Why should Christians go to Church?

[iLOVE]

How important is it? (not including the disable)

 

[evenifigoalone]

Well, it sure keeps you in line. I mean, I'd probably degenerate into a couch potato who just watches anime when I'm not working or something without church and it's people, messages, and opportunities to motivate me and remind me how my life isn't just for me.

 

[JohnDB]

Heb 10:24-25

Also the first word of the Lord's Prayer is "our"... As in one voice speaking for others...as in not doing it alone.

Any questions?

 

[Corn Pop]

People can read directly from scipture themselves and learn the truth correctly without being deceived as long as they go precept upon precept and not jumping into delusional thoughts and turning them into myth.

Church. Its something to do with fellowship that scipture says is good. Fellowship,prayer,singing, and worship with others. But there can be all that outside a church building as well.

It started christians going house to house in community, like going to a friends house for dinner and you would take a gift. And everyone helped everyone out.

 

[Obadiah]

People can read directly from scipture themselves and learn the truth correctly without being deceived as long as they go precept upon precept and not jumping into delusional thoughts and turning them into myth.

Church. Its something to do with fellowship that scipture says is good. Fellowship,prayer,singing, and worship with others. But there can be all that outside a church building as well.

It started christians going house to house in community, like going to a friends house for dinner and you would take a gift. And everyone helped everyone out.

Yes, "going to church" doesn't have to mean you are going to a special building called a "church building".

 

[Ph8th]

Why should Christians go to Church?
Hebrews 10:25 (NASB)

25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

 

[Obadiah]

People can read directly from scipture themselves and learn the truth correctly without being deceived as long as they go precept upon precept and not jumping into delusional thoughts and turning them into myth.

As for the educational part of going to church, after spending time as a Bible major in a Christian university and listening to sermons and Bible studies for over 40 years now, I find I get very little if any new and good information from the typical Sunday morning sermon anymore. Likewise with most church Bible studies. Probably 80% I've gone to in the last several years have just been a rehash of the same old thing I've heard time and time again. I find I get more out of reading the Bible myself on my own time. To me, church (meaning a worship service) should be about praising God, worshiping God, and fellowshipping with each other. But that's just me and what I wish I could find in a church somewhere in my community. Although I haven't found it.

 

[evenifigoalone]

As for the educational part of going to church, after spending time as a Bible major in a Christian university and listening to sermons and Bible studies for over 40 years now, I find I get very little if any new and good information from the typical Sunday morning sermon anymore. Likewise with most church Bible studies. Probably 80% I've gone to in the last several years have just been a rehash of the same old thing I've heard time and time again. I find I get more out of reading the Bible myself on my own time. To me, church (meaning a worship service) should be about praising God, worshiping God, and fellowshipping with each other. But that's just me and what I wish I could find in a church somewhere in my community. Although I haven't found it.

Same! And I'm not even a Bible scholar, I've learned most of my stuff from those more educated and online.
That said, the current pastor at my church went to a Bible college and he brings up some interesting stuff I didn't know about sometimes. Even if I have heard most of it before still.

 

[Corn Pop]

As for the educational part of going to church, after spending time as a Bible major in a Christian university and listening to sermons and Bible studies for over 40 years now, I find I get very little if any new and good information from the typical Sunday morning sermon anymore. Likewise with most church Bible studies. Probably 80% I've gone to in the last several years have just been a rehash of the same old thing I've heard time and time again. I find I get more out of reading the Bible myself on my own time. To me, church (meaning a worship service) should be about praising God, worshiping God, and fellowshipping with each other. But that's just me and what I wish I could find in a church somewhere in my community. Although I haven't found it.

Yea well, all churches are different. They range from speaking gibberish, preaching testimonies, to acturally opening up and reading from the bible.

I prefer my own study. If im not sure a word or what something means, i will go find another prophet in the bible who explains it. I dont need a mans deluded 'guess' to tell me.

This way i can never be deceived.

If a pastor at a local church taught that way, one verse at a time, precept upon precept, with the church, i would have no problem going. But they dont, they just tell you what it means. Then you get back home open your bible and find a prophet in the OT or somewhere explaining what it truely means. Sad thing is, some dont open there bibles and end up off track in some deluded fairytale.

Its all in the bible.

 

[Obadiah]

I can't say that I were listening to a person that has spent 8 years or more in school studying scripture that his opinion of what something means is just his "deluded 'guess'", that's for sure. I understand he may have been taught wrong, but I still respect his efforts in study and education too much to belittle him like that until I have listened to what he said and checked it out for myself. Even then, if I think I have found evidence in scripture that he is wrong, I would have to be very careful to make sure it's not me that's making the "deluded guess"!

But it's very true that Christians don't open their Bible and study for themselves enough. A pastor I was listening too a while back was talking about (and proved) how most Christians literally spend more time in their lives brushing their teeth than they do reading or hearing scripture. And this was true even for those who regularly attend services!

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Because it strengthens us in our faith and our closeness to God. Like reading the bible. Fellowship with Christians, Bible study groups, missionary work, following and living the laws and teachings of God, prYing, fasting, and so many many other things we can do to intrigrate into our lives for God.

A person can be a strong and full Christian without church, but it is a resource that I think we can all benifit to strengthen us.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Oh no, personal study is very important. But none of us go through life never consulting others--if we did, we'd never learn anything. Hearing the pastor on Sunday can be thought of as going to a conference and learning more about a subject from someone who is (hopefully) more educated or at least more studied than you, and can offer insight you may not have considered before. But it shouldn't be your primary source of study--it's important to learn the facts for yourself, always!

 

[Corn Pop]

I can't say that I were listening to a person that has spent 8 years or more in school studying scripture that his opinion of what something means is just his "deluded 'guess'", that's for sure. I understand he may have been taught wrong, but I still respect his efforts in study and education too much to belittle him like that until I have listened to what he said and checked it out for myself. Even then, if I think I have found evidence in scripture that he is wrong, I would have to be very careful to make sure it's not me that's making the "deluded guess"!

But it's very true that Christians don't open their Bible and study for themselves enough. A pastor I was listening too a while back was talking about (and proved) how most Christians literally spend more time in their lives brushing their teeth than they do reading or hearing scripture. And this was true even for those who regularly attend services!

This is why i believe there are no church prophets.

Psalm 111:10
Amos 3:7

Those who keep his commandments, the law. His servants the prophets. Who are his servants?

Ezekiel 38:17
The prophets of ISREAL.

Not Reverend John down the road or Pastor Pete.

Dont you find it amazing how many church prophets there are in the churches these days. Even past times.

Go youtube end times prophecy .

There cannot be a gentile church Prophet. A prophet must be of the 12 tribes.

How many gentile christians claim the Most High has revealed something to them.

 

[Obadiah]

This is why i believe there are no church prophets.

Psalm 111:10
Amos 3:7

Those who keep his commandments, the law. His servants the prophets. Who are his servants?

Ezekiel 38:17
The prophets of ISREAL.

Not Reverend John down the road or Pastor Pete.

Dont you find it amazing how many church prophets there are in the churches these days. Even past times.

Go youtube end times prophecy .

There cannot be a gentile church Prophet. A prophet must be of the 12 tribes.

How many gentile christians claim the Most High has revealed something to them.

I'm not convinced that a true prophet has to be only from one of the original 12 tribes. When those passages were written they referred to prophets "of Israel" because that was before Christianity had been brought to the gentiles, so Israel was the only place a prophet could have come from back then. But when Paul was writing to the church in Ephesus, an obviously gentile church that was not part of the tribes of Israel, he told them of the offices that God has instructed that they would have, and he said "Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers," (Eph 4:11 CEV) So it seems that to say that a prophet has to come only from one of the 12 tribes is contrary to what Paul taught. And lets not forget that the word "prophet" actually means teacher, and there is no basis to say that the only people who can teach must be from one of the original 12 tribes.

But with all that said, none of the churches I've been involved with had anyone claiming to be a prophet. Pastors, yes, but a pastor is a different office than a prophet. Although they did have teachers, so maybe this is the same thing. But none of them were the kind of "prophets" who claimed to have some kind of special revelation from God in addition to what was already in scripture. If there had been anyone like that, I would test what they said against scripture and if it didn't measure up that would be my last day in that church. And those I have heard of in other churches who claim this "special revelation" from God either just never seem to line up with scripture or what they are saying isn't anything special at all that anyone else couldn't have gotten from scripture if they would just read and study it. But the fact that some churches may have false prophets doesn't give us an excuse to avoid fellowship.

 

[Corn Pop]

I'm not convinced that a true prophet has to be only from one of the original 12 tribes. When those passages were written they referred to prophets "of Israel" because that was before Christianity had been brought to the gentiles, so Israel was the only place a prophet could have come from back then. But when Paul was writing to the church in Ephesus, an obviously gentile church that was not part of the tribes of Israel, he told them of the offices that God has instructed that they would have, and he said "Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers," (Eph 4:11 CEV) So it seems that to say that a prophet has to come only from one of the 12 tribes is contrary to what Paul taught. And lets not forget that the word "prophet" actually means teacher, and there is no basis to say that the only people who can teach must be from one of the original 12 tribes.

But with all that said, none of the churches I've been involved with had anyone claiming to be a prophet. Pastors, yes, but a pastor is a different office than a prophet. Although they did have teachers, so maybe this is the same thing. But none of them were the kind of "prophets" who claimed to have some kind of special revelation from God in addition to what was already in scripture. If there had been anyone like that, I would test what they said against scripture and if it didn't measure up that would be my last day in that church. And those I have heard of in other churches who claim this "special revelation" from God either just never seem to line up with scripture or what they are saying isn't anything special at all that anyone else couldn't have gotten from scripture if they would just read and study it. But the fact that some churches may have false prophets doesn't give us an excuse to avoid fellowship.

I think we might be getting somewhere. You have alot of knowledge in scripture so can you show me anywhere in the NT where a gentile was a prophet. Paul was a Jew. What about after him or before him.


I would be interested to know, if you do know, where gentiles were told to be prophets or where they prophecied in the NT. Or did they somehow magically recieve revelation out of scripture.

How do you know that epistle in ephesis was a direct statement to gentiles. why it says some teachers, some prophets, so on.

God gave apostles, teachers, prophets as it says. The servants as biblical scripture says are the prophets of Isreal. And the prophets of Isreal are the servants.

How many epistles of Paul are there, im sure we dont have all of them, and how many reply letters do you have.

your ephesians verse is taken out of context, read the whole thing. The Most High gave apostles and prophets to teach the gentiles.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

People can read directly from scipture themselves and learn the truth correctly without being deceived as long as they go precept upon precept and not jumping into delusional thoughts and turning them into myth.

Church. Its something to do with fellowship that scipture says is good. Fellowship,prayer,singing, and worship with others. But there can be all that outside a church building as well.

It started christians going house to house in community, like going to a friends house for dinner and you would take a gift. And everyone helped everyone out.

So what kind of ministries are you involved in serving God all by yourself?

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Yea well, all churches are different. They range from speaking gibberish, preaching testimonies, to acturally opening up and reading from the bible.

I prefer my own study. If im not sure a word or what something means, i will go find another prophet in the bible who explains it. I dont need a mans deluded 'guess' to tell me.

This way i can never be deceived.

If a pastor at a local church taught that way, one verse at a time, precept upon precept, with the church, i would have no problem going. But they dont, they just tell you what it means. Then you get back home open your bible and find a prophet in the OT or somewhere explaining what it truely means. Sad thing is, some dont open there bibles and end up off track in some deluded fairytale.

Its all in the bible.

How many different churches have you gone to in the past year to form this opinion?
Have you gone to even one?

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

This is why i believe there are no church prophets.

Psalm 111:10
Amos 3:7

Those who keep his commandments, the law. His servants the prophets. Who are his servants?

Ezekiel 38:17
The prophets of ISREAL.

Not Reverend John down the road or Pastor Pete.

Dont you find it amazing how many church prophets there are in the churches these days. Even past times.

Go youtube end times prophecy .

There cannot be a gentile church Prophet. A prophet must be of the 12 tribes.

How many gentile christians claim the Most High has revealed something to them.

How many Christians?
You'll never know sitting at home complaining that the world is so hard to overcome.

 

[Mike]

A Christian should want to go to church; not look at it as an obligation. We are privileged to congregate in His Name to praise it. I get uncomfortable when I hear the question posed as an obligation. We are told to do it, but I believe there should be a desire within our hearts to be there with our brothers and sisters. If there isn't, there is a disconnect.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

I think we might be getting somewhere. You have alot of knowledge in scripture so can you show me anywhere in the NT where a gentile was a prophet. Paul was a Jew. What about after him or before him.


I would be interested to know, if you do know, where gentiles were told to be prophets or where they prophecied in the NT. Or did they somehow magically recieve revelation out of scripture.

How do you know that epistle in ephesis was a direct statement to gentiles. why it says some teachers, some prophets, so on.

God gave apostles, teachers, prophets as it says. The saints as biblical scripture says are the prophets of Isreal. And the prophets of Isreal are the saints.

How many epistles of Paul are there, im sure we dont have all of them, and how many reply letters do you have.

your ephesians verse is taken out of context, read the whole thing. The Most High gave apostles and prophets to teach the gentiles.

I believe your misunderstanding what a prophet is and does and how it is determined if it comes from God.

1 Corinthians 12:28;
"And in the church God has appointed first of all Apostles, second prophets, ...".

As you can see, it is the church that God has given prophets.
And how do prophets use their gift?
1 Corinthians 14:3;
"But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their encouragement, strengthening, and comfort".
We prophecy to edify the church.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21;
"Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good".

The prophets of old predicted the future.
But the Bible is now complete.
Prophets today edify the church.