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To go or not to go… to church
Backyard Missionary says it’s categorically impossible to be a Christian and not be involved in a community of believers. What say ye?
I think the term ‘community of believers’ needs to be defined.
Yes,I agree with Jim,because everytime I talk with you all-I am involved with a community of believers-but I am a Christian as well-but I dont go to church……curious no one has really ever asked me why I dont attend….hmmmm.LOL
I’m yet to be convinced, it’s jut too narrow a perspective for me. I’ve been sitting mulling this over and while I see the point and agree to an extent, there’s something about “categorical” that doesn’t fit. When I became a Christian I became a part of the wider family of believers across space and time. But I didn’t become part of the family before becoming a follwer of Jesus. And from a differnet perspective, when I was born I was born into the “Pool” family. Am I any less a member of that family because I don’t get to… Read more »
A quick search for all of the things we are to do to “one another” in the new testament yields a pretty significant list. Many of the commandments acknowlege that it is not easy i.e. “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13
You could be a Christian and be disconnected, but unless you are seriously oppressed by an external force, you cannot be a obedient Christian and be disconnected.
I agree with Richard’s comment. I just makes me tired to read stuff like this and yet I read it anyway… one of the many inconsistencies within Christianity is all the talk about how easy it is to become a christian ( pray this prayer and mean it from your heart) and then afterward, the list appears. First God accepts you just as you are, and then, you’re not acceptable unless you do everything on the list. 1. daily devotions 2. tithing 3. witnessing 4. prayer 5. fasting 6. regular church attendance 7. volunteering 8.mission trips that’s my rant on… Read more »
K.T. and Jim are dead on when it comes to defining our terms here. I can’t speak for the author of the original post that I linked, but for me, a community of believers should necessarily include some but not all of the following: an understood agreement to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed in the New Testament; a willingness to lovingly hold each other accountable for the above; a sincere desire to extend and expand the kingdom of Christ by reaching others with His Gospel; some structure of leadership as the movement grows; identifiable “membership” which submits… Read more »
Pam, I don’t think it’s inconsistent at all, but rather it’s a matter of love. You said… First God accepts you just as you are, and then, you’re not acceptable unless you do everything on the list. First of all, God doesn’t accept us “as we are.” We must submit to Him as the Creator of All and recognize that there is only one name given under heaven by which men can be saved. That is the caveat. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When any… Read more »
Interesting to see the discussion!
Thanks Jeff 🙂
Perhaps those who haven’t read the original post should read it and see how I was defining a ‘covenant’ community of believers, because it is much more than going to church on Sunday!
I don’t believe it is a legalism as pam suggests, but an unavoidable implication of discipleship that needs to be spoken of even moreso in the individualistic world Jeff mentions
oooh KT is telling fibs, I ask her all the time to come, and why she doesn’t, do I not count???? I know my worshipping could in no way be as complete as it is without doing it in a group. Even a small group, of a handful of people would work for me, but I admit, I do enjoy our “slightly larger than small group” we have at Journey. I like knowing everyone’s names. And I like being able to present my own struggles to people I know are truly friends. Maybe everyone doesn’t need this closeness from their… Read more »
Shelley-I didnt meant that no one has asked why I dont go to Journey-No one has ever asked why I didnt go to church prior to journey or now-but not specifically to Journey.
great discussion! great discussion! i have to say, i cant really go along with the viewpoint that an online fellowship or community is anywhere near being on the same level as a fellowship or community of believers that regularly meets together in person. same would hold true for the many people i’ve known throughout the years that “go to church on the TV.” there may be wonderful preaching on TV, but there is a total lack of fellowship on the part of the viewer with the people who are members of the church that is broadcasting its services over the… Read more »
Kudos for the good topic, Jeff! It’s really got us talking.
Jim-
We are all disobedient in some way, shape or form in our christian walk.
KT… i dont want to be presumptuous, but just from reviewing what i’ve written here in the comments and what jim has written, i’m guessing your last comment was for me and not jim. if i’m wrong about that, accept my apology for being forward and replying to you here. you are correct, we all are at one time or another, in one way or another, disobedient… in other words, we sin. in my own life, (and please understand i am not trying to be boastful here), i try not to continue on in a sin once i’ve been convicted… Read more »
You are right,Deano,that last comment was for you-it has been crazy around here and my head is not always in the right place…..
Anyhow,I have a lists of reasons actually…..shoot me an email(I have one provided on my profile) 😀
Everyone… I think that someone who will say in this day and time that they can serve Jesus on their own is kidding themselves. First that completely defies the whole “body of Christ” concept. Even though our modern-day concept of “Church” is a little different than what we see in scriptures, we still stay consistent by gathering together with other believers (Hebrews 10:25), preaching and teaching the Gospel of Christ (Acts 5:42), and it’s still somewhat consistent with the apostles going to the synagogues for worship, teaching and prayer (acts 13:14 0 – do a study on what the Biblical… Read more »
TJ i agree pretty much with everything you’ve written here. i know of many folks down through the years that do not want to be confronted with the truth of the gospel, because once they’ve heard it, they have to act on it (either accept or reject it), and yes it will indeed change lives! back at the beginning of the comments, jim said that the term “community of believers” needs to be defined. one definition of “community of believers” could certainly be “church.” conversely, “church” could certainly be defined as “community of believers” too (unless, as you pointed out,… Read more »
KT…
i’ll take you up on that, but i cant seem to find your profile on your blog anymore…
It’s interesting to me how much feedback this simple post from a post has generated. I just completed reading Is Your Church Ready? Motivating Leaders to Live an Apologetic Life, and it had the following point in it about this very topic: Young believers think they can be solitary Christians It’s not just an issue being wrestled with occasionally; rather, it’s one that has an extraordinarily long life cycle that experiences ebbs and flows like the tide. The author says this about Christians who “think they can worship, pray, study Scripture, and practice the Christian disciplines all by themselves without… Read more »
[…] all started as a simple entry that linked to another blog. I had no idea that it was such a sensitive and vital subject for so […]
[…] friends. it’s about attending church. i think, within our group, it started with jeff here. and then misty here. and k.t. here. and shelley here. i don’t know if i left anybody […]
Hi Jeff ! Remember when we used to all gather at my house or shop to watch football? We did it because it was fun and exhilarating. Sometimes it was disappointing but we continued to prepare the snacks, clean up the messes and look forward to doing it again. We would talk about how the coach could have done things different or how some things went just right. It was so much fun getting together with all those friends. We shared a common enthusiasm for a team and that caused us to bond and focus on something other than the… Read more »
Rick, Wow. Very well said. I appreciate your comment, and I miss our game times and shop times as well! Many times, our church will gather into small groups on Sunday morning during the service to pray and lift up other churches in our area – and often we’ll pray for people groups around the world. We feel it’s a good practice, and it reminds us that our one church is interconnected with the whole Bride of Christ around the world. We bring far more glory to Christ when we love one another and work together. Thanks so much for… Read more »