Claims to be a Christian but isn't going to church.

Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joseph Botwinick

 

Amen to Dr. Bob's post as well.
Also Ephesians 4:11-14. After listing those people that God has placed in the Church as ministers (vs 11), Paul goes on to say why they are there (vs's 12-14):

For the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.
It is safe to say that you do not get this out on the golf course!
Also, I feel that folks with such an attitude toward the Church, what else of the things of God do they have a contempt for and, as such, are they really in the faith?

 

Well put, Dr. Bob! I wonder how many of our members here don't attend church? On the mom's board I administered, we had so many who used the board as their church that we shut the whole board down on Sunday from midnight Saturday til 2 a.m. Monday!

Coach Mike! How's your head? Pray that you're all healed!

Diane

BB MEMBERS... PLEASE GO TO CHURCH!

 

Illustration of the passage Dr. Bob provided:

A pastor visited a church member who hadn't been attending much, if at all. After the initial greetings, they both sat in front of the fireplace for a while, neither man saying a word. Suddenly, the pastor leaned forward, and using a poker, moved one of the coals away from the rest of the burning fire. They watched for a moment as the initial glow of the coal cooled down, and the coal started to turn dark. Then the pastor moved the coal back with the rest of the fire, and they watched as it resumed its fiery glow again.

Just my two cents.

 

I think of various homebound ministries I've seen over the last 10-12 years. Many folks can't get out of their homes, but still want to be a part of the fellowship. Ministry teams go to their homes.

 

Without exploring everything about it, but those who fail to be a part of other believers probably are not truly saved.

 

Attending Church is important, but it could depend on the person's circumstances so don't belt them over the head with it.

After goings on at a couple of previous Churches I was so sick of events I said I would never go to a Church full-time again. In that year and a bit period I went to one Church 3 times for a look, however came home wondering what was the point.

...So I guess to some I was unsaved for that year and a bit, however have been saved again for about a year and a half now

 

I completely disagree with that statement.
Apart from physical limitations, one has to take into consideration other factors in a person's life.
When someone misses church for a week, does anyone notice? If someone misses church for two weeks, does anyone notice? A month? Half a year?
If it is noticed, what does anyone do? Send a cute little card saying they were missed? Assume their absence in none of your business so you don't ask?
If you do ask and they state what the problem is what is the next step?
When people quit attending other members so often either fail to notice or worse, find out the person is upset over something and get offended and ignore them instead of counseling/talking to them about it.
I've had a number of times in different churches where I couldn't attend for one reason or another.
In NONE of those churches was my absence noted in a meaningful way apart from one that ended up going under anyhow.
You get the card, or maybe A visit asking what is going on, but no help with whatever the problem is, then you're supposed to go back and continue feeling the love?
I don't think so.
If a new Christian isn't attending a church, where is the person that led them to the Lord? Why aren't they following up in that person's life and helping them with taking the step of finding a church?
Most likely they feel their duty ended when the person repeated the sinner's prayer.
You wouldn't leave a newborn to dress and feed itself, and you wouldn't let a person of any age sit on the side of the road injured and bleeding and simply send them a card or tell them you'll pray for them, yet that's what happens over and over ad nauseum in our churches and among Christians. We're the most self-centered, petty, bickering, uncaring group of people with the least reason to be so way too often.
Gina

 

Gina,

I think Daniel was making a general statement. He said:

"Without exploring everything about it,"

Generally, I would have to agree with Daniel. Excluding physical limitations, if one does not fellowship with the assembly, then they are in clear rebellion to what the Word of God teaches.

Joseph Botwinick

 

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me

The implication here is those that do not follow the Lord are not His sheep. The Lord Himself said that His sheep follow Him.

 

If they have no desire to be in the fellowship of other believers, one has to wonder.

God calls us to be more like Christ, which means we will produce fruit. Those who are not involved in church, and are not being used to further the instrument of God's grace for this dispensation are either miserable, because they know they are in sin, or they are doing just fine, because they are immature and have not been taught, or they are unregenerate and the Spirit has no influence in their lives. However, even immature believers should be desiring to learn and grow through the encouragement and training that should be taking place in the local church. I agree that some would have a problem with a specific church, but to just not go anywhere is a problem. Find someplace that teaches the Word, and that you can support wholeheartedly and get going.

We are commanded to encourage one another to love and good works. The only venue that I have ever experienced that accomplishes the pattern we see in the NT, is the church.

Billy Graham doesn't do that, although many are definitely reached through his ministry. Christian concerts don't do that, although they are not a bad thing, and can be an outreach. Traveling, one week, one town evangelists don't do that, and neither do the guys on TV for the most part, execpt in their own local manifestation of the Body of Christ.

The Church is the method chosen by God to make his name famous in the world today. It is not irrelevant, or outdated (although some are)

 

Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord."

As Dr. Bob wisely quoted...
Hebrews 10:25
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

Gina, you might have misunderstood my point.

Two texts relate a person's standing before God with how they are toward other believers.

They went out from us because they were NOT of us.

Of course there is Hebrews 10:25, which is in the context of finishing the Christian race.

 

That is the most awesome description of the importance of church attendance!! Thank you for posting this!!

Kathy
<><

 

What if you've had a number of bad experiences?? That has happened to me and I was out of church for nearly two years...I'm now back in church and attend regularly, but I am currently hesitant to join for fear that I'll be burned again...maybe I shouldn't live this way, but I'm only human.

In my new church, and I try REALLY REALLY hard not to judge an entire church on a few isolated incidents...but I went to pick up my 4 year old from her class (and this church is VERY busy and crowded) and there were two other people before me, so I appropriately waited my turn, just as I was about to step forward in the doorway, another lady jumped right in there and called out to her child...I was just floored by her rudeness! I don't only act this way at church, this is the way I am...anyway...another thing that happened was someone stole a parking space I was waiting for as if I was at Wal-Mart...and I can't help it but to get angry...but I still go because I like what is preached and I appreciate all the activities they have for my children. I really like the church, but these few incidents could turn others away...so to say a person may not be saved because they don't go to church is not fair or accurate.

Kathy
<><

 

It is fair and accurate to say they are living in open rebellion to the Word of God. People, I have found, can find just about any excuse to not go to Church. I only wonder if God sees their excuses as reasonable and acceptable when he has made clear in his word what he wants. Also, It is rather ironic that people in other countries will face death and torture for attending the one Church that is around, while we in America will wimp out at the slightest thing from attending Church when there is one on just about every streetcorner.

And believe me, I add myself to that judgment as I have done the same thing in the past. But, I have determined that I can look over the small things and if there are big things that can not be overlooked, I can find another Church to attend. But, I will not allow the actions of others to influence me to rebel against the Word of God and then blame it on them. Their sin is their responsibility, my sin is mine.

Joseph Botwinick

 

I think that "probably" you didn't think completely through that scripture quoted by Dr. Bob, when it said: "Heb 10:25 ...'not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.'"

When the author of the book of Hebrews wrote "like the manner of some is" he/she was speaking to Hebrew Christians and not unbelievers. Therefore they were saved believers who apparently were not meeting together. If they had been unbelievers (unsaved) there would have been no need for them to meet together with the saved (believers).

Thus, even some of the Christian believers were not meeting together with other Christian believers; the very same scenario that we have today. The "truly saved" sometimes do not attend church within the framework of tradition of gathering together. To presume that they are not "truly saved" is a misnomer, imho.