Dead church?
- Thread starter Nice_Lady
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
one sign I noticed, when all your kids raised in your church, leave the church at about 18 or 19, never to return.
My SDA brother was staying with us for a few weeks, and he asked to be driven to the nearest SDA church. The next week he wanted to try another one because the first one "had nothing but old people".
I.M.O. a church is alive when members love the Word of God in its entirety and seek to put it into practice. Some churches just seem to be alive because there's a lot of shouting and jumping, but they are in the wrong direction and are not alive at all.
Any assembly of believers who is not in submission to, and being taught by the holy Spirit is dead, any assembly of believers who is not desiring the truth and living it in their lives is a dead church, any assembly of believers who do not teach Messiah and him crucified is a dead church, any assembly of believers who are satisfied with a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof is a dead church....
Any believer seeking His presence and His truth and His ways will surely be led to it, each must make their own choice and birds of a feather..... if you want to get close then listen to the word and the Spirit not mans traditions and opinions of what it actually is.
Any believer seeking His presence and His truth and His ways will surely be led to it, each must make their own choice and birds of a feather..... if you want to get close then listen to the word and the Spirit not mans traditions and opinions of what it actually is.
See my threads. God's mercy is the reason 'churchianity' is dead. See: Sardis church. Throw in a pinch of Laodecian fiasco.
See Matt. 23.
See sites below. All your questions will be answered. Study and research. When to leave? Right away. Come out from her (Babylon) and be you seperate and I will receive you unto Myself'.2Cor. 6
Unbelievers are those that do not obey His word concerning the 'fellowship of the believers.'
Vs. 14. Be not unequally yoked togather with unbelievers. For what FELLOWSHIP has RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH UNRIGHTEOUSNESS? What communion has light with darkness?
Unbelievers in the since that they are not recognizing God's plan for His body. They do not discern the body of Christ.
Now i'm not saying that all the folks in a typical church building are not saved and in love with Jesus. We were in the system for years. I am saying, however, that the system is screwed up and bound up with lies and deception, the traditions of self interested men. These things QUENCH the Spirit of God, 1Thess. 5:19. He is no longer 'in the building'. He is outside knocking. Rev. 3:20
See Matt. 23.
See sites below. All your questions will be answered. Study and research. When to leave? Right away. Come out from her (Babylon) and be you seperate and I will receive you unto Myself'.2Cor. 6
Unbelievers are those that do not obey His word concerning the 'fellowship of the believers.'
Vs. 14. Be not unequally yoked togather with unbelievers. For what FELLOWSHIP has RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH UNRIGHTEOUSNESS? What communion has light with darkness?
Unbelievers in the since that they are not recognizing God's plan for His body. They do not discern the body of Christ.
Now i'm not saying that all the folks in a typical church building are not saved and in love with Jesus. We were in the system for years. I am saying, however, that the system is screwed up and bound up with lies and deception, the traditions of self interested men. These things QUENCH the Spirit of God, 1Thess. 5:19. He is no longer 'in the building'. He is outside knocking. Rev. 3:20
To me a church is dead when Christ is not magnified in praise, taught and meditated upon. It is also devoid of spiritual power when the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not manifested in and among the people who are gathered.
We should be praising, learning and walking with Jesus every day. Church on Sunday is a time for worship and hearing the Word, of course. But it must also be about fellowship.
If you walk into a congregation and no one talks to you, or engages with you, I think that is a dead church. Ekklesia in Greek means "called out ones." We are called to be one with other members of the body of Christ, (see John 17) and if no one connects, how can you be one? Any unsaved person who walks into a church and no one reaches out is going to be less likely to return, because there is no love for one another. (Of course, the Holy Spirit can overcome this!)
When we moved to a new province last year, there was a large church in the same denomination we had been in. I thought we should try it, but I wasn't expecting it to be friendly. The song service was literally a rock concert! I'm surprised they didn't sell tickets. The preaching was fluff, but the worst part was not one person said hello or even smiled. 3000 people attending church by themselves!
Our new church, much smaller, was radically different. The music was excellent, but not inaccessible. You could hear the congregation singing and worshipping God. It was not about the worship team, but about God's people being led to come before God and give him praise! The preaching was excellent. Although when the pastor went on sick leave, the church went 4 months with congregation members preaching, and it was amazing. There was real unity in the themes from week to week, although no one talked to each other. It was truly the Holy Spirit leading.
But the best part was the love, caring and sharing. We were greeted by 20 people our first service. Plus, everyone wore name tags, so we quickly learned the names of people. We became involved, including for me, getting into a music team (so many churches are locked out for new musicians!) I was preaching only a few months after we got there, and my husband found his niche helping with the building committee, doing renovations.
I'm also teaching and we are in a small group Bible study. Which leads to my last point. Can you give in your church? Whatever your calling, from taking care of babies in the church, visiting elderly congregation members, to the more visible things like worship teams and preaching. Paul says we are members of the body, and we cannot do without the foot or hand. A live church allows the gifts and callings of God to be exercised.
I've been in lots of churches with lots of yelling, jumping up and down, and then people thinking the church is alive. And it may be! But is love extended to people? Are gifts being exercised, or does a small group demand to do everything? That's my experience and opinion!
If you walk into a congregation and no one talks to you, or engages with you, I think that is a dead church. Ekklesia in Greek means "called out ones." We are called to be one with other members of the body of Christ, (see John 17) and if no one connects, how can you be one? Any unsaved person who walks into a church and no one reaches out is going to be less likely to return, because there is no love for one another. (Of course, the Holy Spirit can overcome this!)
When we moved to a new province last year, there was a large church in the same denomination we had been in. I thought we should try it, but I wasn't expecting it to be friendly. The song service was literally a rock concert! I'm surprised they didn't sell tickets. The preaching was fluff, but the worst part was not one person said hello or even smiled. 3000 people attending church by themselves!
Our new church, much smaller, was radically different. The music was excellent, but not inaccessible. You could hear the congregation singing and worshipping God. It was not about the worship team, but about God's people being led to come before God and give him praise! The preaching was excellent. Although when the pastor went on sick leave, the church went 4 months with congregation members preaching, and it was amazing. There was real unity in the themes from week to week, although no one talked to each other. It was truly the Holy Spirit leading.
But the best part was the love, caring and sharing. We were greeted by 20 people our first service. Plus, everyone wore name tags, so we quickly learned the names of people. We became involved, including for me, getting into a music team (so many churches are locked out for new musicians!) I was preaching only a few months after we got there, and my husband found his niche helping with the building committee, doing renovations.
I'm also teaching and we are in a small group Bible study. Which leads to my last point. Can you give in your church? Whatever your calling, from taking care of babies in the church, visiting elderly congregation members, to the more visible things like worship teams and preaching. Paul says we are members of the body, and we cannot do without the foot or hand. A live church allows the gifts and callings of God to be exercised.
I've been in lots of churches with lots of yelling, jumping up and down, and then people thinking the church is alive. And it may be! But is love extended to people? Are gifts being exercised, or does a small group demand to do everything? That's my experience and opinion!
My experience of a dead church is when all the people do not really know why they
are there, but it makes them feel good and they have always done it.
The church exists because people continue to come, but when they die, there will
just be a building left behind.
If you're going to church to feel good, to have the neighbors see you there, to say, "Hey, look at that Benjamin I just threw in the plate," then verily you have your reward.
Y
Yahweh_is_gracious
Guest
As an outsider looking in, I have a question about churches being dead. Does a non-dead church...feel different to people than to a dead church? Is the death something palpable that you can sense, or is it something else? I ask this because while I seldom feel anything, from anything, I'm curious about this dead church. I'm wondering if the churches in my area that I once tried attending are dead, or if it's solely something to do with me (maybe I'm spiritually dead, which is very likely).
a KEY word for us is 'feeding', and seeing to the needs of the ones who have no one to help
them get through each and every day without even a call or kind word or especially a much
needed un-selfish deed, such as repairing and restoring even the most basic of needs...' much less
the larger needs, such as stoves, refrigerators, new roofs, water heaters, ramps, etc...
or even sharing from your gardens, even if it is only a couple of tomatoes or cukes, etc...
we have seen these things change over the years, and especially now, with a 'church' on
every corner and in every strip mall...the loving care, sympathy, and hands-on help is
really a thing of the past, and is only alive in very few 'churches' that we have seen
and know of...loving our neighbor is the true gift of God, and following through for
their needs is the real proof of the pudding, even if it is only a truly given,
'I love you' in honesty and followed through with actions...
even as just a neighbor, if we Love Christ and serve Him and see that our neighbor has
a particular real need and cannot afford to obtain it or are just very poor, then when
we see this and Christ speaks to our hearts, we should always provide for them, when
it is the Lord's Will...
them get through each and every day without even a call or kind word or especially a much
needed un-selfish deed, such as repairing and restoring even the most basic of needs...' much less
the larger needs, such as stoves, refrigerators, new roofs, water heaters, ramps, etc...
or even sharing from your gardens, even if it is only a couple of tomatoes or cukes, etc...
we have seen these things change over the years, and especially now, with a 'church' on
every corner and in every strip mall...the loving care, sympathy, and hands-on help is
really a thing of the past, and is only alive in very few 'churches' that we have seen
and know of...loving our neighbor is the true gift of God, and following through for
their needs is the real proof of the pudding, even if it is only a truly given,
'I love you' in honesty and followed through with actions...
even as just a neighbor, if we Love Christ and serve Him and see that our neighbor has
a particular real need and cannot afford to obtain it or are just very poor, then when
we see this and Christ speaks to our hearts, we should always provide for them, when
it is the Lord's Will...
Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
was this only for believers before 70 ad, or is this still valid for today, hmm Jesus said as in the days of noah .
Interesting, i've been to handful of dead churches, here in miami that seem alive on fire. But the Lord discernment provided me with His truth, that these places don't have anything to do with the Lord. But boasting upon each other and worldy things.
Very sad situation here in miami ,please pray for the true believers in Christ to be refreshed. Because it is very difficult with so many false teachers and prophets running wild in this city.
thank you brother & sister in Christ , for your prayers
was this only for believers before 70 ad, or is this still valid for today, hmm Jesus said as in the days of noah .
Interesting, i've been to handful of dead churches, here in miami that seem alive on fire. But the Lord discernment provided me with His truth, that these places don't have anything to do with the Lord. But boasting upon each other and worldy things.
Very sad situation here in miami ,please pray for the true believers in Christ to be refreshed. Because it is very difficult with so many false teachers and prophets running wild in this city.
thank you brother & sister in Christ , for your prayers
I would think the phrase: whosoever has ears to hear (God not seen would be the key). This makes it between you and God .Having the peace of God that surpasses all understanding between you and him not depending on any other person.
A person can stay and fulfill what they think is lacking or they may leave if the peace of God is being challenged by the whole. The apostle Paul comes to mind being on both sides of the fence. Should I stay or should I go?
Passion can outwardly give an appearance of good but the goodness of God is not calculated by what we see. Even the Son on man in the person of Christ,(the Holy Spirit of God) rejected worship in respect to that seen .He would say only God is good. Seeing God unseen defines what good is and what it is not by that which he brings into view. But not after that which he brings into view, like the temporal corrupted flesh of Jesus as that in which by we known him no more forever more.
The deeds of the Nicolaitanes where of passionate men that insisted that they according to what is seen , it must be the first love. They would be the ones that say they are apostles, and are not, Christ finds them liars.
Now of course there is no work that we can do to save ourselves nor could a person repent if they are not first turned by the hearing of faith.( not of their own selves) and after repent .
To do the first works which God requires of us then would be to believe God seeing it is the work of God working in us that we can believe and again not of our own selves .
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the “work of God”, that ye believe " whom” he hath sent. Joh 6:28
This does not believe about him from another like the Nicolaitanes. But again Christ working in us to both will and do His good pleasure. The work of God.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
First love therefore equals the hearing of faith (Galatian 3) by which we can and therefore do believe God to the end of our faith, the salvation of our soul .
Therefore when we fall or fail from hearing God we deny His faith that works in us to both will and do his good pleasure And doing the first works of God again would be to believe God who gives us His faith to make it possible to believe in him who has no form.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.