Who is not welcome in your church?

[Zemke]

3 minutes ago, BacKaran said:

What's your denomination? I attend non-denominational and we use the biblical elder model for our pastors and deacons.

The only people who leave our church are those who get convicted and can't handle it. 

 

Ya that's the way I think a healthy group of believers should affect non repentant soles. A good church I had the pleasure of attending years ago was right around the 60, 70 attendance mark and a woman I knew showed up at our midweek whole church service and after words said "I really didn't expect it to be like this, this is real." She never came back.

The denomination is annabaptist. I would say they're in the middle of conservative and liberal. What kept me coming around was the consistency of teaching sound bible, plurality and humility of leadership and a convicting sincerity. Basically I can be discipled there. Many churches seemed to be about plugging a person in somewhere and keep the program running.

My non church going neighbor went thru a thing and repented, he was raised strict conservative mennonite and wouldn't go back there, family, but  he looked up some old friends who were Mennonite and started to attend their church. One day having a discussion he invited me to go and that was that. A lot a stereotypes had been stripped away the first couple of years. 

Just like some of the authors I've read that I may not agree with everything they wax on about but what I love is their passion for Jesus, I can read their books even if their theology may be a little askew from where I sit but I'm no perfect agent myself. From what I have experienced so far these brothers and sisters love Jesus and that is everything when it comes to forgiveness and humility. Again, nothing is going to be perfect so yes, we raise the bar when it comes to doctrine but when I look in the mirror I sure pray others lower it for me.

I'm also amazed at how much ministry around the world they're involved with. Many small fellowships make up one huge one when we have unity of the Spirit. Many differences don't make much of a difference when we reach out together to do good. And it's always about the gospel. Some from our area have gone to Lesbos to help with the humanitarian crisis of the refugees and they're finding a door being open as the word is getting out about Americans who are Christians with large families living plain lives in contrast to what they have seen on television of the benny, kenny joyce disturbing images. They think that is American Christianity, many of them may not understand their own religion but they don't know ours either.

So anyway, It's been an interesting journey and I thought I may never find a good home fellowship to grow in but this is a good one and much love and discernment is needful to keep it that way as long as is possible.

 

 

 

[Kindle]

Just now, Neighbor said:

And?

  A lot of us would not be here if it were not for the sin of our parents. Our presence justifies sin? ???

That not what I'm speaking of the whole point I'm arguing is that If someone is married and then they get remarried and then their previous spouse is not dead. They should not break the marriage with the person they remarried especially if they are both saved and stuff like that. Just because their spouse isn't dead.

Did you read the previous replies before you made this comment? So you could understand why I said what I said?

[Kindle]

40 minutes ago, HisFirst said:

Is the remarried spouse supposed to now divorce? 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Neighbor said:

And?

  A lot of us would not be here if it were not for the sin of our parents. Our presence justifies sin? ???

The above is how it started.

[Neighbor]

5 hours ago, BacKaran said:

Why do you have membership? Is it required and if so why?

Membership is limited to those that want to be members and will take the classes to know  more of the church, give their testimony of faith and also have been baptised in obedience by immersion in water.

Why? To insure the seriousness and understanding  of the duty  of membership. Members  vote the budget, the deacons, the deaconesses, and the elders.  Members are approved by the full board of elders after the candidates submit their testimony  and attend membership classes.

[Kindle]

4 hours ago, OneLight said:

We are to preach the word of truth to all people and then let the Holy Spirit work in their lives.  I find nowhere in scripture that tells me to exclude anyone from knowing the truth if they seek it.  We do find where we should not invite certain people into our homes, when to turn people out and give them back to satan so their lives will be saved, when not to eat with people, etc., but never a word about who can hear scripture and who cannot.

Keep in mind that local churches are governed by a selected group of people who stand on their own rules, be it personal in home churches or denominational.  I have come to expect this when visiting churches.  For this reason, it does become hard to find a church to belong to.  Yet, if you want a say in how a church is to be run, you have to agree to their rules, sign on the dotted line, and commit to their teaching.  I much rather just go as God leads me and let them all figure this our for themselves.

I agree

[Hawkeye]

Who is not welcome in our church? Nobody. Easy answer 

[HisFirst]

Nothing beats the visual of Jesus standing in front of the adulterous woman, with the right from human perspective to stone her, and yet He raised the bar and used His  divine "normalness" and forgave her.

Its pretty mind blowing.

[simplejeff]

24 minutes ago, HisFirst said:

Nothing beats the visual of Jesus standing in front of the adulterous woman, with the right from human perspective to stone her, and yet He raised the bar and used His  divine "normalness" and forgave her.

Its pretty mind blowing.

What if HE did not move the bar ?  (HE is no respecter of persons)  HE is perfectly just, righteous and faithful as well as merciful and forgiving....

OR   DID HE DROP THE BAR ?  On Ananias and Saphira ?  They lied.  They died. 

What was the difference  - why weren't they forgiven and told "go and sin no more"  like the adulterous woman ?

Or the ones at Corinth who sinned - members of the assembly....  many got sick and died for their sin in Corinth.  Why?

Or the tower in Siloam,  why did it fall on them ?  They perished.  Jesus told HIS listeners they all would perish also, 

unless ... ... ... ... ..

[Neighbor]

5 hours ago, Constian said:

God would not put a sinful marriage together. That is man's doing, not God's.

 

God gave Hosea a command to marry. There might find a few possible reasons for His command, but the command was there.

See Hosea: especially  1:2 and  3:1

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Neighbor

[Neighbor]

10 hours ago, OneLight said:

We are to preach the word of truth to all people and then let the Holy Spirit work in their lives.  I find nowhere in scripture that tells me to exclude anyone from knowing the truth if they seek it.  We do find where we should not invite certain people into our homes, when to turn people out and give them back to satan so their lives will be saved, when not to eat with people, etc., but never a word about who can hear scripture and who cannot.

Keep in mind that local churches are governed by a selected group of people who stand on their own rules, be it personal in home churches or denominational.  I have come to expect this when visiting churches.  For this reason, it does become hard to find a church to belong to.  Yet, if you want a say in how a church is to be run, you have to agree to their rules, sign on the dotted line, and commit to their teaching.  I much rather just go as God leads me and let them all figure this our for themselves.

..."but never a word about who can hear scripture and who cannot."

As to attendance and fellowship there is much stated  in Matthew 18, complete with a system of fairness and opportunity  to discuss, bring meritorious argument, and for witnesses to testify, also with opportunity to repent. The command for total forgiveness by all of the church body to the point it is never held against the person found to be out of fellowship and a disruptive influence  within the local body of Christ Jesus, when they do reconcile and repent, is fully expressed in the guidance too!.

Within the local body that I attend and have membership privilege with it's  responsibility, the procedure has  come to it's full limit three times and then to full forgiveness once.

Most often there is  a coming together a meeting of the minds before any discord forces full shunning of the antagonist.

One  situation did involve  a rather public  display of infidelity to a spouse for which there was never any  repentance, and therefore after the playing out of the fullness of the guidance to the body  of Christ found within Matthew 18 there was a public declaration made by the elders to the body at large that fellowship  has been broken, but also that should repentance occur fullest fellowship will also  be extended again without limitation. 

As to knowing the truth, there is need to more than know it, for even the demons know truth. There is need to practice truth and to be accountaible one to another for adherence to truth.

The saints are to go into all the world with truth of the gospel of Jesus, that is more than corporate worship with fellow saints in Christ Jesus which is another animal all together. Fellowship, worship, and corporate meeting is not invitation to receive Christ. There is a time and a place for all things, but not necessarily that  all things must be done together. It may not be profitable to engage in corporate worship for the purpose of evangelizing- for it is the privilege and the responsibility of every saint to evangelize, yet  not so to  teach  nor pastor. It is a delicate line to balance upon, the worship and the evangelizing, especially if we desire it all to come from the pulpit, and we only sing, "Without One Plea "at the end.

 I suggest we  are better off giving our testimony and encouragement to the unsaved one on one, rather than thinking we can invite an unsaved person into a corporate worship service and have the pastor do it for us. We need go do the battle ourselves that many may be presented mature in Christ Jesus.  It is not the practiced and gifted words of any pastor, but the conviction  from the Holy Spirit that turns about the unsaved upon specific call to them. And God uses us as part of the process when and where we stand engaged in testimony of our Lord Jesus.

I conclude that worship and fellowship is for the saved and not  so much for for the unsaved to become saved. Worship is for study  of God's word and for praise of Him. The unsaved have no appreciation of that, they can't until the Holy Spirit has made it possible for them.

 

"I much rather just go as God leads me and let them all figure this our for themselves" Wow,  that is a sad shame, a real shame. And one I recognize. To separate ones self from "them" and just pick the fruit of the tree without laboring in the nourishing of it thinking God will bless for it. It is an error made by perhaps all of us at one time or another. I have made it more than once, being a rather slow learner.  It is  I believe a practice of self indulgence to refrain from the work of the local body that one is called to,  and also a tactic of Satan to encourage us to do so, the thinking ourselves independent, and perhaps just a bit superior too. It is a form of pride that rises up to our own injury. We suffer, even as we boast of our independent calling of God, as result. And the local body Of Christ Jesus suffers too, giving small victories to Satan sometimes by our own doing.

Far better to  embrace in submissive fellowship lifting each other up at the local body of Christ, stepping up and joining hands in duty to the local body blessed of God where ever God has led us. To stand off is not a high privilege, but instead is a denial of personal responsibility. It took six years of my life to learn that one for myself. It was my shame, a time lost , but a lesson learned.

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Neighbor