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Post by livinganewlife on Jul 11, 2008 10:54:48 GMT -5
Greetings,
I have a question that some friends and I were discussing on last night and I decided to bring the question to the Bulletin Board....
According the scripture listed below do we really have to go to church?
Hebrews 10:25 (King James Version)
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
This scripture is used many times as the base argument as to why people need to attend church.....
However, is this scripture really saying let's assemble together in church settings as we now know them?
What do you think?
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Post by stillfocused on Jul 11, 2008 12:40:26 GMT -5
This is a hot topic among many. As many people are now not going to church at all or drifting from local assembly to assembly. Yet, they still love the Lord have relationship with Him. I don't believe the scripture is talking about a church building persay..yet, for me it's not to stop fellowshipping with other believers. Yet, again I am quickly learning to look at the context of the text and the true meaning of the words that are being used in the scriptures..but, as we all know they don't always mean what we think they mean..especially during that time..
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Post by stillfocused on Jul 11, 2008 12:44:42 GMT -5
After thinking about the question for a moment..it seems that church has become another place for a social gathering and meeting up with friends..with no regard to the real reason what we gather together for 1.5 - 2 hrs, at twice a week.
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Post by krazeeboi on Jul 11, 2008 13:00:15 GMT -5
Church can take many forms. Here in America, we're used to going to an actual building with several others at least one day a week. However, meeting with other believers in a private home on a regular basis is the same thing. I think Jesus gave us the most minimal requirements when He said that wherever two or three were gathered together in His Name, He would be in the midst.
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Post by stillfocused on Jul 11, 2008 13:20:36 GMT -5
Agreed..Krazeeboi !!
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Post by livinganewlife on Jul 11, 2008 14:13:41 GMT -5
The part of the scripture that got me was this:
But exhorting one another
And truly in church how often do we (general) exhort one another?
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Post by stillfocused on Jul 11, 2008 14:20:50 GMT -5
LANL...we really don't know what exhortation really is. We have perfected the art of encouraging one another...in what we think someone is facing.
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Post by kitty on Jul 15, 2008 12:37:38 GMT -5
As long as there is fellowship then I don't care where it happens...
However... People still need to hear the word... and learn it... and most need a preacher for that. So i still think people need to go to church.
Kitty
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Jul 17, 2008 17:30:23 GMT -5
LANL,
It really would depend on how you describe church. Krazi is correct, for us in the western world, church is an actual building that you attend. However, many do the house church thing and that is where the 'exhorting one another" comes into play as each is able to particpate in a house church setting.
I started a thread on House Church - gotta find it.
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Post by anointedteacher on Jul 17, 2008 20:11:23 GMT -5
Church is necessary for discipline, training and spiritual growth... that's why we have the fivefold ministries and deacon/ess, elders and bishop... We must have a place of gathering, building, house or under a tree.
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Post by And Such Were Some Of You on Jul 17, 2008 20:38:55 GMT -5
Yes, I believe in the "gathering together of the saints" its the location that people make mandatory that I don't agree with
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Post by krazeeboi on Jul 17, 2008 21:33:45 GMT -5
^In a way, I can understand the concern that you worship regularly with a group that meets in a fixed location (i.e., church building). Although there are plenty of loons out there everywhere, some of these upstarts in houses have a negative stigma about them (even though some very legitimate ministries started in homes). You know how it goes: so-and-so is at Bishop so-and-so's church and think they are called to preach, bishop won't recognize the calling, so they go out and start some little mission rooted in rebellion and bitterness. In America, you're more likely to find a ministry that's reputable and stable that worships in a building than one that worships in a home. You're also more likely to find an assembly that adheres to a biblical ecclesiastical governing structure.
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Post by anointedteacher on Jul 17, 2008 22:04:59 GMT -5
^In a way, I can understand the concern that you worship regularly with a group that meets in a fixed location (i.e., church building). Although there are plenty of loons out there everywhere, some of these upstarts in houses have a negative stigma about them (even though some very legitimate ministries started in homes). You know how it goes: so-and-so is at Bishop so-and-so's church and think they are called to preach, bishop won't recognize the calling, so they go out and start some little mission rooted in rebellion and bitterness. In America, you're more likely to find a ministry that's reputable and stable that worships in a building than one that worships in a home. You're also more likely to find an assembly that adheres to a biblical ecclesiastical governing structure. I total agree.... I call it the Absalom spirit  We meet in an house because while the apostle out planting churches in different countries and doing foreign mission, the pastor was stealing the heart of the members and win them over by putting them in leadership positions and by prophesying houses, cars, money and husbands and turning them against the apostle. When the apostle return to the States, she found out most of the ppl were against her and her daughter and granddaughter have left the church. The pastor set them down for no reason. When we had a business meeting, she had members to get up and talk down to the founder of the ministry ( the apostle). She even spoke curses toward the ppl who choose to follow the apostle after the church split. I went with the apostle. She (the pastor) paid someone to ordain her as an apostle  Mostly all the members that follow her left.... so her ministry is founded on rebellious I think they meet in a house too. We used to have close to 500 members  She caused the ministry to fall, by being so jealous of the leader |
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Post by stillfocused on Jul 18, 2008 11:49:36 GMT -5
We must accept that we are the church and whatever we meet and the presence of the Lord then his work and will be done. I have attended services in homes and the building and I prefer meeting in someone's home to church..because there are no titles, there is not set protcol except the agenda of the Holy Spirit...there is no Prophet Brotherman and Evg Preachergirl. It is a more intimate setting.. and there's no room for the bighead spirit of pride to enter because everyone was truly on one a accord..no matter what their spiritual background, educational training, churdh afflication, and etc was. And I am quickly finding out that some start their churches in rebellion..yet, there are some who love God and are just tired of the games, the spirit of manipulation, and other the things that we see happening now..who know who they are and what God has called for them to do..
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Post by anointedteacher on Jul 18, 2008 14:59:02 GMT -5
We must accept that we are the church and whatever we meet and the presence of the Lord then his work and will be done. I have attended services in homes and the building and I prefer meeting in someone's home to church..because there are no titles, there is not set protcol except the agenda of the Holy Spirit...there is no Prophet Brotherman and Evg Preachergirl. It is a more intimate setting.. and there's no room for the bighead spirit of pride to enter because everyone was truly on one a accord..no matter what their spiritual background, educational training, churdh afflication, and etc was. And I am quickly finding out that some start their churches in rebellion..yet, there are some who love God and are just tired of the games, the spirit of manipulation, and other the things that we see happening now..who know who they are and what God has called for them to do.. When I read I & II Timothy and Titus, there were more than just a meeting place... they had order and position, along with titles. They ordained elders, deacons, and bishops into positions. Jesus gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to the church.... they are placed into the local church. Even if a person left because of games and manipulation, doesn't mean he should jump and start his own church, without the proper release, he is still out of order and his foundation is shaky. God have churches with leaders living right and that will push other into their ministry and calling. God will lead a person to the right place to be trained, disciplined and properly released into the ministry. When there is no leadership there is trouble, no accountablilties, no responsibilites noone to answer to, that's how cults develope. |
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We meet in an house because while the apostle out planting churches in different countries and doing foreign mission, the pastor was stealing the heart of the members and win them over by putting them in leadership positions and by prophesying houses, cars, money and husbands and turning them against the apostle. When the apostle return to the States, she found out most of the ppl were against her and her daughter and granddaughter have left the church. The pastor set them down for no reason. When we had a business meeting, she had members to get up and talk down to the founder of the ministry ( the apostle). She even spoke curses toward the ppl who choose to follow the apostle after the church split. I went with the apostle. 
Mostly all the members that follow her left.... so her ministry is founded on rebellious 