Is the Church necessary?

[Your Brother In Christ]

I do need to clarify what I mean by Church. I'm referring to the common American format. 

You have praise and worship, one pastor who preaches a sermon, and congregation that checks there good Christian card every Sunday.

Is this what the Church was supposed to be?

[Still Alive]

19 minutes ago, Your Brother In Christ said:

I do need to clarify what I mean by Church. I'm referring to the common American format. 

You have praise and worship, one pastor who preaches a sermon, and congregation that checks there good Christian card every Sunday.

Is this what the Church was supposed to be?

That's not what my church is. We have Wednesday men's and women's classes, Sunday evening small groups, sunday school and several local ministries. I'm in the Praise band and also in the Jail ministry. Some are even more involved than that. And our sunday schools take separate offerings that are used to help specific needs cases that the whole class votes on.

i.e. my church is an active community within the community.

But it was the third church we tried out when we moved here. This one stuck.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Still Alive

[jeremiah1five]

20 minutes ago, Your Brother In Christ said:

I do need to clarify what I mean by Church. I'm referring to the common American format. 

You have praise and worship, one pastor who preaches a sermon, and congregation that checks there good Christian card every Sunday.

Is this what the Church was supposed to be?

Nope. Not necessarily. Such fellowships lack the Biblical aspect of gatherings. AND it is not open to unbelievers. Our fellowships are exclusive for God IS a respecter of persons.

Holy things for holy people.

I found in my study of "the church" about 22 activities or events that occur to earn the designation as a Biblical Church.

After all, there is only ONE kind of Christian: A Biblical Christian.

If one's Christianity is not Biblical then it is NOT a Biblical church.

Also, Biblical discipleship is not a Wednesday or Friday gathering. Biblical discipleship is done the way Jesus did it.

You live, eat, sleep, use bathroom, shower, travel together.....

You LIVE with your disciple.

Edited October 4, 2018 by jeremiah1five

[Neighbor]

13 hours ago, Your Brother In Christ said:

I do need to clarify what I mean by Church. I'm referring to the common American format. 

You have praise and worship, one pastor who preaches a sermon, and congregation that checks there good Christian card every Sunday.

Is this what the Church was supposed to be?

 Hi, I have to reject that caricature. That is not what the churches at America that God has led me to do, not at all. Nor is it what the individuals  attending Christian churches are about either.

My brothers in Christ and my sisters in Christ are active people that care one for another, and go about doing all that they do to the Glory of God. They help one another, they care for widows and orphans, they help the poor, they educate the young, they fellowship, they pray, think, and read the word of God, they care for the elderly, and they help me personally live a far better life than I would otherwise.

Praise God for the churches at America that God the Holy Spirit has led me to for my own service and growth  and further sanctification.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Neighbor
removed a punctuation mark

[Still Alive]

30 minutes ago, Your Brother In Christ said:

I do need to clarify what I mean by Church. I'm referring to the common American format. 

You have praise and worship, one pastor who preaches a sermon, and congregation that checks there good Christian card every Sunday.

Is this what the Church was supposed to be?

A friend of mine and I used to "porch sit" and discuss this very issue. He was the pastor and I was the volunteer music director of a church in the Seattle area. We were both trying to figure out what "church" should really be.

He ended up writing a book about it called: "And No Religion Too - Thoughts on the Spectator Church"

It's actually a pretty good read. It's only about a quarter inch thick IIRC.

[bryan]

8 hours ago, Your Brother In Christ said:

I do need to clarify what I mean by Church. I'm referring to the common American format. 

You have praise and worship, one pastor who preaches a sermon, and congregation that checks there good Christian card every Sunday.

Is this what the Church was supposed to be?

From what I've research, it isn't.  The closest thing I've been involved in was a home based church.  Around five families and some single people that were disappointed with their churches got together every Sunday around 10am.  Three of the fathers rotated preparing a message based on the bible.  It was more of a discussion than a presentation, as it included questions and at times people there would ask questions and discuss related topics.  After between 30 and 90 minutes, we'd have communion, sing songs for a bit, and then break for a potluck lunch.  In the afternoon, we sometimes continued discussions but generally did social and community related things.

The discussion format kept things interesting.  We'd at times cover tough topics where people didn't agree entirely.  Looking at it, that model seemed to match the early idea of churches much more than most formal churches now.

I'm reading "So you don't want to go to church anymore" by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman now and it's making some great points.

[OldCoot]

Small church groups can be more productive than larger fellowships sometimes.  The vast majority of believers in hostile countries, that is the only fellowship they have... meeting in small home groups clandestinely.  It works great.  In countries with heavy persecution, the Church seems to grow faster than in laid back countries.  

The parable of the pearl is a perfect picture of the church, especially the small home churches in troubled areas.   A oyster is not kosher.  A pearl starts as an irritation to the oyster.  It grows by accretion. In due time, it is removed from the oyster and set as an item of adornment.  

And small home style churches, each of the members are more in tune with the needs and gifts of the other members and can strengthen each other.  Accountability is more of a focus also.

Sounds like I am against large fellowships, but I am not.  Even the larger churches have some positive aspects, but they are also more susceptible to bizarre nonsense that creeps in unawares.   The key always being..... is the Bible read and taught with the focus on the gospel for redemption thru the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.   Or is the church nothing more than a social advocacy thing that is more concerned with the latest social issue du jour or other stuff like global environment.  Also, does the fellowship go in for the introduction of other religious and philosophical ideas that come in and water down or sideline the Gospel.  And of course, we wouldn't want to offend anyone now would we?  Sarcasm intended.

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by OldCoot