I haven’t been to church in a long time.

[2 Chr. 34:19]

I wonder if church meetings do anything other than reinforcing the status quo which generally achieves nothing other than making people feel that they have done their bit and therefore they do not need to put any effort into changing the world.

Good point. It’s not about us...thankyou

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

I enjoyed your rant because it is mostly true.

Mostly

 

[Josho]

Lucky you.

Just up the road in SA meant 5 hours+ BTW hahaha.

 

[bbyrd009]

I wonder if church meetings do anything other than reinforcing the status quo which generally achieves nothing other than making people feel that they have done their bit and therefore they do not need to put any effort into changing the world.

i have literally heard believers on a forum, more than once, state that "its ok to trash the planet bc Jesus is going to make us a new one!" yikes!

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

I enjoyed your rant because it is mostly true.

It’s true in my case

 

[Stan B]

And because of that, I feel guilty. Should I be guilty?

Ryan, we have different reasons for not attending church, whether age and lack of mobility, or perhaps there isn't a conveniently local church worth attending.

I am 78 years of age, and have some mobility problems that keep me home. I note you are from Tennesee. My favourite pastor from the days I used to be able to travel 2000 km south to Florida, is also from Tennessee, Dr. Jeff Parish at Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida. One of the most delightful pastors I have ever heard. I tune into him every week via internet, and he has a ton of past sermons also available on their website.

On-Demand - Indian Rocks Baptist Church

Check out some of his sermons. I have never heard one that I didn't learn something new. You might find new life in what the church has to offer.

 

[Deborah_]

What if the doctrine contradicts the early church of The Bible? What if the leaders are lying to the laity, procuring tithes under false pretense (Ananias & Saphira) having extra-marital affairs-leading youth astray? What if we give our resources & time to that church-are we accountable to The Lord when we allow ourselves to be deceived? Rant over

Go to another church

 

[theophilus]

Jesus never demanded any one attend church all He ever did was ask men to follow Him and so few are willing.

It is impossible to obey all of his commands without attending church. For example, just before his arrest he established a new ordinance called the Lord's Supper. You cannot practice this without meeting together.

Jesus also set an example for us by regularly attending the synagogues. I doubt if many of the synagogues were any better than today's churches but he didn't use that as an excuse for not attending. We shouldn't let it keep us from going to church.

your gatherings do more harm than good

so imo "no"

This is an example of taking a Bible statement completely out of context to promote false teaching. This statement is found in 1 Corinthians 11:17. If you want to know what Paul was teaching read the rest of the chapter. Paul wasn't telling anyone they didn't need to go to church; he was telling them how they were to behave in church. Throughout the New Testament you find Christians gathering together for fellowship and instruction. If we want to follow Christ we must follow their example.

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

Go to another church

Lol. We did, and another, and another.
Never allow ourselves to get too attached anymore. At one place, ended up with a Bible group leader-parasitic who suggested fellowship (at ours, with a meal) every night. We both worked full-time & He was unemployed! Crazy

 

[Helen]

Me neither. Maybe it’s for our benefit, if the teaching is dodgy. I’m a guilty person, but don’t feel guilty about this. I do miss church though

Me neither.
I DO miss good true Holy Spirit led worship...but, what is dished up today as teaching...I'd rather not have.

The last few times we tried a new church ...I ask my husband if we can leave , I can't stay, because it grieves me too much to just sit and listen to it. Sad.

We are the Church collectively.
Trouble is I am old now...been in too many wonderful meeting ...have 'once tasted'... I believe in Body ministry, the whole body functioning as God leads...I can't sit under one man who hold the reigns tight expecting the body to just sit there and listen to him do his thing every week.

But that is just me...I have no guilt at all.

 

[Candidus]

I have been to an underground Aussie Church, very exciting.

Why would you dig a hole and put a Church in it?

 

[Candidus]

i have literally heard believers on a forum, more than once, state that "its ok to trash the planet bc Jesus is going to make us a new one!" yikes!

I have been to Heathen Doctrine "Churches" that make not recycling to be a sin!

The resources are here for us. God made it that way. But stewardship makes perfect sense. If someone donates a car to a missionary, the regular care and maintenance makes sense. If you drive it abusively, or do not add or change the oil, you lose the resource. If I fish in a pond, God put that resource there for me. If I fish it to excess, the pond (resource) will not be productive for me.

Many "churches" today make Heathen Earth Worship part of their doctrine. That too is just as wrong as saying that it is OK to trash a resource.

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

Me neither.
I DO miss good true Holy Spirit led worship...but, what is dished up today as teaching...I'd rather not have.

The last few times we tried a new church ...I ask my husband if we can leave , I can't stay, because it grieves me too much to just sit and listen to it. Sad.

We are the Church collectively.
Trouble is I am old now...been in too many wonderful meeting ...have 'once tasted'... I believe in Body ministry, the whole body functioning as God leads...I can't sit under one man who hold the reigns tight expecting the body to just sit there and listen to him do his thing every week.

But that is just me...I have no guilt at all.

Sounds a bit like us. People may say we’re fussy, but we believe that we have to be careful not to ‘be deceived’ again . We’re getting on too, and wasting time isn’t an option at our age

 

[Candidus]

Go to another church

I agree with your answer, yet not every "Church" functions, or can be classified as a true Church. I do not think that we are commanded to fellowship in any Church that is fatally wrong in their doctrine. Sometimes it is not as easy to find a functioning Church as one might think.
If I go to a Church, and all it does is frustrate me because I went, and it does so almost every service, I do not believe that that is God's will either. Attending, just for the sake of checking the "Christian Perfect Attendance Box" is not gratifying or Biblical.

One place I lived we were active in a Church, yet it just was not satisfying. We went to a Camp Meeting for a Church that was an hour away, and we immediately felt the love and move of the Spirit. We travelled one hour to the Church, one hour back... and two hours later we repeated the trip. (We had to get home for the dogs.) After a few weeks, people routinely invited us to stay for a meal after the service, and "invited" our dogs to come with us. This saved us the extra two hours of driving.

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

The church we joined three years ago was great. A lovely family church. We didn’t stumble in, but researched it. Then the Vicar left and was replaced by somebody whose teaching was so wrong. We may go back, but this guy will be there for another 2 years! We read The Bible, sometimes break bread, and pray at home. Don’t know what else we can do at the moment

 

[theophilus]

The church we joined three years ago was great. A lovely family church. We didn’t stumble in, but researched it. Then the Vicar left and was replaced by somebody whose teaching was so wrong. We may go back, but this guy will be there for another 2 years! We read The Bible, sometimes break bread, and pray at home. Don’t know what else we can do at the moment

You could look for another church. In fact, that is what you should do.

 

[2 Chr. 34:19]

You could look for another church. In fact, that is what you should do.

Agree

 

[mjrhealth]

It is impossible to obey all of his commands without attending church. For example, just before his arrest he established a new ordinance called the Lord's Supper. You cannot practice this without meeting together.

It is impossible to know Christ without going to Christ,but still today He is denied, One needs Jesus not church

 

[marksman]

It is impossible to obey all of his commands without attending church. For example, just before his arrest he established a new ordinance called the Lord's Supper. You cannot practice this without meeting together.

Jesus also set an example for us by regularly attending the synagogues. I doubt if many of the synagogues were any better than today's churches but he didn't use that as an excuse for not attending. We shouldn't let it keep us from going to church.


This is an example of taking a Bible statement completely out of context to promote false teaching. This statement is found in 1 Corinthians 11:17. If you want to know what Paul was teaching read the rest of the chapter. Paul wasn't telling anyone they didn't need to go to church; he was telling them how they were to behave in church. Throughout the New Testament you find Christians gathering together for fellowship and instruction. If we want to follow Christ we must follow their example.

The question is which church are you referring to? His church or the one created by men?

Jesus attending the synagogue because he was a Jew and having studied what went on in the synagogue, they were far superior to the present-day church.


Good, let's follow their example. They met daily. Does your church meet daily? They met in homes. Does your church meet in homes? They met in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Saturday). Does your church meet in the synagogue on Saturday? When they met in homes they always sat around a table and had a meal. Does your church sit around a table and have a meal? When they met together they learnt from others examples and talking about things amongst themselves. Does your church learn by example and talk amongst themselves. When they met together they learnt from the scriptures in the Old Testament. Does your church do this? When they met together they sang songs from the psalms. Does your church do this?

If your question is no to anything from the above them you are not following their example.

And if the Lord established something called the Lord's Supper why is it the NTC ignored it?

 

[marksman]

Why would you dig a hole and put a Church in it?

I have heard that it makes you more holy.