Where in the Bible does it say that I have to go to church?

[growing]

So the answer is don't go to church if you don't want to? Seems pretty easy to me, a little too easy. There is direct biblical support for the need to be a member of a Christian Church, it is actually assumed.

Why are there very specific requirements for how to run a church given? Why were the qualification of elders, deacons, and Bishops given? How do you receive baptism and communion outside of a congregation of believers?

Why are almost all of the letters including revelation in the New Testament written to Churches? No, attending Church will not save you, but if you are saved why would you NOT go to church and more importantly not seek to be a member of a Christian body?

I don't get it?

Is this where t.v. and the internet has led us, all alone, making it up as we go, unable to get along with real people, with real Christians?

Exactly! Thank you

[Guest Ray_Finder]

So the answer is don't go to church if you don't want to? Seems pretty easy to me, a little too easy. There is direct biblical support for the need to be a member of a Christian Church, it is actually assumed.

Why are there very specific requirements for how to run a church given? Why were the qualification of elders, deacons, and Bishops given? How do you receive baptism and communion outside of a congregation of believers?

Why are almost all of the letters including revelation in the New Testament written to Churches? No, attending Church will not save you, but if you are saved why would you NOT go to church and more importantly not seek to be a member of a Christian body?

I don't get it?

Is this where t.v. and the internet has led us, all alone, making it up as we go, unable to get along with real people, with real Christians?

Exactly! Thank you

------------------

Ditto !!!!!!!!

I believe this forum is good for bantering scriptures and beliefs back and forth. Maybe some 'limited' fellowship.

Possibly some growth due to the above. If people are disabled and unable to attend church "assembling together",

then that is one thing, but , just because some of us have been hurt, or, don't want to put the effort to gather together with a congregation is no reason not to go. Are there bad churches out there? Certainly. Are there hippocrites in churches? Certainly. I am probably one of them, and, some reading this may even be, self examination is always required, with repentence. But, with the bad churchs out there, there are good ones filled with people who love Jesus. Just takes some effort to find them.

Just thinking out loud here, but, here are some things that are part of normal Christianity that are really hard

to do in the "Worthy church" :

Taking communion.

Giving and receiving the ministry of laying on of hands.

Eyeball to eyeball ministry.

Being 'perfected' by the ministry gifts (4 fold or 5 fold whichever you subscribe to:-)

Submitting one to another, I have seen alot of 'i don't need you to tell me what to do' in this forum, but that is

normal for people who never interact personally with each other.

Supporting true widows and orphans, those who genuinely require help cause life has beat them up.

Giving of ourselves (time,talent,money).

I suppose for every reason I just gave, someone will tear it down saying how circumstances they have experienced

just invalidates what I have said. But, thats ok I suppose. Those who don't want to submit to Hebrews clear scriptures don't really care about what I have to say.

Ray . . .

But there are somethings that there are no substitutes for.

[Avidan]

So the answer is don't go to church if you don't want to? Seems pretty easy to me, a little too easy. There is direct biblical support for the need to be a member of a Christian Church, it is actually assumed.

Why are there very specific requirements for how to run a church given? Why were the qualification of elders, deacons, and Bishops given? How do you receive baptism and communion outside of a congregation of believers?

Why are almost all of the letters including revelation in the New Testament written to Churches? No, attending Church will not save you, but if you are saved why would you NOT go to church and more importantly not seek to be a member of a Christian body?

I don't get it?

Is this where t.v. and the internet has led us, all alone, making it up as we go, unable to get along with real people, with real Christians?

Exactly! Thank you

Please quote the scripture then.

If making a point with scripture, use scripture.

[Avidan]

So the answer is don't go to church if you don't want to? Seems pretty easy to me, a little too easy. There is direct biblical support for the need to be a member of a Christian Church, it is actually assumed.

Why are there very specific requirements for how to run a church given? Why were the qualification of elders, deacons, and Bishops given? How do you receive baptism and communion outside of a congregation of believers?

Why are almost all of the letters including revelation in the New Testament written to Churches? No, attending Church will not save you, but if you are saved why would you NOT go to church and more importantly not seek to be a member of a Christian body?

I don't get it?

Is this where t.v. and the internet has led us, all alone, making it up as we go, unable to get along with real people, with real Christians?

Exactly! Thank you

------------------

Ditto !!!!!!!!

I believe this forum is good for bantering scriptures and beliefs back and forth. Maybe some 'limited' fellowship.

Possibly some growth due to the above. If people are disabled and unable to attend church "assembling together",

then that is one thing, but , just because some of us have been hurt, or, don't want to put the effort to gather together with a congregation is no reason not to go. Are there bad churches out there? Certainly. Are there hippocrites in churches? Certainly. I am probably one of them, and, some reading this may even be, self examination is always required, with repentence. But, with the bad churchs out there, there are good ones filled with people who love Jesus. Just takes some effort to find them.

Just thinking out loud here, but, here are some things that are part of normal Christianity that are really hard

to do in the "Worthy church" :

Taking communion.

Giving and receiving the ministry of laying on of hands.

Eyeball to eyeball ministry.

Being 'perfected' by the ministry gifts (4 fold or 5 fold whichever you subscribe to:-)

Submitting one to another, I have seen alot of 'i don't need you to tell me what to do' in this forum, but that is

normal for people who never interact personally with each other.

Supporting true widows and orphans, those who genuinely require help cause life has beat them up.

Giving of ourselves (time,talent,money).

I suppose for every reason I just gave, someone will tear it down saying how circumstances they have experienced

just invalidates what I have said. But, thats ok I suppose. Those who don't want to submit to Hebrews clear scriptures don't really care about what I have to say.

Ray . . .

But there are somethings that there are no substitutes for.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, you find a church as you described, and I will burn the tires off my truck getting there.

This board is a effective church.

If one needs eye to eye, or hands, there is many churches to help out.

[growing]

So the answer is don't go to church if you don't want to? Seems pretty easy to me, a little too easy. There is direct biblical support for the need to be a member of a Christian Church, it is actually assumed.

Why are there very specific requirements for how to run a church given? Why were the qualification of elders, deacons, and Bishops given? How do you receive baptism and communion outside of a congregation of believers?

Why are almost all of the letters including revelation in the New Testament written to Churches? No, attending Church will not save you, but if you are saved why would you NOT go to church and more importantly not seek to be a member of a Christian body?

I don't get it?

Is this where t.v. and the internet has led us, all alone, making it up as we go, unable to get along with real people, with real Christians?

Exactly! Thank you

------------------

Ditto !!!!!!!!

I believe this forum is good for bantering scriptures and beliefs back and forth. Maybe some 'limited' fellowship.

Possibly some growth due to the above. If people are disabled and unable to attend church "assembling together",

then that is one thing, but , just because some of us have been hurt, or, don't want to put the effort to gather together with a congregation is no reason not to go. Are there bad churches out there? Certainly. Are there hippocrites in churches? Certainly. I am probably one of them, and, some reading this may even be, self examination is always required, with repentence. But, with the bad churchs out there, there are good ones filled with people who love Jesus. Just takes some effort to find them.

Just thinking out loud here, but, here are some things that are part of normal Christianity that are really hard

to do in the "Worthy church" :

Taking communion.

Giving and receiving the ministry of laying on of hands.

Eyeball to eyeball ministry.

Being 'perfected' by the ministry gifts (4 fold or 5 fold whichever you subscribe to:-)

Submitting one to another, I have seen alot of 'i don't need you to tell me what to do' in this forum, but that is

normal for people who never interact personally with each other.

Supporting true widows and orphans, those who genuinely require help cause life has beat them up.

Giving of ourselves (time,talent,money).

I suppose for every reason I just gave, someone will tear it down saying how circumstances they have experienced

just invalidates what I have said. But, thats ok I suppose. Those who don't want to submit to Hebrews clear scriptures don't really care about what I have to say.

Ray . . .

But there are somethings that there are no substitutes for.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey, you find a church as you described, and I will burn the tires off my truck getting there.

This board is a effective church.

If one needs eye to eye, or hands, there is many churches to help out.

I am so sorry for you.

We can't rely on the church to replace our personal time with God, but God gave us the church, the body of believers, to affirm each other and hold each other accountable. Whether I'm alone in my home 6 days a week or out working and trying to live a godly life among the world, I look at my time with my church family each Sunday as a time to refresh myself and rebuild my endurance for the week to come. When I have physical/finacial/emotional/spiritual struggles I know that someone will be there for me, not just with words like I can get from this board, but with real tangible help. I'm on my way out the door to bring a meal to a couple who's just had a baby. I can't wait to go and rejoice with them. I have also taken meals to people in the hospital and prayed with them. These are things God wants us to do for the people around us. My family has been on receiving end of meals and hugs and tears and rejoicing. You can't get that over the computer.

If you haven't found a church that gives what you need, keep looking. Not only is it worth it, God wants us in church. He gives us gifts to use, He gives us instructions on the set up of His church (1 Timothy 2 and 3) and He repeatedly instructs us in personal, face-to-face dealings with Christians. While you're looking remember that we live in a fallen world, no church (the specific group who meets) is going to be perfect, because humans attend that church and humans aren't perfect. Find a church that embodies the Biblical church as much as possible and throw yourself whole-heartedly into it's growth and development.

[Smalcald]

it is actually assumed.

fellowship is assumed.

Rom 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Col 4:15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Phm 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

''church''' is US, not a building.

Why were the qualification of elders, deacons, and Bishops given?

Those functions do not require a building down on Elm street.

They can exist in a home or any other place.

NOthing in scripture points to the church being anything but christians.

How do you receive baptism and communion outside of a congregation of believers?

I baptised my wife in a pool.

The only requirement to baptize is the person doing so be a born again christian.

Why are almost all of the letters including revelation in the New Testament written to Churches?

Did you notice that those letters were to ''churches'' in cities?

They address the ''church'' of a goegraphical area, not a specific church down on Maple.

No, attending Church will not save you, but if you are saved why would you NOT go to church and more importantly not seek to be a member of a Christian body?

Fellowship is something ALL of us should want to do.

A christian is part of the body, part of the church, regardless of whether they attend a local church.

Hopefully the ones that dont or cannot attend fellowship at a particular place will at least have fellowship in thier home or someone elses.

Well once again I agree and disagree here.

No a Church is not a building or dependant on a particular building, it can certainly can meet in a house, or a brush arbor, or a field or a barn. But it is a body of visible believers who meet regularly, take part in common prayer, hear the Word of God preached, share communion, Baptize, AND submit to the spiritual authority given to leaders who have been called by God to be deacons, elders and ministers. If we cannot get along with other Christians, and then the problem is with us, not the church, it is essentially an issue of pride. I have felt this, I have wrestled with pride all of my life, why should I listen to anyone who is a deacon or minister, I read the same bible he does? But yet we hear in scripture that we are to pray for those who have spiritual authority over us, those who lead us, but how can anyone lead us if we don't want to belong to a regular Christian community? I think one of the great things about that first love for Christ is that we are on fire for His Word. We "feast" on the Word as they say, I think we have all done that, and hopefully still do. But, we must remember that we are not unique in that, we are not special as Christians, millions and millions of others have done the same, and among them are those who are called to lead us on this earth, we don't have special insight into scripture that other Christians don't have, we owe it to those leaders, even though they are failed humans as we are to let them lead us. (I am not here saying that we should accept apostasy or outward and obvious sin among leadership).

But lets look at some scripture:

1 Peter 5,

[walhei]

Hope I did not mess up something. All the letters disappeared.

My answer to the question, "Where does it say we have to go to church in the Bible?"

The Bible says, "We should not forsake fellowshipping with one another." But it talks a lot about fellowshipping in many places. There were no Churches then, but Synagogues. Fellowshipping in real time, face to face, helps us grow in Christ. I had a real hard time because I was not socialble. I learned our lack of personality does not matter when we are all seeking to know Jesus better.

[MrSealedEternal]

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 you see the Day approaching.

One of the greatest deceptions in the so-called

[John3;16]

Ephesians|4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians|4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Ephesians|4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians|4:4

[living4onlyJC]

The church is not a building. Christians make up the church. For Christ is the head of the church. Not a building, but of people.

We are all supposed to be "blameless and pure children of God."

Sometimes people do things that they are not called to do but they are still at good at. My mom is a teacher, but she knows that she is called to be a missionary. Sure sometimes a pastor not be called to Pastor a church. But he may still be a good teacher of the Word. If you don't think that this person was not called to lead than you don't have to stay at the church. I am sure there are many churches to choose from.