Is this right?

[HolyGhostFilled7]

I'm attending a pentecostal church. In addition to the Sunday Service we have Wednesday Bible study, and Friday night prayer. My pastor has on several occations said that if we don't attend all the services then we are going to hell. According to him, if something gets in the way (work, travels, special occasions etc) then it's okay but not if we choose not to. This just don't seem right to me. Any thoughts?

 

[dragongunner]

Seen this before, but not directly, "your going to hell", but very strongly suggesting it. Pressure is put on and words from the pastor such as, "obey they which have the rule over you" so you better be here every time the church doors are open. And some even saying if you not here every time the church doors are open then what do you think is wrong with us, why don't you want to be part of the family, and if not then why are you coming…..in which case some leave for other churches and then the pastor says.."they went out from us because if they had been of us they would of no doubt stayed." Implying they weren't saved…..no…..they just got tired of having "Boss" and went to look for a good church and a better "Pastor". Realize not all who say "Lord, Lord" will be saved….and that includes Pastors. If those are the words your pastor used and you asked him to make sure thats what he meant then I myself would say good bye. But hey, the more church services the more the time of giving "$$$$" there is….your not saved by how many times a week you attend church. Think about it….I had a church that had a.m and p.m Sunday services, Mon. discipleship meetings, weds. woman's prayer meeting, thurs bible study, friday youth, sat mens meeting….so then the church down the street that only has one sunday service, does that mean they are going to hell? Hope you talk to your pastor and see if you understood him correctly, then decide. God Bless

 

[dayhiker]

I agree, there is nothing in Christianity that says attending meetings is how we get closer to God or mature as a Christian. He is operating out of fear in my mind. I'm so glad your using your Christian discernment and being lead by the Holy Spirit. The hard part for me was what to do after I heard something like that said or preached.

 

[ByTheSpirit]

A lot of preachers use Heb 10:25 to support such a view but the verse doesn't say those who forsake gatherings will.go to hell and I have even seen some use the phrase "as you see the Day approaching" as a reference to Sunday services....

Don't let such petty talk get in your faith. Once you accept such talk as biblical truth it is hard to see otherwise. Nothing in scripture states you go to hell for not attending services. Only believing or not believing...

 

[PRMan99]

Many pastors are control freaks.

 

[HolyGhostFilled7]

Thank you so much for your replies! Dragonrunner, I recognize so much of what you're writing from our church. And when people leave (or are not coming often enough), if they don't say that you're not one them then it's that the enemy is tricking you and leading you astray.
He has said this several times, come think of it though, mostly it's that if Jesus comes back and service happens to be during that time and you're not there, you will go to hell.
I'm not even supposed to discuss this, cause it makes me a rebel and I don't obey.

I think the pastor's heart is in the right place though, he is very loving and even offered to pray for an expensive trip out of his own pocket so I could attend a healing service. But I don't know.. so many things feels wrong about this place.. some times I wonder if I'm the one something's wrong with. But I'm happy to hear your opinions on this specific issue are about the same as mine.

 

[dragongunner]

Thank you so much for your replies! Dragonrunner, I recognize so much of what you're writing from our church. And when people leave (or are not coming often enough), if they don't say that you're not one them then it's that the enemy is tricking you and leading you astray.
He has said this several times, come think of it though, mostly it's that if Jesus comes back and service happens to be during that time and you're not there, you will go to hell.
I'm not even supposed to discuss this, cause it makes me a rebel and I don't obey.

I think the pastor's heart is in the right place though, he is very loving and even offered to pray for an expensive trip out of his own pocket so I could attend a healing service. But I don't know.. so many things feels wrong about this place.. some times I wonder if I'm the one something's wrong with. But I'm happy to hear your opinions on this specific issue are about the same as mine.

I knew a pastor, full of power and wisdom, but who was wrong on some things. He wasn't evil or mean, he was very sincere and truly believed what he did no matter how wrong it was. Sometimes in time he would see where he was wrong, but until he saw it there was no use telling him. We all have blind spots, even the best of us as I learned. If you want to know the Truth, ask the Lord, but make sure you mean it. There are literally times when my pastor would tell me I was wrong about certain scriptures….then years later preach what I had told him, that he had earlier said was wrong!!!! Imagine the frustration, then confronting him and seeing him literally draw away from you farther and farther. For some, the need to be right, especially a pastor that feels he has arrived is too much to bare if they are wrong. Stay humble, stay honest and stay in a relationship with Jesus, always be willing to learn and to KNOW that no matter what you believe, check and make sure from time to time it is so. Some people are able to do this and grow and mature. Some just can't for various reasons, perhaps they just don't like change…its in human nature not to like change. Stay true to Christ and ask Him to lead, and he will. Why did I remain in a church for so many years that was so legalistic….? Because thats where God wanted me, they had what I needed at that time for my journey, I learned truths there I never would learned anywhere else…..and I also came to learn what was wrong, without being there, I wouldn't of learned that either.

 

[AGTG]

Totally bogus. Your salvation doesn't depend on making him happy by filling a pew.

In general, it's good to fellowship with the Body. Only a fool isolates himself. but it is most certainly not a salvational issue. In fact, if you agree to such terms you risk picking up a yoke of bondage whereby you risk being severed from the Body of Christ for trying to justify yourself.

I would speak to whatever regional leadership that denomination has to bring correction to him. If he has no oversight, speak to him directly and then move on to a healthy place to worship God.

 

[Jethro99]

Thank you so much for your replies! Dragonrunner, I recognize so much of what you're writing from our church. And when people leave (or are not coming often enough), if they don't say that you're not one them then it's that the enemy is tricking you and leading you astray.
He has said this several times, come think of it though, mostly it's that if Jesus comes back and service happens to be during that time and you're not there, you will go to hell.
I'm not even supposed to discuss this, cause it makes me a rebel and I don't obey.

I think the pastor's heart is in the right place though, he is very loving and even offered to pray for an expensive trip out of his own pocket so I could attend a healing service. But I don't know.. so many things feels wrong about this place.. some times I wonder if I'm the one something's wrong with. But I'm happy to hear your opinions on this specific issue are about the same as mine.

Dragonrunner summed it up as better than I could. I once found myself in a similar church with a similar pastor. Unlike your pastor, most "special circumstances" weren't tolerated either. Like if you couldn't attend something because of work then you got a lecture about how your job was your God (even if you had attended everything else for months) and if you really loved God you'd find another job that let you attend everything at church - no matter how short notice, salvation questioned, etc. etc... Of course, all of this was done "with love"

I have no doubt of a few things...
I have no doubt he firmly believed he was right.
I have no doubt he had some serious control issues.
I have no doubt he was wrong.
I have no doubt I'm much happier having moved to another church.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. People make mistakes, all of us. Pastor's are people so they can make mistakes too. Sometimes its very hard for people to admit when they are wrong. This also applies to pastors.

 

[Messy]

One of the first churches I attended. pastor didn't say it that blunt, but you were expected to come two times on a sunday. I thought one is enough and in the afternoon I'd relax and go biking, Well I heard that back in the preaching next sunday. Lol I played guitar there (not a schedule or something, it was a very small church, his wife played too)and he prayed in church, where I was too, Lord give us a faithful guitar player. It turned out to be a cult, they didn't believe in getting reborn, I hated God after a year for everything I had to do, left church, luckily my mom took me to a normal one and all of a sudden God was friendly to me. He used to say he was the direct spokesman of God.