CHRISTIANS THAT DON'T ATTEND CHURCH??

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 ye see the day approaching.

 

"She is saved"

If we must be hesitant to judge someone unsaved, must we not also hesitate to judge them saved?

I have great concern for the soul who claims to love the Father, yet won't meet with HIm and His children in His house.

Matt 7:17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
21 ¶ "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

[ November 16, 2001: Message edited by: Chris Temple ]

 

Pray for her.
I had a friend a couple of years ago. Her and her husband were saved a couple of months before we were in 1991. He went to church for the next couple of years. But then suddenly quit. Everyone has talked to him over and over, including us(they were our best friends at one time), and he always said he knew it, he knew he needed to be in church, and would go back one day. Well we just kept praying, no one gave up on him, but we just left it too God. I talked to her this morning and he has been going to church with her for a while now. I was so happy to hear that. We've been praying for years for him.

 

Holly, give your friend time, love, prayers and don't pressure church with her. Sounds as though she is going thru a very difficult time in her life and God is doing some things in her life that you might not know about. We cannot base ones level of love they have for God by church attendance, yes church attendance is vital but at the same time I believe God will speak to those who aren't in church.

karen

 

I will give my answer based on personal experience; an experience i am currently continuing to go through.

I know I'm saved. I have no doubt about that. But yet, I have no real desire to go to church at this time.

Part of the reason is because there is sin in my life that I have not confessed to God. I mean, let's face it, if you had done somebody wrong, and had not yet asked for forgiveness, would you want to be around that person? That's sort of how I feel.

Also, in a way I'm a little mad at God. Not that what has happened/is happening is His fault. I just feel like He didn't answer some prayers that myself, and others, prayed His way.

I know I'm being somewhat vague, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are many reasons why someone may not want to go to church.

Hope this helped some.

God Bless!

Adam

 

HeDied4You, I can relate to your dilemma. I have already share this story on this board, but it was a while ago and folks probably do not remember it any more. So, I am going to share it with you.

I have a baby sister, who is about 2 years my junior. She got married to a young man who was born and raised up in a fundamental Baptist Church. He professed his faith, was saved, baptized and joined the membership of that church at the age of 18. Two years later on he got married to my sister. They had two beautiful daughters and life was peachy. Then all of a sudden he started to get home late from work. On weekends he would leave and say that he had business to attend to. My sister would not suspect anything at all. When he was home he was great with the kids, did house chores, loved his wife, and was an example to others in church. But all along he lived a double life.

A couple of years later when my sister was hospitalized with a minor surgery, her husband just skipped town with a younger woman. The two had a child out of wedlock. It devastated my sister. In spite of the family support she just reverted to herself and closed all communications to everyone. She dropped out of church and would not go even though we invited her lovingly, and tried to appeal to her very soul. I prayed a lot over this, and deep inside it hurt me utterly that she had to go through this experience. I blamed myself for not being able to see this coming and would have rushed to her aid. Many years passed by. My sister got farther and farther from fellowshipping with fellow Christians. She had all kinds of excuses.

A few years ago my wife and I invited her to visit with us. She stayed for ten days. During that time we invited her every day to join with us in our evening devotional. She did not resist. In fact we noticed that the Lord has opened her heart and she was responding to the gentle prodding of the Holy Spirit. During her stay here we led her back to the Lord. We prayed together, we cried together, and we loved her unconditionally. She acknowledged her failure to seek the Lord and asked our forgiveness. We told her that she ought to ask the Lord instead, and she did. She cried long and hard, and by the time she was ready to go back to her home she was a new creature. A couple of months later we got a call from her. She was back in her church. The folks received her with open arms. Later still she found a ministry outlet for herself by caring for the elderly and hut-ins. Her work got so multifaceted that she had to ask the Pastor to give her help from the Women’s Auxiliary. Since then she has reported to us that she led others to Christ.

This could happen to your sister-in-law Died4You! Only gently help her to see what she is missing. Remember Galatians 6:2, which says: Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ! Do not cease to pray for her! God bless.

 

There was A time that I was out of church I was runing from God's service and was not living right. Then I started back in church but I was still not living right.God got my attention I was working under a car when it rolled off the blocks pinning me under the car I was' able to breath or call for help. Thank God I was working for a man that had just gotten saved a few mounths before thay must have heard something thay came and got the car off me I excaped whith only cracked ribs I did not even have to go to the doc. My point is that when God get ready HE will get your attention. I went back to God and beged his forgivenis And He did have i been perfect no but im closer to God then Ive ever been .

 

Hello all! My first post in a while, my mother was in the hospital, please pray for her.

This is a very good subject to discuss. One reason is because of the significance that is
placed by believers for everyone to be a member of a Church. I think that there is way to much emphasis placed on this, and can be extremely misleading by many lost people, as well as discouraging to those who are saved and trying to do what is right. There are questions that must be answered:

1. Is there a command to attend a local Church?
2. What local Church should we attend?
3. How much time should be spend at that local Church? i.e. Is Sunday morning required, then Sunday night, and Wends also?
4. Should we feel that we must attend every time the worship doors are open?
5. Does Church end when we walk out of those big red doors?
6. What if you have sincerely tried every Church within reason yet find nothing. (checking only Baptist of course why waste time on others

It is easy to feel a bit prideful when we are able to go to service on Sunday morning, and think that all those not in attendance are simply lost/backslider. Really, some are even quick to assume that as soon as you retire your membership, you are deemed worldly. Are those just a little closer to God than those who don’t attend? To be very honest I sometimes feel much closer to my Savior than I do inside those four walls listening to bad theology. And we can’t necessarily generalize all of those who have no desire to attend Church, as I personally know an extremely Godly man who lives the word of God on a daily bases. His fruit is clearly that of Gal. 5. His knowledge of Scripture far exceeds those who sit on the boards, and that of most Pastors. His love for God is evident. He
loves the truth so that a toleration of false teachings can’t be found. He stays home.

The primary verse of Scripture that is used to support the idea of a command to attend
Church is Hebrews 10:25, as it has been quoted already here by 'I AM' hath sent
me And perhaps it should be. But there are questions that must also be raised
as to what exactly the writer of Hebrews had in mind:
1. Forsake is a very strong word in the Greek, could it merely imply simple Church
gatherings?
2. Why were they not to forsake the assembling of themselves?
3. Who were the Themselves? Who all did they include?
4. What is the day that was approaching?

Of course I have some thoughts on this passage, but would like to see others input
on it first.

Then there is the question of Biblical sanctification. Does the believer receive this only upon the act of attending a church on the corner of walk and don’t walk? Can a believer have a fruitful life, one where love for Christ is in abundance, and not sit in a pew? Where in this process does the Scriptures teach that we can speed up our maturing by going to Church.

I hope I articulated my thoughts and would like to see this discussion continue.

With love,

Chet

 

I know it's hard to go to a Church again however the Lord works in misterious ways and he will touch the person once again to bring them back to Church. I like to think of the lyrics "I once was lost, but now i'm found" It holds true. There will always be enities challenging my faith and I know that God will guide me to whatever he needs for me. I ended up not goin to church for a while because of "things" but I know God is with me even if i'm 1000feet in the sky over the pacific on a Sunday morning. Amen!

 

It's probably the same reason most Christians dont go to church. Laziness.

 

I think we can be used of God more and better when we are in church(all of us not just the body, not thinking about the ball game, fishing or what ever).
Played alot of ball but the Head Coach would not let you play if you were not at every workout and team meeting. Also I had a "C" in history and I wasn't going to class just taking the test,etc. but was made to go to class and my grade went up to an "A" and I was able to help others in my class and on my team get their grades up. Had to be at practice made me a better football player and the team better and being in class made me a better at history and helped my teammates. I think church works the same way, as a group we can help more than as one alone.

 

Many professing Christians do not belong and seldom attend church. Most often it is because their feelings were hurt when they did belong to a church. Here are some of the excuses (there are NO valid reasons for not being actively committed to a church) people give:
a) Hypocrites go there.
b) My devotion to God is private
i) We're lucky in our day. We don't have to meet in homes. We just put up a church building on some corner, pack it with a few hundred (or thousand) people once or twice a week, and get on with our daily lives. It's not like first-century Jerusalem. Here you can get lost in the crowd-even in a small crowd. But if you're one of those folks who's been lost in a large church, you've also lost out on a vital ingredient of real Christianity. You've lost out on love-on being loved, and loving, in intimate, truly Chistian ways.
ii) Jesus' entire ministry emphasized loving one another, and following His pouring out of God the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the evangelical church was birthed with a two-fold purpose: to witness to the lost, and to share and love one another. God did not choose anyone for the purpose of withdrawing from society to Him!
c) I'm busy.
d) I used to, but I got offended/hurt.
St. Cyprian who declared, "He cannot have God for his Father who does not have the church for his Mother." We need the church as much as a starving baby needs his mother's milk. We cannot grow or be nourished without the church. Possessing Christ and despising the church is an intolerable contradiction which none can bear. We cannot have Christ without embracing the church.

Problems in today's church
a) Powerless gospel - Theological assent is being peddled as faith . . . a faith that stops short of resulting in a "new creature!" Until the gospel preached results in a new life, a new level of being or "re-birth," it has not done a saving work within the soul. The church needs to refocus on plowing "spiritual depth," rather than "spiritual width" (number of members). A beautiful passage of scripture illustrates the point:
i) "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. -- Acts 2:41-47
ii) The church today would do well to concentrate on the bold words above, which builds spiritual depth in its members, and leave the underlined part to God (building the width).
iii) This in no way refutes outward evangelism as a focus of the church, but that it must be balanced with "feeding the flock" a gospel of repentance of sin that changes attitudes and lives. The gospel is not only "Good News," but a judgement as well upon everyone who hears it, an arbiter of the future destinies of men. There can be no gift of salvation without a shift in the total character of a person to the extent that their drives and motives are completely changed from pleasing men to pleasing God. Becoming a Christian means (1) acknowledging the error of old beliefs and abandoning them, (2) revising our opinion of Jesus to acknowledge Him as Savior and LORD, (3) gradually realizing that life must take on a new direction, with service given priority.
iv) Jesus did not state that those who hear and agree with the will of His Father would inherit the kingdom, but those who do the will of the Father.
b) Pragmatism - The church somehow got the idea it could declare peace with the enemies of God. Having absorbed the world's values, Christianity in our society is now dying. Subtly but surely, worldliness and self-indulgence are eating away the heart of the church.
i) For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. -1 Cor. 1:21-25
ii) "If the plain truth of the gospel doesn't penetrate the heart, no amount of cajoling or salesmanship on the part of the evangelist is going to bring a person to salvation." - John MacArthur
c) Greed
i) One of Satan's favorite "human qualities" is also one of his favorite tools to steal God's glory by tainting well intentioned saints.
ii) Look around and it doesn't take long to find "men of God" who probably started their journey to serve God pure, but who have strayed (led by Satan) into, often unintentional and unrealized, greed. It's very difficult to handle popularity and success with humility and dignity in any endeavor, and preaching The Word is no exception.
d) Errancy in scriptural interpretation
i) This differs from the next topic in that it is usually innocent and not motivated by external agendas. Close-mindedness is usually the cause.
e) Counterfeit religion
i) This takes errancy to a higher level. Often the perpetrator knows he/she is at odds with the Word of God, but they preach "what their itching ears want to hear," because it makes them popular, successful, and rich, with all the trappings that come with ill-gained money.

Is belonging and going to church mandatory for Christians?
a) God commands it. Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
b) Jesus died for the church. Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
c) The church is what Jesus established to finish His work - Listen as the Apostle Luke describes the newly formed church following Pentecost: "43A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-47all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved." (Acts 2:43-47)
d) If Jesus stressed any one point, drove any one theme home during all His sermons, it was that saints are to be distinguished from the unsaved because they "love one another." He commanded us to love the "unlovable," but also to spend more time and more effort loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The first test of our love for God is our love for His other children, our brothers and sisters in Christ. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death." (1 John 3:14) How can this be accomplished without active involvement in a local church (body of believers)? It is impossible!

 

Ps104_33 said <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>It's probably the same reason most Christians don’t go to church. Laziness.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sure looks like you have them all figured out. All the Christians who don’t attend a local assembly are sitting on the recliner with a bag of chips and a remote. Do you feel a bit better about yourself knowing that you are sitting on the pew? Laziness is not the reason for everyone.

John Wells Hello good Brother!
I want to comment on a couple of things in your post. I am assuming this is all a
commentary from John MacArthur. I remember listening to a sermon by John MacArthur
a few years ago. I could never document this so take it at its face value. He made the comment that if anyone did not go to Church then they were simply lost. I was witnessing to a gentlemen at the time who at my advise was also listening to the same station, so I had to explain to him that was not true.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>(there are NO valid reasons for not being actively committed to a church)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
First off this statement is very untrue. A very obvious reason would be due to
illness, or the inability to attend due to a physical ailment. But there are truly Spiritual reasons as well. Like the one I gave, a theological one. Let us say that the only local assembly available within a reasonable distance was strictly Catholic or Pentecostal, would you feel comfortable in your witness to send a new Christian there? I know I wouldn’t! Now lets say that there was a free-will Baptist around the corner, would you really want to be a witness for that assembly? Now down the street a way is First liberal Church of so and so... Does that sound appealing? Then there is the Independent Fundamental KJVO legalistic Church out on main street... do you want to attend that? My point being that there are situations where theological reasons do exists. And the thought of simply trying to tolerate the fact that there is not a perfect Church does not do for a person who cares deeply for others, and for the truths of God’s word. It causes more havoc for the spiritual wellness, than good.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>We need the church as much as a starving baby needs his mother's milk. We cannot grow or be nourished without the church. Possessing Christ and despising the church is an intolerable contradiction which none can bear. We cannot have Christ without embracing the church.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I guess this one caused me too shake my head the most. As it certainly does imply that your lost if you don’t have a Church home. I would really like to know where the Scripture teaches that we are nourished within the four walls of a local Church. We receive the sanctification through the Word of God. By the Study and medication through prayer being in the Word. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>iv) Jesus did not state that those who hear and agree with the will of His Father would inherit the kingdom, but those who do the will of the Father.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Is this then implying that the Fathers will is to do something like attend Sunday morning Church before one can inherit the Kingdom? The will of the Father was to believe in the Son. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>b) Jesus died for the church. Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I agree with this statement, but Christ died for the Body of Christ as a whole. The universal Body, not the local one. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>d) If Jesus stressed any one point, drove any one theme home during all His sermons, it was that saints are to be distinguished from the unsaved because they "love one another." He commanded us to love the "unlovable," but also to spend more time and more effort loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The first test of our love for God is our love for His other children, our brothers and sisters in Christ. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death." (1 John 3:14) How can this be accomplished without active involvement
in a local church (body of believers)? It is impossible!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I tell you, what a statement. Where does the Bible say that we cannot love our brethren unless we go to a local assembly? And secondly, let us be realistic. Lost people see much more than we give them credit for. Hypocritical people are in Churches, instead of skirting this we should admit to it. We are told to love one another, and here MacArthur tells us this is impossible unless we are Church goers. Let’s bring in a lost person to a business meeting and let them see the great love found in Church. Let us bring them into the latest gossip sessions, and lets see how much love is in that.

I greatly appreciate your post, and found some of it that I am in agreement with. But I think it is very narrow minded and a bit pridefull to say the least. Sharing Christ with the lost world is about winning their trust, showing your concern, sharing the truths of the Word of God, introducing them to Christ and encouraging them to read His message. That is what the Church(universal) is called to do, not invite them to hear a sermon and sing amazing grace, hoping they walk an aisle.

With great love,
Chet

[ November 18, 2001: Message edited by: Chet ]

 

As an interesting side note -- the great commission is not being fulfilled if churches are not either being founded or being increased. Notice that the Great Commission involves baptism -- which is the introductory ordinance of the local church.

I am in basic agreement with what John has posted. I do agree with Chet that health is a valid reason to not attend -- though it never ceases to amaze me how people who can get to lunch or dinner, the mall, a family function, a ball game, work, etc. just can't make it to church. I have always said the question is, "Would I go to work if I feel like this?" If the answer is yes, then you ought to be in church. Many people skip a church service for an "illness" they would never miss work or a ballgame for.

If the only church is a pentecostal or catholic church, the answer is not to not go -- the answer is to start a biblical church. The "unchurched Christian" is something the NT knows nothing about and would to God it was something modern Christianity knew nothing about.

 

Hi Pastor Larry,

Let me ask you a question about authority if I may. Is the local Church the only authoritative means in which a person can be baptized, and who in that Church can perform this function? Must that person receive ordination, and by whom does the ordination come through? Also on the same lines, on starting a new church, does that require a person who is given authority from a sister church somewhere? And exactly what does it mean exactly to start another Church, i.e. another building, another pastor, another deacon board, which would naturally result in another Church that runs exactly the same as the one down the street. ( I do really want your opinion on this)

A little over a year ago, some aspiring Christians along with a Pastor of 15-20 years did this exact thing. He asked for my help, and even sent me to classes on Church planting. We found and rented a building, and met there with the purpose of discipleship. The Bible was to be studied in detail, and we were all sure to break from the traditional type services. While all were not in agreement (myself mostly) we were part of the SBC, mostly for the funds. Needless to make a long story short, in time we found ourselves right in the middle of something I wanted no part of, another mainline traditional, shallow church. One where some members held views of ecumenical thinking, even after all the strong teachings that I gave.

I agree with you Brother in that there are truly people who love the world, can go to the Baseball game, watch football, and care nothing about Church or God at all and come up with lame excuses. I am not speaking of these people, and I sure hope that people
understand that. There are those though who have become tired of the traditional,
shallow, services where numbers is the goal, and tithing is all that is preached along with long winded stories as a sermon. It would be extremely wrong for me to generalize all Churches, I am sure there are some very good ones... I would love to attend the one where Pastor Larry preaches. But it is equally wrong to sit in a pious judgment of those who do love God, the Word, and the lost yet can’t seem to find a way to tolerate false teachings and repetitious ritualistic services. And sadly, at least in my neck of the woods, that is about all you get.

And again, I can’t help but say that we put entirely to much emphasis on attending a local Church. Christians are not sanctified by going to a church service. He is not made purer or brought closer to God by sitting in that pew singing a few songs. He certainly does feel better about his/her self as he/she has now done something for God. That is our natural flesh, in that Jesus paid all our debt, and is sanctifying us through the Word, and loves us unconditionally... we feel the fleshly need to do something. I just don’t
want to be in the trap, one I once had, of feeling like the better Christian than Mr. Jones.

And as far as a witness to others, God help us if we are out there sharing Christ in a way that seems as legalistic as becoming a member of His family requires that the dues must be paid to a local assembly, every Sunday and Wednesday regardless... otherwise your less of a good Christian.

With love, Chet

{{ I thought hard about posting this, because I fear that people will misunderstand me or think I am anti-church, I am not anti-church.)}

[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: Chet ]

 

I really believe the so called "excuses" John refered to in not attending church are actually very valid reasons, for the exception of the hypocrites one. Many Christians are so hurt from churches who beat them into the ground instead of loving them and helping them to grow and learn and I know if there were only the type of chuches I grew up in around I certainly wouldn't even consider attending. I really don't feel it's in our places to judge those not attending church, there could be many reasons of why and unless it's made obvious by the person we can't sit in judgement of them but do your best in loving them and helping them to grasp that God does love them no matter what others have done to them.

As a sheep, if you were attacked by the rest of the herd and you were wounded would you go back into another flock that fast without caution rising up?

karen

 

As an evangelist having preached at over 100 churches in the last 2 years, I believe many Christians are not in church because the churches they have attended are so full of unbelief. Dead religiosity is all that remains.

 

So do the people that have replied to this post GO to church? (not to sound like haste, just curious)

 

not everytime the doors are open but yes I go to church. mostly on sunday mornings and hardly ever on wednesdays.

karen