Going to church every Sunday

[prodigal2013]

I am not a regular church attender. I know I need to, and it's not just because it's the right thing to do. My understanding is that we are told in the Bible to fellowship with our brothers and sisters. We need that local body of believers and they need us. They aren't going to be perfect. Every church has its problems. It's important to get that time in every week to worship as a group and to learn from a Biblical pastor. We're spiritually stunted and doing a disservice to ourselves and other Christians if we don't attend.

 

I was raised going to church every Sunday, and I became saved while already attending church with my family. Once I graduated highschool, I stopped going, and I have only attended sporadically since then. I don't find church boring, but I always find reasons not to go, and I can only say that it's a spiritual battle that I have not been dealing with (or allowing God to deal with).

Edited October 30, 2013 by prodigal2013

[JohnD]

I am not a regular church attender. I know I need to, and it's not just because it's the right thing to do. My understanding is that we are told in the Bible to fellowship with our brothers and sisters. We need that local body of believers and they need us. They aren't going to be perfect. Every church has its problems. It's important to get that time in every week to worship as a group and to learn from a Biblical pastor. We're spiritually stunted and doing a disservice to ourselves and other Christians if we don't attend.

 

I was raised going to church every Sunday, and I became saved while already attending church with my family. Once I graduated highschool, I stopped going, and I have only attended sporadically since then. I don't find church boring, but I always find reasons not to go, and I can only say that it's a spiritual battle that I have not been dealing with (or allowing God to deal with).

 

Okay.

 

Then go to church and study the Bible with a vengeance all the time. Become a harbinger for change in that Church by becoming the priest (according to your calling and spiritual gifts) in that Church. If your experience is anything like mine, you will be asked to leave that Church. The world likes Christianity the way it is just fine. Try to change it and look out.

 

What motivates us to be different?

 

1. if God could be approached just any old way then any old religion (even atheism) would suffice.

2. if God wanted Christianity to be just another religion... he died on the cross for nothing. And he already had a religion in Judaism.

 

So why should we or the Body Christian be anything less than the Bible (not the traditions of men) tell us to be... ?

[JohnD]

Someone mentioned fellowship. This is true. Fellowship, encouragement, help, like mindedness. Only do you want to fellowship with those who (wittingly or not) do not do their duty to Christ? Whop live like the world say a Bible verse now and then and make Christianity some small part of their life. Christ IS our life. For me to live is CHRIST... and to die is gain. 

 

Also a great deal of fellowship depends upon keeping the commands of God. But not like you might think.

 

1 John 1 (NASB95)
1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—
2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

 

1 John 2 (NASB95)
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

 

7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.

[JohnD]

Keeping the commands of God is keeping a short list on our sins. Confessing them (to him) meaning homologeo to agree to come along side with God "yes I sinned" I did it. Read Psalm 51 for a good old testament model of confession. James 5:16 says to confess our sins to each other... but I'd be careful about that. David said "against you you only have I sinned" praying to God. Now the thing was known by half the kingdom at least. And he sinned against Uriah the Hittite, Bathesheba, their son that died, the kingdom as a whole, the children who bore his own decree against the prophetic lamb stealer Nathan spoke to him about. 4 fold David said. He lost 4 children. But in Psalm 51 he said "against you you only have I sinned" praying to God.

 

The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee (a favorite teacher of mine through his tape ministry) said "Be humble about how wretched we all are. If you knew about me what all God knows about me, you wouldn't ever listen to me. But now hold on! If I knew about you what all God knows about you, I wouldn't talk to you in the first place."

 

People can't handle the sins of others. Oh, they'll excuse themselves of every sin, but if another does the same sin they are marked for life to them.

 

James was speaking in general terms I am sure. And 1 John chapters 1 and 2 echo this without going into the explicit details. John says if you say you have not sinned you make God out to be a liar. So, admit it. If God places a word on your heart or something someone say brings up a sin... don't rationalize confess.I am but a wretched sinner saved by grace. Fulfills what both James and John were diving at. And if we bear it in mind instead of thinking we have an edge and we have been pretty good lately... fooling ourselves at least and calling God a liar at worst.

 

Micah 7:5 (NASB95)
5 Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips.

 

People can't handle it.

 

But we have a friend who sticks closer than a brother in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Him you can trust with all.

 

We cannot even trust ourselves. We fail ourselves. We betray ourselves. We look at a disaster and say "how did I get here?" Ourselves. 

[JohnD]

Live by the spirit and deny and discipline the flesh.

Feed the spirit starve the flesh.

 

Most would have starved their spirits to death long ago if spirits could die.

 

Feed your spirit through prayer, Bible reading and study, by mastering the flesh and denying it reign over your life... by doing good deeds in the name of Christ and saying so with your mouth "this I do in the name of Jesus," when someone thanks you. 

 

Seek your spiritual gifts and you will find your calling and answer the call.

 

Become the priest of God you are supposed to be.

 

 

1 Peter 2:3-9 (NASB95)
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,”
8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 

Don't be a worldly person. Don't be just a pew packer cheering on a superstar pastor... don't pass your spiritual duty on to the "professional" Christians.

[prodigal2013]

Hebrews 10:25 - "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

[GoldenEagle]

A reminder let's stick with the subject of the OP. If you are interested in discussing something else please start a new thread. Please avoid speaking ill of particular Christian denominations.

God bless,

GE

[Fez]

How often, Fez, does your church teach the Trinity doctrine?

 

I lost count, but I have been there many years now.....

 

The Bible admonishes us to question everything

 

Which is why I questioned your statement below....

 

My blogs have been said to give more theology in 15 minutes than most Churches have taught in 1500 years.

 

Because you cannot substantiate it?