Reasons NOT to attend church!

[Jedi Knight]

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................AND..........................................................................................................................Ok that all I could think of.:type:

 

[righteousdude2]

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................AND..........................................................................................................................Ok that all I could think of.:type:

It burned down? It was repossessed? It was swallowed in a sink hole? A tornado carried it off to Kansas? Just some thoughts of why we may not attend church!

 

[Jedi Knight]

It burned down? It was repossessed? It was swallowed in a sink hole? A tornado carried it off to Kansas? Just some thoughts of why we may not attend church!

.............................................Oh remind me not to go to yours then!

 

[T Alan]

You cannot find it's location.

 

[Van]

Is going to church asking too much?

What is the church? A social club for saints? A hospital for sinners? A support group for weak people? A home for hypocrites?

Obviously the church enjoys a distorted reputation in the world. The truth is that the church never meets. In fact, the majority of its membership role is dead. There are no leaders at its meetings. If fact, it never meets. It has no building. The charter members joined on the day of Pentecost and the last new members class will begin shortly before the rapture. Its purpose statement says a whole lot of pushing and shoving should be going on. Not exactly the church you had in mind, is it? Oh, I forgot one thing, the Pastor’s name is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is kind of exclusive; you have to turn everything over to the Pastor when you join. If you hold back anything, your name will not appear in the membership book.

Lets do an inventory and see if you are prepared to turn loose of whatever is blocking your membership.

Are you ready to love other members in the same way that Jesus loved you?

Are you ready to honor other members above yourself?

Are you ready to agree with other members in all non-essential matters?

Are you ready to accept other members, just as Christ accepted you?

Are you ready to bear other members burdens? (Think of the financial implications.)

Are you willing to be as devoted to other members as you are to your family?

Are you willing to be a true friend of other members, admonishing them in love?

Are you ready to encourage and build-up other members? (Think of prayer prep-time)

Are you willing to submit to other members out of reverence for Christ?

Are you willing to be completely humble and gentle with other members?

Are you ready to serve other members in love?

The grading of this test is stiff. In order to score at all, you must be an active member, if you are physically able, in a local assembly of believers. Take it again and again until you score 100%.


References:
Matthew 16:18
Matthew 28:18-20
Matthew 19:16-22
Matthew 25:31-46
John 13:34-35
Romans 12:10
Romans 15:5
Romans 15:7
Galatians 6:2
Romans 15:14
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Ephesians 5:21
Ephesians 4:2
Galatians 5:13
1 Peter 4:10
1 Timothy 3:14-5
2 Corinthians 13:5

 

[annsni]

I will tell you our good reasons for not going to church:

* We are ill. It is best to stay home if one is ill so as to not infect everyone else at church.

* You are away on vacation. In this case, if at all possible, find another place to worship for that Sunday.

* The weather is so frightful!! When we have states of emergency or snow emergencies due to the weather, that means that we are to stay off the roads. I certainly don't want anyone getting injured and sometimes we need to cancel church to keep everyone safe. In this case if you showed up, you'd not be allowed inside since the doors would be locked.

* Ummm - ummmm - Oh! OK - If one of your family members is sick and in need of care. When my daughter was in the hospital, there were Sundays that I didn't make it to church. Also when my kids were younger and someone was sick, I'd stay home with them or when the older girls were big enough, sometimes one of them would stay home with the littles.

* A new mama with a newborn should probably stay home for a few weeks, especially during cold and flu season.

I think that's about it!

 

[T Alan]

I will tell you our good reasons for not going to church:

* We are ill. It is best to stay home if one is ill so as to not infect everyone else at church.

* You are away on vacation. In this case, if at all possible, find another place to worship for that Sunday.

* The weather is so frightful!! When we have states of emergency or snow emergencies due to the weather, that means that we are to stay off the roads. I certainly don't want anyone getting injured and sometimes we need to cancel church to keep everyone safe. In this case if you showed up, you'd not be allowed inside since the doors would be locked.

* Ummm - ummmm - Oh! OK - If one of your family members is sick and in need of care. When my daughter was in the hospital, there were Sundays that I didn't make it to church. Also when my kids were younger and someone was sick, I'd stay home with them or when the older girls were big enough, sometimes one of them would stay home with the littles.

* A new mama with a newborn should probably stay home for a few weeks, especially during cold and flu season.

I think that's about it!

Several years ago, I was attending the South Georgia Bible Conference in Valdosta Georgia. The second day my daughter, then about 12, said she didn't want to go because she wasn't feeling well. Instead of letting her stay at the motel and thusly my wife as well, I encouraged her to "go anyway". Mid service she looked at me and was swelling, I directed her towards the back door. Running, she de swelled just after passing through the doors (still in the foyer). The greeters were great guys and took care of it without comment. Thank God for "True Servants". Needless to say, I don't "make" her go it she doesn't want to nowadays.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

It sucks:laugh:

 

[annsni]

Several years ago, I was attending the South Georgia Bible Conference in Valdosta Georgia. The second day my daughter, then about 12, said she didn't want to go because she wasn't feeling well. Instead of letting her stay at the motel and thusly my wife as well, I encouraged her to "go anyway". Mid service she looked at me and was swelling, I directed her towards the back door. Running, she de swelled just after passing through the doors (still in the foyer). The greeters were great guys and took care of it without comment. Thank God for "True Servants". Needless to say, I don't "make" her go it she doesn't want to nowadays.

Poor thing!!! Yeah, I've learned MANY years ago - trust the child unless they truly really have no symptoms. Fortunately, my kids WANT to go to church and so if they are not feeling well and they want to stay home, I know it's the real thing.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Do the JW 's that were at my doorstep yesterday....do they count as a church?

 

[TCassidy]

1. You're dead.
2. You're in the hospital.
3. You're in jail.

 

[Jedi Knight]

Do the JW 's that were at my doorstep yesterday....do they count as a church?

Nope....Never! They are a cult....run Forest!

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Nope....Never! They are a cult....run Forest!

Well they would like me to join...even made a special trip to my house yesterday. :smilewinkgrin:

They say they are a church:laugh:
....so do the RC 's the 7 Dayers, the Unitarians, the United Methodists....blah blah blah....ha ha ha.......the "Church " ....tah.

 

[Jedi Knight]

Well they would like me to join...even made a special trip to my house yesterday. :smilewinkgrin:

Picture them as Darth Vader asking you to "Give yourself to the Dark Side." :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Picture them as Darth Vader asking you to "Give yourself to the Dark Side." :smilewinkgrin:

Yes.....that's how I view most churches as well.:laugh:

 

[Iconoclast]

Earth, Wind & Fire

It sucks:laugh:

This comment is quite shameful and has no place on a Christian board..
The bible does not agree with your profane judgement

even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 

[righteousdude2]

Yes.....that's how I view most churches as well.:laugh:

Well, since you, we, are the church .... what does that say about you? It is becoming more and more evident that you have been hurt by the church (the brick and mortar and its members). Nevertheless, the truth is, ITL, you are the church, all of us together make up the church.

I once met a man who told me he did not attend church because it was filled with hypocrites. I told that man that this was a good thing, to which he was puzzled and asked why I'd say that? I told him that was a good thing because his statement meant he was not a hypocrite, and I needed people who knew what hypocrisy was and professed to not be one themselves.

He visited, and to make things short; he eventually became my associate pastor! Something tells me, once you sort out the pain and forgive those who caused that pain, you'd be a great part of the true church. Who knows, maybe you'd be a pastor some day, too! :thumbs:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Well, since you, we, are the church .... what does that say about you? It is becoming more and more evident that you have been hurt by the church (the brick and mortar and its members). Nevertheless, the truth is, ITL, you are the church, all of us together make up the church.

I once met a man who told me he did not attend church because it was filled with hypocrites. I told that man that this was a good thing, to which he was puzzled and asked why I'd say that? I told him that was a good thing because his statement meant he was not a hypocrite, and I needed people who knew what hypocrisy was and professed to not be one themselves.

He visited, and to make things short; he eventually became my associate pastor! Something tells me, once you sort out the pain and forgive those who caused that pain, you'd be a great part of the true church. Who knows, maybe you'd be a pastor some day, too! :thumbs:

Please, please do not associate me with the present lazy church who takes little or no action to taking care of those less off than themselves. Seriously, I have seen a Roman Catholic priest pound the pavement in the past who offered life through Christ....he looked after the destitute....he put food in their mouths and hope in their hearts. Ive seen an old PCUSA Pastor call out a drunk in the middle of the night (the young man lost his wife to cancer leaving him with two infant children) chastise him, pray with him, cry with him and then take care of the spiritual and physical needs through the community........yes and I have seen great compassion and love from true church and true community & that is in the past so I have a deep frame of reference. Not so much today however. I see gatherings of people there to feel good about themselves but never consider those less fortumate. One in my community has never in 40 years ever gone out into the community....but yet they claim to be Christians. Now that's shameful!

Seriously Dude....this is my call to many of you to be awake. I assure you that the world is no longer believe in church as it is presented today. & they aren't getting them in....why should they.....do people see love there, love that goes out to the homeless and the destitute, to the unemployed, to the millions struggling from day to day to feed and clothed their families?

Their is a longing for churches to become active in the community.....to take Christ out of the church building and show the world a that Christians do indeed touch the flesh, that they see Christ in the least of their bretheren. The world will no longer going to accept a church with their heads firmly planted in the sand....it is tired of their lazy church with dogma.......they are no longer going to believe in these ideas that don't truly transform....but they will believe love. It will believe life truly given and received.

 

[Crabtownboy]

The preacher preaches his political agenda and not the message of Christ and/or how to live as a Christian.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The preacher preaches his political agenda and not the message of Christ and/or how to live as a Christian.

Yes..... SOMETIMES. But that's not principally my concern since you can take or leave any sermon a man can present. But it is really characteristic of many of the churches in my area, that they only pay lip service to the scripture on "Widows & Orphans, Charity for the poor & destitute, touching the flesh, etc." John 20:27, Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

They just don't go outa their way to reach out....to touch the flesh, to see Christ in the least of the brethren....and there is something terribly wrong with that. We as church shy away from Good Sam activities that display that our hearts are in Christ.....that we can & do love Christ & his creation 'together.'