deceives us with enough rubbish as it is regardless of how Christ-like we may be, I dont want to go to church to feel comfortable or have the applause of men which opens you up to the fear of man if in the bad sense, the only reason people probably wouldnt like you is because they see in you what they dont see in themselves, rubbing up the wrong way to them, Jesus didnt have any trouble with this set up as he did the sermon on ther mount
 
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