What does the Bible say about going to church?

Best Answer

Answer

Hebrews 10:25.Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, Acts 2:42 and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. These are a few passages that speak of gathering together,praising and worshiping, and fellowshipping,which is what church is. It does not have to be a big congregation with added activities and entertainment. It can consist of 3 people praying together.

Another Answer:

In Matthew it says: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Mat. 18:20) and many people mistake the physical building that they go to and refer to it as the "Church". The church is the group of two or more who gather to worship, have communion and give praise to the Lord. You can have church at home with your family or any place of your choosing. The word "church" occurs 80 times in 79 verses in the King James version. In each occurance, the word is used to describe a congregation of people and not a building. The "gathering" of a group of people at a certain time on a certain day (sometimes twice daily) and then again mid-week does not necessarily make one a "Christian" by no means. Many churches can become stale and your soul needs feeding just as your body needs food to survive. Church is where you make it, whether it is a prison ministry, a homeless shelter or in the back of an ambulance going to the hospital. If you have questions about where to attend or how often is totally up to you. As long as your heart is in the right place and you let God be your guide, no one can tell you that you are in the wrong.

Fundamental Problem and Answer according to that problem


The problem of today is pride...And it is the reason that Satan fell from his glory as a covering angel. He was prideful before God (Read Ezekiel 28 for a description of Satan before he fell and Isaiah 14 for the reason he fell).


In this day and age the church is going to be deceived more and more and there is going to be a tendency to *run away* - there is nothing wrong in coming out of fellowship for a while to sort out issues in your heart but to leave it completely and setup your own can (but not always) mean that you are running away from issues that need to be dealt with. Iron sharpens Iron and when you are in a fellowship where people rub you up the wrong way then there is a tendency to force people to think like you do...pride is your number one enemy and the Lord will put you in situations where you have to quell that pride...it will bring you to tears and it will break you if you stick this out but it is something that has to be dealt with. (READ THESE PASSAGES, DO NOT IGNORE THEM Job 5:17, Prov 3:11 and James 1:4...many others like this if you ask the Lord to show you)


We need to *stand* in our churches even when it becomes a living nightmare...you are going to hear error, sinners mixing amongst the congregation, gossip, slander...everything under the sun is going to happen in the churches...you will run to another and all will seem peaceful but they will say the gifts are not for today...you will go to another and they will baptise infants and say they are saved...another and they will tolerate sin...but I tell you this...learn this..."Stay where God has put you"....I repeat...."Stay where God has put you" - When you see sin, pray for them...love them...bless them...but don't ignore it...pray for them first and when the time comes *gently...oh most gently* tell them and take them to the bible....not to judge them but to correct them. Remember also that some sins can be covered in love and mercy...don't try and change the externals of someone if their heart hasn't yet come to the Lord...look at the state of the heart...are they loving to others...never mind what they look like...are they loving (I don't mean wishy washy love...but loving...from the bible...not scared to tell the truth...do they love the Lord...) - the Lord changes hearts and then the externals will naturally change...you can't change someones heart only give them the gospel.


Now then...share the gospel at every moment you discern opportunity to do so. It is the power of God to save a soul...How do you share...well first of all...know what the gospel is...read (1cor15, 1 tim 3:16, Acts 2, Acts 10 and 11, John 3:16-18...and many more if you ask the Lord to show you).


The gospel is THE POWER OF GOD to save someones soul. drop that seed everywhere ... you plant, some will water and God will give the increase.


If a church is in sin you will know...ask the Lord to watch over you and pray to Him to guide your paths...BUT REMEMBER...the Lord will only guide your path IF "you are humble and subject yourself to others". The bible teachers that we are to count our brothers and sisters as better than us. It may be true that the brother or sister may be a false prophet, prideful, ignorant, arrogant...lover of self...all these things...but if they have been put in a church as a leader or teacher then you are first and foremost to "Love them, pray for them"...humble yourself.


You can find examples of this very thing all over the bible - Moses didn't run away from the sinning congregation when he came down from the mountain (Exodus 32) he prayed for them and cried before the Lord to not destroy them. Daniel loved the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar ... the king thought he was a God (the very thing that Satan thought before God cast him down), yet still Daniel subjected himself to the authority of the King. David (the king to be) loved Saul (the king who was to be removed)...He wouldn't lift a finger to de-throne him even though he had been told that he would be king...He loved him...why were these people like this - because God had put those people in positions of authority (the good and the bad) and for whatever reason it is there for us to heed an example.


Pride will ruin you...Let me say this again - PRIDE WILL ruin you and if you never bring it before the Lord to take it from you AND you continue to be hard hearted before your brothers and sisters then your soul will go with it into eternal flames. The churches are going to become apostate all over the world but we are to "bless those who curse us and do good to those who hate us" - Jesus Words (Gods words). ACCEPT where you are, humble yourself before the Lord and ask Him alone to guide your steps...keep loving, stay patient, bless the Lord and thank him continually, run away from sin and learn peace and humility before everyone...become lowly like Jesus did...make yourself as lowly as possible. Jesus who was the son of God...the one who created the whole heavens for His good pleasure - become lowly and poor - if the creator of everything living and breathing can become as lowly as this then WE MUST. If you can't make yourself lowly and thank God for all that you have and are then we are prideful...pride must be crucified...you must let the prideful man (your old man) be crucified at the cross and let the new man live through you - (lowly, peaceful, humble, loving...quietly serving...). The bible tells us to "practice being quiet and peaceful".



Even though we can be in the midst of a raging sea (and today we are in the beginning of the storm) you can know for sure that Jesus Christ is with you if you become peaceful, loving, quiet...faithful and knowing that He will bring you through it...we need to learn to walk on this sea with Jesus Christ. When he says to you...come to me...then don't look at the raging waves (the world) but keep your eyes fixed on Him (your Saviour, your King, your Lord...who loves you)...He alone will lift you up on wings like eagles (His wings not yours)...let Him deal with the world - just keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

Now - I finish this - you are a sinner, your church members are all sinners...you have all fallen short of the glory of God...none of you are better than any other...it is the grace of God that has shone in your heart that has turned you to Him...now walk in His footsteps and learn to love those sinners, your brothers and sisters...LEARN TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER...for by this you will be identified as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Take what is good to heart, reject what is bad, pray for those falling into sin, lift those out that need lifting...keep loving...If The Lord needs you to be moved then He will move you...He will guide your path...He will give you a VERY CLEAR signal to move away and move you...until then stand, and stand some more...worship and keep worshiping...praise Him daily and pray with tears and with joy for the people and the grace of God. (Read all of 1 John at this point).


God bless you and I hope and pray for everyone who is out there going through such a tough time...I know how hard it is brother or sister because I am going through the same...pray for one another...if you need someone to talk to then email me at (colin dot saxton at gmail dot com) (I put it like that to stop spammers). God bless you and keep praying

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