All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
OPPS I DONT DO CHURCH !
I follow after the Holy Spirit some would say that's doing your own thing, don't answer to anyone, it looks that way but you can be bound controlled in churches not all I know, and the title well at times I do church when I believe |Im led to go there. otherwise Like the freedom. and have other commitments at times in the way, am I loved less by God, He who follows His commandments He loves does it have a commandment saying thou shalt do church every sunday. or sat. or for some in there own home like me church is everyday. so is it jus fitting in to the right place even like being here. one can believe themselves to be rejected not wanted. whatever.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Francis Drake on
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There is a whole lot more to walking with God than joining church! In fact I have seen far more of God at work outside of church than I ever did within those walls.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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While all of this can be true, God does tell us, forsake not the assembly. I know many have been hurt in the churches, but we're going to be hurt in this life, in or out of church. But to follow Scripture, we need to be assembling with other believers on a regular basis.
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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If you ask most, or at least a good number of, believers they will tell you that they are following the Holy Spirit. Yet, if you bring these people together you will find everything from small to great divides on doctrine. Thus, the question, is God confused or is man confused? Since we know God is never confused then we must believe that the children of God, who truly believe they are following the Holy Spirit are often confused and in error. There are many reasons why we need to gather, but one of them is accountability. We hold each other accountable to the Word and each other. If left to our own in most cases we will drift far from what God really intends for us. God refers to us as sheep often in Scripture and one thing is true of sheep ... they need each other.
To the second part, if the church is not aligning with the Word of God then they are in error and one may be in the wrong gathering, but that does not mean we toss out what God has established. Whether we gather in a formal building or in a home setting we need to gather.
To the third part about "thou shalt do church every sunday. or sat" we need to think on two things. 1) I don't do church, we are the church and we gather together to worship, honor and praise the Lord, as well as reading Scripture, etc (I will come back to this in a moment) 2) The Bible gives an important qualifier regarding a child of God. He speaks of us having a love for the brethren. To remove yourself from fellowship, or to fellowship when it is only convenient misses the mark. I go to the gathering of the church to be with those whom I love and with whom I know love me. If this love is absent from them you are in the wrong gathering and if from me then I need to examine myself.
I have had people over the years tell me that they do not need to go to the gathering (church) to worship, pray, and read the Word. This is true (at least to a point). I always ask the same question, "Yes, you don't have to go to church to worship, pray and read the Bible ... so do you?" They usually ask me what I mean and I reiterate do you worship, pray and read the Bible. Of course they say "yes." I then ask how often ... usually it is not often, sporadic at best.
There are so many benefits to gathering with a solid group of the family of God. If in the wrong group, move on ... but find one is the call. Shall we say that we are part of the family of God, but only engage when it is convenient? What about serving others within the family, especially in light of the 22 one another principles in Scripture? Can we really accomplish this apart from being engaged with the family? A quick thought to ponder ... how many missionaries have been sent, hospitals built, schools established around the world by the lone ranger Christian? How many by the organized gathering? Note that even Paul and Barnabas were set apart and sent by the church in Antioch under the instructions of the Holy Spirit.
Food for thought.
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Good food too. Amen! I don't agree with everything in my own church, but the part about family...YES, they are. They are better for me than my own blood family has been known to be. I find I NEED to be there, I CRAVE hearing the Word and seeing my family, my friends. I look forward to going. It isn't because of the church, but because God is there. And we can bring God in with us, or not. But we often expect the church to usher God in for us and then blame them if we don't "feel" His presence, or aren't getting patted on the back, or if we get our feelings hurt by another all to human member.
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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Seek,
When I go, I enjoy being there, too, and feeling His Presence and hearing the message, singing the hymns, taking communion. The church I joined describes itself as a Spirit-filled non-denominational church and it really is Spirit-filled, warm and loving.
There are more reasons that people don't attend church than just an outright forsaking of the assembly, thinking it's not needed. That's all I want to say.
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Yes, there are reasons. Some can't even get out of bed and God understands. But when they don't go due to a wrong attitude or wrong religious view, or enmity against the church, they're doing themselves a disservice. I've often found through some messages that just didn't fit right with me, I will close my eyes and just concentrate on the Lord during that time. And I can still "hear" the Word and get in the worship part of the service.
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Some have given up on going to church because they don't know where or how they fit in to the Body of believers. I feel a little like that but it isn't what made me stop going when I quit in August 2010, but it sounds like that is something the one who posted this discussion may be feeling. She asked, "so is it jus fitting in to the right place even like being here" and it can sound like fitting in is the wrong reason one should go but the Body is supposed to fit together, and I'm not sure how to reconcile going to fit in with the need to fit in.
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We don't go to fit in.. we go because it us what God laid out for us to do. Just like other things we should do. They feel awkward because we were raises on lies. But we have to step out in faith and pray for strength to do what seems impossible to us. It may take time for our feelings to line up. IE God says we don't divorce yet so many have unbelieving and even abusive spouses and the first thing they say is God doesn't want us in that situation but is that what the Word says? Some pray for years and stay and one day their spouse gets saved. Sounds hard on us but while God wants to prosper and do all for our ultimate good He is more concerned with bringing as many to Him as possible.
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I agree we shouldn't go with the motive to try to fit in but fitting together is the unity that God calls for IMO. As Ephesians 4:16 says, "from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love" ESV.
Joined and held together ... every joint ... each part -- this is about fitting together. IMO
In the case of domestic violence, it may be necessary to separate and be in a safe place and only reunite if the abuser receives treatment and hopefully repents and changes.
No one is a perfect mate. It likely wouldn't matter if someone did find a perfect mate. Jesus is the perfect Bridegroom for everyone who is in Christ, but most everyone still struggles in the relationship with Him.
IMO people have overly high expectations of marriage.
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