why go to church?
Yesterday, someone named Xander left a comment on my blog which I answered and after I did, I discovered a few typos and as I'm apt to do, a bit of rambling on a theme. I didn't feel the answer in itself did the question justice so I spent some time in the scriptures last evening in the hope I could answer the question better. This morning I think I can do that.
First off, we have to look at what a church is. Is it the building (mine is easily identifiable as a church by the style of architecture in its construction), as are many others? You can't drive through a neighborhood in Utah without finding a ward house that belongs to the LDS church and most are easily identifiable. The building has a purpose just as my church does. It's where people meet to worship God.
I'm not going to get into dogma with anyone. First off I'm not educated enough in the scriptures to do that. I know what I believe; what I believe is the Truth that comes from God's Word to us; the Bible. In the Bible, there are many places where we're warned of false prophets and I think that's as true today as it was when the various books of the Bible were written. I attend a church where the Word is preached and each Sunday I take something away from the message in the sermon that I can apply to my life. I got to church to worship God with other believers, but the first couple of times I went, I can tell you that I myself hadn't truly accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Furthermore, I'll admit to not understanding what being a Christian meant right at first and my transformation from the man I was into the man I am now did not happen all at once. That story is for another day (October 23...more about that later on though). The question at hand is about the comment.
Church is one thing that happens when we as a family of believers gather together to sing praises to God, to worship or Savior, to pray for each other and to share in each other's joys and praises for the blessings the Heavenly Father bestows upon us. It's a time we can share in the ordinance of the "Lord's Supper", to remind us the sacrifice Christ made on behalf of all sinners. And clearly, church is something God has ordained for us. Paul's letters to the many churches that compromise part of the New Testament indicate that. But church is something more.
Church is something believers do. It's something we become a part of. It's outreach in the community. It's doing something as simple as sharing a hot dog with a passer-by on a sunny summer evening. It's sharing what we have with others in need. The building serves a purpose, too. Not only is it a place for us to meet and worship, but it's a beacon to the lost and hurting. It's a place to turn to to find someone who can help us in a spiritual time of need. I needed help and I knew where to find it because I knew where the church was and I knew where the pastor would be. Thank God for my church being there! Churches sponsor missionaries, too, to go out to the world and fulfill the great commission. They also function to serve that purpose in the local community. Those are just some of the things a church is, in my humble opinion.
The question, I think, is "why do I think you'll go to hell if you don't go to church?" I don't. I think the Bible states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that none of us can find salvation and forgiveness of sin without accepting Christ as Lord and Savior in our lives. I didn't do this at church. I did it at home and God took me where I was. And through a slow and painful process, He took me through some things that helped me realize the errors of my past thoughts and ways. Going to church became part of my life at this time and as I applied the truths I heard at church in my life, it started to change for the better.
I encourage y'all to go to church for a couple of reasons. First off, I hope that everyone that reads my blog will accept the free gift of Salvation that God offers us. Walking with Christ in your life is something wonderful and I'd like everyone to know that peace and joy. Second, and more importantly, I want folks to know that there's a place you can turn to and find spiritual healing and refreshment by sharing a time of worship with other believers. I'm hoping that if someone's hurting, they'll hear just the right message from God's word to bring them hope. I'm praying that none of you ever go through the things I brought upon myself by living an ungodly lifestyle.
The question cited a couple of Bible verses to indicate that church has little to do with going to heaven. I suggest to each of you that you take some time and read the scripture passages themselves that the commenter posted; not just the particular verses. I think you'll find a larger meaning in them.
There are those that, for various reasons, can't or don't attend worship services regularly. This again is where the church becomes a function. There are many that minister to those in hospital (I love the Brits, it's never in the hospital, it's in hospital), in homes, in the streets. Remember, the message of Christianity is one of love, forgiveness, and salvation. My question is mostly, and one that each has to answer for himself/herself, is "why don't you?" It's not a matter between me and anyone, it's a matter between each person and God. So is each person's response to hearing the Good News. As for me, I'm still trying to get that plank out of my own eye so I don't judge others.
I hope I've done the question a bit more justice this morning and I'd encourage you all to go to church just as I always do. You can't put God in a box and do your own thing. You can't cherry pick which part of God's word you want to believe or claim to be a believer and live a sinful lifestyle without consequence. Jesus Himself talked of this in Matthew 7:15-23 and Luke 22-30. I encourage you to read these passages as well.
In the passage from Matthew are these words from the NIV translation: "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name did we not drive out many demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.'"
I know there are many people who are like I used to be. People who claim to be believers but you'd never know it from either the outward things in our lives or the things hidden in private where only a few can see. God sees and knows everything. I encourage folks to go to church, to come to know Christ because I believe this is where I was headed in my life before I knew Him. I know this is how I lived my life, much to my own sorrow and regret.
I hope that answers the comment much better than my first response.
And praise God for helping me not only find the right words to say, but for the wonderful things He is and that He does in all our lives. I just hope y'all aren't too busy that you miss it when He's reaching out to you.
First off, we have to look at what a church is. Is it the building (mine is easily identifiable as a church by the style of architecture in its construction), as are many others? You can't drive through a neighborhood in Utah without finding a ward house that belongs to the LDS church and most are easily identifiable. The building has a purpose just as my church does. It's where people meet to worship God.
I'm not going to get into dogma with anyone. First off I'm not educated enough in the scriptures to do that. I know what I believe; what I believe is the Truth that comes from God's Word to us; the Bible. In the Bible, there are many places where we're warned of false prophets and I think that's as true today as it was when the various books of the Bible were written. I attend a church where the Word is preached and each Sunday I take something away from the message in the sermon that I can apply to my life. I got to church to worship God with other believers, but the first couple of times I went, I can tell you that I myself hadn't truly accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Furthermore, I'll admit to not understanding what being a Christian meant right at first and my transformation from the man I was into the man I am now did not happen all at once. That story is for another day (October 23...more about that later on though). The question at hand is about the comment.
Church is one thing that happens when we as a family of believers gather together to sing praises to God, to worship or Savior, to pray for each other and to share in each other's joys and praises for the blessings the Heavenly Father bestows upon us. It's a time we can share in the ordinance of the "Lord's Supper", to remind us the sacrifice Christ made on behalf of all sinners. And clearly, church is something God has ordained for us. Paul's letters to the many churches that compromise part of the New Testament indicate that. But church is something more.
Church is something believers do. It's something we become a part of. It's outreach in the community. It's doing something as simple as sharing a hot dog with a passer-by on a sunny summer evening. It's sharing what we have with others in need. The building serves a purpose, too. Not only is it a place for us to meet and worship, but it's a beacon to the lost and hurting. It's a place to turn to to find someone who can help us in a spiritual time of need. I needed help and I knew where to find it because I knew where the church was and I knew where the pastor would be. Thank God for my church being there! Churches sponsor missionaries, too, to go out to the world and fulfill the great commission. They also function to serve that purpose in the local community. Those are just some of the things a church is, in my humble opinion.
The question, I think, is "why do I think you'll go to hell if you don't go to church?" I don't. I think the Bible states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that none of us can find salvation and forgiveness of sin without accepting Christ as Lord and Savior in our lives. I didn't do this at church. I did it at home and God took me where I was. And through a slow and painful process, He took me through some things that helped me realize the errors of my past thoughts and ways. Going to church became part of my life at this time and as I applied the truths I heard at church in my life, it started to change for the better.
I encourage y'all to go to church for a couple of reasons. First off, I hope that everyone that reads my blog will accept the free gift of Salvation that God offers us. Walking with Christ in your life is something wonderful and I'd like everyone to know that peace and joy. Second, and more importantly, I want folks to know that there's a place you can turn to and find spiritual healing and refreshment by sharing a time of worship with other believers. I'm hoping that if someone's hurting, they'll hear just the right message from God's word to bring them hope. I'm praying that none of you ever go through the things I brought upon myself by living an ungodly lifestyle.
The question cited a couple of Bible verses to indicate that church has little to do with going to heaven. I suggest to each of you that you take some time and read the scripture passages themselves that the commenter posted; not just the particular verses. I think you'll find a larger meaning in them.
There are those that, for various reasons, can't or don't attend worship services regularly. This again is where the church becomes a function. There are many that minister to those in hospital (I love the Brits, it's never in the hospital, it's in hospital), in homes, in the streets. Remember, the message of Christianity is one of love, forgiveness, and salvation. My question is mostly, and one that each has to answer for himself/herself, is "why don't you?" It's not a matter between me and anyone, it's a matter between each person and God. So is each person's response to hearing the Good News. As for me, I'm still trying to get that plank out of my own eye so I don't judge others.
I hope I've done the question a bit more justice this morning and I'd encourage you all to go to church just as I always do. You can't put God in a box and do your own thing. You can't cherry pick which part of God's word you want to believe or claim to be a believer and live a sinful lifestyle without consequence. Jesus Himself talked of this in Matthew 7:15-23 and Luke 22-30. I encourage you to read these passages as well.
In the passage from Matthew are these words from the NIV translation: "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name did we not drive out many demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers.'"
I know there are many people who are like I used to be. People who claim to be believers but you'd never know it from either the outward things in our lives or the things hidden in private where only a few can see. God sees and knows everything. I encourage folks to go to church, to come to know Christ because I believe this is where I was headed in my life before I knew Him. I know this is how I lived my life, much to my own sorrow and regret.
I hope that answers the comment much better than my first response.
And praise God for helping me not only find the right words to say, but for the wonderful things He is and that He does in all our lives. I just hope y'all aren't too busy that you miss it when He's reaching out to you.
I did not mean to come across as rude with my question. Where i'm from we aren't blessed with a "church" as you call it. I do attend worship services but they are held in a different place each month.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that "church"? There are parts of the world where Christians meet in secret. It's not about the fancy building. It's about what happens when the people are gathered there, but even so much more than that, it's about what the people that gather there do after they leave on Sunday with what they've heard, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't offended at your remarks. I would though, just encourage you not to use a particular verse of scripture, out of context, for the sake of proving a point.
No a "church" is a building which in your context you are using as an idol. Which fits right into my scripture. We are a congregation that meets for "worship services" either it be outside, in a warehouse or in someone's home. What we do after we leave there is shown in how we live our lives each and every day.
ReplyDelete