"You Don't go to church"???

[kameronmessmer]

Hey all! I'm a Christian but I do not go to church. I don't go to a house church or have any certain "fellowship group". I know people freak out about that kind of thinking but there are more people like me than you might realize. Have you heard of the book, "the shack"? These guys are major supporters of "Out of the box" thinking. We don't subscribe to the institutional religious way of thinking and often this means not going to "church". Often times we "outsiders" are just that... Outside. The ones that are still inside the "church" don't much discuss with those outside. I want this to change. I want those still on the inside to tell us their concerns and ask that they listen to ours. I want to discuss issues we may have differences about. I want Christians to ask questions and stretch their minds. God is a big God and we don't know everything about Him. Lets teach each other about what we know. If you want to join the discussion already in progress please join http://insouts.webs.com/
If you'd like to stay on this forum and simply let me know what you think about not going to "church" you may do that as well, but the discussion goes much farther than that. Thank you for your time.

 

[GojuBrian]

We are called to as christians to go to and be involved in church.

http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t009.html

Some people joke about the “Bedside Baptists†who attend the "Chapel of the Tube" on Sunday mornings. But it's more than a joke. Many people refuse to get near a church unless their nephew is playing the role of a sheep in the Christmas pageant! They claim they can get more out of a walk in the woods than from the typical sermon.

Can a Christian survive apart from a church? Some Christians have no choice. They are trapped in a hospital bed, or working in an isolated area where no church exists. And God is certainly sufficient to care for their needs. You can still get to heaven if you can't go to church.

But even though it's technically possible to live the Christian life in isolation, it's certainly not the norm.

When you become a Christian, you are called into a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9). But I John 1:3 makes it clear that we enter a fellowship that goes two ways: with God and with other Christians.

The New Testament never divides Christians into the church members and the non-church members. All the way through, it assumes that everybody participates in their local assembly. It gives no samples of Christians who belong to the “universal church†but have no link with a local church. One scholar has said that "any idea...of enjoying salvation or being a Christian in isolation is foreign to the New Testament writings" (Alan Stibbs, God's Church, p. 92). Wherever Christians are within range of each other in the New Testament, they meet. Every time the apostle Paul comes to a town in the book of Acts where there are no Christians, he wins a few converts and immediately organizes them into a small group - a little church.

Acts 20:7 reveals the practice of the early church: "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them." For Christians in every location, regular gathering was a part of life.

It's illogical to say that you are merely part of the worldwide, universal church, yet refuse to gather with the segment of that universal church that exists in your geographical area. It would be like claiming you have a car, when the right fender is in Phoenix, the engine is in Tucson, and the wheels are in Paradise Valley! You don't have a car; you have the beginning of the inventory for a junkyard. It just won't function until the pieces are put together.

The church must be together to carry out many of its purposes.

Here are some irreplaceable pieces of the Christian that cannot happen when you live in isolation from the church:

USE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS - I Corinthians 12 makes it clear that God has given spiritual gifts to every Christian. And verse 7 states unmistakably that these abilities are not provided to make you feel good; they are abilities to minister that should be used for the common good! I Peter 4:10 commands us to use spiritual gifts to help each other.

The same passage makes it clear that we meet with other Christians so they can use their gifts to strengthen us. God's gift of a preacher or teacher is wasted if no one comes to hear them speak.

MUTUAL MINISTRY - The church is pictured as a body in I Corinthians 12, and Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness. I Corinthians 12:21 expresses it this way: "The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you." Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today.

The New Testament is full of “one another†commands. We are to comfort one another (I Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (I Thessalonians 5:11), confess our sins to one another (James 5:16), pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more. How can we obey these directives if we stay away from the gathering of believers?

ACCOUNTABILITY - God designed the church as a place where spiritual leaders could watch out for our welfare, as a shepherd guards the sheep (I Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17). A Christian who answers only to himself can easily rationalize sinful attitudes or actions; regular contact with other Christians can keep us sharp.

A single verse should actually be sufficient answer for this question: Hebrews 10:25 warns its readers against “forsaking the assembly of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.â€Â

There are good churches out there. Look for one, get involved.

 

[destiny]

The minute you identify yourself with a movement you are "in mans box", whether inside or out of the institutional churuch. It isn't an "us versus them" issue, it's about walking in right relationship with Jesus, obeying Him, and assembling ourselves with other believers, where ever God leads.

Give God glory if He brought you out of an apostate situation and don't think you are any more special than the other brothers and sisters who still attend traditional churches.
I assure you there are just as many snakes outside those churches as there are inside; it's all about a people who walk in spirit and in truth, and who love and obey the Lord.

God knows how to draw His own so that only He gets the glory.

 

[GojuBrian]

The minute you identify yourself with a movement you are "in mans box", whether inside or out of the institutional churuch. It isn't an "us versus them" issue, it's about walking in right relationship with Jesus, obeying Him, and assembling ourselves with other believers, where ever God leads.

Give God glory if He brought you out of an apostate situation and don't think you are any more special than the other brothers and sisters who still attend traditional churches.
I assure you there are just as many snakes outside those churches as there are inside; it's all about a people who walk in spirit and in truth, and who love and obey the Lord.

God knows how to draw His own so that only He gets the glory.

Woooo!!!! Preach it!!!

 

[kameronmessmer]

Did i ever identify myself with a movement? I said i dont go to church but i didnt say i follow Wayne Jacobson or Darin Hufford. I believe we should have Christian friends but that doesnt mean we have to go to a specific meeting in a specific building every week. If we want to be super biblical we should meet everyday. I never said i was more special than anyone. Didnt think i implied it either. Dont really know why people go off on all these rabbit trails every time i bring this up... weird...

 

[Adullam]

Jesus admirers go to church. Disciples ARE the church. Church is a continual reality....broken up by a meeting here and there! ;)

 

[Timf]

Have you heard of the book, "the shack"?

There is much about traditional Christian church practice to be condemned. The most significant is the almost complete failure of the organizational church to help Christians grow into the full measure of Christ.

However, Satan often plays "both sides of the street". He will accuse (often with justification) traditional church practice and entice Christians into an alternative practice that either elevates self or leads them even further from their Lord.

The book "The Shack" tries to disarm criticism by claiming refuge as a work of fiction. It is just a repackaging of Satan's first lie.

Hath God truly said?
Ye shall not surely die
Ye shall be as gods.

By using the literary tool of character dialog, the author puts words in God's mouth. Using these words he tells us that there is no punishment for sin. That God has such "respect" for us that He limits Himself. Consider some of the other ideas that are presented;

Evil has no actual exitance
The Bible is not to be taken literally
God respects our choices
Jesus is the "best" way to relate to the Father

This is not to even begin to consider the impact of gender confusion.

I would encourage a Christian to come out of a traditional church system so that they could grow closer to Jesus. I would not encourage a Christian to come out of a traditional church system so that they could follow after Satanic new age ideas.

 

[Adullam]

Ec clesia: called out. We are called out of the world and the systems of this world. The traditional churches are a part of the religious system. Come out and be separate. Be the church. Be persecuted. Be victorious. Be elected. Be the bride of Christ.

John

 

[MISFIT]

Church is not a building! We are the Church, the universal body of believers. You can definitely be saved and not attend a "Church", but I would still suggests that you find a place to meet with other believers it's good to encourage one another in our walk with GOD.

 

[LostSoul]

Kameronmessmer,

This is advice I have given to another member here at Christian Forums. As I have told her...I may not be the one to advise you seeing as I currently am not attending any form of church myself. The reasons for this are many....and if necessary, I can elaborate....

Giving it up completely to God will perhaps be a good and much needed initial first step in heading towards the right direction. Finding the church for you, I will not lie, can take some time. Just try to keep in mind that if you go looking for the perfect church, you are likely never to find it seeing as mankind itself is flawed. Which is why we need God so much in our lives on a daily basis.

Hope that you do find a place of fellowship for in scripture we are taught as well as encouraged to seek fellowship with other believers.

May God Bless You

Danielle

 

[samuel]

The ones that are still inside the "church" don't much discuss with those outside. I want this to change.

Unfortunately, you are probably out of luck on this. Those in the Church are pretty well convinced those that are not, are heathens. There are a few good people in almost! every Church, but the organized Church as a whole is a miserable flop.
The Church went about thinking it was their duty to save the world, instead the World has saved the Church. Most members are just as worldly, materialistic, and sinful as the next guy. But does this mean I should not do my part?. I guess not, but most Churches are dominated by a pastor, and you never get the chance. If you find yourself at odds with some of their practices, you will simply get the boot, and no one will listen to you.

I guess I have said enough to be branded an apostate.