Why go to church?


Dawg

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Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now.. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

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I can understand the whole going to church thing. But i also know that God is with us where ever we go. not just on sunday or saterday or whatever day you go to church on. Gods not just in a certain building on a certain day. he helps us through everyday every hour of are life. Many of you may remember sometime back there was a bunch of post made by me and a few other guys about the worldwide church of god and herbert w armstrong. I was involved in that religion for the 22 years of my life. Last year was such a very hard year/ good year for me but i came to see many faults and preconcived ideas that that church had/ has. I started seeing things in a different way lets just say. Not that im knocking that church by no means but i do know that alot of things that church was teaching was plain out wrong and untrue. So after doing many hours of praying and searching and contemplating i decided that that church was not for me. It may be right for some ppl but not for me. I now do not attend any church but that does not mean that god is not involved in my life. He very much is. I have gained very much wisdom and truth since the past 5 months i have stoped going there. But to wrap it all up i stone coldely belive that you dont haft to attend a certain building thats labeled as a church to be able to be nurished with the sprit of god.

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I can understand the whole going to church thing. But i also know that God is with us where ever we go. not just on sunday or saterday or whatever day you go to church on. Gods not just in a certain building on a certain day. he helps us through everyday every hour of are life. Many of you may remember sometime back there was a bunch of post made by me and a few other guys about the worldwide church of god and herbert w armstrong. I was involved in that religion for the 22 years of my life. Last year was such a very hard year/ good year for me but i came to see many faults and preconcived ideas that that church had/ has. I started seeing things in a different way lets just say. Not that im knocking that church by no means but i do know that alot of things that church was teaching was plain out wrong and untrue. So after doing many hours of praying and searching and contemplating i decided that that church was not for me. It may be right for some ppl but not for me. I now do not attend any church but that does not mean that god is not involved in my life. He very much is. I have gained very much wisdom and truth since the past 5 months i have stoped going there. But to wrap it all up i stone coldely belive that you dont haft to attend a certain building thats labeled as a church to be able to be nurished with the sprit of god.

I am going to go out on a limb here, in our "I'm OK, you're OK" polytheistic society and say that not all institutions that call themselves a "church" are truly the body of Christ on earth. Not all are Bible-based and doctrinally sound. I don't know anything about that church in particular, so I can't give an opinion on it. I do know this:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

the Maker of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into ****.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;

the holy catholic church;

the communion of saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

That I do know, and truly believe. I go to church to learn, grow, praise and commune. I can do some of it on my own outside church, but God told us to go to church, and he knows best, so I go.

HB

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Well i actually some what agree with you hoosier. Thats why i dont go to any church. because i can not find a church that teaches straight out of the bible. Im the type of person that when i do something i want to do it for real. I dont like to do things the fake way. For instance if i want to go deer or turkey hunting im not going to pop a cd- rom in to my computer and hunt fake animals online. No, im going to load up in my truck and hit the real woods. Where as in serving god i want the real thing too. Not just a fake sideshow where some hyprocrite preacher acts like he is preaching the word of god but behind the curtain he is living a totally different lifestyle. And i havent been able to find a church where i can see the truth coming straight out of the bible without a preacher having to mix up some of his ideas or opinons in. And in my opnion the reason they do like to mix their ideas in, is because alot of the ideas and opnions is what the ppl of this world is wanting to hear. Because when it comes out of the preachers mouth it makes the ppl feel justified for some of the commandments and comands that god has gave this world to live by, that the ppl are not keeping , when they should be. They are giving the ppl what they want to hear. After all it is the ppl supporting those churches. Im sorry if all that offended any1 but you dont gotta be affilated with a certain building or group or church to have access to god

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You got sucked into a bad church, so now you know all about churches, and they're no good. That's like taking a bite out of a buck's tarsal gland, getting a horrible taste in your mouth, and deciding that venison is just plain awful, and you don't need it.

Satan is loving your attitude. His "Divide and conquer" plan is working out just perfect on you!

I PM'd you, and I hope the Holy spirit gets into your heart and helps you see what you truly need.

Good luck,

HB

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I think church is a good thing;).What I don't like are some of the people that go:(. Some people think if you go to church on sunday the rest of the week they can be rude and do what ever is best for them.{selfish}:eek: Some people think if you don't go to church you are not a good person.I have many friends that don't go to church and they are better people than some of the people that go to our church:rolleyes:.No matter if you go to church or not you should be a good person everyday not just on sundays.:) Happy Easter to all:D

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I am the type of person who can remember what they have read,although not word for word, but I can remember the content, & there is just bunches of scripture that tell us we need to be interacting & how to be interacting with the rest of the body of Christ. Im sure there are those on here who are better at memorizing scripture who can quote it.

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Going to church does not mean you are a good person, just like being a good person does not mean you are going to heaven. If you really are a believer, then one love response to Christ will be a change for the better in your behavior and attitudes. Good behavior or showing up at church does not "earn" you anything, but it is pleasing to the God who made you and redeemed you, giving you life and eternal life. Church is a means to an end, not an end itself. The Spirit works through true churches all the time. It does a soul good to go.

HB

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Good discussion here, guess I will ad my 2 cents for what little they are worth.

I do not believe that whether I am in church or not should dictate or influence how I treat my fellow man, nor should it make me change what I already know about my saviour Jesus Christ and what he did for me and for us all. I know that God gave us His son so that we could through him have everlasting life, it is simple and is right there in John 3:16.

I think church is a good thing;).What I don't like are some of the people that go:(. Some people think if you go to church on sunday the rest of the week they can be rude and do what ever is best for them.{selfish}:eek:Some people think if you don't go to church you are not a good person.I have many friends that don't go to church and they are better people than some of the people that go to our church:rolleyes:.No matter if you go to church or not you should be a good person everyday not just on sundays.:) Happy Easter to all:D

Sadly there is a lot of truth in that and it can drive good people away from churches. I can relate to bad church experiences for sure. It is unfortunate that some people just don't get it, it is what is in your heart and trying to live your life in a way that pleases God, not the physical place where your body goes or does not go to on Sunday; you can have faith and a relationship directly with our maker without being in a church every Sunday, obviously for some folks going to church gets them closer and makes having that relationship easier for them and that is great for those people.

The sad truth for some is that they can be in church everytime the doors are open and still not be any better a person or any closer to God. I do not wish to offend anyone in any way here by saying this, but I have seen plenty of people in my short lifetime that have been the type who are better than everyone else because they attended this church or that church; and some of those same people are the ones who would cut your throat, screw you over, or cheat on their spouse the very first chance they get without giving it any thought. Maybe the problem as I see it is more isolated to small town southern communities, I don't know.

I will say this too, it is very disappointing when a man you trust as your preacher and friend lets you down, but then I guess it is a sort of reality check that that person is nothing more than a man. Easy to forgive, but awfully hard to forget and sure makes it difficult to trust another man in that position.

Well i actually some what agree with you hoosier. Thats why i dont go to any church. because i can not find a church that teaches straight out of the bible. Im the type of person that when i do something i want to do it for real. I dont like to do things the fake way. For instance if i want to go deer or turkey hunting im not going to pop a cd- rom in to my computer and hunt fake animals online. No, im going to load up in my truck and hit the real woods. Where as in serving god i want the real thing too. Not just a fake sideshow where some hyprocrite preacher acts like he is preaching the word of god but behind the curtain he is living a totally different lifestyle. And i havent been able to find a church where i can see the truth coming straight out of the bible without a preacher having to mix up some of his ideas or opinons in. And in my opnion the reason they do like to mix their ideas in, is because alot of the ideas and opnions is what the ppl of this world is wanting to hear. Because when it comes out of the preachers mouth it makes the ppl feel justified for some of the commandments and comands that god has gave this world to live by, that the ppl are not keeping , when they should be. They are giving the ppl what they want to hear. After all it is the ppl supporting those churches. Im sorry if all that offended any1 but you dont gotta be affilated with a certain building or group or church to have access to god

Been to different denominations with varied size congregations and I could see this as well, there is often influence and not direct teachings. I really honestly think for those people who go regularly and are happy where they are and hold true to leading a better life due to their church, that is great for them.

With all that said, sure I believe that the right church could strengthen my faith and my relationship with God.

I guess I do have a question on this topic, why do some churches or members of churches put so much emphasis on your attendance and on how much participation or involvement you have?

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William-

On that last question, it's partly because it is so easy to track attendance. Either you were there or you weren't. As opposed to something like this:

"Did you go to the Fish Fry on Friday?" "Sure." "Did you work or just go to eat?" "Well, I just went to eat, but I ended up clearing tables, but just for a little bit becasue the baby needed to go down." Well, did they get involved, or were they just grabbing dinner?

I think attendance is kind of like the criminal code-that is the bare minimum to keep you in good standing in the community (church). If you are there, then at least you are being exposed to the Word.

The issue about morally bankrupt people being church members with a superiority complex is not a Southern pneomena, sadly. Sometimes bad people do good things for bad reasons. I see the Devil at work to shake the foundation of the church when this stuff goes on. A bad person goes to church so that they can lord it over others. Another bad guy joins a secret society that vows allegiance to a diety (they even call it God) that has nothing to do with Christ-and they are very visible in their support of some otherwise very laudable charity. That must be a good group, look at how hard they work and how much money they raise for this charity! Yet, they are drawing people away from Christ. Satan is devious, determined and tireless. He does not abide by any rules and does not always appear evil. Every little game he can play to undermine one's faith in Christ is just another arrow in his quiver.

Enough for now.

HB

Edited by Hoosierbuck
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If a person wishes to become the best "hunter" that they can possibly be. They read everything they can, they talk with everyone they can, they attend every seminar they can, and they focus their lives on becoming a better hunter.

Becoming the best Christian that you can possibly be is the EXACT same thing. Read all you can, talk to everyone you can, attend every "seminar" you can, and focus your life on Christ.

I don't attend church every week because I'm a "good" Christian.............I attend church because I'm a "bad" Christian. But, God and I are working on it.....together.

If you had a bad experience at a church and have decided that church is not for you, you have turned your back towards God. I know that sounds a little harsh, but making the decision to not attend church and open up your mind and heart towards God is the same as turning your back to him. I suggest you try again and find a church that pleases you................It'll please him as well.

Home Bible Study is a good thing, but unless you majored in Theology you probably aren't qualified to teach it. The input of others will allow your Christian Spirit to grow ten-fold and the relationships that you form will change your life and you will change theirs. You can read every book ever written by Jim Shockey and become a better hunter. But, spending a month hunting with Jim Shockey will change you even more.........substantially.

The idea that reading the Bible alone will allow you to mature as a Christian, is fool-hearty at best. You need the opinions and input of others to get it done. That can happen most easily at Church.

Just like hunting................get out there and PRACTICE....PRACTICE.... PRACTICE.

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ONE MORE THING............................

For most people going to church involves getting out of bed, getting cleaned up, putting on some nice clothes, driving to church, dragging your butt into a pew, listening to a few songs, listening to a sermon, dragging your butt back home, putting on some sweats and watching TV for the rest of the day...............yep.......I went to church..........BIG DEAL..........

GET INVOLVED...................

Talk to someone you don't know, Give someone a hug, Invite someone over for dinner, Make some new friends. It won't be long you'll be growing in Christ because you actually PARTICIPATED IN instead of just ATTENDED Church.

I'll keep praying for you.....................

JJL

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If you had a bad experience at a church and have decided that church is not for you, you have turned your back towards God. I know that sounds a little harsh, but making the decision to not attend church and open up your mind and heart towards God is the same as turning your back to him. I suggest you try again and find a church that pleases you................It'll please him as well.

I would have to disagree with you here Jim. Making the choice not to sit in a building full or partially full of people every week and listening to music and one man or posibly more than one man preach to you is in no way turning your back on or to God. It is that kind of mentality held by those that do "ATTEND" every week that is a turn off for some. Almost seems judgemental.:( Why would anyone want to subject themselves to people who would ridicule them based on their attendance or involvement. You can still very much so have your heart and mind opened up to God and have trust and faith in Him.

You are right though Jim just attending and not getting involved really would be or is an empty gesture, God knows and you are surely only fooling yourself if you go and sit and listen and don't get anything out of being there. Sad that there are so many in this world who are in that situation. That is why it is so important if you do go to church to find one that fits you where you do feel comfortable. Tough to open up in a place where you are not comfortable.

I will say that the last few times I have been to church I did not feel comfortable for various reasons at the churches we went to. I do plan to go back to searching soon though.

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Have given this some more thought and have just a couple more things to add here:

First and foremost I want to be perfectly clear that I am not telling anyone not to go to church. I am however trying to explain the reasons why I can understand why some Christians choose not to go, and I do not think it is in any way my place to judge them or suggest that they may not be right with God or somehow lesser obdient or lesser Christians due to their attendance or lack of. That is for God to judge, and he truly knows where each and everyone of our hearts lay.

Secondly, does the spirit not move in people when they open their hearts and minds? If you open your heart and open up your mind, will God say sorry you are not in my house so I will not find you? I think God is with us all the time no matter where we are, it is not a matter of Him finding us, but a matter of us seeking Him, if we are on a regular basis seeking Him and trying our best to please Him, then we are growing. Do you have to go to His house to seek Him out? Again, I don't think so. Sure going to church reinforces what we need and can give answers or raise questions and give answers to those questions, granted you are in the right one, but to think that the only way you can grow as a Christian is to attend a building every Sunday is something I just cannot buy into.

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.....but to think that the only way you can grow as a Christian is to attend a building every Sunday is something I just cannot buy into.

Never said it was the only way. It is however, one of the best.

I feel for those of you who cannot find a church where you are comfortable. I've been there before and it really does cloud up one's outlook. When we moved to Colorado, priority #1 was to find a church where we would enjoy going. By the grace of God there was one right here in town, 8 miles away. The first service we attended I couldn't help but notice that when my family and I drove home we were smiling and laughing not somber and depressed like our previous churches. The members have truly become our family. No longer is going to church something we have to do........it's something we want to do. It makes a HUGE difference.

For someone to believe that they are fully developed as a Christian and not attend church, is the equivilant to someone saying that they are a complete deer hunter but they never associate with other hunters.............doesn't make much sense when you think about it.

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Man this devotional could not have come at a greater time, as I just popped into this discussion.

Elkroundup.jpg

Bible Study Verse

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

Thoughts

Patrolling some back country trails, I came across a wide swath of tracks that crossed in front of me. As I continued on, I discovered a large herd of elk, about 100 head of cows, calves, spike bulls, and a few rag horn bulls. Elk, as do most big game animals, herd up in the winter months. Being in a herd offers many benefits, one of the most important is safety in numbers. Anyone who has ever tried to put the sneak on a large herd of elk knows how difficult it can be with all those sets of eyes scanning the area. Any little shift in the wind can carry your scent directly to the nostrils of a herd member, who will immediately bark out the warning signal to the rest. Their God given herd instinct serves them well. (Ron T)

Action PointI have heard people say, "The only church they need is to be outside in God's creation. That's where they feel the closest to God." I sure can't argue with that. What they are missing out on is the opportunity to meet up with fellow believers, to come together as a herd, to worship God, to grow spiritually, to give encouragement to others, and to receive encouragement. There are so many benefits that we receive when we are together. Finding a good bible based church and being a member of God's herd is a step in the direction of becoming mature in Christ. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another, Proverbs 27:17 (NIV).

Sportsmen's Tip of the Day

A 12 inch chunk of dental floss tied on a stick makes a nice wind direction devise. You can carry it in your pocket. If you're hunting from a ground blind or a tree stand, you can tie the floss to a nearby tree branch. Remember never use the scented floss.

http://www.sportsmensdevotional.com/

Edited by Whitetail Freak Hunter
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