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Are you taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Wearing the right shoes, and properly clothed spiritually?
Join Elected By Him for a devotional on Ephesians 6:14-15
https://christianforums.net/threads/devotional-selecting-the-proper-shoes.109094/
Must Christians go to church
- Thread starter Classik
- Start date
Christ_empowered
Member
I don't. I should, but I don't. In my situation (recovering "mental patient"), you can still run into some unfortunate stuff in churches.
I don't think its required, but I imagine it helps tremendously (usually). Then again...you do hear about dead churches, church splits, sinful stuff happening among the congregants and even leaders of some churches. There's a big scandal around here with a pastor's wife (mental illness, infidelity).
Also, there are apostate churches. For whatever reason, there seem to be some rather large apostate churches around me (I'm in the Bible Belt, btw). Kinda scary.
I don't think its required, but I imagine it helps tremendously (usually). Then again...you do hear about dead churches, church splits, sinful stuff happening among the congregants and even leaders of some churches. There's a big scandal around here with a pastor's wife (mental illness, infidelity).
Also, there are apostate churches. For whatever reason, there seem to be some rather large apostate churches around me (I'm in the Bible Belt, btw). Kinda scary.
Deborah13
Member
I can't vote because an answer like 'at your convenience' is so.....I don't know what to call that. There are other factors that may keep someone from attending church.
If attending church is a requirement a 'must', a 'must' for what?
Going to church allows us to worship God with other believers.
We have fellowship with other believers.
We can receive their support for all areas of our lives, and as we grow in our relationship with God, we can support others in the church.
The Bible tells us not to forsake the assembly.
A stand alone Christian does not grow, though they may think they do.
God tells us in his word to be with other believers.
If you have friends that are Christian and you worship God together on a regular basis, then you are having church.
If you don't go to church, then what Christian fellowship do you have?
What ministries are you involved with?
How do you serve God with your money?
Going to church is a must, one way or the other.
We have fellowship with other believers.
We can receive their support for all areas of our lives, and as we grow in our relationship with God, we can support others in the church.
The Bible tells us not to forsake the assembly.
A stand alone Christian does not grow, though they may think they do.
God tells us in his word to be with other believers.
If you have friends that are Christian and you worship God together on a regular basis, then you are having church.
If you don't go to church, then what Christian fellowship do you have?
What ministries are you involved with?
How do you serve God with your money?
Going to church is a must, one way or the other.
Classik
Member
Well. Thanks to everyone. I could have typed more options. The poll thing doesn't always work for me - can't create more options. Link spent work.
I always feel so guilty each time I'm not present in church...and even if my reason is very genuine and justified. Maybe I'm so used to being present in services.
I always feel so guilty each time I'm not present in church...and even if my reason is very genuine and justified. Maybe I'm so used to being present in services.
Sailingflutist-SF
Member
Must? A "must" always implies a condition to be met or avoided; an "or else." To what condition
R U referring??? An open-ended vague question like that, as Deb 13 said, I think, is invalid for arriving at ANY credible conclusions due to the variety of interpretations of what you ask due to its vagueness and variety of consequential responses addressing different issues.
Are you asking "Are we commanded to?" or "If we don't are we a "non-Christian?" or "If we don't are we cursed forever?" or "If we don't will we lose our way?" or "If we don't will we lose our power?" or etc.
We are given an imperitive command to "not forsake the assembling together of yourselves." (KJV, I believe) If one is splitting hairs as the lawyer who asked the question of Jesus which prompted the parable of the "Good Samaritan" (And who is my neighbor?) then one may say that the assembling together could a a wide variety of choices and not just church. I guess one has to examine what was meant by the phrase by searching out what it meant to Christ and the ealry church: What did they do? Examine the "Acts" of the Apostles.
Additionally in Hebrews 10:25 the Apostle Paul instructs us, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habbit of doing, but let us encourage on another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Some might say that meeting online with no eyes to look in and noone to touch or hold or embrace and no body language to observe and no intonations and/or inflections of voice to hear satifies the assembling or meeting together. Personally, I don't think it comes close, but it is better than nothing. So many times is my dry sense of humor mistaken for something which wasn't even in my mind and other things I say in a terribly misunderstood way; all because we weren't communicating in person. But I have noticed that many like the ambiguity as it affords them the opportunity to not be held accountable for what they REALLY think or feel; which is only hurting them.
Church is not just for assembling together for fellowship. It is to fullfill the Great Commision, to be taught from the Word of God, to provide a system of organization for all that we should be about, to worship the Lord en mass, an outlet for our gifts, talents, and abilities, a place to grow and develop in our Christian life, an advocate in facing the world, a family to help us in the raising and nurturing of our children in the Lord, and on.
That being said, I don't go and haven't gone consistanly for about two years now. We are in the process of a move and of the two primary reasons for the move, and this being the most critical for me, finding a church where we can feel as part of the family and actually be a viable part of the family is one. I do have some very sad history with the church and if you had read JimJib's (my previous username whose acct and posts are gone) stories about the two different churches of which my wife and I were hurt you'd understand our delima (please don't ask.) Our ability to trust in the perogatives of the heigharchy (sp?) of the church has been all but destroyed. Consequentially, we do not want to waste any more of our time, gifts, efforts, money, resources (all gifts from God we are accountable to Him for how we invest.) We are hoping that this move to a much larger, consequentially less ethnocenctric (in the general social sense; less clickish or redneckish), area will afford us the opportunity to find another church family of which to belong.
But I do KNOW that I should be in church regularly. There is no greater feeling than being a member of one and integrated into its livlyhood. Christ told us that our bond with Him and consequentially with each other should be stronger than blood family. When someone told Jesus he couldn't go with Him right away because he wanted to bury a blood family menber, his father?, Jesus told him to forget it and come with Him (let the dead bury the dead, I believe.)
R U referring??? An open-ended vague question like that, as Deb 13 said, I think, is invalid for arriving at ANY credible conclusions due to the variety of interpretations of what you ask due to its vagueness and variety of consequential responses addressing different issues.
Are you asking "Are we commanded to?" or "If we don't are we a "non-Christian?" or "If we don't are we cursed forever?" or "If we don't will we lose our way?" or "If we don't will we lose our power?" or etc.
We are given an imperitive command to "not forsake the assembling together of yourselves." (KJV, I believe) If one is splitting hairs as the lawyer who asked the question of Jesus which prompted the parable of the "Good Samaritan" (And who is my neighbor?) then one may say that the assembling together could a a wide variety of choices and not just church. I guess one has to examine what was meant by the phrase by searching out what it meant to Christ and the ealry church: What did they do? Examine the "Acts" of the Apostles.
Additionally in Hebrews 10:25 the Apostle Paul instructs us, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habbit of doing, but let us encourage on another---and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Some might say that meeting online with no eyes to look in and noone to touch or hold or embrace and no body language to observe and no intonations and/or inflections of voice to hear satifies the assembling or meeting together. Personally, I don't think it comes close, but it is better than nothing. So many times is my dry sense of humor mistaken for something which wasn't even in my mind and other things I say in a terribly misunderstood way; all because we weren't communicating in person. But I have noticed that many like the ambiguity as it affords them the opportunity to not be held accountable for what they REALLY think or feel; which is only hurting them.
Church is not just for assembling together for fellowship. It is to fullfill the Great Commision, to be taught from the Word of God, to provide a system of organization for all that we should be about, to worship the Lord en mass, an outlet for our gifts, talents, and abilities, a place to grow and develop in our Christian life, an advocate in facing the world, a family to help us in the raising and nurturing of our children in the Lord, and on.
That being said, I don't go and haven't gone consistanly for about two years now. We are in the process of a move and of the two primary reasons for the move, and this being the most critical for me, finding a church where we can feel as part of the family and actually be a viable part of the family is one. I do have some very sad history with the church and if you had read JimJib's (my previous username whose acct and posts are gone) stories about the two different churches of which my wife and I were hurt you'd understand our delima (please don't ask.) Our ability to trust in the perogatives of the heigharchy (sp?) of the church has been all but destroyed. Consequentially, we do not want to waste any more of our time, gifts, efforts, money, resources (all gifts from God we are accountable to Him for how we invest.) We are hoping that this move to a much larger, consequentially less ethnocenctric (in the general social sense; less clickish or redneckish), area will afford us the opportunity to find another church family of which to belong.
But I do KNOW that I should be in church regularly. There is no greater feeling than being a member of one and integrated into its livlyhood. Christ told us that our bond with Him and consequentially with each other should be stronger than blood family. When someone told Jesus he couldn't go with Him right away because he wanted to bury a blood family menber, his father?, Jesus told him to forget it and come with Him (let the dead bury the dead, I believe.)
Claudya
Member
Fellowship is required. It's very much needed in your spiritual growth. Humans need other humans in almost all regards, and very few can thrive as complete hermits on the long run.
That being said, "fellowship" isn't limited to attending a church, like going to a big sarcal building every sunday. It can also mean havign spiritual fellowship with your spouse or your entire family (like having a morning Bible study together every day or a prayer meeting twice a week or so) or with a small group. I've met people that were sick of church but still had a good christian fellowship life with their home group/ cell group every week.
I guess not attending any kind of fellowship would be okay for a short time when circumstances keep you from going anywhere and meetig anyone, but on the long run we definitely need to share our faith life with others or it will wither away or take a turn to the weird.
That being said, "fellowship" isn't limited to attending a church, like going to a big sarcal building every sunday. It can also mean havign spiritual fellowship with your spouse or your entire family (like having a morning Bible study together every day or a prayer meeting twice a week or so) or with a small group. I've met people that were sick of church but still had a good christian fellowship life with their home group/ cell group every week.
I guess not attending any kind of fellowship would be okay for a short time when circumstances keep you from going anywhere and meetig anyone, but on the long run we definitely need to share our faith life with others or it will wither away or take a turn to the weird.
iLOVE
Member
See Romans 10.
Deborah13
Member
For me...
Sharing money is never a problem except in the way that there is not enough to meet all the need that I see and hear about. There is always somewhere to give and glorify God.
I see right here in this forum (not that it should take the place of church fellowship necessarily) but I see people lifting each other up, agreeing with each other in prayer when someone asks for prayer, studying the Word. We are rather like siblings, at least that is how I see it sometimes that even when we get to dispute over scripture when someone needs prayer we come together. In fact, every once in awhile I feel like God is shaking His head and even chuckling over our statements. But I'm sure there are other times we displease Him as well. That's why we have elders, admins and mods., to keep us in line.